Adding EVCS to GX system Firmware problems

Tried bolting a shiny new EVCS onto my narrowboat's Multiplus II / Cerbo GX setup last weekend and it's about as visible in VRM as my ex's common sense.

Ran through the usual suspects — checked the firmware on the Cerbo was bang up to date (v3.30), confirmed the EVCS was on the latest build too, restarted everything twice including my faith in Victron's ecosystem — still nothing showing in VRM, though oddly it does appear in VictronConnect locally over Bluetooth.

Few things I've noticed that might be relevant for anyone else banging their head against the same wall:

• Venus OS version matters more than you'd think — older GX firmware apparently just ignores the EVCS entirely rather than throwing a useful error
• The VRM device list can take an annoyingly long time to populate even when everything's technically talking correctly
• Worth double-checking your DVCC settings aren't creating a conflict, particularly if you've got a Fogstar battery with a third-party BMS in the loop

My current workaround is basically "squint at VictronConnect and pretend VRM doesn't exist," which isn't exactly the professional installation I was going for.

Has anyone actually got an EVCS NS fully integrated and visible in VRM on a Cerbo GX without it being a complete palaver? Specifically interested in whether there's a known firmware version combination that actually plays nicely — the Victron community forum is its usual mix of helpful and utterly baffling.

Feel like I'm missing something embarrassingly obvious here, which knowing me is entirely possible.

@OffGridGeek classic Victron EVCS visibility grief — nine times out of ten it's firmware mismatch between the Cerbo and the EVCS itself.

Quick checklist:

• Cerbo GX needs to be on v3.10 or later (EVCS support only landed properly then)
• The EVCS firmware needs updating via the GX device directly, not VRM — sounds backwards but there it is
• Make sure "EVCS" is enabled under Settings → Services on the Cerbo, otherwise it simply doesn't scan for it
• Check your VE.Can termination if you're running it that way — narrowboat vibration loves to loosen those connectors

Had a similar headache on my static van with a Cerbo GX that was stubbornly sitting on v3.00 — one firmware update and everything magically appeared in VRM like it had been there all along.

@RetiredChef is on the right lines, but also worth checking whether your EVCS is actually on the same VE.Can network segment as the Cerbo. On a narrowboat you'd be surprised how often a termination resistor goes walkabout with the vibration — had exactly this on my 60-footer last spring.

Grab a multimeter and measure resistance across the VE.Can bus with everything powered down — should read ~60Ω. If you're seeing 120Ω or open circuit, that's your culprit before you even touch firmware.

Also double-check VRM portal device list vs what's showing in Remote Console — sometimes the EVCS registers in one but not the other, which narrows down whether it's a comms issue or purely a portal sync problem.

@OffGridGeek both @RetiredChef and @PennineNomad have pointed you toward the most likely culprits, so I won't retread that ground.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet — check whether EV Charging Station support is actually enabled in your Cerbo's Venus OS settings. It's buried under Settings > Services and is off by default on older installs even after a firmware update. Caught me out for an embarrassing two hours on my motorhome build.

Also worth confirming you're running Venus OS v3.10 or later — EVCS integration was genuinely rough before that. The VRM portal simply won't display the widget properly on earlier builds regardless of anything else you do.

If your Cerbo is on v2.x anything, that's your smoking gun right there. Update first, configure second.

Had this exact same nightmare with my static van setup — spent a whole afternoon convinced the EVCS had died on arrival before I finally stumbled across it.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet: check your VE.Can termination resistors. Both ends of the bus need a 120Ω terminator fitted. I'd somehow ended up with two on the same end and none on the other after shuffling things around. Cerbo looked perfectly happy, everything seemed connected, but certain devices just wouldn't appear in VRM.

Pull up the VE.Can diagnostics screen on the Cerbo directly — it'll show you the bus voltage and whether termination looks healthy. Saved me a lot of head-scratching once I actually knew where to look.

Might be completely unrelated to your situation but it's a five-minute check and easy to overlook when you're deep in firmware rabbit holes.