42

Brake resistor overtemperature

Vacon · NX Liquid-Cooled Drive

What does 42 mean?

Overtemperature has been detected in the brake resistor. Subcodes S1-S5 (BCU related) specify the issue: S1 (Internal brake chopper overtemp), S2 (Brake resistance too high), S3 (Brake resistance too low), S4 (Brake resistance not detected), or S5 (Brake resistance leakage/earth fault).

Common Causes

  • Brake resistor temperature exceeding its limit.
  • Brake resistor failure or short circuit.
  • Excessive regenerative braking causing resistor overheat.
  • Resistor temperature sensor fault (P1-21).

Repair Steps & Checklist

Click steps to track your progress.

  1. 1

    Reset the unit to clear the fault.

  2. 2

    Increase the deceleration time setting to a longer duration to reduce the amount of braking energy dissipated.

  3. 3

    Verify the dimensioning of the brake chopper and external brake resistor for the application's braking requirements.

  4. 4

    If an internal brake chopper overtemperature (S1) is the cause, consider implementing or replacing with an external brake resistor system.

Browse all codes in this manual (52)
Verified technical data. Last updated: March 2026

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Source: Vacon NX Liquid-Cooled Drive