Question
QUESTION: my zone 2 wire is brown. when I dug it up the wire was connected to the wire for the soldined and than attached to another brown wire. I found the hot side and connected it to the soldined but it won't open. I have 24 volts going to the soldined. As soon as I connect the soldined wire my volt meter goes to zero and the value won't open? The soldined is brand new bought at Home depo.Also what is the other brown wire for? Thanks

ANSWER: Hi Rick

Looks like there is another valve connected the the same wire and the solenoid is in short circuit.  Do you checked the common wire?

Please send me a complete description of your installation, included the controller brand and model, number of zones.

Thanks
Guillermo

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the responce. I have a Hunter SRC plus 24 volt system.  I took the brown wire and took it straight to the solenoide wire(I disconnect the second brown wire that had no volts to it.)and still nothing. I have 24 volts from the main controll box out thru the brown wire to the sprinkler box. as soon as I hook up the brown wire to the solenide wire my volts go to zero. I tried to reground it to the outside water fauset and still had no luck. There are a total of 6 zones and they used an 8 wire harness to wire the sprinkler system up. All the other zones work.Thanks

Answer
Hi Rick,

When you measure the power at the Brown and white wires from the controller you get 24V, correct? And when you connect both wires to the solenoid it drops to 0?,  that says the solenoid is in short circuit.

Measure the ohms at the solenoid, set your volt meter to ohms at the 200 scale, put the leads at the solenoid wires, disconnected from the controller, it should give a reading between 20 an 60 ohms. If is less than 20 or greater than 60 the solenoid is bad.

Regards
Guillermo