tg,

The white is the common. Here is what I would do. First, I would redo all the connections that are at the automatic valves. Redo the connections with the screw caps that have waterproof gel in them. The white wire goes into the controllers common slot. There should only be one. That is because each one of the two solenoid wires are connected to the one white wire at the automatic valve boxes. This single white wire is what you put into the common slot in the controller. Each of the red wires individually go into the different numbered slots or zone slots. I would, after completing the reconnection exercise, connect one red wire to a zone(say 1) and turn that zone on manually from the controller. If it works, remove the red wire from #1 and try the second wire and so on( record the areas in the lawn watered). If one zone doesn't work redo the connections. If that doesn't work replace the solenoid. If that doesn't work you have a broken wire and need to run a new wire from the controller ( if you don't have wire conduit to the controller will will have to dig a new trench to direct bury or install a wire conduit). If all the red wires work to start up zone1, then you know the valves all work and you commence to check the other controller zone slots. Leave zone#1 wired and now place a wire in zone# 2 and commence to water manually from the controller from that zone. Follow that system till all zones are working or you find out you have a bad zone slot in the controller. You only need 4 out of the 6 slots to work. If you don't get 4 working then return the controller for a new one. If only one slot doesn't work you can return it in case you want to expand your system later or want to get your money's worth. Hope this helps. Aloha