Occasional Oddity When Charging

[avesnes]

Over the last nine months the following has occurred four times:-

Using the charging lead that was supplied with the car, I have switched on the electricity at the wall socket and then plugged the charging lead into the car. Normally there is a slight clonk from the car, the symbol on the dash flashes a few times and then stays on. Charging then progresses and a full charge is received by the car. However, as mentioned above, very occasionally the symbol continues to flash and, as I found out the first time, no charge is received by the car.

The remedy is to watch the symbol and if the "fault" does occur, then just remove and immediately return the charging plug into the socket on the car and the pattern for charging returns to normal.

Has any other forum member experienced or heard of this oddity?

 

[Regulo]

There's a switch incorporated into the "nozzle" that plugs into the car. If it doesn't fully operate, the car won't charge. Maybe this is your problem?

 

[jaapv]

On one of my charging cables the lock is a bit stiff. It will behave the same if I forget to push it home.

 

[vs2]

It may be the wrong procedure according to Mitsubishi, but I always plug in and then turn power on at wall. (common sense?)Never had an issue.

 

[anko]

But will the indicator on the dash indeed flash when the switch hangs? (never tried / experienced this)

I was thinking about unreliable grounding as a possible cause....

 

[jaapv]

TBH I don't know. I go by the "clonk". I'll have a look next time the lock hangs.

 

[drdel]

Turning on the 'power' and then connecting is the reverse order recommended when using any electrical lead and is potentially unsafe.

Connect to car and then turn on the 'mains'

 

[anko]

Turning on the 'power' and then connecting is the reverse order recommended when using any electrical lead and is potentially unsafe.

Connect to car and then turn on the 'mains'

A bit OT, but normally, there will only be power on the main leads after the car and the charger have agreed with one another. So, you should be fine.

If, due to a failure, the main leads are hot before all connections are made, you may see some electric arcs. Would you prefer to see them in and around the household plug / wall socket when you plug it in? Or would you prefer to see them in the Type 1 plug that goers into your car? I think I would prefer the latter ....

But again, normally this should not happen.

 

[HHL]

Turning on the 'power' and then connecting is the reverse order recommended when using any electrical lead and is potentially unsafe.

Connect to car and then turn on the 'mains'

A bit OT, but normally, there will only be power on the main leads after the car and the charger have agreed with one another. So, you should be fine.

If, due to a failure, the main leads are hot before all connections are made, you may see some electric arcs. Would you prefer to see them in and around the household plug / wall socket when you plug it in? Or would you prefer to see them in the Type 1 plug that goers into your car? I think I would prefer the latter ....

But again, normally this should not happen.

Actually, here in Australia, there is a switch on every power point.....the normal procedure is to turn on the switch after an appliance is plugged in, so it should never be "hot plugged". Having said that, mine is the standard model without the wi-fi and timer, so I have it plugged into a WEMO controlled power point that turns on after midnight to take advantage of off-peak rates, so the power is always turned on after the charger is plugged into the car, and it always works.

 

[jaapv]

But will the indicator on the dash indeed flash when the switch hangs? (never tried / experienced this)

I was thinking about unreliable grounding as a possible cause....

Just tried it. Yes, the indicator will flash as long as contact is not established, so the diagnosis: " Microswitch/lock not engaged" is more than likely. I had to take one car-side plug apart (very simple DIY) and bent the lip of the microswitch to make it function, so it is not unusual to happen either.

 

[avesnes]

Further to the question of the exact order for charging the drive battery, I have re-read the Owner's Manual pages 3-12 to 3-15 sub-titled "Charging from rated AC 220-240 V outlet". There are 12 points of action interspersed with various Notes, Warning and Cautions. Nowhere is there an instruction to turn on or turn off the mains supply. Surely then, the obvious assumption is that the mains supply is already switched on before the charge connector is plugged into the car?.....or am I missing something?

 

[jaapv]

Yes you are - the connection is only made by the car communicating with the charger. So the order in which the connection is made is wholly irrelevant.

 

[anko]

But will the indicator on the dash indeed flash when the switch hangs? (never tried / experienced this)

I was thinking about unreliable grounding as a possible cause....

Just tried it. Yes, the indicator will flash as long as contact is not established, so the diagnosis: " Microswitch/lock not engaged" is more than likely.

That is good to know!

 

[greendwarf]

Further to the question of the exact order for charging the drive battery, I have re-read the Owner's Manual pages 3-12 to 3-15 sub-titled "Charging from rated AC 220-240 V outlet". There are 12 points of action interspersed with various Notes, Warning and Cautions. Nowhere is there an instruction to turn on or turn off the mains supply. Surely then, the obvious assumption is that the mains supply is already switched on before the charge connector is plugged into the car?.....or am I missing something?

There are probably some English speaking markets where sockets are not switched - as in Japan - so they wouldn't think to mention it.

 

[SolarBoy]

For those that have had a home EV charger installed, it is always on.

(As an aside, it's a EV charger that sends back statistics via a cell phone link, it's surprising how much electricity it uses as shown by it's own meter reading when it's just sitting there doing nothing)

 

[Regulo]

So trip the breaker when you're not using it?

 

[SolarBoy]

So trip the breaker when you're not using it?

That is an option, my EV charger is outside and the breaker inside within the garage and charge 2 to 3 times a day in Winter so might get a dull quick! :lol:

Will flip it when I am on holiday though, don't fancy a fault taking out half the house's electrics and the freezers.

 

[jaapv]

For those that have had a home EV charger installed, it is always on.

(As an aside, it's a EV charger that sends back statistics via a cell phone link, it's surprising how much electricity it uses as shown by it's own meter reading when it's just sitting there doing nothing)

That is exactly why chargers have relays that are trripped by the car. When not in use they are powered off on standby. Probably there is some slight usage by the electronics like the WiFi, though.

 

[DerekT]

For those that have had a home EV charger installed, it is always on.

(As an aside, it's a EV charger that sends back statistics via a cell phone link, it's surprising how much electricity it uses as shown by it's own meter reading when it's just sitting there doing nothing)

That is exactly why chargers have relays that are tripped by the car. When not in use they are powered off on standby. Probably there is some slight usage by the electronics like the WiFi, though.

As I understand it, the actual AC input charger is in the car. It communicates with the Charging Station (using the 2 small connections in the Type 1 Plug) that's part of the mains connection, whether it's the kind that's fixed to a wall or post, or the 'black box' one that's in the mains lead as supplied with the car. It (the charger) establishes what charge rate the mains connection is capable of, and then turns on a relay in the Charging Station. Until this happens, mains voltage is disconnected from the Type 1 plug pins.