Can't Connect the MS to the HPWC or Any Other Charge Connector

[Cottonwood]

Take a look at the attached pictures. I cannot plug my MS into either the HPWC or my UMC this morning. There is some sort of mechanical interference. It looks like a piece of one of the charge port power contacts broke off into the HPWC connector. See the pictures below. Tesla is on the way tomorrow morning with a new charge port and HPWC cable. Great support!

My MS was delivered September 2012 and is Signature #37. The folks at Tesla told me the charge port has been updated a few times since my car was built.

Has anyone else had anything like this happen?

 

[Kalud]

Yes, small plastic part broke from the charge port and stuck in the HPWC connector, can you gently remove it with a nose pliers ?

Side note, that charge port is dirty! Please wash it a bit, well, the Ranger will probably replace it anyway, but I found that dirty contact on the charge port generally gives intermittent contacts, lock-unlock sequence while connecting and increase heat released while charging. Simple contact cleaner (or rubbing alcohol) and some small brushes or Q-tips.

 

[Cottonwood]

Yes, small plastic part broke from the charge port and stuck in the HPWC connector, can you gently remove it with a nose pliers ?

Side note, that charge port is dirty! Please wash it a bit, well, the Ranger will probably replace it anyway, but I found that dirty contact on the charge port generally gives intermittent contacts, lock-unlock sequence while connecting and increase heat released while charging. Simple contact cleaner (or rubbing alcohol) and some small brushes or Q-tips.

Removing the plastic plug from the HPWC connector would be really difficult. There is nothing to grab onto with needle nose pliers. There is the second problem that there is something else going on. The UMC connector won't plug in either. Is there something in the bottom of the charge port connector on the car? I am just going to wait for the tech to get here tomorrow with charge port parts, a HPWC cable, and a UMC cable. It will be interesting to watch.

I noticed all the dirt in the charge port as well. That is hard to see normally, but really shows up with this flash picture. It looks like the salty road grudge that gets all over my cars after driving through a winter storm. This MS has been through two Colorado winters with a lot of snowy, slushy driving. I am wondering if some of that got into the charge port. Are there any regular maintenance steps that include cleaning or inspecting the charge port? Maybe there should be...

 

[Kalud]

There is the second problem that there is something else going on. The UMC connector won't plug in either. Is there something in the bottom of the charge port connector on the car?

Actually yes, the locking mechanism. If you leave the charge port door open for some time the locking mechanism at the bottom of the charge port activate, you cannot insert the connector. Just unlock the charge port (screen, or with the UMC button). You can also close the door and press the button to re-open it, it will unlock.

Don't try with the HPWC since it has the stuck plastic piece in it, but the UMC should be fine, its "just" a little plastic protection part to avoid being able to touch the bare metal connection in the charge port.

 

[Cottonwood]

Actually yes, the locking mechanism. If you leave the charge port door open for some time the locking mechanism at the bottom of the charge port activate, you cannot insert the connector. Just unlock the charge port (screen, or with the UMC button). You can also close the door and press the button to re-open it, it will unlock.

Don't try with the HPWC since it has the stuck plastic piece in it, but the UMC should be fine, its "just" a little plastic protection part to avoid being able to touch the bare metal connection in the charge port.

Already did the lock/unlock close/open the charge port stuff a few times. Even looked inside the charge port to make sure the pin was retracted.

There is something else going on not allowing the UMC to go into the charge port.

 

[Cottonwood]

Service came out and replaced the charge port in my MS#37 and the HPWC cable. They are going to send them back for analysis. So far, no one has seen this failure before. After the charge port was swapped out, the UMC would plug in. I guess that the sharp edges on the power connector without the cap were grabbing at the UMC; who knows.

Anyway after getting a new charge port and a new HPWC cable and head, all is well. Here are a couple of pics.


Old Charge Port, "looking down" Notice the missing "cap" on the left power connector.

New Charge Port in car