CHAdeMO Adapter Firmware Update Available

[israndy]

Oh, yeah, that's great too. The problem with CHAdeMO is that many of the stations will not be working when you arrive. You ALWAYS need to charge enough to not only make the CHAdeMO charger but the next Supercharger in case there are issues. Cannot imagine what it would be like to be driving a Leaf and having to deal with this, sheesh

 

[cwerdna]

Oh, yeah, that's great too. The problem with CHAdeMO is that many of the stations will not be working when you arrive. You ALWAYS need to charge enough to not only make the CHAdeMO charger but the next Supercharger in case there are issues.

Indeed. That is especially true if the CHAdeMO charger is the lone one at an Electrify America site.

It's always best to check Plugshare for any non-Superchargers that one plans to use. Even then, it's no guarantee that people are checking in. I have plenty of experience w/that.

 

[mbp11]

I bought a CHAdeMO adapter when I went through a charging anxiety stage and have yet to use it... My local safeway has installed a EV charging station and there are about 5 CCS chargers and one CHAdeMO charger from Electrify America. I am wondering if I should test out the adapter

 

[Padelford]

I bought a CHAdeMO adapter when I went through a charging anxiety stage and have yet to use it... My local safeway has installed a EV charging station and there are about 5 CCS chargers and one CHAdeMO charger from Electrify America. I am wondering if I should test out the adapter

Yes, you should although finding a CHAdeMO charger at a Nissan dealer is a more cost-effective approach. Depending upon when you bought it, you may want to get its firmware updated, then test it.

 

[mbp11]

Yes, you should although finding a CHAdeMO charger at a Nissan dealer is a more cost-effective approach. Depending upon when you bought it, you may want to get its firmware updated, then test it.

Thanks. Do you think the Nissan people might mind a Tesla stopping by to charge??

 

[Padelford]

Thanks. Do you think the Nissan people might mind a Tesla stopping by to charge??

They've never complained in the past, as long as I'm not preventing a Leaf from charging.

 

[israndy]

Most of the dealers have NO INTEREST in electric cars. I have stopped and charged at a few out of the way places and they didn't give a hoot.

Although most of them seem to have implemented a pay for service so it's not free to charge like it used to be.

 

[Rocky_H]

Thanks. Do you think the Nissan people might mind a Tesla stopping by to charge??

That varies greatly per location. At the Nissan dealer's CHAdeMO here in my city, they posted a sign on it forbidding use of the station with any adapters (hence Teslas).

 

[mbp11]

Well, I went to a CHadeMO charger at an electrify america station next to my favorite Safeway in Pleasanton and backed in, plugged in and the adaptor attempted to charge but the errored out with a flashing red light at the charge port, indicating some kind of error. Tried it several times, same result (is that the definition of insanity?). I am embarrassed. I made an appointment with the service center but what are they going to do? It does not seem that there is any way of plugging into the adaptor to "upgrade the firmware." Do they do some software upgrades for the car?

I want to drive free like Randy!!

 

[Rocky_H]

I made an appointment with the service center but what are they going to do? It does not seem that there is any way of plugging into the adaptor to "upgrade the firmware." Do they do some software upgrades for the car?

Oh yes, there certainly is. There is firmware inside the CHAdeMO adapter itself, but it uses a special tool to connect to it to do that, and not every service center has one. But the majority of the time, these are problems with the station, rather than with the adapter.

 

[Padelford]

Well, I went to a CHadeMO charger at an electrify america station next to my favorite Safeway in Pleasanton and backed in, plugged in and the adaptor attempted to charge but the errored out with a flashing red light at the charge port, indicating some kind of error. Tried it several times, same result (is that the definition of insanity?). I am embarrassed. I made an appointment with the service center but what are they going to do? It does not seem that there is any way of plugging into the adaptor to "upgrade the firmware." Do they do some software upgrades for the car?

I want to drive free like Randy!!

It's very likely that the Electrify America station is at fault with a CHAdeMO error. Try finding another CHAdeMO charger in your area thru PlugShare before going to a Service Center. If you do get a firmware update, go back to a known working CHAdeMO charger and test your adaptor.

 

[mbp11]

I will do as you suggest

 

[Tress]

It's very likely that the Electrify America station is at fault with a CHAdeMO error. Try finding another CHAdeMO charger in your area thru PlugShare before going to a Service Center. If you do get a firmware update, go back to a known working CHAdeMO charger and test your adaptor.

It seems EA does not maintain their ChaDeMo connectors very well as many will sit broken for months. Be sure to look up the station on PlugShare and see what other users are reporting

 

[mbp11]

Did so today with EVGo, a different provider, but no luck, flashing red light at charge plug. Off to the service center I go!

 

[Tress]

It seems EA does not maintain their ChaDeMo connectors very well as many will sit broken for months. Be sure to look up the station on PlugShare and see what other users are reporting

Example of the EA station near me...

 

[mbp11]

OK, I stopped by to get a few kW at the charger at the Dublin, California service center and on a lark, took my Chademo adaptor inside (they usually ignore me). I had an appointment in two days from then but I was going to cancel because of conflicts, and I wanted to know if I could just drop of the adaptor and have them flash the new firmware. They were not too busy, so I talked to one of the service advisors who had never heard of such a thing. So.... he took the adaptor and walked into the back and disappeared for 10 minutes. He came back smiling without the adaptor and told me they DID have the tool and the techs were flashing the adaptor as we spoke. 5 more minutes and the tech came out with the adaptor and told me "done!" Apparently they have a tool that plugs into the handle somewhere and dives deep inside, and attaches to a USB port on one of their laptops and it does the job.

Now I have to go out to some of the local Chademo chargers to try it out one of these days! Soon, I hope.

 

[israndy]

Let us know how it goes

 

[bobby g]

Last time I looked into this and asked the service center in SLC if they could update the firmware on my CHAdeMO adaptor they looked at me like I was nuts. Said they'd never heard about that being a thing before.

My adaptor works fine so I'm not exactly sure what a firmware update would get me anyway.

I got that response plus use it and it will update itself - is that the same as "Build it and they will come"?

 

[bobby g]

Last time I looked into this and asked the service center in SLC if they could update the firmware on my CHAdeMO adaptor they looked at me like I was nuts. Said they'd never heard about that being a thing before.

My adaptor works fine so I'm not exactly sure what a firmware update would get me anyway.

I got that response plus use it and it will update itself - is that the same as "Build it and they will come"?

Ha! I currently have both a Leaf and a Model Y, and I can assure you that the success rate for CHAdeMO charging a Leaf is about 50%. Maybe a bit better on the Chargepoint and EVgo networks, but most non-Tesla DCQC stations are so unreliable as to discourage any reasonable person from buying a non-Tesla EV.

That's sad but anticipating such I got my M3. I have only used my Chademo a few times at a cheap ChargePoint badged one at a CA Lotto office - np

Time out... there's free chademo charging??? I'm in CA... where!?

I picked up a used Chademo adapter off of FB marketplace for $300 as a stop gap/emergency but have yet to use it. But since my new (to me) Model X doesn't have free lifetime supercharging, free Chademo charging sure would be nice!

EDIT: I'm guessing Nissan dealerships, and I forgot about using plugshare to filter via toggling "payment required" off. But any neat/reliable locations would be nice too!

Pasadena has some

 

[bobby g]

If you have the plugshare app, filter for chademo and free - surprise