Charge cable stuck [in CYC charge point]

[spartanheed]

So 10 days into my ownership of a M3LR and last night my Tesla charging cable got stuck in a CYC charging point! After 30mins on hold on the phone I finally got through to someone who couldn't manage to release it remotely. They've had to send engineers out today to retrieve it. Still waiting for an update.

Before I left it I clarified:
1- If the cable goes missing overnight then they are liable for it
2- They are going to deliver it back to my home address

What a pain! I owned a Leaf for 2 years and this is the first time it's happened

 

[Adopado]

So 10 days into my ownership of a M3LR and last night my Tesla charging cable got stuck in a CYC charging point! After 30mins on hold on the phone I finally got through to someone who couldn't manage to release it remotely. They've had to send engineers out today to retrieve it. Still waiting for an update.

Before I left it I clarified:
1- If the cable goes missing overnight then they are liable for it
2- They are going to deliver it back to my home address

What a pain! I owned a Leaf for 2 years and this is the first time it's happened

I've only had to use my Type 2 cable twice in the past 16 months (thankfully) but I do recall the release aspect feeling a bit hit or miss. I've even heard of EV drivers adapting their cable attachment so that it can always be physically pulled as a last resort even if the charger's latch is still closed (clearly not recommended but I can only think it's been done because of issues such as you describe).

 

[spartanheed]

I'm tempted to modify the cable. It's locked in at the car end so there shouldn't be an issue with it getting nicked

 

[mpandrew]

I'm tempted to modify the cable. It's locked in at the car end so there shouldn't be an issue with it getting nicked

There is risk here if the cable is pulled out quickly when charging by some miscreant. Whilst there are anti-arc features in the connector I wonder how quickly the power would cut if yanked out, the resulting spark will probably cause damage.

 

[26ct2143]

I seem to remember a similar issue with our leaf about a year ago.
I had to try many times on the cyc app (or was it pod point... can't remember now) to restart and restop the charging.
Eventually it released it, it was a right faf.
If it's locked in at the car end, and the car has stopped the charge process, I don't see why the charge point doesn't auto release it. Seems mad.

 

[Tonybvi]

I had e a toy the same thing happen a while back. The engineer turned up the next day (having driven from Glasgow to Aberdeen), released my cable and returned it to my house. Apparently the locking pin in the charger had broken so would not release my cable - he said it was a common fault. If one pin goes the other chargers are probably liable to go soon as well so he replaced the pins in all the chargers. I had left a note on the cable with my phone number in case somebody wondered why the cable was there and I got one guy phoning to ask if he could use the cable to charge his car. Why not as otherwise I was effectively blocking the charger.

 

[Obliter8]

Happened to me at a Polar charger once, infuriating.

It doesn't happen very often, and it seems like madness to interfere with the safety design of something attached to something so expensive to repair (you, and the car!)

 

[Glan gluaisne]

There is risk here if the cable is pulled out quickly when charging by some miscreant. Whilst there are anti-arc features in the connector I wonder how quickly the power would cut if yanked out, the resulting spark will probably cause damage.

Because the CP pin is shorter than the AC power conductors, the contactor in the charge point should open before the AC contacts disconnect. IIRC, the spec requires disconnection within something like 20ms to 30ms for this fault, which should be fast enough to pretty much guarantee that the power is off by the time the AC pins disconnect.

 

[spartanheed]

It gets worse.

As Id had no update today I contacted them again. Another 30mins on hold to be told that the man I spoke to last night hadn't logged the call. The people who allocate jobs to the engineers aren't back at work until Monday and it's likely to be Tuesday or later when they can release the cable. Oh, and despite what the man told me last night, they don't deliver it back to me, they expect me to go and pick it up.

Cue me sitting at a supercharger for 40mins this afternoon. At least it only cost me £11 to put on 200 miles, versus the £21/200miles it cost me at the Fastned supercharger

 

[Ledzep]

Sorry little off topic, @spartanheed hope you get your cable back. Having not had an EV before, this being my first , should I be carrying my type 2 around with me?, I thought any charging point I encountered out and about would have a fixed charging cable on it already?

 

[Glan gluaisne]

Almost all public AC Type 2 charge points just have sockets, so need the lead that comes with the car. It's generally only DC chargers, plus a few destination charge points (only Tesla ones, usually) that have a tethered cable.

 

[mpandrew]

I do wonder if this will change and tethered will become normal for all types, not just rapids? It is a faff and is an easy way to make ownership even better.

 

[CMc1]

So 10 days into my ownership of a M3LR and last night my Tesla charging cable got stuck in a CYC charging point! After 30mins on hold on the phone I finally got through to someone who couldn't manage to release it remotely. They've had to send engineers out today to retrieve it. Still waiting for an update.

Before I left it I clarified:
1- If the cable goes missing overnight then they are liable for it
2- They are going to deliver it back to my home address

What a pain! I owned a Leaf for 2 years and this is the first time it's happened

Clayton street Newcastle by any chance?

i had same instance last year. After about 20 mins the cable released. Had to push the plug into the post for about 60 secs for it to suddenly release whilst using my CYC card on the scanner (which caused the unit to crash) and release the cable upon reboot.

 

[Sixer]

I have had this happen to me and someone told me an easy fix which has saved me twice now. Simply push the connector in much harder than normal and then pull out quick.

 

[Adopado]

Sorry little off topic, @spartanheed hope you get your cable back. Having not had an EV before, this being my first , should I be carrying my type 2 around with me?, I thought any charging point I encountered out and about would have a fixed charging cable on it already?

Nope ... they wouldn't give you one otherwise!

 

[spartanheed]

Clayton street Newcastle by any chance?

i had same instance last year. After about 20 mins the cable released. Had to push the plug into the post for about 60 secs for it to suddenly release whilst using my CYC card on the scanner (which caused the unit to crash) and release the cable upon reboot.

No the Metro Centre. The second I inserted the cable it locked and said it was charging. I hadn't swiped my card though and the car wasn't taking any charge. I spent ages swiping my card and pushing and pulling the cable until it nearly pulled the charging unit out of the ground but it wouldn't budge!

My concern now is that the unit may reset before the engineer gets out and the charging cable gets nicked! I might drive through tomorrow to check if it's still there. I'll be making a claim against CYC if it has disappeared!

 

[Ledzep]

Nope ... they wouldn't give you one otherwise!

Nope, I shouldn’t be carrying it , or Nope, no paid chargers have tethered cables? Tbh I though it came with the car for home charging.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

Nope, I shouldn’t be carrying it , or Nope, no paid chargers have tethered cables? Tbh I though it came with the car for home charging.

As in my previous reply, the majority of AC charge points just have a socket, hence the reason you need to carry the lead. Most destination charge points also just have a socket, so need you to have a lead, the only exception I know of are hotels that have Tesla charge points, they are all tethered. Home charge points are also usually tethered, so don't need the car lead.

 

[Ledzep]

As in my previous reply, the majority of AC charge points just have a socket, hence the reason you need to carry the lead. Most destination charge points also just have a socket, so need you to have a lead, the only exception I know of are hotels that have Tesla charge points, they are all tethered. Home charge points are also usually tethered, so don't need the car lead.

Thanks @glangluaisne , don’t want to highJack the thread but it’s a genuine interesting question for newbie like me. When we bought the car, was advised don’t get tethered at home, so we didn’t, as that future proofs in case we bought a different EV that didn’t have same cable / plug? as a Tesla. And only needed to carry the type 1 as an emergency type thing , as any public charger has fixed cables, tbh I’ve only visited 2 so far lol but both had more cables coming out of them than you could shake a stick at including the rapid charger plug that’s slightly different shape ( sorry it’s probably got a fancy acronym )

have I just been lucky ??

 

[kelvin 660]

I've tried a few public chargers (mainly pod-point) and have found that they are really slow at releasing the cable. I have tried "stop charging" on the car and the app. I also reduced the "charge level" below actual SoC and "unlock charger port" in the app. Eventually it has unlocked but it does have me worrying about using these chargers in an emergency... or if it never releases cable... mabe modifying the cable is not a bad idea!