Charger cable runs very hot!

[Linkrad]

After 2 years, my charger cable with a NEMA 50 plug, began running very hot at the plug all the way to the cable's LED display. Too hot to touch! I called electrician, who replaced the NEMA 50 outlet and the 50 A dual breaker. Plug and cable still runs very hot, and worse, the max charging current is <32 A, which comes out to 19 mph. There is a "poor grid quality" message in the display and warning that charge rate has been reduced. Still shows 244 volts. Do I have a defective cable?

 

[Lonestar10_199]

Linkrad, your cable should not run so hot that it’s too hot to touch. I agree there is definitely a problem there. Hopefully your NEMA 14-50 installation was township inspected and permitted, otherwise homeowners insurance may not cover related fire damage.

Sounds like there might be some nefarious neutral to ground current that is difficult to detect and remediate. I would hire a competent electrician to investigate the issue. Good luck.

 

[Linkrad]

First a correction: This "corded mobile connector' was purchased for $520.00 in 2020,. so is just over a year old. My NEMA 14-50 outlet was replaced 3 weeks ago, by a tech from a very large local firm. Charge rate starts at 32 A then falls to ~19A and stays therem Then the cable gets very hot from module w/ LEDS to the NEMA plug.. There is an error message suggesting inadequste 240 VAC feed, and tthat I try another outlet.

Meanwhile the stock cable issued with the car does get wam in use, but never untouchable.

I'm hopiong the local Tesla agency can order a replacement. W'ell see. Mean time, thanks for your thoughts!.

 

[ambudriver03]

@Linkrad did they ever sort your issue?

I have a 40a CMC that I got in 2020, that sometimes gets super hot (I'd have to check with the flir..)

And then it throttles down to 22 then 20 sometimes settling as low as 16.

 

[Linkrad]

First a correction: This "corded mobile connector' was purchased for $520.00 in 2020,. so is just over a year old. My NEMA 14-50 outlet was replaced 3 weeks ago, by a tech from a very large local firm. Charge rate starts at 32 A then falls to ~19A and stays therem Then the cable gets very hot from module w/ LEDS to the NEMA plug.. There is an error message suggesting inadequste 240 VAC feed, and tthat I try another outlet.

Meanwhile the stock cable issued with the car does get wam in use, but never untouchable.

I'm hoping the local Tesla agency can order a replacement. W'ell see. Mean time, thanks for your thoughts!.

Follow-up 2022. In a word: Hot cable may = bad AC charging system. Please see my extended comments elsewhere. After a complete revamp of the AC power sxervice here, purchase of a Tesla Wall Plug, the Buffalo Wall Connector Support remotely diagnosed a defective charger unit. With replacement, charging to 48 A is seamless. So...id your charge cable runs almost to hot to touch, consider loss of 1 or more of the 3 sixteen-amp on-board chargers!
Absent purchase f a Wall Connector to replace the NEMA 14-50 and Buffalo's skills, I'd still be wallowing in non-existent grid issues. Special thanks to the expert support of IES Industrial, my local electrical contractor.