-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Charging cuts down to 75%, Tesla says... it's my house.
- Thread starter SabrToothSqrl
- Start date
beeeerock
Active Member
The contractors who do this for a living usually suck through a cord using a shop vac, but in your case, the wires are already there and can be used to pull the new ones. Then it's just a matter of cranking them through, like you would a garden hose on a hose reel. If there aren't too many bends (ideally - none), it's not as bad as you might expect. Certainly an electrical contractor could do this in short order!
Pull a string with a vacuum cleaner and ping pong ball, then pull a pull-rope through. Then use a finger cuff / cable trap, tie it to the pull cable, apply lots of lube, and use a cable puller. I find the material-handling arm on my bucket truck works well.
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Lots of electrical lube and if it is a tough pull, good rope and a capstan winch.
Here is an example:
Last edited by a moderator:
pulling wire
Need this first.
Back on topic: my charge port lights are no longer working... No flashing greens or reds or blues.. no lights at all.
Also, the dash no longer warns me when I leave my charge port open!
This car's quickly becoming a lot less satisfying than I'd hoped...
Need this first.
Back on topic: my charge port lights are no longer working... No flashing greens or reds or blues.. no lights at all.
Also, the dash no longer warns me when I leave my charge port open!
This car's quickly becoming a lot less satisfying than I'd hoped...
I tied the tape off to a forklift fork and pulled it that way. Lots of lube also! coated the wire going in, and coated the conduit inside the entire length. That Nylon tape can stretch a bunch!!
I have a P85+ loaner... it did not trip at my house. and it charged at a solid 40/40 amps the whole time (2 nights) vs bouncing between 39/40 and 40/40.
Just as a specific point - the 39/40 isn't an issue; the charging system leaves some headroom for the overhead associated with the UMC and/or HPWC so that it doesn't exceed its entire rating.
Well, I've had my car back from the service center, after replacing the charge port because it no longer lit up (at all) or told me when the door was open...
Two nights thus far, and both stuck at the full 40 amps.
Two nights thus far, and both stuck at the full 40 amps.
Call PP&L, they have the logged the voltage for a week, but not down to the second, only minute. Their equipment leaves something to be desired.
However, according to them, the voltage my house is recieving is just fine... they are going to send me the logs, but everything is within spec.
Guess just something I'll have to live with... I think it auto goes back to 40 amps each time I come home, correct? I don't have to manually bump it to 40 every single time it cuts down to 30?
Should I spend the $ on a HPWC if I have issues holding 40 amps? I don't need one, I just think they are neat lol.
However, according to them, the voltage my house is recieving is just fine... they are going to send me the logs, but everything is within spec.
Guess just something I'll have to live with... I think it auto goes back to 40 amps each time I come home, correct? I don't have to manually bump it to 40 every single time it cuts down to 30?
Should I spend the $ on a HPWC if I have issues holding 40 amps? I don't need one, I just think they are neat lol.
As long as you don't touch the setting when it has downshifted, it will attempt 40A next time you plug in again. There was someone here who said that 6.2 did a "re-try" and tried to jump back to 40A, but I'm unsure if that is true as I haven't heard anyone else second.
As far as your HPWC question, my opinion is that the HPWC is definitely worth the money, even if only used at the 50A level. It's sturdier, has a longer/sturdier cord, and allows you to keep your charge cord in the car without having to remember to pack it up each day or each time you get out.
With regard
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
I had a chance to talk with the owner of Incredible Pagosa, Pagosa Springs, Colorado that hosts a 70A, 240V J1772 for guests and other travelers to use. He showed me the transformer that is feeding this J1772 and 3 of his cabins. I was shocked that the pole can was 10 kVA followed by what looked like #4 and maybe #6 wire across the alley to the panel that feeds the J1772 and the three cabins. The J1772 alone pulls 16.8 kW from that 10 kVA transformer. The Voltage drop from 0 Amps to 70 Amps is over 10 Volts, or 700 Watts in the wires and transformer. This meets the local utility standards...
I mention all of this because I have never seen my car or have heard of any other cars reducing current to 75% at this site. Tesla has some logic to the current reduction, but I certainly do not understand it...
BTW, we discussed adding an 80 Amp HPWC to this site to see if we can get the local Co-op to upgrade the transformer and feed wire. We may give that a try.
I mention all of this because I have never seen my car or have heard of any other cars reducing current to 75% at this site. Tesla has some logic to the current reduction, but I certainly do not understand it...
BTW, we discussed adding an 80 Amp HPWC to this site to see if we can get the local Co-op to upgrade the transformer and feed wire. We may give that a try.
I like the idea of keeping the UMC in the car.... but why? I keep the J1772 in the glove box, and that's it. My commute come no where near any range issues... even when I drive from home to Ikea and back just for S&G, I don't pack the UMC lol.
I charge whenever I can, if I'm staying overnight (at my family's lodge I have a 14-50; my machine shop has a 6-50; if I'm staying at a hotel I even plug in if I find an outlet, with permission of course).
- - - Updated - - -
My experience is that local co-ops are generally willing to have a conversation, moreso than investor-owned utilities. Has he talked to the power company's engineering dept about the load he's putting on that pole pig? Have him tell them he's going to put an 80A charging load on it plus the cabins it serves.
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
He is also a Master Electrician in our town of 1,700 people, and he knows the co-op engineering guy and the line guys pretty well. They know about the 70A J1772 and the three cabins, but it's working and the Voltage drop is only a little more than 10 Volts with the 17 kW charging load. Their view is that unless it is a continuous load more than twice the kVA of the transformer, or there are problems, it's OK. The 80A HPWC, in addition to the 70A J1772, will push over the 2x threshold and they will probably install a 50 kVA ground mount transformer (a 50 kVA pole mount would be too heavy for the existing pole).
Small towns... :biggrin: ...and utilities play by different rules.
The good news is that even with this undersized transformer and feed line, there have been no 75% current cases.
My co-op has a 37.5 kVA transformer option - that's how my home is served (and the co-op says it's sufficient for 2x 80A HPWC + my machine shop + my home + pool house and fruit chillers).
Have him hook up two HPWC's and boil the transformer for a replacement.
Similar threads
