Tesla Motors Club
I recently cleaned some of the power pins on a Tesla charge inlet, and I was astonished at how filthy they were. There is at least some chance that dirty pins could negatively affect the ability to charge or affect the charge rate in an adverse way. The power pins have both internal and external contact points... clean inside and out.
The pins can be cleaned with common non-residue electronics cleaners or possibly with an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. Nonmetallic swabs may be useful. These pins are coated with a thin layer of material for conductivity and corrosion resistance. Do not scratch them or use abrasives which will remove this finished. A heavy build up of carbon on the pins may require careful cleaning.
What follows are my suggestions in a graphic format on how to disassemble the unit for cleaning.
Disclaimer: injury or death could result in the handling high voltage AC or DC electricity. The car must be turned off and neither plugged in nor charging prior to cleaning.
The pins can be cleaned with common non-residue electronics cleaners or possibly with an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. Nonmetallic swabs may be useful. These pins are coated with a thin layer of material for conductivity and corrosion resistance. Do not scratch them or use abrasives which will remove this finished. A heavy build up of carbon on the pins may require careful cleaning.
What follows are my suggestions in a graphic format on how to disassemble the unit for cleaning.
Disclaimer: injury or death could result in the handling high voltage AC or DC electricity. The car must be turned off and neither plugged in nor charging prior to cleaning.