First Ranger visit in progress. New Charge Port

[Al Sherman]

He's here putting in the new Charge Port. The original simply wouldn't release the HPWC handle no matter what we tried.
Something interesting is that the Ranger said he'd like to update me to 4.5 when he finishes the installation. I told him we have no 3G. He said, no problem. If you have WiFi I can plug my laptop into the car and install the update. Who knew?

 

[FreeOfPge]

Is there a reason for all those blue markings on the nuts, bolts and zipties?

 

[dflye]

Wonder if that is like the sticker saying "do not adulterate this sticker or you will void your warranty" on various electronics? Any tampering with the various components would be visible upon inspection at time of service.

I am a bit surprised that the connectors for the two hefty copper wires aren't recessed / protected like you'd see for the wire feeding into a circuit breaker in an electrical panel dealing with high amp/volt wiring.

 

[MichaelS]

Those are check marks by quality control to make sure they are properly tightened. The Japanese always use yellow.

It would be very bad if that high current connection was not tight.

Is there a reason for all those blue markings on the nuts, bolts and zipties?

 

[irishstoutaz]

Based on my experience that usually means that they have been checked as far as the proper torque and the person checking makes the mark...

Is there a reason for all those blue markings on the nuts, bolts and zipties?

 

[scaesare]

Cool pic.

I would have thought that the conductors necessary for the 300-400amps that the upcoming 120KW Superchargers will supply would have been larger than that, but apparently not.

I'm not terribly surprised that there's an alternative method for loading firmware... after all I'm sure they'll need methods at the factory, at service centers, and for those that opt out of the cellualar data package (when it becomes a paid for option), for performing that task. As a matter of fact, I'd bet a laptop connection can accomplish all sorts of interesting things.

Did you happen to see if he connected via USB port, or ethernet... and if either where on the car? Connector at the left end of the dash behind the side panel?

Thanks...

 

[Al Sherman]

Did you happen to see if he connected via USB port, or ethernet... and if either where on the car? Connector at the left end of the dash behind the side panel?
Thanks...

Ethernet

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

...now I know what those plugs are for, cool.

 

[ZBB]

Is there a reason for all those blue markings on the nuts, bolts and zipties?

Those are check marks by quality control to make sure they are properly tightened. The Japanese always use yellow.

It would be very bad if that high current connection was not tight.

Based on my experience that usually means that they have been checked as far as the proper torque and the person checking makes the mark...

While they are quality control marks, they aren't necessarily applied by a quality control person. I worked at BMW in Munich for an internship in college -- on the line for the inline 6... Many of the assembly stations had paint markers used to make the markings (which are paint...) -- and the process by the person tightening critical bolts was to mark the bolt head after tightening it (and they were always tightened with air wrenches that were already set to the correct torque setting).

The quality control stations would then inspect to make sure the marks were there -- and had a different color used to signify when they had to do rework. They then reviewed the quality metrics with each assembler on a periodic basis -- letting you know exactly how many times you didn't get it right.

 

[scaesare]

Ethernet

Interesting... looks like a non-standard cable/connector... almost like coax?

 

[ToddRLockwood]

This sounds similar to the problem experienced by a writer for Autoweek Magazine. I believe it's a relatively rare issue.

I wonder if this is made worse by tugging on the cord handle when the locking mechanism is engaged—and altering the alignment of the locking bolt.

 

[Al Sherman]

Interesting... looks like a non-standard cable/connector... almost like coax?

It looks lie coax but thinner (smaller diameter) than what I'm used to seeing. The wire says DACAR R(513) if that means anything to anyone.

- - - Updated - - -

This sounds similar to the problem experienced by a writer for Autoweek Magazine. I believe it's a relatively rare issue.

I wonder if this is made worse by tugging on the cord handle when the locking mechanism is engaged—and altering the alignment of the locking bolt.

Could be. I don't think I've been particularly rough on it. Except to say that I've always been unclear on the approved solution as far as how to get the handle out. Press the button, release the button, and pull? Or, press the button, hold the button, and pull? Either way I don't think I've ever really abused it. Except when troubleshooting (trying to get it out) with the tech guys in Fremont over the phone. After they had me do a bunch of stuff; we finally got to the point where they said "hold the button down and move it around, and yank on it." I guess this was a last resort before sending the Rangers. They even used the term "jiggle it" which reminded me of that old TV commercial where the dad asks his daughter who was having commode issues if she "jiggled" the handle.:smile:

 

[Rowlock]

Could be. I don't think I've been particularly rough on it. Except to say that I've always been unclear on the approved solution as far as how to get the handle out. Press the button, release the button, and pull? Or, press the button, hold the button, and pull?

Press and hold the button while you remove the plug. Certainly on my car, if I release the button while it's still plugged in, it will re-lock and resume charging.

 

[kendallpb]

Press and hold the button while you remove the plug. Certainly on my car, if I release the button while it's still plugged in, it will re-lock and resume charging.

I press. It does a click-click, then a pause and a cl-click. I unplug smoothly. I never hold. But if I don't wait for the second cl-click, it hasn't fully released yet, and it relocks.

- - - Updated - - -

Something interesting is that the Ranger said he'd like to update me to 4.5 when he finishes the installation. I told him we have no 3G. He said, no problem. If you have WiFi I can plug my laptop into the car and install the update. Who knew?

I'm unsurprised. When I got my reverse auto-tilt fixed/re-enabled today (yay! and driver profiles!), I'd been told ahead of time that they'd need to hook a computer up to the car and someone from California would connect/do things to it.

- - - Updated - - -

P.S. Thanks for the interesting pix, Al!

 

[hans]

It looks lie coax but thinner (smaller diameter) than what I'm used to seeing. The wire says DACAR R(513) if that means anything to anyone.

Leoni makes a series of automotive cables called Leoni Dacar. The R likely means (R) as in Registered Trademark, and the cable type is 513.

 

[LuckyLuke]

Seems that the 513 cable is just some shielded version USB:
http://displayforum.de/service/networking/Minutes_DFF_Link_090505_iA.pdf
(Last page)

 

[EarlyAdopter]

The other end the cable, the part that would plug into the tech's laptop, isn't RJ45. That isn't ethernet. Looks more like USB. That explains a lot. Thank you for posting this.

Did you happen to get any other pictures of this end of the cable?

 

[scaesare]

Ahh, USB does make a bit more sense... as does a shielded flavor of it, given the EMF likely bouncing around in there...

Thanks.

 

[Al Sherman]

The other end the cable, the part that would plug into the tech's laptop, isn't RJ45. That isn't ethernet. Looks more like USB. That explains a lot. Thank you for posting this.

Did you happen to get any other pictures of this end of the cable?

Sorry I didn't. The Ranger did specifically say Ethernet though. The plug at the car end was a 4 pin plug. I'm pretty sure he said that Tesla puts them together specifically for the car.

Another interesting point: Without 3G the Ranger had to use some kind of special program to get the car to accept the firmware update.

The new charge port is in. The old (bad) one is on the way to Fremont so they can be sure it's a known issue and not a new one that they haven't seen yet.

He also gave me the new (Red) 12v battery and took the old (Grey Exide) away. He said he doesn't even get the Exides anymore.

 

[Cosmacelf]

So Exide was the original 12v battery manufacturer? I just had a thought that maybe they would be a good short since they screwed Tesla over so badly, but looks like I'm too late. Their stock price looks like a mirror image of Tesla in 2013. I'm not sure that whoever chose Exide as a supplier should have a job at Tesla anymore!