Gen 1 Wall Charger (EU) loose connection in handle

[rns-e]

My gen 1 Tesla Wall Charger has begun to develop a mind of its own according to my wife. However, it is very obvious that there is no AI gone rouge here or anything like that. We seem to have a loose connection in the handle. When we plug the wall charger in to the car, the car will ask us to check power of the charger and display a red charging cable in the app - and subsequently, not begin to charge.

First I did all the wall fuse checks, reset of wall charger, reset of the MCU etc, the wall charger illuminates green as it should, so all is good. Then I began to notice that if I wiggled the charging cable at the base of the handle it would register the charger and start to charge. It has now developed further, so that it may take some time finding the correct angle for the cable, but we will eventually find it.

It seems that there is a loose connection with the pilot signal.

Has anybody experienced this, and is it possible to fix? Or is the only fix to buy a new and replace?

 

[Lasttoy]

U might need a new port. I've had 2 break. They r cheap on ebay. Takes about 30 minutes to change. Watch video on YouTube.

 

[rns-e]

I don't think it is the port as it works flawlessly with any other charger, SuC or the 11 kW that was supplied with the car.

 

[vcor]

The handle/cable is not repairable, as it's over-molded with some kind of epoxy. I've not checked if Tesla sells a replacement cable, but I don't think so.

A quick look on eBay didn't show up a Gen 1 cable, but several for Gen 2 and 3. Costs were similar to buying an entirely new unit!

 

[davewill]

I've had that happen with my Type1 handle. I replaced the entire cable and cord assembly. You're in the EU, so it would be a Type2 cable like this one:

[CS0XT] Type 2 pigtail

Type 2 pigtail charging cable with Tesla charge port functionality. Designed to replace existing charging cable on charging stations.

eauto.si

There may well be cheaper alternatives, this was literally the first one I found while searching. It might be cheaper or more prudent to buy a whole new EVSE.

Also be aware (as that listing says) that a bog-standard Type2 cable would not have the circuit to automatically open the charge door when you press the button, So you'll likely want/need a Tesla specific one.

 

[rns-e]

Yes, a new gen 3 Tesla wall charger is like $530. Will buy this when it fails completely

 

[Edwin Man&Gun]

Loose connection/ terminal inside the handle would be a possibility. I would crack that opened. Not if you’re not electrically inclined, you could ask a friend or go on Task rabbit for service.

 

[vcor]

There is nothing to open in the handle. It's a potted assembly and can't be disassembled. There are no screws or clips. I does make it safer and more reliable, but unrepairable.