Gen 3 charger not charging after outage

[PhilMac]

I purchased a Gen 3 charger and had it installed on the Controlled Load 1 circuit so that I could charge the car overnight when off-peak rates kick in about 12.30am and turn off at 7am. In Australia, electricity only runs through that circuit during these times.
Unfortunately, the charger does not start charging when the power goes on ... just gives the blue light (communicating with vehicle). So, if I want to have a full charge the next day, I set the alarm for 1am, get up and plug it in. If it is already plugged in, I need to remove the plug and replug it in to start it charging.
I have communicated with 5 Tesla people so far over the past 2 months with no resolution to the problem.
One Tesla person told me that the Gen 3 charger cannot start recharging again after a power outage.
Apparently, it needs to be continually powered.
This would be a problem if an outage occurred, and you thought that you would wake up to a charged car.

I did try scheduling it to start at 1am, but it didn’t work.

Does anyone else have the same issue? Does anyone have a solution?

 

[jjrandorin]

Perhaps look and see if a gen 2 charger can do it?

 

[philly4]

From the manual: (US version)

Power Outages
If there is a power outage while Wall Connector is charging a vehicle, charging will automatically resume within 1 to 3 minutes after power restoration. The Wall Connector will display a solid blue light on the faceplate to indicate that it is communicating with the vehicle and waiting to resume charging. Alternatively, pressing the button on the charging handle after power restoration will cause Wall Connector to resume charging immediately.

Maybe your unit is defective?

 

[PhilMac]

Perhaps look and see if a gen 2 charger can do it?

Thanks, but I already have the Gen 3 installed ... so hopefully there is a fix out there somewhere.

 

[jjrandorin]

Thanks, but I already have the Gen 3 installed ... so hopefully there is a fix out there somewhere.

What did the 5 people at tesla you mention you talked to say?

 

[PhilMac]

From the manual: (US version)

Power Outages
If there is a power outage while Wall Connector is charging a vehicle, charging will automatically resume within 1 to 3 minutes after power restoration. The Wall Connector will display a solid blue light on the faceplate to indicate that it is communicating with the vehicle and waiting to resume charging. Alternatively, pressing the button on the charging handle after power restoration will cause Wall Connector to resume charging immediately.

Maybe your unit is defective?

thanks for the reply. Yes, our manual says the same thing. I quoted this to the Tesla guy and he said that it can only start charging again if it was a very brief outage and that it won't come back on after a prolonged outage.

 

[PhilMac]

What did the 5 people at tesla you mention you talked to say?

They seem to be giving me the run around (hence the post). One says it's an install problem ... but they got me to re configure it and there was no difference. One said that it was a car problem ... he even tried it at the Tesla workshop and found the same problem ie. when he switched the power off and back on again ... blue light and no charging recommenced. Another one said that the Gen 3 cannot start recharging again after a prolonged shutdown.

 

[Sophias_dad]

Have you tried setting the car itself to start charging only at 1am or whatever?

I'm not convinced the auto-start-charging after power outage is only expected to work for brief outages. Perhaps a member with an installed Gen3 can try the experiment of flipping the breaker off for hours, plugging in the charge cord during that period, and seeing if it starts charging afterward. It might well be that the charger/car won't auto-restart charging if it wasn't plugged in(and charging) when the power was cut.

 

[PhilMac]

Have you tried setting the car itself to start charging only at 1am or whatever?

I'm not convinced the auto-start-charging after power outage is only expected to work for brief outages. Perhaps a member with an installed Gen3 can try the experiment of flipping the breaker off for hours, plugging in the charge cord during that period, and seeing if it starts charging afterward. It might well be that the charger/car won't auto-restart charging if it wasn't plugged in(and charging) when the power was cut.

Yes, tried 1am scheduled charging ... just a blue light.
I agree with you about the power outage, it must happen all the time. I would assume that owners would be upset if they couldn't drive anywhere because of this occurring.
That would be good if someone could experiment for me to see if it's a design fault in the Gen 3. As I said in a previous post, a Tesla tech. tried turning a Gen 3 on and off and it didn't start charging again ... just the dreaded blue light. I haven't heard from him for a few weeks and need to go through the main switch who just leave him a message to contact me ... still waiting.

 

[Sophias_dad]

Yes, tried 1am scheduled charging ... just a blue light.
I agree with you about the power outage, it must happen all the time. I would assume that owners would be upset if they couldn't drive anywhere because of this occurring.
That would be good if someone could experiment for me to see if it's a design fault in the Gen 3. As I said in a previous post, a Tesla tech. tried turning a Gen 3 on and off and it didn't start charging again ... just the dreaded blue light. I haven't heard from him for a few weeks and need to go through the main switch who just leave him a message to contact me ... still waiting.

Just for fun, see what version of firmware your Gen3 HPWC is using.

 

[PhilMac]

Just for fun, see what version of firmware your Gen3 HPWC is using.

A good thought. About 2 weeks ago when I checked it was 21.36.5
I just looked and there is an update 21.36.6
Unfortunately, I will need to wait until the power is on to the unit to check if it automatically updated.
When the tech's checked remotely they should have noticed if it was up to date ... surely ???

 

[PhilMac]

A good thought. About 2 weeks ago when I checked it was 21.36.5
I just looked and there is an update 21.36.6
Unfortunately, I will need to wait until the power is on to the unit to check if it automatically updated.
When the tech's checked remotely they should have noticed if it was up to date ... surely ???

I just checked ... it's still 21.36.5 and when I try to update, it says no updates are available.

 

[astrobill]

Hmmm....recall that the Tesla Wall Chargers connect initially to WiFi and also broadcast their own WiFi settings...and that there is a "commissioning" procedure that has to be performed:

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/support/charging/Gen3_WallConnector_Commissioning_Procedure.pdf

Is it possible after an extended outage that you have to go through all this again each time? If that is the issue (and I'm not sure it is), perhaps there's a way to automate this?

I've lost power for about an hour here or there over the course of the past year with my home Gen 3 charger and haven't had this issue in the U.S. Perhaps mine is auto-re-commissioning each time?

 

[PhilMac]

Hmmm....recall that the Tesla Wall Chargers connect initially to WiFi and also broadcast their own WiFi settings...and that there is a "commissioning" procedure that has to be performed:

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/support/charging/Gen3_WallConnector_Commissioning_Procedure.pdf

Is it possible after an extended outage that you have to go through all this again each time? If that is the issue (and I'm not sure it is), perhaps there's a way to automate this?

I've lost power for about an hour here or there over the course of the past year with my home Gen 3 charger and haven't had this issue in the U.S. Perhaps mine is auto-re-commissioning each time?

Thanks for responding.
The Tesla Tech. guys had me carry out commissioning again, but no change. But, it did turn off again before it attempted to charge the next morning.
When your charger lost power did it continue to charge after the outage or did you get the dreaded blue light?

 

[Sophias_dad]

You definitely don't have to recommission after an extended outage.

 

[astrobill]

When your charger lost power did it continue to charge after the outage or did you get the dreaded blue light?

Mine has continued to charge after multiple power outages of various lengths over the year I've had it without needing to take any particular steps...so in my case, no issues.

 

[PhilMac]

Mine has continued to charge after multiple power outages of various lengths over the year I've had it without needing to take any particular steps...so in my case, no issues.

Thanks for that. Sounds like there is a fault in my Gen 3 charger or in my car.

 

[Sophias_dad]

Thanks for that. Sounds like there is a fault in my Gen 3 charger or in my car.

I'm not convinced that anyone has done the test where you plug in the car when the Gen3 doesn't have power, and then after a short time turn on the breaker for the Gen3.

 

[PhilMac]

I'm not convinced that anyone has done the test where you plug in the car when the Gen3 doesn't have power, and then after a short time turn on the breaker for the Gen3.

I received the following from Tesla today -

"I have confirmed with a few charging sites, raised this to Field Service Technicians, Associate Support Engineers and even the Lead Remanufacturing Technician, the consensus is that the connector must be plugged in after power on otherwise the wall connector is put into a faulted state and will not retest until removed from vehicle. A brief interrupt may recover, however a prolonged cut of power requires the system to carry out a self test when power on.

The simplest alternative provided was place charger on constant supply line and use the vehicle scheduled charging to only start at the desired times.

The other was a complex twin circuit, one to keep wall connector power on standby, the other to flick over at a desired time, then scheduled charging to activate post the power shift. This should be doable with assistance of electricians and will likely require additional relays and equipment."

I'm not happy as I had 3 Tesla approved installers quote on the job and none of them said that it would be a problem. It sounds like the training for Tesla installers need to be greatly improved.
I will be getting up at 1am tomorrow morning to start to charge the car!!!

 

[Rocky_H]

I will be getting up at 1am tomorrow morning to start to charge the car!!!

WTF?! Why would you do that? To quote from your own response you just posted:

The simplest alternative provided was place charger on constant supply line and use the vehicle scheduled charging to only start at the desired times.

Just use the car's scheduled charge starting time. It is simple and foolproof and always works.

As to this:

I'm not happy as I had 3 Tesla approved installers quote on the job and none of them said that it would be a problem. It sounds like the training for Tesla installers need to be greatly improved.

That setup with power cutting on and off is an odd situation that is not in the norm for what the cars and wall connectors were designed for. Electricians very likely wouldn't know about that.