Is my mobile connector broken?

[Sophias_dad]

It looks like you already know its the outdoor outlet that's the problem, but I thought for posterity I should point out that the fact the car will supercharge but not charge from the UMC doesn't really eliminate the car as the source of the problem.

Supercharging(DC, high voltage) bypasses all of the rectifier/voltage-multiplier circuitry inside the car that converts the AC coming in off the HPWC/UMC/J1772 to DC, so you wouldn't know if the that circuitry has a problem or not.

 

[JCtx]

I wouldn't call those outlets 'floor mounted'. I thought they were literally on the floor, pointing to the sky. Those outlets are perfectly protected, so it's something else. By the way, where is the reset button for the UMC 'brick'? I don't remember seeing anything; just curious. The adapter seems fully inserted into the 'brick', so the only other thing to do is fully insert it into the outlet, which I'm assume you're doing. I suspect the outlets are cheap, and worn out, meaning they're not solidly clamping the adapter prongs, so no way they can deliver 12 amps.

 

[davewill]

As you can see from the pic, they already have covers. And they are public chargers at my workplace so I can't really mess with them, like changing the covers or the wiring.

If they are truly intended for public charging, then you might want to report your problems to maintenance or whoever would be maintaining them.

Another thought I had was that I noticed that you had to bend the adapter pretty tightly because outlets are mounted with the ground pin up. If you've been putting significant stress on the cord, it could be developing a break in the wire that would increase temperature. The problem might not manifest if the wire were straight, and might be made worse if the wire were stiff from cold when you bent it.

Plugging into one of the bottom plugs might help a little, or the maintenance guys might be willing to rotate them if you pointed out the problem. I wouldn't normally recommend it, but a short (6in or so) extension might also help avoid the tight bend.

 

[diplomat33]

If they are truly intended for public charging, then you might want to report your problems to maintenance or whoever would be maintaining them.

I don't think they are really intended for EV charging per se. It is a parking lot by the football stadium so it is used for tailgating and homecoming events. The school probably figured it would be good to have some available outdoor outlets. However, they are used for EV charging as well. Myself and 2 other Model 3's (and a Chevy Volt) regularly use them for charging.

 

[diplomat33]

It worked folks. I moved over to an adjacent outlet this morning. I did press the reset on the outlet just in case. And charging is working perfectly today.

So I think we've solved this mysterious. My mobile connector is good. It's the outlets that are iffy.

 

[Gasaraki]

I'd also isolate the problem, and then deal with it. You could quickly eliminate the car with a supercharger. That'd leave the outlet or the UMC. I'd try a with a new/newish 115V outlet, and see what happens. My guess based on your input is the outlet. And since it's on the floor, debris is a good possibility, rather than something wrong with the outlet or wiring. You could try one of those compressed air cans to clean keyboards and stuff, and try to blow the crap from the holes. Next step would be to remove the cover, and check the wires. Good luck.

You can't diagnose charging issues by going to the supercharger. The "charger" in a supercharging scenario is the station. The "charger" when you are plugged in at home using a mobile connector or wall connector is in you car.

All you have to do is try the mobile charger at another 120V plug. It's not rocket science.

 

[JCtx]

You can't diagnose charging issues by going to the supercharger.

It could be the charging port, which would prevent the car from charging either way, so your statement is not correct either.

For those who might not know, the superchargers charge in DC current, so the car's converter is not needed. When charging via AC outlets, the converter could be a source of charging problems, so it has to be taken into account.

 

[diplomat33]

I think my mobile connector died. I get no green lights at all and I get this error message now: "Charging equipment not recognized."

 

[JCtx]

That's weird. How many miles on the car? And did you (or somebody else in your household) drop the cable adapter, by any chance?

 

[diplomat33]

That's weird. How many miles on the car? And did you (or somebody else in your household) drop the cable adapter, by any chance?

I have 13,350 miles on my Model 3. I think I accidentally let the charging head (the part that plugs into the car) hit the ground once.

 

[JCtx]

I bet that's probably the issue. Try charging at a supercharger, and if all goes well, and you have the same error again at your house, then you'd have the answer to your problem . Apparently the cable is smart enough to not charge if it could be a hazard, which is good.

 

[diplomat33]

I bet that's probably the issue. Try charging at a supercharger, and if all goes well, and you have the same error again at your house, then you'd have the answer to your problem . Apparently the cable is smart enough to not charge if it could be a hazard, which is good.

Thanks. I have been able to charge at a nearby supercharger with no issues (thank goodness).

Unfortunately, the Gen 2 mobile connector is currently sold out on the Tesla website so I will have to use the supercharger for a bit until I get a new mobile connector. But as soon as I am able to, I will order a new mobile connector.

 

[Sophias_dad]

But as soon as I am able to, I will order a new mobile connector.

I wonder if its under warranty, since it came with the car and isn't that old.

 

[brkaus]

I wonder if its under warranty, since it came with the car and isn't that old.

It should be under warranty. Unless it was damaged, in which case the warranty would be void.

 

[diplomat33]

I wonder if its under warranty, since it came with the car and isn't that old.

It should be under warranty. Unless it was damaged, in which case the warranty would be void.

Yeah, it is the mobile connector that came with the car when I bought it. So it should be under warranty. I guess I could put in a service ticket and see what Tesla tells me about the errors I'm getting.

However, I just tested it at home and it works. So I guess the mobile connector is good after all? So why did I get an error that it does not recognize the charging equipment when I plugged in at work? What the heck is going on?

 

[brkaus]

Yeah, it is the mobile connector that came with the car when I bought it. So it should be under warranty. I guess I could put in a service ticket and see what Tesla tells me about the errors I'm getting.

However, I just tested it at home and it works. So I guess the mobile connector is good after all? So why did I get an error that it does not recognize the charging equipment when I plugged in at work? What the heck is going on?

Really must be the outlet at work.

Try a few friends houses?

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

I get no green lights at all and I get this error message now: "Charging equipment not recognized."

So why did I get an error that it does not recognize the charging equipment when I plugged in at work? What the heck is going on?

I thought you had already narrowed down the problem to the iffy outlets at work or have I not read this thread carefully enough?

Suspect Outlets?

What has changed that makes you suspect your UMC now (which seems to be fine)? A different error message?

I wouldn't be surprised at all if those outlets are wearing out or questionable. They're also GFI protected of course, which are notoriously unreliable especially in an exposed location like that. You can also unplug and replug the 120V 5-15 adapter for your UMC just in case it isn't making great contact.

UMCs do break in various ways, so I'm not suggesting that you rule that out entirely. But definitely would be good to try some other outlets around work.

From the manual:

(CP_a004)
Charging equipment not recognized
Try again or try different equipment

The charge port is unable to detect whether a charge cable is inserted or the type of charge cable connected.

If this alert appears while a charge cable is connected, it should be determined whether the issue is caused by the charging equipment or the vehicle. Try charging the vehicle using different external charging equipment (charge cable, charging station, charging stall, etc.).

• If the vehicle begins charging, the issue was likely with the equipment.
  
• If the vehicle still does not charge, the issue may be with the vehicle.
  
  If this alert appears while a charge cable is not connected or if the issue is suspected to be with the vehicle, inspect the charge port inlet and the charge cable connector for any obstructions (use a flashlight as necessary). Debris, moisture, and/or foreign objects present in the charge port inlet or the charge cable connector can prevent the charge port from properly detecting charge cables. If any obstruction is found:
  
  1. Remove the debris / foreign object or dry any moisture.
  
  2. Try re-inserting the cable into the charge port. Charging should now be possible.
  
  As this alert is usually specific to external charging equipment and power sources, and it does not typically indicate an issue with your vehicle that can be resolved by scheduling service, it is recommended that you:
  

• Try charging with multiple, different types of charging equipment.
  
• Make sure any charge port inlet obstruction has been removed.
  

 

[stopcrazypp]

I think my mobile connector died. I get no green lights at all and I get this error message now: "Charging equipment not recognized."

No one pointed it out yet (edit looks like I was beat to it while writing this comment), but actually the user manual has the troubleshooting steps and possible causes for this error on page 215:
https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/model_3_owners_manual_north_america_en.pdf
It seems to suggest debris or obstruction on the charge port or charge cable (not necessarily a mobile connector issue).
You should also check the status lights of your mobile connector to troubleshoot (I presume it's gen 2):
https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/charging_docs/gen_2_umc/Gen2_UMC_Manual_en_US.pdf
Or you can find it for a previous version:
Charging & Adapter Product Guides

 

[diplomat33]

No one pointed it out yet (edit looks like I was beat to it while writing this comment), but actually the user manual has the troubleshooting steps and possible causes for this error on page 215:
https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/model_3_owners_manual_north_america_en.pdf
It seems to suggest debris or obstruction on the charge port or charge cable (not necessarily a mobile connector issue).
You should also check the status lights of your mobile connector to troubleshoot (I presume it's gen 2):
https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/charging_docs/gen_2_umc/Gen2_UMC_Manual_en_US.pdf
Or you can find it for a previous version:
Charging & Adapter Product Guides

Thanks.

 

[diplomat33]

I thought you had already narrowed down the problem to the iffy outlets at work or have I not read this thread carefully enough?

Suspect Outlets?

What has changed that makes you suspect your UMC now (which seems to be fine)? A different error message?

Yes, I concluded the problem was the outlets at work. The reason I thought it was the connector is because of the new message "charging equipment not recognized" and the lack of green lights when I plugged in.

Thanks for sharing the portions from the manual. I did not see any obvious debris or obstructions.

It's just frustrating that the outlets don't seem to work reliably for me anymore. They used to work in the past. But now, even when I get a charge, I get the app alert "charging interrupted" every hour or so. And then I get messages like this. And I don't have home charging so I'd really like for these outlets to work so I don't have to run to a supercharger every time I need a charge.

And yes, I know you really should get home charging if you are going to buy an electric car. This is my first EV and I live 2 miles from work and the charging at work used to work fine. Plus, I have a supercharger 3 miles from home and work. So I thought the lack of home charging would not be a big deal.

Thanks for helping me. Sorry if I am being dumb.