Loaner Charging Problems (two different loaners)

[MiddKid]

I have an original Tesla HPWC from my 2013 Model S. That car had dual chargers (as it was called back then), never had any charging problems with it or loaners. Last April 2017 I took delivery of my Model X 100D with the High Amperage Charger. My HPWC is set to 72A. Never had a single charging problem.

A few months ago I had a loaner Model S and I could not get the HPWC connector to fully sit into the charging port. The ring around the port went yellow and there was a "charge cable unlatched" message on the dash. It did, however, charge at 16A despite the message. Out of curiosity I tried the loaner's charge cable plugged into my 110V wall socket and it worked fine (latched and green). Because I only had the loaner for a day I decided not to worry about it. I got my Model X back and the charging worked like normal again.

Today I came home with another Model S loaner...this time a virtually brand new 75D. Same exact thing "charge cable unlatched" and charging at 16A. So being that this happened to two different loaners, one would think there is something wrong with my HPWC. Yet my Model X charges perfectly? Why would this be? Could it be because the HPWC is set to 72A and the loaners can't support that? Is there another reason an old HPWC wouldn't work with two newer loaners?

Appreciate any thoughts!

 

[kev1n]

sounds like the cable isnt plugged in fully.

i have heard of people having to have their charge port hole shaved a bit to allow easier access

 

[MiddKid]

sounds like the cable isnt plugged in fully.

i have heard of people having to have their charge port hole shaved a bit to allow easier access

It's definitely not fully plugged in. I'm just confused why this would happen on two different loaners! Plus, on the first one I tested the portable charge cable and that worked fine. So odd.

 

[kev1n]

It's definitely not fully plugged in. I'm just confused why this would happen on two different loaners! Plus, on the first one I tested the portable charge cable and that worked fine. So odd.

i would say its the charging cable head. the HPWC one might be slightly bigger that it doesnt fit and the charge port probably needs to be shaved to compensate.

 

[MiddKid]

i would say its the charging cable head. the HPWC one might be slightly bigger that it doesnt fit and the charge port probably needs to be shaved to compensate.

Could be...but I also go back to 2013-2017. One Model S, one Model X, and countless Model S loaners. If it had to be shaved, I should have run into this issue back then. And it works flawlessly on my Model X. Mystery.

 

[Rocky_H]

@MiddKid Oh, I think I know this one! You say the handle inserts fully into your car, but will not insert fully into other cars. I remember someone having that exact same thing. There are plastic rings around some of the holes/pins in either the port or the plug head--I forget which side. Someone had the end of one of those rings break off and get stuck in the other one. They never knew this, because that exact pairing still "fits" with the piece broken and stuck in the other side. But when trying to make a different combination, with either a different car or different plug, the extra broken ring of plastic jammed in there blocks the other one that isn't missing that chunk from fitting in there.

So look carefully into your plug and your port and see if there is something stuck in one of the holes.

 

[MiddKid]

@MiddKid Oh, I think I know this one! You say the handle inserts fully into your car, but will not insert fully into other cars. I remember someone having that exact same thing. There are plastic rings around some of the holes/pins in either the port or the plug head--I forget which side. Someone had the end of one of those rings break off and get stuck in the other one. They never knew this, because that exact pairing still "fits" with the piece broken and stuck in the other side. But when trying to make a different combination, with either a different car or different plug, the extra broken ring of plastic jammed in there blocks the other one that isn't missing that chunk from fitting in there.

So look carefully into your plug and your port and see if there is something stuck in one of the holes.

Oh...my...goodness! You are AMAZING!!! Of course I had looked at the plug and all looked fine. But after you posted this I REALLY looked at the plug with a flashlight and hmmmm...why is the right side silver at the bottom and the left is black?!?!? I got some tweezers (after turning off the circuit) and BAM. Large broken plastic piece comes out (it was lodged way at the bottom...wouldn't come out with shaking). See attached. You were exactly right! Now the loaner is charging perfectly and I sent an email to the service center asking them to fix my charge port. Thank you so much!

 

[Rocky_H]

Oh...my...goodness! You are AMAZING!!! Of course I had looked at the plug and all looked fine. But after you posted this I REALLY looked at the plug with a flashlight and hmmmm...why is the right side silver at the bottom and the left is black?!?!? I got some tweezers (after turning off the circuit) and BAM. Large broken plastic piece comes out (it was lodged way at the bottom...wouldn't come out with shaking). See attached. You were exactly right! Now the loaner is charging perfectly and I sent an email to the service center asking them to fix my charge port. Thank you so much!

View attachment 301808

Boom! I actually also ran into this at a Supercharger in Terre Haute Indiana in February too. I kept trying to put the plug in and could hear it clunking against something and stopping partway in. So I looked in the plug and could see just like you said--one side black and one side silver. I realized it must be that piece broken out of someone's charge port. So I called the phone number on the Supercharger to tell them about which stall had that piece stuck in the handle so they could come fix it.

 

[Rocky_H]

@MiddKid This is funny. Someone else had a new thread describing this, and I nailed it as the same problem over there too. Boom goes the dynamite.
HPWC no longer latches or charges

 

[MiddKid]

@Rocky_H Too funny! I think we'll all send you our little broken plastic rings as thank you...you'll have quite the selection!