Locked Charge Port Adapter

[ebmcs03]

The J1772 adapter has always been just a little thing and is supplied with the car. You might be thinking of the large Chademo DCFC adapter, which is quite expensive and doesn't work on a Model 3, last I heard.

Edit: Snow Drift beat me to it!

Humm really? What about the roadster?
I saw one at my work parking lot charging on a chargepoint charger and he had a long adaptor which he laid on the ground tucked under the car.

 

[P85ATL]

This is what forums are all about. I had downloaded, printed and read the owners manual cover to cover while awaiting delivery but don't recall any mention of this cable release. Now I have shared this "emergency" procedure with family members.
BTW I like the 295 mile charge with room to go. We love our 3 and the new software update with cruise and spacing added to steering wheel control is example of how the car can be improved after purchase.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Humm really? What about the roadster?
I saw one at my work parking lot charging on a chargepoint charger and he had a long adaptor which he laid on the ground tucked under the car.

The Roadster is something of a prototype and doesn't use the now-standard Tesla charge port that was introduced with the Model S. The Roadsters also aren't able to use Supercharger Stations.

So far as dealing with a locked adapter, I learned to open my car door first, which unlocks the charge port. I remove the J nozzle and then pull out the adapter and put it in my pocket so that I don't lose it while putting away the charge station cord. I've done this several hundred times without difficulty. If this procedure doesn't work for the Model 3, that surprises me.

 

[Mishakim]

So is the consensus that the inability to remove the adapter if the J1772 is already removed is a bug? The general understanding where I work is that it's OK for people to unplug someone else who's done charging, in order to plug in themselves. This will leave the adapter plugged in, which is a good thing since the owner's not there to stow it, but is the owner then stuck having to do the manual release?

 

[israndy]

As was pointed out to my embarrassment there is an icon to unlock the port on the center display AND in the app. I assumed it was just pointing out that the port was locked, but if you touch the padlock symbol it UNLOCKS the charge port.

I didn't know that's what it did and when you look at the Model S there is a labeled button to unlock the port. When I didn't see that button on my Model 3 I called Tesla for support and that guy said if I didn't want to go to the Service Center I could pull the manual release. It's really easy, just pop the truck and pull the manual release.

The tech missed the icon too, but he was doing telephone support, difficult to know if you cannot see what's going on.

-Randy

 

[hacer]

As was pointed out to my embarrassment there is an icon to unlock the port on the center display AND in the app. I assumed it was just pointing out that the port was locked, but if you touch the padlock symbol it UNLOCKS the charge port.

I didn't know that's what it did and when you look at the Model S there is a labeled button to unlock the port. When I didn't see that button on my Model 3 I called Tesla for support and that guy said if I didn't want to go to the Service Center I could pull the manual release. It's really easy, just pop the truck and pull the manual release.

The tech missed the icon too, but he was doing telephone support, difficult to know if you cannot see what's going on.

-Randy

It's described in the manual, so telephone support should have access to that. Also this topic was previously covered in No Way to Unlock Charge Port from Console? and maybe more too because the icon-is-also-a-button is not always intuitive.

 

[LMichel]

Actually, there is an extremely simple alternative to this (took a while to figure out):
....

Holy Cow! Will this work for a model S as well?
This issue has been annoying since owning my MS about 8 months ago.
I usually have the fob packed away in my backpack, hands full of packages, etc.. So can't easily get to my phone. All I want to do is be able to pull the adapter without requiring the fob or requiring two hands. I always thought that the charger lock should be unlocked when you walk up - just like the door handles extend..

 

[israndy]

I always thought that the charger lock should be unlocked when you walk up - just like the door handles extend..

Yip, that is intuitive, so that is what they should do, eventually.

I think sometimes they are trying to keep your car secure, but all their efforts and I can still walk away from my car when the door closed but not entirely latch and it will just let me walk away and never lock the car. If I am looking back I'll see the mirrors didn't fold, but the idea is that the car will take care of me. If it sees me walking away, where it normally would lock, it should beep the horn and let me know the door is ajar. Like on cars where I leave the lights on and open the door, it alerts me to the fact.

-Randy

 

[jbadger]

So he told me there is a RELEASE under the carpet, and that is why I am posting today

FWIW, I had a problem back in January with my Model 3 where my adapter was locked in and the unlock button in app and on the touch screen did not release the adapter. I had to reboot the car in order to get the adapter to release. It was also raining, which made the whole situation more annoying.

Knowing about the manual release would have been quite helpful so thanks for posting this incase I have the problem again in the future.

 

[Ulmo]

I normally charge at home, but with a mostly empty car I noticed that the Volta free charging near me was open, so I parked there and filled up. When it was ready to go I walked back and there was already someone wanting to charge. I pulled the J1772 and hung it up but when I tried to remove the adapter it was locked. I know, now, I should have stopped the charge BEFORE unplugging.

I tried unlocking it with the touchscreen but the only control was Close Charge Port.

I've had this happen on my Model S a number of times. Yes, there's a console command to unlock it. There's other ways, as well: in the "Remote S" smartphone app, there's an unlock command. I believe that they sometimes had that command in the official Tesla smartphone app, as well. In addition, did you try holding your HPWC plug next to the Model 3 socket and either holding the button to release or pressing it? I believe that is another way to release it. Finally, on the Model S, I believe if you hold the proper button on the key fob (the charge port button?), it will unlock that port.

In addition, I did start practicing taking it out with the J1772 plug, which I did get better at, but for some reason, stopped doing religiously, and I ended up pulling the plug out manually a lot, using many of the above commands. I think I ended up doing it after pulling the J1772 because it was easier to do that way (easier to pull out the J1772, then get the adapter after). Obviously, that depends on the unlock command working.

Obviously, the Model 3 is different because you don't have a key fob with buttons, but I would like to know if the button on the HPWC plug (I remember having to hold the button) or the Remote S app command work when this happens again.

I find it amazing I remember all of this stuff after almost a year of not owning my Model S.

 

[LMichel]

Holy Cow! Will this work for a model S as well?
This issue has been annoying since owning my MS about 8 months ago.
I usually have the fob packed away in my backpack, hands full of packages, etc.. So can't easily get to my phone. All I want to do is be able to pull the adapter without requiring the fob or requiring two hands. I always thought that the charger lock should be unlocked when you walk up - just like the door handles extend..

Well, this didn't work with my MS. Walking up with the fob in my pocket and just pressing the button on charging cable causes charging to stop, but not unlock the adapter. The colored ring goes from green to blue. I let go of the button and pull. The adapter is still locked in.
:-(

 

[dgpcolorado]

Well, this didn't work with my MS. Walking up with the fob in my pocket and just pressing the button on charging cable causes charging to stop, but not unlock the adapter. The colored ring goes from green to blue. I let go of the button and pull. The adapter is still locked in.
:-(

I learned early on to just open the door first and then remove the charge handle or adapter. After awhile it became habit.

 

[ElectricCanuck]

Months later I found this and it saved me tonight. My pin was locked up and making a cycling noise. Stuck for some reason?!

Found the manual release, gave it a good tug and voila!

Thanks all!

 

[pipestem]

i always have this problem with the J1772 adapter. This has to be a bug that Tesla should fix, right ? I am tired of using the manual release cord. In fact why do they lock the port at all? Ok, give me an option to lock it, but not by default. At least make the unlock charge port action on the app and screen actually work. What am I missing ?

 

[Skidmark]

I've never had this issue, but never used the car in subfreezing temperatures either. Is this strictly a cold temperature issue?

 

[Skidmark]

Well, this didn't work with my MS. Walking up with the fob in my pocket and just pressing the button on charging cable causes charging to stop, but not unlock the adapter. The colored ring goes from green to blue. I let go of the button and pull. The adapter is still locked in.
:-(

The correct way is to keep the button on the handle pressed until everything is completely removed from the Tesla's charge port. If you're using a J1772 adapter, keep the release button pressed and use your other hand to pull the adapter out of the Tesla while leaving the adapter and handle connected.

Letting go of the release button will cause the charge port to almost immediately re-lock. Separating the J1772 plug from the adapter will cause the car to lose the unlock signal the J1772 button sends, also causing an immediate re-lock. That's why you need to keep the J1772 handle and the adapter connected until everything has been removed from the Tesla charge port.

 

[pipestem]

I've never had this issue, but never used the car in subfreezing temperatures either. Is this strictly a cold temperature issue?

nada. it's been warm here.

Thanks for the useful info in your next post, that should help when I disconnect. I often use a shared charger so that someone else is removing the cable and leaving my adapter behind. Hey Tesla - stop locking my charge port !!!

 

[Skidmark]

nada. it's been warm here.

Thanks for the useful info in your next post, that should help when I disconnect. I often use a shared charger so that someone else is removing the cable and leaving my adapter behind. Hey Tesla - stop locking my charge port !!!

I believe the port wont unlock the adapter if the car is locked. This is to prevent unauthorized disconnections when using the Tesla connector and to prevent theft of any adapters (Chademo and J1772)

 

[JeffK]

I believe the port wont unlock the adapter if the car is locked. This is to prevent unauthorized disconnections when using the Tesla connector and to prevent theft of any adapters (Chademo and J1772)

Do you know what's weird...

My car was locked the other day and I didn't have my phone on me. My wall connector was plugged into my car... without thinking I simply removed the plug from the charge port without hitting the button or anything. It wasn't locked like it normally is.

I'm not sure if it was because it was cold in my garage and if that is some new firmware thing for winter or what...

 

[pipestem]

I believe the port wont unlock the adapter if the car is locked. This is to prevent unauthorized disconnections when using the Tesla connector and to prevent theft of any adapters (Chademo and J1772)

nada. That would make sense but unlocking the car does not help. Hey Tesla ! Fix this !!