Mobile Connector GFCI Tripped

[Mohain]

Hello noob here,

I have an issue with my gen 2 mobile connector 4 years in.

• The car’s screen specifically says “Unable to charge - Mobile Connector GFCI Tripped.” My nema 14-50 isn’t connected to a GFCI breaker.
• I reconnect the charger and it works like a charm.
• But everyday I have to replug it in. Sometimes 3 times.

Is it stating the GFCI built in to the charger is tripping?

Is my charger going bad? Or is it my outlet?

Thank you, I appreciate all the help.

 

[P3dStealth]

Ground fault. Current is leaking through an unsafe path. Possible Line to ground or Neutral to ground fault.

Try it in a friends house if you can and see if the problem follows.

 

[Lindenwood]

Found it in the Owners Manual!

(UMC_a002)​

Unable to charge - Mobile Connector GFCI trippedUnplug charge handle from charge port and retry​

The vehicle cannot charge because the ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) in the Mobile Connector has tripped.

Like the GFCI in a wall outlet, this feature is designed to stop the flow of electricity when there is a problem. It has interrupted charging to protect your vehicle and the charging equipment.
This could happen for many reasons. The problem could be in the charge cable, the charge handle, the charge port, or even an onboard vehicle component.

Inspect the charge port as well as the charge handle for pooled water or unusual levels of moisture.

• If you find excessive moisture, wait and let both the inside area of the charge port and the exposed portion of the charge handle dry sufficiently before trying again.

Inspect the charge equipment for damage.

• If the cable is in any way damaged or deteriorated, do not use it. Try different charging equipment instead.
• If the cable is in good condition, try charging again with the same Mobile Connector.

If the issue persists and prevents charging, try charging with different charging equipment.
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.

You can also try charging your vehicle using a Tesla Supercharger or Destination Charging location, all of which can be located through the map on your vehicle's touchscreen display. See Maps and Navigation for more details. Additional third-party charging stations may also be available in your area to help you to pinpoint the issue.
For more information on troubleshooting Mobile Connector status lights and charging issues, refer to the product's owner's manual.

 

[fstop11]

Just a little food for thought, it may be because the charger is getting too hot. We have two Model Ys in our garage, and our mobile chargers run off our garage washer and dryer outlets. So one is running at 120V and one is at 240V. I got my first GFCI warning last week. Tonight I got it again. I inspected the cables, and they were both in good condition. However, I remembered that the GFCI warning occurred both times on the same connector that was running 240V. At the moment I got the warning, both vehicles were charging. So I swapped connectors and tried again. Sure enough, it worked. It’s been 16 years since I was an electrician in the Navy, but I remember many circuits had overload trips that were based on the temperature of the conductors. That may be what’s happening here too. That would also explain why it works after time has gone by (and the charger temperature has returned to ambient).

I’d be interested in hearing if anyone gets this while using strictly a 120V outlet.

 

[ATPMSD]

My nema 14-50 isn’t connected to a GFCI breaker.

Just FYI, code requires the outlet you are plugging into has GFCI breaker.

 

[Dwew]

Just FYI, code requires the outlet you are plugging into has GFCI breaker.

Actually I don’t think its required for EVSEs. All electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) have GFCI built into the unit itself. If the outlet were outdoors though, then the breaker in your sub panel would need to be a GFCI breaker, but an indoor 240V receptacle doesn’t require GFCI breakers like any outlet in your home that’s not near a water source.

I’m starting to have the same issue with my Mobile Connector V2 in my garage. I’ve limited charging to 22 amps (32 amps is max), and I’m still getting occasional nusaince trips. I notice it more after I wash my car, but I’m going to try using another charger I have to see if its more reliable. At the breaker I checked resistance from line to ground, and line to neutral for both 120V conductors and also double-checked that neutral to ground had a 0 ohm resistance.

 

[RayK]

Actually I don’t think its required for EVSEs. All electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) have GFCI built into the unit itself. If the outlet were outdoors though, then the breaker in your sub panel would need to be a GFCI breaker, but an indoor 240V receptacle doesn’t require GFCI breakers like any outlet in your home that’s not near a water source.

I’m starting to have the same issue with my Mobile Connector V2 in my garage. I’ve limited charging to 22 amps (32 amps is max), and I’m still getting occasional nusaince trips. I notice it more after I wash my car, but I’m going to try using another charger I have to see if its more reliable. At the breaker I checked resistance from line to ground, and line to neutral for both 120V conductors and also double-checked that neutral to ground had a 0 ohm resistance.

I'm not an electrician but I believe, from reading stuff here, that garage outlets require a GFCI breaker.

As far as your resistance readings go, better double check those values. 0 ohms directly implies a short or a direct connection between one wire and the other. On the other hand, infinite resistance means that there's no electrical connection between those two wires (points).

 

[ATPMSD]

Actually I don’t think its required for EVSEs. All electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) have GFCI built into the unit itself.

Incorrect. The GFCI built into the EVSE protects from the unit to the car, the GFCI breaker protects the outlet. A GFCI breaker is not needed for a hardwire installation only because there is no outlet.

 

[davewill]

You're both right (or wrong). If you're putting in an outlet for EV charging, it requires GFCI. However, if you're plugging into an already existing outlet, there's nothing that requires you to add GFCI to it now.

 

[RayK]

You're both right (or wrong). If you're putting in an outlet for EV charging, it requires GFCI. However, if you're plugging into an already existing outlet, there's nothing that requires you to add GFCI to it now.

Yes, you're right. I was assuming a newly provisioned outlet, sorry.

 

[Dwew]

I'm not an electrician but I believe, from reading stuff here, that garage outlets require a GFCI breaker.

As far as your resistance readings go, better double check those values. 0 ohms directly implies a short or a direct connection between one wire and the other. On the other hand, infinite resistance means that there's no electrical connection between those two wires (points).

Oops you’re right, just looked it up and it looks like there was a revision requiring GFCI breakers for new outlets for EVSEs - I think its article 625.54 of the national electric code. And my bad, meant to say that my multimeter registered my line to neutral/ground as “OL”, or open loop. Neutral to ground was continuous though at 0 ohm.

 

[3sr+buyer]

Oops you’re right, just looked it up and it looks like there was a revision requiring GFCI breakers for new outlets for EVSEs - I think its article 625.54 of the national electric code.

The 2020 NEC requires GFCI protection for new outlets to be used for EV charging. The previous 2017 NEC required GFCI for new outlets 150V or less and 50A or less to be used for EV charging.

https://www.iaei.org/page/nec-code-adoption can tell you what revision of the NEC is used in each state.

However, this is only marginally relevant to the OP, who has GFCI faults in the mobile connector that is connected to an outlet on a non-GFCI circuit. This suggests that there may be an actual ground fault somewhere in the circuit, or a problem in the mobile connector.

Trying the same mobile connector in some other outlet, and/or another mobile connector in the same outlet, can help determine if the problem is likely to be in the circuit or in the mobile connector.

 

[ATPMSD]

However, this is only marginally relevant to the OP, who has GFCI faults in the mobile connector that is connected to an outlet on a non-GFCI circuit.

Please see post #8

 

[ATPMSD]

there's nothing that requires you to add GFCI to it now

Agree but, the code was revised for a good reason and it it worth considering upgrading to a GFCI breaker, especially if the mobile connector will be plugged in and unplugged on a regular basis. Not required, just a good idea.

 

[Mohain]

Kinda late but...

An electrician came out and inspected my two different nema 14-50 plugs, found nothing wrong with them. I then went across town to borrow my friends mobile connector that I have been testing for the past two days - no error codes. Looks like something was wrong with my mobile connector.

Therefore, I am buying a wall connector for $400 as there is a rebate in my city for $300 for Level 2 stations.

Thank you all for your expertise! I appreciate it.

 

[Creeble]

Ugh, I'm having the same problem, but only intermittently also.

I hate to spend $400 on a new cord just because the GFCI in the cord is getting flaky, but I guess they're not fixable. Nice revenue stream I guess, GFCIs (in outlets that get used regularly) don't last forever.

One weird thing is that I have charging limited to 18a at home, and when I release the charge port at home the screen shows "charging at this location limited to 60a"! Yet it usually charges (20a breakers, so I know it's not trying to charge at that current).

Anybody else seeing this discrepancy in their display? I didn't notice it until the 2022.08 update.
(Whoops, just noticed I'm in the M3 board here. Ignore that last part I guess.)

 

[MP3Mike]

I hate to spend $400 on a new cord just because the GFCI in the cord is getting flaky, but I guess they're not fixable. Nice revenue stream I guess, GFCIs (in outlets that get used regularly) don't last forever.

Good thing they only cost $200. (And are actually in stock right now.)

Mobile Connector

Stay charged on extended trips or when you need it most with Mobile Connector. Using a standard outlet, you can recharge up to 3 miles of range per hour with the NEMA 5-15 Adapter or up to 30 miles of range with the NEMA 14-50 Adapter depending on your vehicle. Includes: 1x Mobile Connector -...

shop.tesla.com

And you would get an extra 14-50 adapter that you could sell. (Assuming of course that it isn't just your 14-50 adapter causing the GFCI to trip, which would only cost $45 to replace.)

 

[davewill]

Ugh, I'm having the same problem, but only intermittently also.

I hate to spend $400 on a new cord just because the GFCI in the cord is getting flaky, but I guess they're not fixable. Nice revenue stream I guess, GFCIs (in outlets that get used regularly) don't last forever.

One weird thing is that I have charging limited to 18a at home, and when I release the charge port at home the screen shows "charging at this location limited to 60a"! Yet it usually charges (20a breakers, so I know it's not trying to charge at that current).

Anybody else seeing this discrepancy in their display? I didn't notice it until the 2022.08 update.
(Whoops, just noticed I'm in the M3 board here. Ignore that last part I guess.)

If you actually owned that mobile connector since 2014 (the year of your car), I'd say you got your money's worth it of it.

 

[Mohain]

Ugh, I'm having the same problem, but only intermittently also.

I hate to spend $400 on a new cord just because the GFCI in the cord is getting flaky, but I guess they're not fixable. Nice revenue stream I guess, GFCIs (in outlets that get used regularly) don't last forever.

One weird thing is that I have charging limited to 18a at home, and when I release the charge port at home the screen shows "charging at this location limited to 60a"! Yet it usually charges (20a breakers, so I know it's not trying to charge at that current).

Anybody else seeing this discrepancy in their display? I didn't notice it until the 2022.08 update.
(Whoops, just noticed I'm in the M3 board here. Ignore that last part I guess.)

You can't go wrong with a new mobile connector which is $200 on the website rn. I would also explore different companies who make a similar and sturdier product! So many options today.

I'm going with a wall connector because I qualify for a $300 rebate!

Best,

 

[Remonster]

I recently went through this same issue after 4 years of owning my Model 3. Constant "GFCI trips" that were only guaranteed to go away if I lowered my charge amperage to 16 amps.

I ended up buying a Juice Booster 2 to alleviate my issue. Interestingly enough, its manual gave specific instruction to not leave the cables coiled when charging. It makes me think that maybe the inductive principle might be causing some of the GFCI trips, especially as the charger ages, and because the cable is naturally trained in a coil shape. Anyway, I'm speculating, but I might end up testing my old charger with straightened cables and report back.