Older HPWC - All sorts of issues

[rdrcrmatt]

I had an early VIN P85, sold it a few years ago. Right before I sold it, I drywalled my garage so I had to temporarily disconnect the HPWC. When I hooked it back up it stopped working. I sold the car a couple weeks later so I never got around to fixing it.

I have a P90DL now so this thing needs to work.

I checked the following.

Breaker off, no continuity between hot legs or to ground.
Fuses 0 Ohms. They're good.
Ground, continuity good to all ground points, backing case of HPWC, the center lower pin on the car plug, and the logic board in the unit.
Breaker on, 247v across hot leads.

I have DIP switches set to ON, OFF, OFF, OFF - for 80a.

When I started monkeying with it last night it would turn on and show a green light, then fail at charging. After switching the dip switches around to test, then back to 80a it FLASHES RED 4 times. Which, in the doc I found online, says loss of ground. I'm certain that isn't actually happening.

Anyone have suggestions on this one?

Here are pictures of it.

 

[rdrcrmatt]

Here is the install guide from the HPWC. It's the original version for this HPWC, not the newer WC or a different revision (if one exists) of the HPWC.

http://paradox.ampd.us/files/HPWCinstallation.pdf

 

[jplasmd]

You held the reset button for 5 seconds after flipping on the breaker?

 

[rdrcrmatt]

You held the reset button for 5 seconds after flipping on the breaker?

Yes.

 

[rdrcrmatt]

Bump, anyone? Not a run of the mill issue for sure.

 

[Feathermerchan]

How are you certain loss of ground is not happening?

 

[rdrcrmatt]

How are you certain loss of ground is not happening?

When I put a multimeter on the ground bar, or the end of the charging cable I get continuity to ground, even while the charger is blinking 4 times claiming "loss of ground"

 

[jimmythefrack]

When you use a meter and test the hot and ground terminal does it register 120v from each leg or do you get something else? When you go from ground to neutral or another ground do you receive a reading other than zero? If so the ground isn't good. There could be a chance at the disconnect or the main panel the lugs have become loose or corroded which is why ground isn't working.

 

[charliepmayer]

1) 2014 P85, first gen HPWC - worked great for 4 years
2) no activity for about a week or so
3) new March 2018 S 100D: car repeatedly reported "charging cable fault" or something similar - I don't recall exact verbiage. Would not charge after a very few minutes - blinking red. Resetting HPWC or cycling breaker just started the process again - 2 minutes or less of charge - then fault. Sometimes would get full charge, sometimes not - could not find a pattern. Low voltage? Sunspots? Who knows.
4) Tesla sent out a service tech - could replicate the issue, but could find no resolution, verdict: not repairable.
Sold me a new Gen 2 HPWC for half price - I was happy with that. No charge for service call.

My unfounded opinion: Gen 1 HPWC is not compatible with software (or hardware?) on newer cars.
I thought it was just me - but too many similar stories to ignore the issue.

Your opinions please?

 

[Feathermerchan]

Charlie - It sounds like there was a loose/broken connection possibly in the car end of the Tesla connector. It may have broken connection when charge current was put thru it. I have had that happen on A/C extension cords.

 

[charliepmayer]

Feathermerchan: yep - you may be correct - but the problem never occurred on the older car, just the new one.
Charger just sat there unattended between cars - maybe a power surge or lightning damage? No burned smell or any visual damage.
Who knows. If more incidents show up perhaps something will become obvious.

 

[rdrcrmatt]

There is no neutral running to the HPWC. Just 2 hot legs and a ground.

I get 120v on each hot leg to ground. I'll check the ground bar lug at the breaker box, it's been 2-3 years since I opened it.


My old car was a 2013 VIN P11xxx, an early car. This charger worked great in 2 locations for years. I drywalled the garage, it stopped working after I removed it and reinstalled. It's completely possible is't something I did, but it's 3 wires and I know they're torqued correctly at the HPWC.

I don't think it's a software thing.

Per Tesla I replaced the charging cable when I was troubleshooting (while I had the old car) to no resolution.

 

[richrootes]

Feathermerchan: yep - you may be correct - but the problem never occurred on the older car, just the new one.
Charger just sat there unattended between cars - maybe a power surge or lightning damage? No burned smell or any visual damage.
Who knows. If more incidents show up perhaps something will become obvious.

Charlie - you’re correct when you say generation 1 HPWCs don’t play nicely with new cars

I have had a couple of loaners from Tesla whilst my car was being looked at - both would not charge properly on my HPWC

I think a newer HPWC is the only answer

 

[Boatguy]

If older HPWC's won't work with newer cars, what's happening with the thousands of destination chargers out there? I doubt they all upgraded? Have newer car owners had trouble with destination chargers?

 

[charliepmayer]

Boatguy: good question.