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Tesla wall connector gen3 overheating fix

Discussion in 'Supercharging & Charging Infrastructure' started by njhtran, Jun 22, 2020.

  1. jiml

    jiml Member

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    Location:
    Charleston, SC
    Both of mine are the 18ft cord.

    The smaller AWG going to the WC from the breaker can increase the overall resistance and that would could cause the car side cord to get hot.
     
  2. testarossa

    testarossa Member

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    Tesla service. Perhaps I'm talking to the wrong department?
     
  3. RAM482

    RAM482 Member

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    Tesla Home charging service 510-249-2490
     
  4. serendipitous

    serendipitous Member

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    Just connecting these two posts - testarossa, you want to call home charging support at this number, not Tesla car service.
     
    • Like x 1
  5. GuyDude

    GuyDude Member

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    #225 GuyDude, Sep 28, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2020
    my gen 3 started displaying the three red lights of death! ugh!!!

    on hold with Tesla. I'm on 08.58
     
  6. Mark L

    Mark L New Member

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    About a week ago firmware updated from 08.58 to 1.3.0
    Now, instead of starting at 40 AMPs then dropping to 20 AMPs after 10-20 minutes it now drops to 30-31 AMPs. Fingers crossed that next firmware update will finally fix it.
     
  7. serendipitous

    serendipitous Member

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    Interesting. My (replacement) unit is still on 0.8.58, but continues to not have issues staying at 48A even on extended sessions. Seems like there's a batch of units with some physical issue, and they're trying firmware updates to mitigate them so they don't have to replace all of them. Tough to tell whether it's a faulty sensor or an actual high resistance connection causing real overheating - the few reports of blistering and extremely hot cables are concerning. I'll try to get some more temp readings next time I do a long charge.
     
  8. CaptJaC

    CaptJaC 2020 Model Y

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    Location:
    Middle Georgia
    Called Tesla Home Charging and the Tech said they could see the faults the Gen3 was getting (3 red lights) he also saw it needed an update so he pushed 1.3.0. All it did was to allow the charger to keep charging but at a higher rate of 30 amps then it did before after it began flashing 3 red. He said if this didn't fix, which it didn't, they would have to monitor the data from the charger for 1-2 weeks before they could authorize an exchange. And the 'new' one was 2-3 weeks behind on shipping.
    After reading this thread it feels that even the new one will have the same issues, But I'll contact them to start the process.
     
  9. CaptJaC

    CaptJaC 2020 Model Y

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    Middle Georgia
    UPDATE 1 Oct : After a 57 min hold, Tesla Home Charging Team promoted my case to Level 2. What ever that means. They put me on list to have Home Connecter & car monitored and if determined to have a bad unit a new one will be ordered. In their words "It may not fix the issue"

    We have had good luck charging at 33 amp/ 30 MPH without 3 red lights. I plan to increase this until I get the lights and then back it down a notch.
     
  10. RAM482

    RAM482 Member

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    Do you have to call Home Charging Support to get the new firmware? I am on a replacement charger and still get 3 light after an hour or so of charging.
     
  11. njhtran

    njhtran Member

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    the best fix for me (im the originator of this thread), was to RMA return it for a Gen2.
     
    • Like x 2
    • Helpful x 1
  12. CaptJaC

    CaptJaC 2020 Model Y

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    My Gen3 wall connecter has been on internet since day one and NO updates were ever received, but when I called Home Charging Support, they are the ones who noted it was not up to date and pushed the update. I would have incorrectly assumed that having it on internet would have ensured it had the latest updates.

    Do you know if the Gen2 work with existing wiring of Gen3? i.e. 60 amp breaker 6/3 wire?
     
  13. MorrisonHiker

    MorrisonHiker S 100D 2021.4.11

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    Yes, there are dials inside that can be turned to configure a gen 2 wall connector and indicate it is on a 60 amp line.
     
    • Like x 2
  14. LA-Foal

    LA-Foal Member

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    I called service today as well and they updated my HPWC to 1.3.

    The Gen3 charger has a summary page you can access through and it says for mine that it is on a 60 amp line. If this issue is related to the charger incorrectly thinking it is overheating then having the possibility to set it manually to 60 amp would not help in my opinion.
     
  15. chicagoking

    chicagoking New Member

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    Chicago
    Similar experience. I had the red blinking lights of death and was on .55 and Tesla pushed out 1.3 to me which did not fix it. They finally sent me a replacement which was on .55 when I installed and worked fine immediately and then the next day updated to .58 and still working fine. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
     
  16. CaptJaC

    CaptJaC 2020 Model Y

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    Location:
    Middle Georgia
    After several Trail and Errors, I have determined on my Gen3 Wall Connector that if I set the max amp in the MY to 38 (38/48 amps) that it will not flash 3 red (over heat). I have recharged several times at > 1 hr at various amps starting at 48 and walking it back to 45 amps, 42 amps & 40 amps and they all flashed 3 red about 30 mins into it. 39 amps was intermittent, sometimes it worked and sometimes it flashed 3 red.
    While the latest software will allow you to continue to recharge at a higher rate once it starts flashing 3 reds then it did before the upgrade, it is still reduces the amps available for charging. I'm just not comfortable with it showing overheat every time it charges. I plan to leave it at 38 amps via the settings in the car until I get a new one or they fix it.
     
  17. luigie767

    luigie767 New Member

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    Orlando, FL
    As many here, after a few weeks of normal ops on Gen 3 WC, last night it started acting up. Throttled me back to 24A with the red light and green charging much slower. The WC, the conduit and the 60A breaker were all pretty hot. I turned the breaker off until I felt the WC and breaker cool off. Since the car had just come out of service and the unit had been working good, I performed a reset on the car just in case, turned the breaker back on and reconnected, it went to 48A and held up no problem. I called Tesla today and the WC would not take the firmware update, they’re sending me a new one. Anyone else with the WC and hot breaker and fixed after firmaware or replacement? Thanks
     
  18. jiml

    jiml Member

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    #238 jiml, Oct 9, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2020
    I am not an electrical engineer or electrician so take this with a grain of salt. But I deal with three phase and single phase power at my business. I have done a ton of work here. I have run into wires and breakers running hot. Burning up relays, etc.

    If your 6AWG wire and breaker are getting hot, something is definitely wrong. I believe that generally means the resistance it too high. In my experience it has always been a loose connection.

    I still believe something with Gen 3 is undersized. Why? Because I have stated elsewhere in this thread that either i have gotten completely lucky or my tendency to oversize things. Basically 6AWG should be big enough but what if 6AWG just causes enough resistance that the undersizing of something in the wall connector is causing the resistance to just go over limits.

    I ordered my two Gen 3 units in Jan/Feb timeframe. So definitely not a new unit.

    I have never once had an issue charging either of my units. So I wonder why? Is it I am lucky? No, I think it is due to the fact that I ran 4AWG. Neither of my units ever get warm. I can say I also used a torque wrench so I know I tightened all the connections to spec.

    The main reason I went with 4AWG was future proofing incase the Cybertruck gets a larger wall connector.

    Every week I get worried I am going to run into this issue but I haven't.
     
  19. Art_Vandelay

    Art_Vandelay Attractive Membrane

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    Location:
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    Hey @jiml you may be onto something here...

    We used to own a Model S with dual on-board chargers, so we had a Gen2 (Elon's Signature version) Wall Connector installed in order to take advantage of the 80amp charging capacity of the car.

    When we sold the car, we sold the Wall Connector with it. So now I have a newer Model S with the 48amp charger and mi wife drives a brand new Performance Raven Model X, also with the 48amp charger, so we decided to purchase a Gen3 Wall Connector to charge both vehicles, seeing we don't need anything more powerful than that.

    We used the exact same infrastructure previously used with the Gen2 Wall Connector, meaning 4AWG wiring, etc.

    We've been running the Gen3 for a few months now without any issues. At full 48amps and running for 5 or 6 hours straight, the glass faceplate and the handle are barely warm, they are nearly room temperature. Granted, we live in an apartment building with an all year round 72°F.

    Hope this stays this way, but reading this thread, it's too soon to tell... #FingersCrossed
     
  20. jiml

    jiml Member

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    Location:
    Charleston, SC
    Awesome......more evidence :)

    One thing I can add is that my chargers are in my garage. I live in South Carolina where it gets to upper 90s in the summer. My garage is normally 85Fish during the middle of the day in the summer. Didn't change anything for me.
     

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