Tesla wall connector issue

[Farzinfar]

Hi

I was out over the weekend and parked my car in a car park with Tesla destination charger. I plugged in the charger and left for a couple of hours. About 10 minutes before returning to the car, got the message on the phone that the charging was completed. When I got back to the car, in my surprise I saw another Model S was parked next to my car and its owner had unplugged the charger from my car and plugged it to his. For as far as I remember all chargers including Tesla charger had the plug locked in the charger port until the car was unlocked and then you could unlock it.

The question is how this guy managed to release the charger from a locked car without any problem. My car was locked and I have no doubt about it. To add to the mystery, I have a Tesla wall connector at home and several times in the past when the car was locked and key fob not with me, I tried to unlock and release the charger without success because the car was locked but tonight I tried again and with the button on charger plug, I could release the charger and disconnect it! something I could not do in the past.

Has anyone experienced similar issue? Maybe the wall connector or Tesla itself had an update that releases the charger if the car is charged to the specified limit? Or is it possible the owner of Tesla next to me did something to break my car locking mechanism?

Can anyone with Tesla Wall connector without having key fob with him/her try to remove the charger once the car is charged and see if the button releases the charger please?

Many thanks

 

[skitown]

My HPWC currently is staying locked as expected.

 

[GatorGuy]

I cannot release the cable if the car is locked.

 

[LoL Rick]

Did this happen in Switzerland, with the Mennekes Type 2 plug? If so, US experience with Tesla equipment would not be applicable.

 

[Daniellane]

I suspect they managed to remove the charger from the port using brute force breaking the tab that locks it in place.

 

[Hugh Mannity]

You are absolutely sure the fob wasn’t in the car?

 

[appleguru]

I have used a HPWC before that would not latch to my car... it charged OK, but would just pull out, even without depressing the button on the handle. I do remember seeing a different color ring (red or yellow flashing perhaps?) instead of the usual flashing green one. Switching to a different destination charger fixed it.

 

[Doanster1]

Sounds like an experiment is in order regarding true HPWC vs Destination Charger. I’ll have to check Tesla’s website to see if there’s a Destination Charger close to me. With my HPWC at home, the port always locks the connector when my car is also locked.

ps per my responses in the ‘un-plugging’ threads... I would’ve waited around to have a conversation with the person who unplugged you; I hate it when people assume and take liberties; was on a road trip this past weekend and made it home with 12%; if anyone had unplugged me throughout my trip, it would’ve added much unnecessary time

 

[Daniellane]

Sounds like an experiment is in order regarding true HPWC vs Destination Charger. I’ll have to check Tesla’s website to see if there’s a Destination Charger close to me. With my HPWC at home, the port always locks the connector when my car is also locked.

I thought a destination Charger was just an HPWC.

 

[Wshowell]

I stayed at a Hyatt a few months ago with several Tesla chargers. I plugged in after I left a note on my car for any other tesla owner to text me if they needed me to unplug. Several hours later a guy pulled in next to me and texted that he was going to unplug me because I was full and he needed to charge. I texted back “I’ll be right down to unlock it” he responded “no need, since it was full (not full but to the capacity that I set) he was able to unlock it and plug in his car.

 

[Doanster1]

I thought a destination Charger was just an HPWC.

You are correct. What I should’ve said was whether there was an install or perhaps setting difference for Destination Chargers, like having the dial set to 30A max or something. Just theorizing...
As @Wshowell just posted... another example of no lock when using them.

 

[Farzinfar]

Thanks for all feedbacks. My fob was with me and car surely locked.

My home Tesla charger also used to lock the charger and it still does during charging but after charging completed (to my usual 90%) and the led ring around the port goes off, it does unlock the charger with the push of the button on the charger plug and releases the charger. This was not to case until yesterday.

The mechanic am is not broken as it still locks the charger on once plugged in but it releases when the charging stops!

This might well be an update allowing others to use the charger when your car is fully charged the prevent people abusing the facility especially in hotels and destination charging points which are designed to help us on the go.

And finally yes, I live in Switzerland and the charger was a Tesla charger which is similar to the one I gave at home and this was not the case until a few days ago or at least as far as I remember.

Any further thought?

 

[Kristoffer Helle]

It's a safety "issue". In case of a fire or something, you can remove the plug. You don't have to be strong..
Thefts of charging cables is a big problem in Norway.

 

[Farzinfar]

@Kristoffer Helle

Thanks but this was not the case before and all friends above confirm they cannot disconnect the charger from a locked car. So I am still confused about what is happening!

 

[GatorGuy]

You should test this with a J1772 charger. Make sure it doesn't release your adapter when complete. That wouldn't be good.

 

[Farzinfar]

@GatorGuy thanks but J1772 is for North America. In Europe we have type 2 connector.

 

[Kristoffer Helle]

Sorry, forgot we have Type2 know Europe.
We can "easily" pull it out.

 

[Farzinfar]

@Kristoffer Helle

Well please let me add to the problem by reporting that my car since yesterday locks the charger when the door is locked. No way to detach it!

What this guy did to my car to disconnect the charger, I have not idea!!!!

 

[Farzinfar]

I really appreciate it if the guy who disconnected my Model S and connected the charger to his own Model S in Car Park Central (Flon) (Lausanne, Switzerland) last Saturday around 6 pm to contact me here. No hard feeling at all but everybody is just surprised. A Ranger from Tesla Switzerland investigated the matter and apparently there is no damage to my charger port and its locking mechanism but no one can figure out how this guy managed to disconnect the charger while the car was locked. I just want to know how he did and if there is a bug in the software, it has to be corrected. This can happen to him too. Thanks

Cheers

 

[harry]

Aside from the mystery of how it happened, if you are fully charged what would be the problem with someone who needs a charge moving the cable. I would rather someone just move the cable than have to come out to the car and handle it myself. What possible benefit could accrue to me by hogging a charger I didn't need? It would also be an economic favor if I'm at one of the stations which charge by the number of minutes you are connected. I think it would be a great update to allow the car to unlock the nozzle when the charge is finished.