Two 'unlocks' needed to release charging cable in the morning

[drtimhill]

I think it might be when the car hasn't fully woken up after an overnight charge. When I've preheated the car and then unlocked the charge port it seems to be OK

Yeah in that case the car will be awake. You can also HOLD the button down on the charge handle to wake the car up.

 

[joe.smith]

My 2020 S is left unlocked in the garage at night. If it's plugged into the Tesla wall charger and I press the plug's button the car wakes up, the light goes white and the second press allows the cable to be pulled out. Normal behaviour, I think.

I'm not so sure this is normal behavior. Like you, my 2020 MS is left unlocked in my garage. After its overnight charging, I press the (Tesla Wall Connector Gen 2) charge cable button once, wait for the light to turn white, and then simply pull it out. I NEVER have had to hit the button twice.

 

[nunp]

Charge point would not release again this morning - 2nd morning in a row. Not helpful when you are rushing to do the school run. SC appointment booked.

 

[Adopado]

Looks like it‘s a fairly common issue. Points noted about cleaning and avoiding petroleum-based lubricants.

Worth avoiding any lubricants or cleaners if you can. They will pick up dirt/dust and end up causing more problems than they solve. If you need to clean it use isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or a dedicated electrical contact cleaner if you really must.

 

[hellojoea]

Charge point would not release again this morning - 2nd morning in a row. Not helpful when you are rushing to do the school run. SC appointment booked.

I have the exact same problem. Only picked my m3 up about a month ago, have had this exact problem several times, and it does seem to be when I’ve left it to charge overnight. I “wake” the car on the app, then when I get out to the car I press “unlock charge port” on the app, it makes the noise that you’d expect but when you pull the cable it won’t release. I then try on the screen in the car but that won’t give me an unlock button because I’ve already pressed it on the app!!! I then have to wait a couple of minutes and then unlock button reappears on the app, press it again and this time it works!
I also have a podpoint charge point so wonder if that has something to do with it. Interested to hear how you get on with your sc appointment?

 

[Mrklaw]

Car was unplugged overnight. Tried to plug it in this morning but I can’t - pin in charge port is across blocking it. Tried unlocking from the widget, from the app, from the car.

Really frustrating as I’m selling the car today!

Rebooting to see if that helps

Edit: nope.

I literally charged yesterday just fine

Is the pin supposed to retract fully when unlocked and be fully extended when locked? It seems like it’s about halfway like it’s trying a bit


edit 2: pulled the release in the boot. Thats quite a clunk. Anyway unlocked now. Will try and finish it charging before the dealer comes to avoid it sticking in place.. Fingers crossed

 

[Lord Farquad]

I have the exact same problem. Only picked my m3 up about a month ago, have had this exact problem several times, and it does seem to be when I’ve left it to charge overnight. I “wake” the car on the app, then when I get out to the car I press “unlock charge port” on the app, it makes the noise that you’d expect but when you pull the cable it won’t release. I then try on the screen in the car but that won’t give me an unlock button because I’ve already pressed it on the app!!! I then have to wait a couple of minutes and then unlock button reappears on the app, press it again and this time it works!
I also have a podpoint charge point so wonder if that has something to do with it. Interested to hear how you get on with your sc appointment?

I had this for the first time yesterday. Overnight charge, sounded like it’d unlocked but it wouldn’t budge. Q3 ‘21 car.

Could this be a bug from the last software update?

 

[Mrklaw]

I had this for the first time yesterday. Overnight charge, sounded like it’d unlocked but it wouldn’t budge. Q3 ‘21 car.

Could this be a bug from the last software update?

the number of sudden ones would suggest something more than a simple HW issue. But then if it was SW why have some of us been fine for a while and only just affected?

anyone tweeted Elon?

 

[joe.smith]

Worth avoiding any lubricants or cleaners if you can. They will pick up dirt/dust and end up causing more problems than they solve. If you need to clean it use isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or a dedicated electrical contact cleaner if you really must.

Yep, IPA is what I used to clean my connector.

 

[joe.smith]

I had this for the first time yesterday. Overnight charge, sounded like it’d unlocked but it wouldn’t budge. Q3 ‘21 car.

Could this be a bug from the last software update?

I'm curious, is this only happening to non-Tesla Wall Connector charging cables/systems?

 

[Lord Farquad]

I had this for the first time yesterday. Overnight charge, sounded like it’d unlocked but it wouldn’t budge. Q3 ‘21 car.

Could this be a bug from the last software update?

PS I’m also on a Podpoint home charger

 

[Mrklaw]

how are you getting in there to clean it? seems at least in my case to be related to the pin not unlatching, and thats hard to get to

 

[phil4]

Had this yesterday, same symptoms, same solution, unlock again from the app. Mines a Sept 2020 M3P, and Tesla mk2 wall charger.

Haven't had a problem until yesterday.

 

[Mrklaw]

FWIW I coudln't get it in or out (or shake it all about) - no matter how many times I unlocked from the app or car the pin wouldn't retract. Had to use the boot release both times to plug in and to unplug.

Fingers crossed it behaves itself tomorrow

 

[nunp]

I have the exact same problem. Only picked my m3 up about a month ago, have had this exact problem several times, and it does seem to be when I’ve left it to charge overnight. I “wake” the car on the app, then when I get out to the car I press “unlock charge port” on the app, it makes the noise that you’d expect but when you pull the cable it won’t release. I then try on the screen in the car but that won’t give me an unlock button because I’ve already pressed it on the app!!! I then have to wait a couple of minutes and then unlock button reappears on the app, press it again and this time it works!
I also have a podpoint charge point so wonder if that has something to do with it. Interested to hear how you get on with your sc appointment?

I share your pain - exactly my experience. This morning however I opened the car first but did not have the option to disconnect from the screen. I did then proceed to use the app to unlock and to my surprise it worked. Will try the same technique again tomorrow morning and report back.

 

[hellojoea]

Has anyone had any luck with this? Happened to me again today. Seems to be every time I charge overnight. Hmm

 

[Lord Farquad]

I share your pain - exactly my experience. This morning however I opened the car first but did not have the option to disconnect from the screen. I did then proceed to use the app to unlock and to my surprise it worked. Will try the same technique again tomorrow morning and report back.

Last overnight charge I unlocked the car (opened the drivers door first) and it allowed me to unlock the cable no problem.

 

[kelvin 660]

For what it's worth I think it may be a software problem because I have a Tesla Wall Charger and I've found that it take two attempts to unlock the cable in the morning.

So last night I connected the cable and let the car go to sleep. Then I unlocked the cable with on push on the button. It just made a clunk noise and release the cable.
This morning (following a charge and software upgrade to 30.11) and having opened the drivers door it took two pushed on the button to release the cable! After pressing once it make a zzz noise like it makes when charging flap moves (although it didn't) and on the second press it make a clunk noise as if the pin is being retracted. Only then will the cable be released...

Is this similar to what others are seeing...

Edit; Just to say it has worked perfectly for around 3 months until recently.

 

[FlyingTimbo]

The work around for me at the moment is preheat the car as normal and then unlock the cable before driving off. It unlocks straight away as by then the car is fully awake.

 

[andyf1140]

The problem I'm seeing is not software related. It goes through the unlock process correctly and I can hear the pin clunk but it does not withdraw enough to remove the connector until I give the emergency release a tug. Makes me think it is the pin interfering with the hole in the plug so that the pin can't fully withdraw.