Type 2 cable melting

[Tonytheteslà]

Hi all. Anyone had this happen to their Type 2 cable? (Pic attached)

I mainly use 7kW Polar Plus chargers in my area, leaving the car to charge at 32A overnight. Picking up the car this morning I noticed a strong plastic smell and the cable was a bit more stuck than usual. Doesn't look like i'll be able to use the cable again.

Any advice on how to prevent this?

Cheers.

 

[Rustybkts]

Wow, bin that plug! It is fully replaceable if you have the crimping tools.

Probably the socket it was last used in is worn. Both pins are showing heat stress with the obvious one burned out completely.

 

[26ct2143]

Wow, bin that plug! It is fully replaceable if you have the crimping tools.

Probably the socket it was last used in is worn. Both pins are showing heat stress with the obvious one burned out completely.

agreed, bet the pin didn't mate properly when inserted and was arcing.
I would be nervous about using that charge point again without a proper inspection of the socket.

 

[Tonytheteslà]

agreed, bet the pin didn't mate properly when inserted and was arcing.
I would be nervous about using that charge point again without a proper inspection of the socket.

I didn't check the socket before plugging in, so this and/or the socket being worn could well be it. I've contacted BP pulse/Polar Plus for a replacement, we'll see. I'll be sure to check sockets in future.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

Looking at the pattern of damage, it seems that all the heat was coming from the socket on the charge point, and that the damage to your plug was caused by the socket. The crimps on the pins are well back from the part you can see in that photo, behind a retaining shoulder on the pin, that seals against an O ring, so if the crimped connection in your cable was to blame then most of the heat would have been further back, not right at the end.

Hard to know exactly what the cause was. Damage or wear to the charge point connector almost certainly, and there have been reported cases of charge point connectors being vandalised. Something shoved into the socket on the charge point could easily cause a bad connection, and the fact that both the line and neutral pins are affected makes me suspect this might have been the cause.

As for prevention, best thing you can do is shine a torch into the charge point socket before connecting up, to check for any obvious damage or vandalism. Things like chewing gum and foil jammed into connectors should be visible.

 

[Tonytheteslà]

Looking at the pattern of damage, it seems that all the heat was coming from the socket on the charge point, and that the damage to your plug was caused by the socket. The crimps on the pins are well back from the part you can see in that photo, behind a retaining shoulder on the pin, that seals against an O ring, so if the crimped connection in your cable was to blame then most of the heat would have been further back, not right at the end.

Hard to know exactly what the cause was. Damage or wear to the charge point connector almost certainly, and there have been reported cases of charge point connectors being vandalised. Something shoved into the socket on the charge point could easily cause a bad connection, and the fact that both the line and neutral pins are affected makes me suspect this might have been the cause.

As for prevention, best thing you can do is shine a torch into the charge point socket before connecting up, to check for any obvious damage or vandalism. Things like chewing gum and foil jammed into connectors should be visible.

Cheers for the reply. I’ll make sure I check the sockets in future.

It looks like BP/Polar might replace the cable. They’re asking if it’s single or three phase. Can’t seem to find an answer to this through google, can anyone recommend which phase to get?

 

[Adopado]

Cheers for the reply. I’ll make sure I check the sockets in future.

It looks like BP/Polar might replace the cable. They’re asking if it’s single or three phase. Can’t seem to find an answer to this through google, can anyone recommend which phase to get?

You want a 3 phase cable.

 

[Rustybkts]

Your car will take a 3 phase or single phase supply so make sure you get a 3 phase cable as that will or should be the one you were supplied with.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

3 phase 32a - specify both, although you can't use both at the same time on a M3, you'll need 32A if on single phase supply.

 

[Cardo]

Cheers for the reply. I’ll make sure I check the sockets in future.

It looks like BP/Polar might replace the cable. They’re asking if it’s single or three phase. Can’t seem to find an answer to this through google, can anyone recommend which phase to get?

Does your existing cable have pins in the lower two holes? If it does, it’s probably three phase.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

Does your existing cable have pins in the lower two holes? If it does, it’s probably three phase.

The pins will be there in almost all single phase cables, too, as they seal up the holes and maintain the IP rating of the connector. The only way to be sure whether a cable is single or three phase is to ring the cable out, to check to see if L2 and L3 are connected at both ends.

 

[Cardo]

The pins will be there in almost all single phase cables, too, as they seal up the holes and maintain the IP rating of the connector. The only way to be sure whether a cable is single or three phase is to ring the cable out, to check to see if L2 and L3 are connected at both ends.

That’s why I said probably, rather than definitely. Maybe I’m overestimating, still.
The definitive way to check without opening up the plug is to check the writing on the cable. Though I can’t remember what they’re meant to say.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

That’s why I said probably, rather than definitely. Maybe I’m overestimating, still.
The definitive way to check without opening up the plug is to check the writing on the cable. Though I can’t remember what they’re meant to say.

The cable rating should state something like 5 x 6mm² + 1 x 0.75mm² for a three phase 32 A cable, or 3 x 6mm² +1 x 0.75mm² for a 32 A single phase cable. The snag is that the writing is often only printed on the cable sheath and can get worn off. I managed to remove all the writing on one cable by cleaning some sort of water insoluble muck off with a rag soaked in IPA - apparently the ink used for the printing was alcohol soluble (IPA doesn't harm the (usually) TPU cable sheathing).

 

[davidmc]

Hi all. Anyone had this happen to their Type 2 cable? (Pic attached)

I mainly use 7kW Polar Plus chargers in my area, leaving the car to charge at 32A overnight. Picking up the car this morning I noticed a strong plastic smell and the cable was a bit more stuck than usual. Doesn't look like i'll be able to use the cable again.

Any advice on how to prevent this?

Cheers.

Similar happened to me just over a year ago while using my companies car park charger (Rolec)

Type 2 Mennekes cable pin blown!

Although, no where near as bad as yours :/

Hope you get it sorted.

PS - a 3phase 5m Mennekes cable is around £250 (i went for a 7m for the same price) - i was lucky that my company paid for the replacement.