DCFC melted / welded to Mach-E charge port during charging session (updated with photos) 😱

[21st Century Pony]

If you're concerned about this, carrying a can of contact cleaner, like De-Oxit, is going to be more effective than a can of compressed air.

DeoxIT is a wonderful product. I use it all the time to keep my early 1990s BMW bikes running. Here's a video I found that explains its advantages:

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[Shayne]

If you're concerned about this, carrying a can of contact cleaner, like De-Oxit, is going to be more effective than a can of compressed air.

Thinking about the car and my home charger also. Maybe the special contact cleaner would be the best?

Watched a vid of a guy with a tesla clean his L2 with first compressed air and then a q-tip. Used nothing on the cotton. You would think rubbing alcohol could be used.

 

[Blue highway]

How does this even happen, the port and handle are rated well above what the Mach E actually takes in. Some serious defect on the connector? Maybe cable cooling failed and the charger software failed to reduce power in response for some reason? Interested to see what the charge provider's techs determine the failure is, almost no chance it was on the car side.

A small amount of resistance causes a huge amount of heat on the connector…

dirt, corrosion, pin wear on the plug or receptacle can cause resistance and massive heat.

these kinds of issues will increase

 

[Blue highway]

Thinking about the car and my home charger also. Maybe the special contact cleaner would be the best?

Watched a vid of a guy with a tesla clean his L2 with first compressed air and then a q-tip. Used nothing on the cotton. You would think rubbing alcohol could be used.

Deoxit is the way to go as opposed to alcohol.

 

[Mrn]

I'm very surprised and disappointed that the fast charger doesn't detect the very high contact temperature and shut itself down with an overtemp warning visible to the user. And hopefully we'll bellow the melting point of copper alloys.

 

[Say Watt]

I use this every time I plug. It was our "go to" product when I installed outdoor scientific equipment.

 

[Keeperofthe7keys]

I'm very surprised and disappointed that the fast charger doesn't detect the very high contact temperature and shut itself down with an overtemp warning visible to the user. And hopefully we'll bellow the melting point of copper alloys.

As far as I know it's supposed to throttle if it's getting too hot, it also has sensors for determining how much cable cooling it needs. Something went wrong here with that too, independent of the dirt or mud others here are suspecting was making improper contact be the root issue.

 

[bncwhite]

This is making me think twice about keeping my Mach-E! I don’t know if I want to risk getting stuck on a road trip because a DCFC decides to weld to my charge port. After being down for four months due to a bad coolant pump and then the HVBJB right behind it, I’m just about done with rolling the dice of how long my car might be stuck again for something stupid. I love having my EV, but stuff like this makes me think twice about going back to an ICE.

 

[kennethjk]

This is crazy (reposted from Reddit), I’d put money on the charger being defective.





The OP has updated and added photos after a charger tech came out and pried the plug off the car. He said the same thing had happened to a Rivian.

Updated with photos:

I wonder where This happens, Duke Energy is in Florida?

 

[ThatGuyLando]

Shit, add that to my list of nightmares on road trips.

 

[Logal727]

Shit, add that to my list of nightmares on road trips.

Very very rare, just check the plug

 

[Logal727]

I wonder where This happens, Duke Energy is in Florida?

Yeah this is at a service plaza on the Florida Turnpike
FL Turnpike Turkey Lake Plaza
263 Florida's Turnpike, Orlando, FL 32835, USA

https://www.plugshare.com/location/345179

Problem with PlugShare is not everyone uses it so this isn’t even being reported on there

 

[gryphon]

That car though! Looks like it’s been used hard!

 

[Sealevel]

I encountered an EVGO charger in Nashville where the plugs were left on the ground instead of being returned to their brackets, so some responsibility lies with users.

I chose one that had little dirt in it and it worked without incident. I shook dirt out of the ones left out and put them into their holsters.

But my use of DCFC is very limited - I use my GrizzlE L2 in my garage and inspect it every week when I recharge. GLTA

 

[fpasta]

Deoxit is the way to go as opposed to alcohol.

Can I apply this to the EA plug or any plug for that matter if I see something like this or on my charge port?

And like I read q tip swab to work it in. Maybe a shop cloth to dry it off.

Probably good to have in the car kit.

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