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

[Say Watt]

Someone said there is a charger release in the frunk. (I did not know this!). Please describe!

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[Shayne]

Not at all. The person who made the comment is one of a couple recently who somehow expect everything about electric vehicles to be perfect. They’re not, neither are gas/petrol cars or stations. Stick with what you know if you’re that nervous.

Only joken and still pushing the green. Nothing is perfect no matter how hard we try. I am happy with good enough. Not there yet for me with departure schedule no longer working and DCFC crapping out at 80% again I am a bit grumpy. A couple of software fixes could fix that and then if the 12V makes it through this winter I am set.

 

[machefan2022]

If the highly improbable likelihood of a DCFC plug welding to your car’s receptacle bothers you that much, then your probably need to reconsider buying an ev and stick to ice vehicles.

It's probably more likely that you would encounter a gas station that accidentally put diesel in the regular tanks. This is much more common and probably more devastating to the vehicle.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Only joken and still pushing the green. Nothing is perfect no matter how hard we try. I am happy with good enough. Not there yet for me with departure schedule no longer working and DCFC crapping out at 80% again I am a bit grumpy. A couple of software fixes could fix that and then if the 12V makes it through this winter I am set.

Departure scheduling has always been a crapshoot for me. Try doing it in the car and see if it’ll work. The single time I did that, this past Friday, it worked fine. Which was nice as it was 40 something when I was leaving.

 

[daverp]

A whole lot has to go wrong for that to happen, the CCS standard has a lot of failure safes built into it, which is why posts like this is rare. I would agree with others that something was likely some mud or something else conductive. I'm surprised the charger didn't stop though, the car dictates how much current is called for but both the car and the charger can terminate if the charging rates and draw is not looking right.

I wouldn't go spraying cleaners into charge handles, less you want a six figure bill from the DCFC owner, or worse. Last thing I would want is to be referred to as the "defendant" on a security video spraying a "contaminant" in the charger that "resulted" in damage / fire.

 

[dtbaker61]

So I check my home charger or my car connector and there is debris such that I can not connect who am I going to call?

I would use a q-tip no problem around the housing and it could be saturated with mineral sprits I guess since it is the main part of deoxit. I have only used dielectric greases on automobiles so the info was good.

home chargers I would hope get treated considerably better than outdoor DCFC.... but if you see dirt/dust/gunk in your charger at home, I'd say a quick spritz with deoxit would be a great idea AFTER turning off the power to that circuit. The plug *shouldn't* be live when not charging, but best practice would indicate turning the circuit off before you clean it, and wait till its dry before re-energizing.

I would NOT try to 'clean' a DCFC in the wild.... I'd take a close look, and if there is any debris, scorching, pitting, black spots, or melted or 'pryed on' plastic.... don't use it. Report to station owner for maintenance, tape it off if you have tape so the the next person doesn't try to use it, and make a note in plugshare.

DCFC owners *should* have O&M contracts in place to get a tech there within 48 hrs....

 

[Shayne]

Departure scheduling has always been a crapshoot for me. Try doing it in the car and see if it’ll work. The single time I did that, this past Friday, it worked fine. Which was nice as it was 40 something when I was leaving.

Tried once in the car on sync it sync'd with the phone and showed up on the vehicle window of FP. Did not work when set in the car either which say no work around for this bug. I have only tried that once and will try again as I am hard headed but not hopeful. I have noticed when you set it in fordpass if it does not show up on the vehicle screen day/time like the image below it just says it set it but has had no communication with the car and did not set anything.

It worked well last winter thru Fordpass but this winter no. Software update broke it is my guess as it was working. I will go with a SOBDMC update . This is the only preconditioning we have with this car so at -20C it is good to have. Ford if you are listening. Wearing it out now.

 

[sukhoi_584th]

So that's saying to disconnect the 12 V battery so the car doesn't have any power to continue trying to latch onto the handle?

 

[dtbaker61]

So that's saying to disconnect the 12 V battery so the car doesn't have any power to continue trying to latch onto the handle?

this won't help you if the plug/port contacts are welded.

but.... the chances of this happening are tiny; the plug thermocouple, or the port thermocouple *should* have caught high temps and ended charge. The condition of the contacts must have been terrible to have arced enough to weld together.....

visual inspection before use probably would have saved the person a lot of greif

 

[sukhoi_584th]

this won't help you if the plug/port contacts are welded.

but.... the chances of this happening are tiny; the plug thermocouple, or the port thermocouple *should* have caught high temps and ended charge. The condition of the contacts must have been terrible to have arced enough to weld together.....

visual inspection before use probably would have saved the person a lot of greif

Oh I know, I'm just trying to understand what that graphic was trying to instruct. It'd be nice if it could clearly say "disconnect the 12 V battery to release the DCFC handle" instead of the roundabout way they do it.

Is the "low voltage service disconnect" just the battery cable, or is there something else in there? It's hard to tell what the arrow is pointing at. I just had those covers off to drill holes to access the battery terminals, and don't remember any disconnects besides the HV one.

 

[dtbaker61]

Oh I know, I'm just trying to understand what that graphic was trying to instruct. It'd be nice if it could clearly say "disconnect the 12 V battery to release the DCFC handle" instead of the roundabout way they do it.

Is the "low voltage service disconnect" just the battery cable, or is there something else in there? It's hard to tell what the arrow is pointing at. I just had those covers off to drill holes to access the battery terminals, and don't remember any disconnects besides the HV one.

two different things.....

a. there is a 'HV disconnect',that cuts power to a relay, which disconnects the HV battery from everything. This is a little green connector, between the 12v+ and 12v- connection points. I'd suggest a THIRD hole.

b. there is a physical 'ripcord' pull buried even deeper on the inside of the fender by the charge port that is a MANUAL latch release..... but it wouldn't do you any good if plug/port were welded.

 

[Mikeg]

how big of a job and hit on the wallet would it be to replace the charging port infrastructure should this happen? let's face it...Ford ain't gonna eat this...they will pass this onto the customers. Just trying to understand what the damage will be.

 

[dtbaker61]

how big of a job and hit on the wallet would it be to replace the charging port infrastructure should this happen? let's face it...Ford ain't gonna eat this...they will pass this onto the customers. Just trying to understand what the damage will be.

I would guess that your car insurance company would sue DCFC owner for damages to repair.... but I dunno who would win. My guess is you'd have to cover at least your deductible.

 

[ZoNiE]

FYI I had this happen on my previous EV, but it was on the regular AC pins. Turned out to be a loose connection on the plug on the wall on my charger. High current due to the weak connection. You should contact the charge station company and alert them. On ours, we originally thought it was a charge station that did it, but my wife never noticed when she unplugged it, only that it didn't charge all the way at night. Hence Plugging it in at work. (The charge station company was willing to cover the cost but we determined it was not their fault but ours.) Whomever the supplier is, they probably will work with you.

 

[JcMarin]

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

? I just went through there and was going to charge in thatService Plaza!

Ended up charging in another with same Duke Energy chargers (and one much better from FPL)
Short Roadtrip

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