Are Grizzle chargers trash now?

[SWO]

I really wanted to get a Grizzl-E when I got my first BEV a couple years ago. I was going to get the mini and then it seemed everyone who bought one had charging errors and they were pulled from the market for over a year. Then there was the issue with out-of-spec(?) plugs causing people issues. Anecdotally, seems like there's always people having trouble with them - which is a shame because I like the rugged-looking design.

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[Flyboy]

Let's just say neither connector caused the red light of death, however the one you referred to did have higher connector temperatures than the Ford travel charger. In addition, the connector temperature didn't seem to trigger the AC Compressor to come on during the charging cycle.
The temperature difference could be due to the increased amps (40 vs 32) and not a loose connection. one of my posted pictures shows that.
I am worried to see the difference but am more interested in finding out how many other charger manufactures are putting the slotted pin receivers in them.
Guess I should have addressed the comment - it was from an OpenEVSE charger

 

[TheSteelRider]

No.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I am worried to see the difference but am more interested in finding out how many other charger manufactures are putting the slotted pin receivers in them.
Guess I should have addressed the comment - it was from an OpenEVSE charger

The slotted pins are okay, just two different styles. They both work fine if undamaged. However the one in your picture appears damaged because it has an excessive gap on one side. Almost like that side is smashed. All the annular gaps should be equal and narrow. I would send that picture to OpenEVSE and ask for a replacement J1772 if your'e under warranty still. Or better yet, order a ChargePoint J1772 cable and replace it with that (which is what I did).

I see you have the battery heating bug, that's a separate software issue, not a hardware issue.

Essentially any brand can have bad J1772 connectors, it happens. And everyone should be inspecting their pin connections periodically for damage. Don't just assume it's good. Replace any damaged J1772 components ASAP to avoid any charging issues.

 

[MachEMaster]

Make sure you get the camouflage one next time. They are at least 4x tougher.

 

[bshaw]

I'm with you. I've had my Grizzl-e since April 2021 without a single incident. I"m not sure one customer experience like the OP qualifies it to be "pure junk".

I think OP was trolling and trying to get people to pile on his original post. People largely said the opposite, but with all the replies, this thread is now on top of the "Trending" section and the title is completely misleading.

Grizzl-e is a Canadian company, so I would think a Canadian OP would want to *support* these guys, not trash them.

 

[Tsquared]

Same for me. I have had mine for over a year with no issues.

 

[Shayne]

Make sure you get the camouflage one next time. They are at least 4x tougher.

The extreme inside ?mine is sitting in the snow.

3 years on the MME and no problems other than now Fords new software is holding it back

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

When you say “red ring of death” I’m assuming you mean that the charging indicator rings on the car, near the charge port, have turned red to indicate a charge fault.

On my wife’s car, last year, this began to happen. I, at first, assumed it was a problem with the Grizzl-E classic she uses. I was able to charge her car with the included Mobile Charger just fine.
Then I charged my car with her Grizzly-E, no problem. I charged her car on my Grizzl-E: charge fault, red rings.
What I eventually determined was the problem was the car. Not the charger. Because the Grizzl-E was set to 40 amps, the charge port was overheating and throwing a fault. This didn’t happen at the lower amperage of the Ford Mobile Charger. After a charge port replacement, we’re still using the same two Grizzl-Es.

I would recommend an OBDII reader to see what fault the car is throwing and see if it may be the car’s fault that the charge is ending.

 

[A-A-Ron]

Let's just say neither connector caused the red light of death, however the one you referred to did have higher connector temperatures than the Ford travel charger. In addition, the connector temperature didn't seem to trigger the AC Compressor to come on during the charging cycle.
The temperature difference could be due to the increased amps (40 vs 32) and not a loose connection. one of my posted pictures shows that.
I am worried to see the difference but am more interested in finding out how many other charger manufactures are putting the slotted pin receivers in them.
Guess I should have addressed the comment - it was from an OpenEVSE charger

40 amps will be hotter than 32 amps. smdh

 

[Benny’66]

for real, dude comes for help, forum actually helps, dude is aggressive lol

Click bait.

 

[Rory]

Make sure you get the camouflage one next time. They are at least 4x tougher.

Hate to break the bad news to you, but the camouflage is not working. I can see the charger.

 

[933233311602]

I think OP was trolling and trying to get people to pile on his original post.

No I wasn't but thanks for the slander suggesting that I was.

Grizzl-e is a Canadian company, so I would think a Canadian OP would want to *support* these guys, not trash them.

Trash is trash. I don't care where the CEO sleeps.

 

[CoralGablesMME]

Over two years on my avalanche version. Sits in direct California sunlight. Not a single blip since day one. Definitely more reliable than the actual car lmao.

Have had mine almost 2 years, perfect so far

 

[dbsb3233]

I've had two, one for my MME for 3 years without issue and a one year old second one for a Pacifica PHEV also without issue, so they're from different lots. I have them both set to 32 A. There was a post somewhere about an issue some units had if set to the max 40 A value. Don't know if that issue affects mine, but I set it lower before I even knew about the issue as in general the lower charge levels the better and 32 A is plenty fast.

It stands to reason that running max power thru it (or thru anything) might increase the chances of failure. I dialed mine down to 24A, since that's still plenty for my needs. Puts less stress on the EVSE, the cable, the connection points, the outlet, etc. All of our other 240V devices have fixed cords/wiring that almost never get moved (ovens, dryer, A/C unit), while the EVSE cable and connections are moved at every use. Even though it's engineered to hold up to that use, it's still hundreds of bends and pulls and plug in/outs that wear it down over time. So I err on the side of a little extra safety by keeping it at 24A instead of 40A.

Plus my electrical service billing has a demand charge on it, based on the peak power draw for the month. It's a minor difference, but it saves be a couple of bucks per month to dial it down.

Like most people here, I've had zero problem with mine (3 years now).

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