sukhoi_584th

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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.
Got it, thanks. I didn't notice the ripcord when I was in there. I did drill a third hole for the green HV disconnect.
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dtbaker61

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geeze is there ever any good news anymore? :(

sure, the good news is that now you know what to look for before you use a DCFC chargestation. If you see ANY signs of damage, melting, pitting, arcing.... NOT using the DCFC will save you a ton of time and money.

so.... great news.... you learned from somebody else's mistake, and it didn't cost you anything.
 

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Or the plug was worn out and making a really bad connection.
I think this is the case...
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.
I do not think this is exclusive to Mach E. Any/all EVs can have this issue and it may/will get worse as wear and tear on the charge plugs occur. Look at how many stations are out of service. My guess is its the charger and not the car as it can be constantly in use. The only other option is a Hybrid or ICE vehicle I guess.
 


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💩 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)
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the FPL chargers have been great. I'm not a fan of them, but I've never had issues with their chargers.
 

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Got it, thanks. I didn't notice the ripcord when I was in there. I did drill a third hole for the green HV disconnect.
Please say more or direct me to the topic on the MME Forum where I can learn more about drilling the holes. I did see a YouTube about the drilling of holes through the frunk cover to access the 12V battery connectors. I want more info, like: what diameter hole cutter, where to get covers, etc. Thx!
 

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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.
They do not tell you to disconnect the LVB. By pushing the stop charge button to the right of the plug, it sends a signal to the DCFC to shut down. After a short bleed period the plug lock pin disengages so that you can push the release and pull the plug out. The manual release is for a condition that there is no 12 volt to operate the servo or the locking mechanism has a failure.
 

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There are some very dangerous recommendations on this thread. One should never spray insert anything in a high voltage terminal without lock-out and verification that the circuit is dead.
Any chemical including terminal cleaner leaves a residue. This will eventually collect foreign material and create a increase in resistance. Resistance can cause arcing.
The connectors are specially designed to "wipe" the contact surfaces during insertion. They are also coated with a high conductive, oxidation resistant material. Full and solid insertion is very important for both full contact and cleaning.
DC current is not at all like AC. With AC the arc would have to start and stop every cycle. 60 cycle, 60 times a second. But with Direct current, once it starts it builds a plasma and the arc can get longer and longer till reaches a point where it is too much or there is nothing to arc to. Search lights were 2 carbon rods and DC power. You brought the rods to touch and backed them out to start and stretch the arc for light.
 

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Could it be sabotage/tampering? Like Icing the chargers but more destructive?
 

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sure, the good news is that now you know what to look for before you use a DCFC chargestation. If you see ANY signs of damage, melting, pitting, arcing.... NOT using the DCFC will save you a ton of time and money.

so.... great news.... you learned from somebody else's mistake, and it didn't cost you anything.
Tons of money is interesting. The chargers fault, the cars fault, our fault could be expensive I think. Wonder if insurance would pick it up. If they do not we will not see much change when it comes to charging station maintenance. No liability for the service you provide to the public and profit from is a great thing. No staff nothing just throw chargers out there, charge people and all at their own risk. Pretty sure my policy is not that geared to EV's at this early stage and glad I don't need to find out.
 
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Gives us your story so far what has and is happening? Was it determined what caused the problem?
The reddit thread pretty much sums up what happened the night the issue occurred.

Something that was not asked in the Reddit thread was if I had inspected the charger before plugging it in. That is something I always do out of habit and there was nothing suspicious present that would cause me to think that was the issue. Also, there was someone charging immediately before me when I arrived.

As far as updates go, Ford is still refusing to honor the vehicle's warranty though they have no real evidence that the charger caused the issue. They have not had any dialogue with the charging the company as far as I am aware.

My insurance company stopped by the dealership today to inspect the vehicle and speak with the service department. They gave him the same explanation that the charger caused the issue but still could not articulate what the actual fault was and have not inspected the charger. Insurance will cover the cost of repairs over my comprehensive deductible ($1k) but I'm not getting my vehicle back anytime soon since it needs the HV battery replaced.

With the recent recalls regarding the HV battery and information coming out that fast charging can wear out parts in an EV, I am growing increasingly convinced that the issue was with the vehicle.

When it is returned to me I will be selling or trading it in ASAP. This could have been a much worse situation had I not been paying attention while charging the vehicle. As soon as I saw the smoke billowing from the charging port I hit the emergency stop on the charger. Had I waited much longer I fear that my dogs would have been trapped inside since you cannot open the doors once the HV battery dies. I will never feel safe in it again, will never trust the vehicle enough to be charged at home, and will certainly never buy a Ford again.

I have owned four Fords, my dad has had at least four himself, and my sister drives a new Ford Edge ST. By not honoring the warranty on a $68k three month old Mach-E, Ford had cost themselves a number of future sales.
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