Defective ChargePoint Home Flex - PSA

[Mach-Lee]

Can anyone tell me if the on board charger also "requests" power from the EVSE in the same way (conceptually) as a DCFC charge? Or does it just accept whatever the EVSE gives it, up to a max of 48A, based on the EVSE's max amperage?

Is there a handshake & negotiation between the car and the EVSE?

I'm wondering what's happening when I see the charging graph in the CP App ramping up to the max kW shown during the session - is that the car ramping up or is it the EVSE?

It’s unidirectional. EVSE advertises the max amps with a duty cycle signal, and the car has to use less than or equal to that value. Car can only request turning on and off the power by switching in a resistor.

Since the amperage can’t be lowered in the Mach-E, it will automatically charge at the max EVSE rate or 48 amps, whichever is lower.

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[Murse-In-Airy]

Perfect - thanks for that. I'm trying to learn as much as I can to be able to call bullshit on the EV tech if need be. I think he has a bit of God Complex right now...

Just knowing that there are codes in the SOBDM should prove there is a problem. All he has to do is follow his own diagnostic manual. It’s not rocket surgery.

 

[MellowJohnny]

Just knowing that there are codes in the SOBDM should prove there is a problem. All he has to do is follow his own diagnostic manual. It’s not rocket surgery.

The problem is the dealership doesn't have a 50A circuit to test it. So as of now the only person able to reproduce the fault is me, at home. I'll be trying a friend's Audi EVSE, also on a 50A circuit to see if we get the same result.

I bet the EV Tech a nice cold one that I will....

 

[Maquis]

There is a handshake. And the on-board charger does make a request. This can be seen with an OBDII reader and car scanner. I have my EVSE set to 32 amps but, once heated up, the car will request/accept much less. So it’s not a binary 1/0 accepting power/not accepting.

You might want to read through my thread on getting a charge port replaced (and the onboard charger as well while they were at it). Here

I wouldn’t call it a handshake - the communication is one-way. The EVSE tells the charger what the max allowable rate is, and the charger does its thing. The charger will charge at what it deems appropriate, up to the max that’s communicated by the EVSE.

There is no “request” communicated to the EVSE from the onboard charger.

 

[MellowJohnny]

I wouldn’t call it a handshake - the communication is one-way. The EVSE tells the charger what the max allowable rate is, and the charger does its thing. The charger will charge at what it deems appropriate, up to the max that’s communicated by the EVSE.

There is no “request” communicated to the EVSE from the onboard charger.

Cool - what I'm trying to eliminate is the dealership's hypothesis that this is somehow related to the EVSE.

So if I plug in, the car says "Hey, ChargePoint, whatcha' got?" and ChargePoint says "32 Amps". On board charger says "Thank you very much, I'll take it from here...". Which is how I understood it to work.

What I'm seeing on a 50A circuit is the charge starting, ramping up to 9-ish kW, then a charge fault.

I can't see how this would be an issue with the charger if at that point the charging session is effectively in the hands of the Mach-E's on board charger, and the EVSE is just supplying power.

Valid argument?

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

I wouldn’t call it a handshake - the communication is one-way. The EVSE tells the charger what the max allowable rate is, and the charger does its thing. The charger will charge at what it deems appropriate, up to the max that’s communicated by the EVSE.

There is no “request” communicated to the EVSE from the onboard charger.

I’m not nearly as technical as you are Lee. Just a simple rural fellow. I always appreciate the better educated folks helping me out.

 

[Maquis]

Cool - what I'm trying to eliminate is the dealership's hypothesis that this is somehow related to the EVSE.

So if I plug in, the car says "Hey, ChargePoint, whatcha' got?" and ChargePoint says "32 Amps". On board charger says "Thank you very much, I'll take it from here...". Which is how I understood it to work.

What I'm seeing on a 50A circuit is the charge starting, ramping up to 9-ish kW, then a charge fault.

I can't see how this would be an issue with the charger if at that point the charging session is effectively in the hands of the Mach-E's on board charger, and the EVSE is just supplying power.

Valid argument?

What you describe is accurate, other than the car doesn’t ask the EVSE anything - the EVSE simply broadcasts its capability - it doesn’t have to be asked.

If you have an OBD scanner, the car should have a code stored which will help with diagnosis. I highly doubt you have an EVSE problem.

 

[Maquis]

I’m not nearly as technical as you are Lee. Just a simple rural fellow. I always appreciate the better educated folks helping me out.

I’m not Lee, but I take that as a compliment! ?

 

[MellowJohnny]

What you describe is accurate, other than the car doesn’t ask the EVSE anything - the EVSE simply broadcasts its capability - it doesn’t have to be asked.

If you have an OBD scanner, the car should have a code stored which will help with diagnosis. I highly doubt you have an EVSE problem.

Lee was kind enough to run my VIN and saw U3000:49 errors in the SOBDM. When presented with the info the EV Tech essentially said "that could be anything..."

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

I’m not Lee, but I take that as a compliment! ?

Dammit. You both know more than me and have similar profile pics. Reading is hard. I’m off to get more coffee.

 

[Maquis]

Lee was kind enough to run my VIN and saw U3000:49 errors in the SOBDM. When presented with the info the EV Tech essentially said "that could be anything..."

There’s an SSM for that….it says to replace the SOBDM. Symptoms don’t exactly match, but very close.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...icle-will-not-charge-u3000-49-in-sobdm.22747/

 

[BMT1071]

There’s an SSM for that….it says to replace the SOBDM. Symptoms don’t exactly match, but very close.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...icle-will-not-charge-u3000-49-in-sobdm.22747/

I wonder if Ford Canada has all of the same bulletins in their database as Ford US? If they do, it seems like it should be easy to get the module replaced.

 

[ATL]

Just knowing that there are codes in the SOBDM should prove there is a problem. All he has to do is follow his own diagnostic manual. It’s not rocket surgery.

Ah, but is it brain science???

Interesting thread. All of us with CPHF will be interested in this resolution.

 

[MellowJohnny]

Quick update:

TLDR; It's not the EVSE....

After my less than helpful reception at the dealership I bought the car, I switched dealerships (it's closer anyway) figuring I had nothing to lose with a second opinion.

The bad news is the car has been there for three days and has yet to be looked at. The good news is they gave me an F-150 Lightning as a loaner for as long as I need it.

Perfect opportunity to test the ChargePoint at a full (for me at least) 40A .

The result? She is sitting happily in the driveway charging at 40A, pulling 9.6 kW.

So it isn't the ChargePoint...

 

[TheVirtualTim]

Have you tried it again after getting 23B50 installed? That might change behavior.

Mine did that exactly once and had been fine ever since.

Also, which firmware do you have on the ChargePoint? Mine just got 5.5.3.13 about a week ago. Which might also affect things.

I just checked mine ... it JUST updated this morning ... but only to 5.5.2.5. You're several versions ahead of mine.

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