Does anyone know why I am getting these lights on the charging unit?

[Commish]

New to the forum. Hoping someone can help me with this situation. This is my 2nd portable charging unit in a little over a year (replaced 1st one under warranty, same issues). At my house, I am plugged into a 240v outlet that was installed for the car when I bought it. When I plug the charger into the outlet it has the blue indication, as soon as I plug it into the car to charge a yellow/blue light comes on and then it goes to a fully yellow indication. Upon checking the app it says that charging has paused. I have unplugged the charger from the outlet and plugged it back in. I am not sure what can be causing this. The voltage at the outlet seems to be ok. The confusing part is that the charger was working perfectly fine for a couple of months before it started doing this.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? The dealership hasn't been much help.

Here are pictures of the indicator lights (Pic 1: plugged in no load, pic 2: immediate upon plugging into the vehicle, pick 3: after a minute being plugged in):

 

[Ford Motor Company]

New to the forum. Hoping someone can help me with this situation. This is my 2nd portable charging unit in a little over a year (replaced 1st one under warranty, same issues). At my house, I am plugged into a 240v outlet that was installed for the car when I bought it. When I plug the charger into the outlet it has the blue indication, as soon as I plug it into the car to charge a yellow/blue light comes on and then it goes to a fully yellow indication. Upon checking the app it says that charging has paused. I have unplugged the charger from the outlet and plugged it back in. I am not sure what can be causing this. The voltage at the outlet seems to be ok. The confusing part is that the charger was working perfectly fine for a couple of months before it started doing this.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? The dealership hasn't been much help.

Here are pictures of the indicator lights (Pic 1: plugged in no load, pic 2: immediate upon plugging into the vehicle, pick 3: after a minute being plugged in):

Hi Jay! I can look into your Mach-E's charging concern on my end. To get started, could you please send a private message over with the name/location of your local Ford dealer and your Mach-E's VIN?

 

[DYohn]

From what I've read on this forum, I believe an amber light indicates the portable charging cord is overheating, but I have seldom used mine.

 

[Mach-Lee]

It means the mobile charger is overheating. Many of them have this problem, and the only solution is to replace it under warranty. However your Ford dealer probably won't have a 14-50 outlet to test it because Ford doesn't enforce that, so they'll tell you they can't reproduce the problem nor help you get a replacement. Ford Motor social will take diligently take your VIN and tell you to contact your dealer, who again probably won't get you a replacement (but you can try). So in the end you'll end up buying a better quality 3rd party replacement yourself. #FordLife

 

[Mike G]

It means the mobile charger is overheating. Many of them have this problem, and the only solution is to replace it under warranty. However your Ford dealer probably won't have a 14-50 outlet to test it because Ford doesn't enforce that, so they'll tell you they can't reproduce the problem nor help you get a replacement. Ford Motor social will take diligently take your VIN and tell you to contact your dealer, who again probably won't get you a replacement (but you can try). So in the end you'll end up buying a better quality 3rd party replacement yourself. #FordLife

I've owned 4 of these chargers in total...two of which remain in their original packaging and in the storage areas in the car and truck respectively.

The third one was the original EVSE that came with my '21 model that displayed these same symptoms for over a year. I would observe the full blue light that occasionally went to the one chicklet of yellow and then sometimes it would go mostly yellow. But because it still seemed to charge both the car and the truck overnight so they were back up to 90% the next day...and since I'm retired with no place I have to be on a regular basis I didn't care. When I traded in my '21 model for the '23 model I packed up that original portable and sent it off with the trade. I got the portable out of the '23 model (the fourth one) and installed that on the bracket and was using that until today.

About an hour before this was written I removed the outlet the portable plugged in to and replaced it with a Wallbox Plus (48A) after reading good things about it on these forums. Since the original 14-50 outlet was on a 60A breaker I ordered the 48A unit and it's charging my truck as I write this. The install took about an hour all told.

The original installation three years ago.

14-50 removed.

Wallbox wired in.

Green LEDs turn blue when it's charging.

So as of now I intend to retire my fourth portable charger and pack it way in a box in the garage until somebody provides guidance on how to repair these.

And if you've ever tried to get your dealership to honor the warranty on one of these you'll understand why it's just easier and less painful to find another EVSE, retire the Ford portable unit, and move on with your life.

 

[DomiinUS]

I came over this thread, as I have the same problem.... the constant amber/yellow light.

Only difference is: I used the charger up to now exclusively with 120 V, never went for the 240 V.
@FordMotorCompany: any idea for this? I will also send you a PM with VIN

my problem is, that I am currently traveling internationally and relied on the charger to work (and my car to be fully charged when I get back)

 

[ocdxfv]

I’ll gladly pay $100 for a non-working mobile unit IF it comes with outlet connections. Message me if you have one.

 

[MoonRiver]

The one came with my 22 select had no yellow ligh lighting up when it it plugged into 110 until I started using 240v. When the yellow light turns on it still charges but drops down to 3kw/hr from 6 or 7. I still get the juice I need for the next day so I just live with it.

 

[Just Lurking]

If the dealer doesn't have the ability to test it with a 240V outlet it should just be a no questions asked warranty exchange. Then they can send it back to the mothership for further testing, if desired. A "could not reproduce" doesn't make sense because if never actually tested it with a proper 240V outlet.

 

[Mike G]

If the dealer doesn't have the ability to test it with a 240V outlet it should just be a no questions asked warranty exchange. Then they can send it back to the mothership for further testing, if desired. A "could not reproduce" doesn't make sense because if never actually tested it with a proper 240V outlet.

^^^^^
This.

I don't think any of the dealers have 14-50 outlets to check portable EVSEs. They have EVSEs that Ford told them they needed to install to be EV certified...but no 14-50 outlets because that wasn't part of the direction they received. So they can't test them.

 

[me-stang]

I called the dealership service desk and described this same problem, they sent out their mobile service truck with a replacement unit. They said it's covered by warranty. Seems the service manager had the same problem with his also.

 

[Earplug]

About an hour before this was written I removed the outlet the portable plugged in to and replaced it with a Wallbox Plus (48A) after reading good things about it on these forums. Since the original 14-50 outlet was on a 60A breaker I ordered the 48A unit and it's charging my truck as I write this. The install took about an hour all told.

If your 14-50 outlet is on a 60-amp breaker then this is an illegal installation. The 14-50 is rated for 50 amps. 60 amps needs to be hardwired,

 

[Mike G]

If your 14-50 outlet is on a 60-amp breaker then this is an illegal installation. The 14-50 is rated for 50 amps. 60 amps needs to be hardwired,

Huh?

Yes. The 14-50 was wired to a 60Amp breaker. My 32A Ford portable EVSE was plugged into that.

If a 14-50 outlet is rated at 50 amps why is using it with a 60 amp circuit breaker illegal?

 

[Tampamike]

Huh?

Yes. The 14-50 was wired to a 60Amp breaker. My 32A Ford portable EVSE was plugged into that.

If a 14-50 outlet is rated at 50 amps why is using it with a 60 amp circuit breaker illegal?

Not being an electrician, nor having played one on TV, I’m gonna guess that it would be a hazard if you plugged something that draws 60 amps into your 50 amp rated outlet. The breaker won’t trip, but the outlet might melt?

 

[Mike G]

Not being an electrician, nor having played one on TV, I’m gonna guess that it would be a hazard if you plugged something that draws 60 amps into your 50 amp rated outlet. The breaker won’t trip, but the outlet might melt?

I guess it might...but I only ever plugged in something that was 48A or below on the circuit that my 14-50 outlet used to be on. So I'm trying to figure out where this is going....

The old Ford portable EVSE I used to use pulled 32A max. I don't use that anymore becasue they overheat internally all the time. The EVSE overheats...not the circuit it was connected to.

The new Wallbox Plus I use now, directly wired, (14-50 outlet removed) is supposed to pull 48A max. So I'm wondering how this got transmuted to me pulling 60 amps on a 14-50 outlet that's rated up to 50 amps. I've never done that.

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