EVSE loaded contactor cycles

[eponey]

When poking around my EVSE it keeps track of how many times the contactor has been activated when under load, it's less than 5% of the time but I was wondering how I can avoid this scenario.

Regular charging just stop in app right?, it's unclear to me what the unlock button is doing if anything.

Climate conditioning you can stop the request in fordpass.

Any way to stop a departure time early?

Whenever I'm plugged in and the car is awake it clicks on the EVSE but it's unclear what the draw is, and I can't "make it stop".

I guess I really don't know the definition of a loaded contactor cycle, how much load is "loaded".

I don't see any way to stop disrupting a load with the connectors in all instances, anyone else ever think about this?

The tesla universal will stop if you hit the button, but it'll start right back in a few seconds if the car is asking, I guess I can try to unplug really fast, unclear if this is a good solution.

Anyone thought about this?

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[JohnFoxeSheets]

Since you were poking around your EVSE, I presume the contactor you're referring to is the one(s?) on your EVSE and not the car, right?

As I understand it, the unlock button on the EVSE plug should tell the car to stop asking for juice. With my ChargePoint Flex EVSE I've found I need to wait a few hundred milliseconds for this to happen, so I've developed the habit of holding the button for a second or so before I remove the plug from the car. The car should not restart charging while you're holding the button.

The other scenarios you're talking about are ones that should be managed by the car, not the EVSE. The car can manage all that itself and generally does a great job at it. When I got my ChargePoint Flex EVSE I didn't know enough to realize that I actually didn't need an EVSE that could have schedules that would prevent charging. Once I realized that it made no sense for the EVSE to ever not be willing to apply power to the car when the car asks for it, I turned off all schedules and just let the car be in charge.

If you have integration with a solar PEV system that's a different story since you may want to charge while the sun is shining, but that's a different scenario that I don't think applies here since you've not mentioned it.

I hope this helps.

 

[eponey]

Since you were poking around your EVSE, I presume the contactor you're referring to is the one(s?) on your EVSE and not the car, right?

I hope this helps.

I think when I am charging and I use the lock tab on the j1772 (not the Tesla button) I'm thinking this causes a loaded cycle. It's hard to know because it's only 5 percent of the time but I don't do that often.

Google says hitting the Tesla button does not prevent a loaded cycle, maybe so nix that idea.

A quick google shows that an unloaded contactor can go for thousands of cycles, but loaded is significantly less seems like something your would want to avoid.

I bet @Mach-Lee knows

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

I think when I am charging and I use the lock tab on the j1772 (not the Tesla button) I'm thinking this causes a loaded cycle. It's hard to know because it's only 5 percent of the time but I don't do that often.

Google says hitting the Tesla button does not prevent a loaded cycle, maybe so nix that idea.

A quick google shows that an unloaded contactor can go for thousands of cycles, but loaded is significantly less seems like something your would want to avoid.

I bet @Mach-Lee knows

What do you mean by "the Tesla button"? I assumed you were using a Tesla Universal charger with a J1772 connector, but it seems that's not what you're using. Anyway, I presume that pressing the J1772 button (and waiting for the requisite clicks) results in a graceful power removal, rather than breaking the contactor at load.

But yes, Lee is the resident expert on this stuff for sure.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I think when I am charging and I use the lock tab on the j1772 (not the Tesla button) I'm thinking this causes a loaded cycle. It's hard to know because it's only 5 percent of the time but I don't do that often.

Google says hitting the Tesla button does not prevent a loaded cycle, maybe so nix that idea.

A quick google shows that an unloaded contactor can go for thousands of cycles, but loaded is significantly less seems like something your would want to avoid.

I bet @Mach-Lee knows

I'm a little unclear on what you mean, but if you're talking about unplugging the car using the J1772 latch while the car is actively charging, that does not cause a loaded cycle. Pressing the latch will cause the car to stop drawing current in only a couple milliseconds, faster than you can possibly unplug the car. A properly designed EVSE will not open the relay until several seconds after the current flow has stopped.

Here's the sequence of events:

• Car is charging
• You press the latch to unplug the cable
• Car sees latch open and stops all current flow in less than 100 milliseconds
• EVSE relays open a short time later (less than 2 seconds)
• Cable is removed from vehicle

Basically, it's impossible to have a loaded cycle with the J1772 charging interface unless the RCD protection is tripped or there is a failure in the vehicle.

 

[eponey]

I'm a little unclear on what you mean, but if you're talking about unplugging the car using the J1772 latch while the car is actively charging, that does not cause a loaded cycle. Pressing the latch will cause the car to stop drawing current in only a couple milliseconds, faster than you can possibly unplug the car. A properly designed EVSE will not open the relay until several seconds after the current flow has stopped.

Here's the sequence of events:

• Car is charging
• You press the latch to unplug the cable
• Car sees latch open and stops all current flow in less than 100 milliseconds
• EVSE relays open a short time later (less than 2 seconds)
• Cable is removed from vehicle

Basically, it's impossible to have a loaded cycle with the J1772 charging interface unless the RCD protection is tripped or there is a failure in the vehicle.

I have a Tesla universal and it's saying I have about 30 loaded cycles on the contactor just curious how that's possible then.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I have a Tesla universal and it's saying I have about 31 loaded cycles on the contactor just curious how that's possible then.

Have you had any charge faults/red rings or the like in the past? Or errors on the EVSE?

 

[eponey]

Have you had any charge faults/red rings or the like in the past? Or errors on the EVSE?

I have never seen a red light and never have seen any error reported in the car, Fordpass or Tesla app, I am always plugged in.

 

[cryptk]

Something else to clarify, some of your earlier posts made it seem like you were using the round unlock button by the charge port to try and stop charging. As far as I am aware, that button does nothing when charging with your EVSE. That button is to request that charging stop when using a DC fast charger.

I am curious that if you are using a Tesla EVSE, with a NACS cable and a j1772 adapter, does pressing the latch on the adapter properly stop charging? I would assume so, I would think that would have been factored into the design, but I've never owned or used a Tesla charger to know for sure.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Using the proper latch button shouldn’t cause any issues. I’d keep an eye on the count and see if you can replicate the condition that causes it to increase.

 

[eponey]

Using the proper latch button shouldn’t cause any issues. I’d keep an eye on the count and see if you can replicate the condition that causes it to increase.

Yeah I was a little stumped, I know the potential conditions so I'll try it.

Something else to clarify, some of your earlier posts made it seem like you were using the round unlock button by the charge port to try and stop charging. As far as I am aware, that button does nothing when charging with your EVSE. That button is to request that charging stop when using a DC fast charger.

I am curious that if you are using a Tesla EVSE, with a NACS cable and a j1772 adapter, does pressing the latch on the adapter properly stop charging? I would assume so, I would think that would have been factored into the design, but I've never owned or used a Tesla charger to know for sure.

I always use the j1772 latch, I was experimenting with the button which is more of a temporary pause than stops the charging for what it's worth.

 

[Maquis]

I think we had a thread a year (maybe 2) ago where somebody fried their charge port when unplugging from their Tesla EVSE. It was still charging when they pulled the plug - which shouldn’t be possible per the J1772 protocol.

 

[ocdxfv]

I’m curious where you’re getting your info from. Any chance you are using the “Wall Monitor” app?

 

[eponey]

I’m curious where you’re getting your info from. Any chance you are using the “Wall Monitor” app?

Nah I'm using the API directly, it went up when I hit the J1772 after activating remote climate and just now during charging. I think it probably goes up any time I actuate the 1772 latch under load, which would make sense to me because it would want to terminate charging as the switch is actuated and the fastest (mine actuates almost instantly but I can tell there is a delay, seems a lot less than 100ms)? way to do this is to open the contactors to prevent arcing at the connector, would be curious if this can be corroborated with a different brand charger.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Nah I'm using the API directly, it went up when I hit the J1772 after activating remote climate and just now during charging. I think it probably goes up any time I actuate the 1772 latch under load, which would make sense to me because it would want to terminate charging as the switch is actuated and the fastest (mine actuates almost instantly but I can tell there is a delay, seems a lot less than 100ms)? way to do this is to open the contactors to prevent arcing at the connector, would be curious if this can be corroborated with a different brand charger.

When you press the latch does the change port ring go from blue to white? EDIT: Should go from pulsing blue to solid blue when you press the latch, and then white after you unplug. If it's solid blue, then charging has stopped.

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