Home Level 2 Charger Issues

[Maquis]

Been a while since I looked at the J1772 signals. I was just googling to find a chart for the post that asked about the duty cycle for 40A, and then I saw this slide about the various peak waveform voltages showing "state". I do not remember where someone mentioned a low voltage, but here it looks like there are several normal "pilot high" voltages below 12V:

Right - the EVSE sets the "duty cycle" (ratio of positive pulse width to negative pulse width) and the car determines the voltage by loading the signal. It sounds like the problem may be related to the car improperly loading the signal resulting in improper pulse voltage.

Now, the ultimate reason for only some cars (seemingly concentrated in NE IL) exhibiting this problem is the real conundrum!

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[louibluey]

So, the MME is (probably) not changing the load R correctly (in those slides there are lots of examples of R dividers).

At least by more than coincidence, many of the affected are in Illinois.

Many, but not all cases, show very high 240V ac, was it 257V? No one has done a power line analysis, so we don't know about power line harmonics.

It could also be a GPS issue, where software inhibits the charging sequence based on location.

Is that all correct so far?

I worry a little about damage from over voltage, but I think everyone affected can charge somewhere else (like a public charger), so probably no damage.

yea, probably just software (the consensus so far). I wish we knew it was safe to cold boot a MME (pull the 12V ground). Especially for the case which initially worked, it would be interesting to see if a cold boot caused it to start working again. But, no guarantee yet that a MME recovers 100% from a cold boot?

If it is just location, a cold boot would do no good I suppose, probably would just boot up into the same software issue (although, why did at least one of the affected MME initially charge okay?).

It it turns out to be Geo/Nav related, maybe there is some echo of that fellow near Skiatook, Oklahoma? where Nav has no roads in his local area?
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/nav-not-showing-roads.4365/

 

[jparduhn70]

If it is just location, a cold boot would do no good I suppose, probably would just boot up into the same software issue (although, why did at least one of the affected MME initially charge okay?).

I tried the cold boot last night and it doesn't do any good. I'm going to take the car to my house in Tennessee on Sunday and see what happens there. If it charges there, and my instincts tell me it will, it's narrowed down to GPS or voltage from the supplier. I'll post Monday night and let you all know.

 

[Edgardk]

That makes no sense at all, and your case makes it sound like a location issue with the charge settings that's somehow embedded in the system. I agree with @generaltso. It's almost like someone had the vehicle already and set it for optimal charging times at a lower cost on weekends.

yesterday my dealer was nice enough and gave me his Demo MME Premium with exactly same options as mine, as a loaner, while checking my car. The Demo did not charge at my home, and my car charged perfectly at the dealer. I’ll try to see if the demo will charge on weekends. My electrician is calling ComEd to check on my issue on charging on weekends but not weekdays.

 

[Brademcee]

So after a long car ride yesterday I got home with 12% battery. I figured I would give the 240V a try and it worked!! I’ll post screenshots of what my JuiceBox showed but after about three hours I had to go pick up my daughter and the car was at about 25% charge. After picking her up, I came back home and it started charging again on the 240V. I am leaving town so I also was able to change the max charge to 60% and it uploaded the setting to the car just fine. However I did notice a message in Ford Pass (not the car) that I was charging outside of my preferred hours. What is weird is that I never set up charging or departure times.

I emailed the Ford Mach-E team last night to tell them that my car is now charging. They still have the token installed on my car, so they should be able to see the data and determine why it was now charging. They emailed me back and said they would forward my email to the battery and charging team.

Hopefully this provides them more data to compare. I am still waiting the new BCM that was ordered and they think they can install it 4/2. I still think this may be a combination of software and hardware issues.

Crazy!

 

[Rumin8Raps]

So after a long car ride yesterday I got home with 12% battery. I figured I would give the 240V a try and it worked!! I’ll post screenshots of what my JuiceBox showed but after about three hours I had to go pick up my daughter and the car was at about 25% charge. After picking her up, I came back home and it started charging again on the 240V. I am leaving town so I also was able to change the max charge to 60% and it uploaded the setting to the car just fine. However I did notice a message in Ford Pass (not the car) that I was charging outside of my preferred hours. What is weird is that I never set up charging or departure times.

I emailed the Ford Mach-E team last night to tell them that my car is now charging. They still have the token installed on my car, so they should be able to see the data and determine why it was now charging. They emailed me back and said they would forward my email to the battery and charging team.

Hopefully this provides them more data to compare. I am still waiting the new BCM that was ordered and they think they can install it 4/2. I still think this may be a combination of software and hardware issues.

Crazy!

Is that the lowest that the battery was when you tried charging? Could It have something to do with the new cars not being low enough when first charging at a home L2 charger ?

 

[SnBGC]

I am now starting to get the "Vehicle will charge outside Preferred Charge Time" message while driving. Message displayed yesterday from FordPass app and today on my SYNC screen.

Both times.....while driving.

 

[Brademcee]

I am now starting to get the "Vehicle will charge outside Preferred Charge Time" message while driving. Message displayed yesterday from FordPass app and today on my SYNC screen.

Both times.....while driving.

Wow, how long is your cord? ?

 

[Curt]

So after a long car ride yesterday I got home with 12% battery. I figured I would give the 240V a try and it worked!! I’ll post screenshots of what my JuiceBox showed but after about three hours I had to go pick up my daughter and the car was at about 25% charge. After picking her up, I came back home and it started charging again on the 240V. I am leaving town so I also was able to change the max charge to 60% and it uploaded the setting to the car just fine. However I did notice a message in Ford Pass (not the car) that I was charging outside of my preferred hours. What is weird is that I never set up charging or departure times.


I should be able to try and charge on Sunday night with a low charge as I haven't had that scenario at home. Thank you for tracking down and running point with the engineering team. Please don't let them off the hook until they've got a resolution, I'd hate for them to punt if yours is starting to charge.

 

[prius2pony]

Crap, one more question that we should all answer with this issue and I will add to the tracker. Who has a whole home generator or solar panels? The engineer asked me this question when he was at the house. Many of us in Illinois have whole home generators. Can you guys let me know? I have a whole home generator and can not charge (obviously).

I'm in IL with rooftop solar and net metering with ComEd. My ChargePoint HomeFlex worked great on day 1 (3/9 & 3/10) next try was 3/17, and no-go. Car won't charge with Chargepoint in my garage; won't charge with the mobile charger plugged into that same 240 outlet. Mobile charger DOES work plugged into a 120 outlet. Car accepted charge just fine yesterday (3/18) from public charge point AC charger and a public ChargePoint DC fast charger. So, 240 at home not working with Chargepoint or mobile charger. Cannot see why solar would impact things, because again, the Chargepoint worked fine 10 days ago.

 

[generaltso]

I figured I would give the 240V a try and it worked!!

Did your car get the OTA update yet by chance?

 

[jparduhn70]

I'm in IL with rooftop solar and net metering with ComEd. My ChargePoint HomeFlex worked great on day 1 (3/9 & 3/10) next try was 3/17, and no-go. Car won't charge with Chargepoint in my garage; won't charge with the mobile charger plugged into that same 240 outlet. Mobile charger DOES work plugged into a 120 outlet. Car accepted charge just fine yesterday (3/18) from public charge point AC charger and a public ChargePoint DC fast charger. So, 240 at home not working with Chargepoint or mobile charger. Cannot see why solar would impact things, because again, the Chargepoint worked fine 10 days ago.

I have exactly the same set up that you have and the same issue. I have not been able to charge at 240 V since day one.

 

[Shayne]

I am now starting to get the "Vehicle will charge outside Preferred Charge Time" message while driving. Message displayed yesterday from FordPass app and today on my SYNC screen.

Both times.....while driving.

The vehicle learns your habits. As your habit is to continually driving your new MME it must now know you well enough to determine that charging at any time will be out of your preferred times.

 

[prius2pony]

I have exactly the same set up that you have and the same issue. I have not been able to charge at 240 V since day one.

OP here. Last night, I got the Mobile Charger to work plugged into my garage's 120v outlet. Today, I set out to experiment, but before I did anything, I tried the ChargePoint HomeFlex. It worked! I cannot figure out why, but it's working fine right now. I did not see any indications in the car that I had received any OTA update. It's a mystery.

 

[generaltso]

OP here. Last night, I got the Mobile Charger to work plugged into my garage's 120v outlet. Today, I set out to experiment, but before I did anything, I tried the ChargePoint HomeFlex. It worked! I cannot figure out why, but it's working fine right now. I did not see any indications in the car that I had received any OTA update. It's a mystery.

Maybe the Illinois curse has been lifted?

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