Level 2 Charger Stuck in Charge Port

[DanCoon]

I just bought a Grizzle charger a few weeks ago and it has worked great up until today. I tried taking it out of the port this morning and it was stuck. I opened the Frunk to see if the manual release would work, and it didn't of course, since that is supposed to be for the release of a D/C charger.

I was able to free it after yanking and pulling on it off an on for about 30 minutes at different angles. It appears that the latch doesn't lift high enough to pass the tab that keeps it locked into the charge port.

Does anybody have any recommendations on how I can avoid this situation in the future? I do have a replacement charger on the way due to a different issue but it probably won't be here for another few weeks.

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[Mach Tuch]

Sand down the release lever tooth a bit

 

[DanCoon]

Sand down the release lever tooth a bit

Thanks, that's what I was thinking... I'll try that when I get home today.

 

[DaMeatMan]

Level 1 and level 2 charging via AC does not lock the charging handle to the car using the vehicles locking mechanism. If you charging handle is stuck, it's likely the result of the clip on the Grizzl-e charging handle itself. Have a close look and use a flat screw driver to lift it up and over to disengage from the vehicle, or press the release mechanism on the charging handle harder to release it.

This seems to be a fairly common issue with that Grizzl-e charger as it's been raised more than once on here before. You may want to consider removing that plastic locking clip on the handle altogether if it proves to be too tight and a nuisance as its not actually needed for level 1 or 2 AC charging and you can unplug at any time since the vehicle itself does not lock the handle.

 

[Logal727]

Huh, this is odd, Grizzle has one of the better built plugs. I haven’t had any issues at all.

 

[bshaw]

If this was a design tolerance issue, it would have happened the first time you used the Grizzl-e. The fact that it worked fine for a few weeks and then started sticking means something has changed -- either in your charge port or the EVSE handle.

I would inspect everything super closely before sanding the release tooth down. Like maybe something is loose or otherwise out of place?
Does the Ford mobile charger handle get stuck in your charging port too?

 

[DanCoon]

If this was a design tolerance issue, it would have happened the first time you used the Grizzl-e. The fact that it worked fine for a few weeks and then started sticking means something has changed -- either in your charge port or the EVSE handle.

I would inspect everything super closely before sanding the release tooth down. Like maybe something is loose or otherwise out of place?
Does the Ford mobile charger handle get stuck in your charging port too?

It's possible that my wife dropped the handle on our garage floor. I plan to inspect it before I sand it down. I've never had an issue with the Ford Mobile Charger sticking.

 

[generaltso]

You may want to consider removing that plastic locking clip on the handle altogether if it proves to be too tight and a nuisance as its not actually needed for level 1 or 2 AC charging and you can unplug at any time since the vehicle itself does not lock the handle.

Please don't do that. The thumb latch is the first step in stopping the power from flowing before you remove the plug.

 

[Woeo]

Huh, this is odd, Grizzle has one of the better built plugs. I haven’t had any issues at all.

Or it doesn’t.

 

[Nklem]

I know of 5 people that have had this issue with Grizzle's. One had a tow truck waiting and was about to unwire the plug when they freed it up.

 

[EasyPass]

Please don't do that. The thumb latch is the first step in stopping the power from flowing before you remove the plug.

I once dropped my Ford Mobile Charger on the garage cement floor and the latch in the J-Plug broke off. However, I always press the exterior release button on the J-Plug when inserting and removing it from the charge port on the MME. The Proximity Pin in the electrical interface and latch are both tied to the exterior release button. There is a risk of the charging interface causing an electrical arc (or short) when transitioning the connection from no-current to charging and back. So the correct positioning of the Proximity Pin at that time is important to reduce that risk.

 

[DanCoon]

Sand down the release lever tooth a bit

So I ended up using a file and shaving the release lever tooth down a few millimeters as you suggested and it works like a charm, thanks!

 

[Mach Tuch]

 

[Mach1E]

Please don't do that. The thumb latch is the first step in stopping the power from flowing before you remove the plug.

But does the stop of power have anything to do with the tooth part that’s causing the issue or is it just a result of hitting the thumb button?

 

[generaltso]

But does the stop of power have anything to do with the tooth part that’s causing the issue or is it just a result of hitting the thumb button?

It would depend on the design of the particular latch, but usually it's triggered by the thumb button. But if the latch is broken off, there's nothing forcing you to press the thumb button or keep it pressed while removing the plug.

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