Reduced charge rate warnings?

Similarly, I have been using a dumb Siemens EVSE for nearly 5 years to charge first a Clarity PHEV and then two different MINI SE's (2021 and 2022) without a single hiccup. Sometimes "dumb" = reliability. Just ask Electrify America.

 

Lol, I owned a YJ Wrangler Laredo in the late 80s, it was a one year old lease return when I picked it up, with about 10,000 miles on it. It was in decent enough shape, though already showing signs of cracking paint at the seams and hinges and little hints of the rust that was to come. But my first foray off-road a couple of weeks into ownership revealed that the four-wheel-drive system wasn’t actually working, because the locking front hubs weren’t in fact locking, and there was no way to do it manually like before. I don’t exactly remember what ended up being wrong with it, but somewhere between the secondary vacuum pump and the servo for the front hubs something went wrong and I was without my car for three weeks while the dealership tried to figure it out. I sold it within a year.

 

Hah! I kinda figured it was non-CJ and either a Willys or Ford after you mentioned the cowl flap! There’s a Willys somewhere in my area, and I’ve seen the guy driving it in all kinds of weather, including mid-winter without the Bimini… like Patton rallying the troops in the Ardennes.

PS: that’s a nice M38.

 

Are you still using Clipper Creek?MY unit is HCS-40PR / 32 amp.Clipper Creek when I plug J 1772 to a SE always make that loud THUNK! For past 2 years but is not stop to charge but occasionally is going to reduced charging .I unplug once or twice and charging is switching to maximum charging right away Setting in a car is always L 2 MAXIMUM .Recently I send unit to manufacture and unit came back with new beef up plug to NEMA 14-50 and 100% check up performance.What’s bathers me for 5 years using unit with BMW I 3 unit never make any noise and never cut to reduced charging .Could be relay on SE on onboard charger /inverter/between battery and inverter.Diagnostics with dealer service didn’t find any thing they send me to DC charging stations “Stupid diagnose “ How your Unit is performing any of symptoms I experience ? Thanks for any suggestions@ insightman.Sound to me like relay in SE struggle to open to accept a charge from Charger one/two try plug unplug correct an issue.

 

Yes, I still have my old 48-Amp ClipperCreek CS-60 EVSE with the "big-thunk" relay. I use it to charge both my SE and my Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid (see the Clarity's license plate below the EVSE). It always works with none of the problems you're experiencing.



Unfortunately, based on your description, it sounds like your problem is intermittent--the most difficult kind of problem to diagnose. You've taken the right steps by getting your EVSE updated and having the dealer run whatever diagnostics they have.

My only suggestion would be to try a public Level 2 EVSE and see if it exhibits the same reduction in charging rate. If the slow charging happens with a different Level 2 EVSE, perhaps a different MINI dealer could find the problem--a dealer who doesn't suggest trying a DC charging station to solve an AC problem.