Reduced charge rate warnings?

[Outagas]

This issue has appeared the last few weeks (at various ambient temps between +5 and -10C) and wondering if anyone else has experienced it…



Dealer suggested it was because my charge schedule indicated an 8am departure plan and it was just “stretching out the charging period to meet that”. Unlikely I think - my schedule has been programmed for a year and this issue just started. And any message that includes “to protect in-vehicle systems” doesn’t fill me with a sense of “normal”. Nevertheless they erased the schedule which cured the problem…for a week. Now it’s back.

Below is my Wallbox indicating plenty of power available but just 3.5kW being accepted vs the usual ~7. I’ve seen it drop as low as 1.5 mid charge session.
Car is set to both Charge Immediately and Max Charge.

Car charges fully, drives normally and seems otherwise unaffected except a full charge now takes hours longer than usual.

I’ve managed to get back to a normal charge rate by stopping the charge on the charge planning screen in the car, unplugging and re-plugging.

Have yet to test a DC fast charge Centre since this issue appeared. Going to do that this weekend.

All thoughts welcome!

 

[teslarati97]

Did you inspect the main electrical panel, EVSE, and all the wires/receptacles? Is there a particular reason why you are using 37 amps as your virtual dip switch on the wallbox?

 

[Outagas]

Good questions - panel seems fine, all connections between that and the Wallbox are ok and cables solid, car plug good, nothing bent, corroded, warm or otherwise amiss.

37amps is the setting the electrician chose. Circuit is a dedicated 40amps. Maybe he thought a buffer would be good? This whole setup has worked flawlessly for a year.

 

[teslarati97]

Good questions - panel seems fine, all connections between that and the Wallbox are ok and cables solid, car plug good, nothing bent, corroded, warm or otherwise amiss.

37amps is the setting the electrician chose. Circuit is a dedicated 40amps. Maybe he thought a buffer would be good? This whole setup has worked flawlessly for a year.

How old is the home and the residential transformer (i.e. old community)? Just checking the inputs for getting clean electricity or harmonic distortion before going to the MINI on-board chargers.

 

[Puppethead]

37amps is the setting the electrician chose. Circuit is a dedicated 40amps.

That could be a problem, the draw should not be more than 80% of the circuit. So on a 40 A circuit the EVSE should be limited to 32 A. Although the SE itself won't draw more than 32 A (assuming North America).

 

[Outagas]

Great insights and thanks for the ideas. It got me on what I hope is the right track and looks like power delivery may be the issue.

Took the car to both a public Level 2 and Fast DC station yesterday and the SE sucked up a snootful on both types just fine. Interesting.

Drove right home and hooked up - back to partial power. Had to do a longer drive into the city in the afternoon so repeated the process on the way home - again, public charging A-OK.

Continued on home but this time before hooking up dialed the Amps back to 32 as suggested above and voila - charged into the night full tilt no issues.

Then a tiny bulb went off. I recalled the Wallbox pushed a firmware update about a month ago. I wonder if it overwrote the original settings, increasing the amps. Went back into the paperwork left by the electrician and sure enough- 40 on the circuit - should be 32 at the EVSE. There’s even a sticker the load balancer sub panel to that effect. Doh! So I either bumped it using the app or that firmware update resulted in changes.

As noted the car will only take a certain number of amps but perhaps as an extra protection measure dropped the power intake at the higher setting. Or at higher settings on this wall unit the power isn’t as stable or “clean” as the car would like. Definitely helps explain the “protect in-vehicle” systems messages though.
Anyway - not going to count all the chickens right now and there are some things that don’t totally make sense to me (like why the dealer schedule settings changed helped for a bit) but will watch over the next few home charges to see what happens.

My thanks and gratitude for you the community taking the time to comment and offer ideas.

 

[SameGuy]

I don’t think the car limits it based on the available current. It only draws what it can draw. I left my Grizzl-E at 40 A and the car charges just fine.

 

[Outagas]

Yeah doesn’t totally make sense in that context does it? Perhaps my wallbox is faulty. Rather that than the significantly more complex and expensive Mini anyway.

 

[insightman]

Yeah doesn’t totally make sense in that context does it? Perhaps my wallbox is faulty. Rather that than the significantly more complex and expensive Mini anyway.

I've been charging my SE at full-speed using a dumb, commercial-model, 48-Amp ClipperCreek EVSE for 2 years. It has a giant relay inside that makes a most satisfyingly loud THUNK! when it starts and stops the charging process.

I'm still impressed that MINI of Ann Arbor changed the default "half-fast" Level 2 setting to the full 32-Amp setting. My SE was the only SE they delivered before closing for good (well, for bad IMO) the next day.

 

[teslarati97]

Continued on home but this time before hooking up dialed the Amps back to 32 as suggested above and voila - charged into the night full tilt no issues.

Then a tiny bulb went off. I recalled the Wallbox pushed a firmware update about a month ago. I wonder if it overwrote the original settings, increasing the amps. Went back into the paperwork left by the electrician and sure enough- 40 on the circuit - should be 32 at the EVSE. There’s even a sticker the load balancer sub panel to that effect. Doh! So I either bumped it using the app or that firmware update resulted in changes.

Glad you figured it out. The 37A looked kind of funny, that's why I asked about it.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

If it happens again, is there a way to measure the voltage going to the car? Many smart EVSEs will tell you this. At high currents, the voltage can sag. Maybe if it gets too low, the car detects that and lowers the current? Just a guess.


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[Outagas]

Ok gang - so much for the chickens I mentioned.

The wallbox did the power rollback on my wife last night when she got home.

Restarting via the app cleared it but that’s a PITA she won’t have patience for and neither do I.

Upside is the Wallbox folks responded to my email to their support email within hours and have a diagnostic they want me to run. Wonder if it’s along the lines of what you recommended re voltage readings, Get

The fact that a) I reached a human being b) they responded quickly c) began with an apology for the inconvenience, and d) seem genuinely interested in getting their hands dirty - figuratively speaking - gives me hope.

Whether it’s warranted or not I’ll let you all know.

 

[Puppethead]

The wallbox did the power rollback on my wife last night when she got home.

So it changed the settings again? People have warned that software-controlled amperage settings are unreliable unlike the DIP switches such as in the Grizzl-E. Something to keep in mind for anyone looking for a new EVSE...

 

[Outagas]

Sorry - no - I mean it did it again even set at 32…

They are perusing the log files at the support centre as I type this.

 

[pictsidhe]

When I put my wallbox in, I initially hooked it up to 110 to see what the car would take at 110 and how useful a TT30 outlet adaptor would be. It was significantly less than 32A. I think 16 or 20, despite the EVSE saying it could have more. I didn't test with variable voltage to see where it rolls off and if it is suddenly, or gradual. Your EVSE may also be thermally limiting power. It may be reducing current to stop magic smoke from escaping.

 

[Outagas]

Thanks for the ongoing insights gang.

First tidbit from Wallbox support is that they are seeing in the logs some significant voltage spikes coming out of our panel to the EVSE. Like 285v! That can definitely scramble its brains. ~ 10% either way is ok.
This is something I’ve got to take up with our local hydro supplier I guess. Nothing in the house would do that I don’t think. My electrician says he’s heard of that and in the past when he worked for a different hydro group they’d come out with a surge meter to put on the house to track it for awhile. Problem is like high blood pressure tho. No evidence you’d normally see or of damage for awhile then systems will start to fail if it goes un-corrected.

If this has caused any long term damage I can likely say goodbye to any warranty claim on the box. Not their fault my house is waterboarding the thing, electrically speaking. They promise more insights as soon as they can.

 

[Qisl]

Thanks for the ongoing insights gang.

First tidbit from Wallbox support is that they are seeing in the logs some significant voltage spikes coming out of our panel to the EVSE. Like 285v! That can definitely scramble its brains. ~ 10% either way is ok.
This is something I’ve got to take up with our local hydro supplier I guess. Nothing in the house would do that I don’t think. My electrician says he’s heard of that and in the past when he worked for a different hydro group they’d come out with a surge meter to put on the house to track it for awhile. Problem is like high blood pressure tho. No evidence you’d normally see or of damage for awhile then systems will start to fail if it goes un-corrected.

If this has caused any long term damage I can likely say goodbye to any warranty claim on the box. Not their fault my house is waterboarding the thing, electrically speaking. They promise more insights as soon as they can.

you might consider getting a whole house surge protector to protect things like your fridge, wifi washer and dryer, etc.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

When I put my wallbox in, I initially hooked it up to 110 to see what the car would take at 110 and how useful a TT30 outlet adaptor would be. It was significantly less than 32A. I think 16 or 20, despite the EVSE saying it could have more. I didn't test with variable voltage to see where it rolls off and if it is suddenly, or gradual. Your EVSE may also be thermally limiting power. It may be reducing current to stop magic smoke from escaping.

Technically the J1772 spec only supports up to 16A at 120V. Or at least it originally did, I don’t believe they changed that. Also that doesn’t guarantee that the car doesn’t pull more.


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[Outagas]

Interesting about that original standard and max volts.

Re the whole home surge protection that sounds like a plan for sure.

Two more public charges under my belt without issues so getting more confident all of this is power delivery vs car acceptance. Will continue to keep an open mind however.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Sorry if my post was confusing.

At 120V the max current is 16A

At 208V / 240V the max current is 80A


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