Clarity drawing way too many AMPS!! (37!!)

C

clarityowner12

Member
5F7E9110-D0AD-4306-8DD9-E6942F7FB662.webp I plugged in my Clarity and went inside, Came back out and heard a “hissing/electric noise” (I have a video I can upload if someone wants to hear it)

What I noticed was on my L2 charger, I normally draw around 29.5A, when I checked it it was reading 37A!!!! I’m curious if it has happened to anyone else and get any insight because it’s my understanding that the car tells the charger what it needs and or would limit current based on what the charger in the car needs... any thoughts?

One last thing, I immediately pulled the plug and waited 5 minutes and reinserted and have charged 10 times since and the problem has not duplicated

Link to video
 
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What brand and model is your Level 2 EVSE? Is it a 32 Amp or a 40 Amp? Is your Clarity the PHEV or the West coast BEV?
 
And Honda said 32 amps is all you should need from your "charger." Page 455 in the Owners Manual says:
There are two ways to charge the High Voltage battery; by using the Level 1 120 volt
(15 amp) charger supplied with the vehicle plugged into a standard three-prong wall
outlet, or by using a professionally installed Level 2 240 volt (32 amp) charger.

Glad I bought a 40-amp EVSE, but it's a dumb Bosch (made by Leviton, I believe) with no display. What's the 32A in the bottom right of your display, the nominal current limit? I wonder what Morec has to say?

Edit: I just read the Amazon text. Morec has it covered, everything will be OK:
  • [AUTOMATICALLY REPAIR] Do you worry about glitch? We are confident that we have professional research term. The minor problem could be dealt with automatically by our intelligent chip.
 
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insightman said:
And Honda said 32 amps is all you should need from your "charger."
There are two ways to charge the High Voltage battery; by using the Level 1 120 volt
(15 amp) charger supplied with the vehicle plugged into a standard three-prong wall
outlet, or by using a professionally installed Level 2 240 volt (32 amp) charger.

Glad I bought a 40-amp EVSE, but it's a dumb Bosch (made by Leviton, I believe) with no display. What's the 32A in the bottom right of your display, the nominal current limit?
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The 32A is just stating it is a 32a EVSE device..
 
I see only two possibilities - EVSE has faulty readings or actual amp is high but Clarity is unable to recognize high current and shut down charging session. I think the former is more likely.
 
lessismore said:
I see only two possibilities - EVSE has faulty readings or actual amp is high but Clarity is unable to recognize high current and shut down charging session. I think the former is more likely.
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The latter makes more sense to me considering the “hissing/electrical” noise coming from the underside of the trunk area though, don’t you think?
 
clarityowner12 said:
The latter makes more sense to me considering the “hissing/electrical” noise coming from the underside of the trunk area though, don’t you think?
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if you notice the sound to be very different from what you usually hear, then yes. but Clarity makes all kinds of noise when it's charging. Without hearing it, it'd be a guess for us. I would suggest that you note the date and time, though. if this happens again, you may want to contact the seller or manufacturer
 
insightman said:
And Honda said 32 amps is all you should need from your "charger." Page 455 in the Owners Manual says:
There are two ways to charge the High Voltage battery; by using the Level 1 120 volt
(15 amp) charger supplied with the vehicle plugged into a standard three-prong wall
outlet, or by using a professionally installed Level 2 240 volt (32 amp) charger.

Glad I bought a 40-amp EVSE, but it's a dumb Bosch (made by Leviton, I believe) with no display. What's the 32A in the bottom right of your display, the nominal current limit? I wonder what Morec has to say?

Edit: I just read the Amazon text. Morec has it covered, everything will be OK:
  • [AUTOMATICALLY REPAIR] Do you worry about glitch? We are confident that we have professional research term. The minor problem could be dealt with automatically by our intelligent chip.
Click to expand...
I read that as well, but it is still unsettling knowing that it was drawing more current than capable of and did not shut off (neither the clarity or the Morec.) the noise went on for more than 5 minutes as I investigated... probably just a glitch, but I do not want to damage my less than a week old battery ... do you think I should contact the EVSE and request a replacement just to be safe?
 
lessismore said:
if you notice the sound to be very different from what you usually hear, then yes. but Clarity makes all kinds of noise when it's charging. Without hearing it, it'd be a guess for us. I would suggest that you note the date and time, though. if this happens again, you may want to contact the seller or manufacturer
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It is definitely not a sound I would call normal... here is the video

 
Electra said:
That's why people need to avoid these cheap EVSE that are not UL listed. I would return it and get something that is UL listed.
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Holy moly... I didn’t even notice it wasn’t UL listed!!! Thank you for pointing that out and I am shocked it’s legal to sell in the states!!! I will definitely be sending it back and tracking on a couple hundred bucks to get one that is... (I wouldn’t necessarily call $370 cheap for a cord and amp meter though but I understand what you are saying)
 
Hard to say what’s going on since it’s a one time event so far. Could the ”hissing, electrical” sound from under the hood be the cooling fans running or did it not sound like the fans? Did the EVSE or cable get very hot? Just trying to figure out if the reading was correct and if so where did the extra power go; into heat or into the car’s charger. You might want to take the car into the dealer to see if it threw any diagnostic codes. That might help point to whether it’s a car charger or EVSE problem. I’d definitely suggest you keep a watchful eye on it for the next few charges.
Unfortunately, these “no name” Chinese knock off brands can be hit or miss in quality and their customer/technical service is virtually nonexistent.
 
KentuckyKen said:
Hard to say what’s going on since it’s a one time event so far. Could the ”hissing, electrical” sound from under the hood be the cooling fans running or did it not sound like the fans? Did the EVSE or cable get very hot? Just trying to figure out if the reading was correct and if so where did the extra power go; into heat or into the car’s charger. You might want to take the car into the dealer to see if it threw any diagnostic codes. That might help point to whether it’s a car charger or EVSE problem. I’d definitely suggest you keep a watchful eye on it for the next few charges.
Unfortunately, these “no name” Chinese knock off brands can be hit or miss in quality and their customer/technical service is virtually nonexistent.
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Definitely not a Normal fan... I think I will replace the EVSE

 
Good call. That definitely doesn’t sound normal as in like any of the several sounds the Clarity can make. I hope it didn’t do any damage to your Clarity. If it was mine, I’d have the dealer check it and see if it recorded any diagnostic codes. I’d bet on Honda’s quality and keeping J-1772 protocols over your Morec’s, especially since it appears not to be UL listed. Let us know what you find out.
 
I wouldn't have thought that the Clarity would have drawn more than 32A if it is functioning properly. So no matter what the EVSE was doing, it shouldn't pull more current than that. I'm suspicious that the 36.9 A is just incorrect, but I agree with KentuckyKen, I'd take it to the dealer and see if they see anything. And you are right, I didn't like the sound from your Video. Mine misbehaved once when I disconnected it while charging and it threw the fit with range limited/check engine light. But the sound was distinctly a loud motor/pump/fan type sound.
 
clarityowner12 said:
Holy moly... I didn’t even notice it wasn’t UL listed!!! Thank you for pointing that out and I am shocked it’s legal to sell in the states!!! I will definitely be sending it back and tracking on a couple hundred bucks to get one that is... (I wouldn’t necessarily call $370 cheap for a cord and amp meter though but I understand what you are saying)
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Check out the Siemens VersiCharger -- it is UL listed and it can be purchased for under $400 when on sale at Costco, Lowe's, etc.
 
clarityowner12 said:
Just ordered a juice box pro 40

JuiceBox Pro 40 Smart Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station with WiFi - 40 amp Level 2 EVSE, 24-foot cable, NEMA 14-50 plug, UL and Energy Star Certified, Indoor / Outdoor Use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UB9R4KO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_89s2BbMXKCH8R

I will take the car to the dealer tomorrow or Thursday and see if any codes were thrown..
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I’ve had this exact model since last December when I bought my Clarity. It’s worked flawlessly.
 
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