My home chargepoint is getting hard to insert and remove from the car. I was thinking of applying some KY jelly to it, unless someone has a better idea? Thoughts?
NO KY!!! Use a dielectric grease! Anything along these lines is fine: https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-22058-Dielectric-Tune-Up-Grease/dp/B000AL8VD2 This has been discussed at length here. Search the forum, this is not a new topic. https://www.insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/tight-j1772-plug.6426/ Also, you can use white lithium grease as well - it is plastic safe, however it is really not a great paste for conductivity (dielectric is not conductive either, but is more viscus and tends to interfere less with friction based contacts) so only apply it to the plastic components, not the metal contacts. Also, the plug itself can use some care and feeding for those either out of warranty, or comfortable with DIY work on them (disconnect power please...) https://www.insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/repair-j1772-connector.2066/ On one of the photos you can see the crimp rings on the end of the power contact pins. Often people remove those pins to reduce insertion force. However there are downsides to doing that (risk of increased contact resistance and spot heating/arcing). However, dielectric grease is safe to smear into those plug pins. The only risk is the grease, like all such things can attract dirt and contaminates. So, if you go the grease route I recommend actually using those plug covers. Cheers, Cash
Awesome, thanks!! I Googled it but didn't f find anything if value. I have dielectric grease. Thanks again.
i thought it was the connector outer part of the barrel (whatever it's called) causing the friction not the pins. I wouldn't put ky on the pins, only the outer part of the barrel.
That is fine and I certainly understand. However, keep in mind that those pin connections are exposed to friction wear (from the plug), and moisture (from the environment). Dielectric grease will not harm the pins at all, and will protect the metal from corrosion. If you live in a high salt or corrosive location, or just the rain forest, the grease may be a good idea. You can put a little on Q-tips and swab the pins, or I just used my finger to shove some in and then cycled the plug in and out of the port a few times. Man, we have to be careful on this thread in the verbiage... heck - it started with KY for goodness sakes... Anyway, totally up to you, however I know this is a common practice, and I seriously doubt Honda would have any issue with it as long as you use a commercial/automotive grade dielectric grease and not petroleum jelly. Cheers, Cash
Two years ago, I used a small amount of dielectric grease on the electrical contacts and a dry spray Teflon lube on the outer body. My ChargePoint has been goin’ in like buttah ever since (and it wasn’t that bad to begin with) with no charging problems at all. Knock on fake wood and toss some electrons over your left shoulder, but my Clarity has been absolutely bullet proof from day 1 with no problems what so ever.
If you use dielectric grease (dow corning 4 is my preferred product), it takes very little. If you see more than a change in reflection, that is more than you need. Certainly dielectric grease is meant for the contact to contact interface. However, if you use the same rag to clean the inside and outside of the plastic barrel no harm, but do not leave any large build ups or "globs" (just to minimize dirt pickup, otherwise no harm). In some outdoor electronics / electrical work "packing" with some dielectric grease is fine, but those are closed or sealed, not open applications. I used a tiny brush to apply the grease to the recessed contacts on my outdoor ClipperCreek. There is no power when not plugged into the car, but to be safe, best to open the breaker as well. Once, when I removed the cover after a severe wind/rain storm, water came pouring out. I drilled some small holes in the cover, no problems since then.
