Mustart EV charger problem

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by Tim66, Mar 20, 2019.

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  1. Tim66

    Tim66 Active Member

    It is widely reported that the handle on the Mustart EV charger is very difficult to insert and remove from the vehicle charging port. I can confirm those reports. Before I start hacking away at the handle has anyone done anything to modify it so that it is easier to insert and remove? Mustart says the very tight fit is a feature. What else would they say?
     
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  3. fotomoto

    fotomoto Active Member

    Start with the least (both price and level of complexity) and move on to the more "hacking" type methods if those don't work. I'd start with spraying the male end with teflon dry lubricant spray. Can be found at most home or auto parts stores; I like the Dupont brand.

    My next step would to be to seriously evaluate keeping the product. This is something one would use everyday and/or sometimes several times a day. If it is a PITA, I'd return and get something that works better.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2019
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  4. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    You could also put a little dielectric grease on the conductors. That helped my Charge Point. It’s availabke at any auto store.
     
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  5. Tim66

    Tim66 Active Member

    After thinking about it I'm returning the Mustart. It should not be necessary to do anything to make the handle insertable and removable without a lot of unreasonable force. The Honda handle and the Clippercreek handle were easily inserted and removed. My wife cannot plug in or remove the handle from the car. I ordered a Juicebox. We'll see how that works out. Thanks for the suggestions.
     
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  6. Mowcowbell

    Mowcowbell Well-Known Member

    I tried one of the Duosida Level 2 EVSE's from Amazon. It's probably made by the same company that makes the Mustart. The one I bought wasn't only hard to insert and remove, it flat out wouldn't charge my Clarity. It would start, run for a few seconds, then shut down. The manufacturing process for these must not have very close tolerances... causing these types of issues. I ended up sending it back to Amazon.

    I ended up buying a Zencar 16amp EVSE. The J1772 fits fine, and I like the fact that the cord is a bit thinner and easier to coil up for storage. Since it can use 120 or 240v power, it would make a better travel charger than the OEM Honda unit. At 25 feet, the cord is much longer than the Honda, too. The Zencar came with the 120v adapter cord and a nice zippered carry pouch. I purchased a NEMA 14-50p to 6-20r adapter so I could use it on any RV type 240v receptacle.

    It does take about 4 hours to fully charge a depleted battery, but I don't mind the extra time as I have it set on a schedule to start charging at midnite. It's always done by the time I leave for work at 5:30am.
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2019
    Tim66 likes this.
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  8. Tim66

    Tim66 Active Member

    Mowcowbell, you hit on an issue that also affects the ease of usage, the size of the power cord. I have and will have a 40 AMP EVSE (2 hour charging). I leave my charging handle in a shielded holder outside and the cable laying on the ground. If we wanted to coil the cable on the bracket in the garage it would be difficult for my wife to do so (she has some mobility issues). But the advantages of the fast charging and the ability to leave the cord and handle unwound make the cord size less troublesome for us.
     
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  9. fotomoto

    fotomoto Active Member

    I've had an L2 charger for 7 years. Back then, they typically were in the $750-1,500 range (plus installation)! but there was also a federal 30% tax credit on the EVSE too (since phased out). I (stupidly) sold the first one when I sold my Volt. I've had the base model clippercreek since 2014. I got it because A) they were the cheapest name brand at the time and B) had a 3 year warranty and C) had a good rep on the forums. It's been perfect.

    Unlike the Honda unit, the CC comes with a 25ft cord. This length allows me to still use the cord outside the garage. Great when I occasionally have a project in the garage and need to park outside. Hindsight being 20-20 and all, I wished I would have followed the advice of others and gotten a bigger EVSE than I needed at the time. The CC 20amp unit was more than enough for the volt and our cmax energi but the Clarity can handle twice the power/charge rate and any future EV too (just need to verify house requirements).

    Remember: the efficiency of L2 charging is NOT enough in electric savings to make up for the additional costs over the free L1 that came with car but....... They are, however, priceless in their ability to pre-condition the interior with no reduction in EV range (this is huge for many folks) and quickly add more EV miles during the day/weekends when one needs to do a lot of local driving.
     
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  10. craze1cars

    craze1cars Well-Known Member

    I have a Mustart. Have modified nothing. Wife and I each have no problem pulling the plug out of the car with one hand often times several times each day with our usage patterns. Sorry I have no suggestions, but frankly am surprised this is an issue. I admit it is a but more snug than the loose-fitting Honda charger, but not a hardship for us.
     
  11. Mowcowbell

    Mowcowbell Well-Known Member

    I agree, you don't install a L2 setup in your garage to save money... it's all about the convenience of faster charging and preconditioning the vehicle prior to use. I spent $200 to have an electrician install a NEMA 14-50 outlet with a 50amp breaker, $200 for the L2 16amp EVSE, $30 for the 14-50r to 6-20p adapter. It would take some interesting math to somehow figure when I'd ever make back that money! :)

    I do like the fact that I have somewhat future-proofed my home to allow for a faster charging EV in the future. Just gotta work on prying those Jeep keys from my wife and move her into a EV! :)
     
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  13. Tim66

    Tim66 Active Member

    craze1cars glad you are not having issues with your Mustart. The fact that your Mustart EVSE fits better on the same model car as ours tells me Mustart's quality control or manufacturing tolerances are not very good. If you read the Amazon reviews the tightness of the handle is a recurring complaint. I could live with it but having to plug and unplug the EVSE every time my wife wants to drive the car is a pain. She had no problem with the ClipperCreek EVSE on our Volt or the Clarirty. I sold the ClipperCreek to buy the 40 AMP Mustart but I'm returning it. Should get our Juicebox 40 Amp today. If I have problems I'll report back.
     
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  14. Tim66

    Tim66 Active Member

    I installed the 50 AMP circuit breaker, wiring and plug myself. Wasn't difficult at all. I had a quote from an electrician of $550 so I'm ahead of the game in that category at least. The rapid charge and the preconditioning, as you pointed out, was the major reason for getting the 40 AMP EVSE. That, and the possible increase of my needs in the future if I get a vehicle that will take more than 32 AMPS.
     
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  15. Tim66

    Tim66 Active Member

    Just installed the JuiceBox PRO 40. Easy except that I had to turn the outlet 180 degrees to mount the box properly. The handle plugs in and removes very easily. The wife is happy. This just confirms to me that the tight fit Mustart calls a "feature" is really sloppy manufacturing.
     
  16. MPower

    MPower Well-Known Member

    I bought this extension cord for a 1500 mile trip to my daughter's. I thought it would be handy in case I needed to use a EVES that was ICEd I could just park a couple of spots over and use it anyway. Turns out that I did only one charge enroute when I stayed over at my cousin's house.

    However, at my daughter's we used it all the time on a 110 plug because the garage was full of stuff that had been moved out of the house for Christmas guests. My daughter liked it so well that it became her Christmas present since it was way easier for her to park in the driveway. It was quite hard to plug and unplug. I should ask her if it has eased up with use. It certainly did the job very well. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HRHYQY2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
     
  17. insightman

    insightman Well-Known Member Subscriber

    I've looked at that extension cord before. I laughed when I followed your link, checked out the answered questions, and was outraged when someone asked "could you use this in a standard wall plug?" What made me laugh was that I'd been outraged by that question before--and I saw the only correct response was from me. In January I pointed out that this is a J1772 extension cord. Others were arguing what type of wall outlet was required. However, Amazon's answered question section is notorious for having questions for one product end up being misdirected and moved to another product's answered questions. Perhaps those other answers were actually for a different product.
     
  18. MPower

    MPower Well-Known Member

    The problem is that they have two products on the same page an EVSE and the extension cord. Which you order depends on which of the buttons you click. The questions and reviews don't distinguish between the products.

    I hate when they do that!:mad:
     
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