Frozen Charge Port Door

  • Thread starter Thread starter HepKona
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You can free it by pouring hot water on it; best if you have a teakettle. Problem with that is that it tends to get water down in cracks where it will freeze, creating the same problem again.

Permanent fix is to park your car in a garage that's above freezing temp. If you don't have one at home, use an underground parking structure and leave it there for a few hours.

When you do get it un-frozen, squirt some WD-40 into the hinges and any latch mechanism, if present; that will help repel water.
 
Anticipating the same issue, I did the same foam-strip fix to my door.
It does seem to help keep water out of there; I have yet to see how
it helps once said water solidifies. For all I know cracking the charge
door open after certain sequences of weather might just rip the
foam right off.

_H*
 
HepKona said:
When I got home from work tonight and tried to plug in, I found my port door frozen shut. Any suggestions for freeing it up?


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I added PPF to the door in anticipation of the ice issue.It helped as i could,and did smack it harder to open it;) Then there's the charging port itself.Lower CCS part had ice trapped neatly inside, below the white connectors! Swiss army knife,used the phillips piece to carefully break the ice,then dig it out because the CCS plug would still NOT plug in. There has to be a gasket, weather stripping solution because spraying de - icing,even WD-40 stuff into the area will damage the paint,port...
 
ehatch said:
I added PPF to the door in anticipation of the ice issue.It helped as i could,and did smack it harder to open it;) Then there's the charging port itself.Lower CCS part had ice trapped neatly inside, below the white connectors! Swiss army knife,used the phillips piece to carefully break the ice,then dig it out because the CCS plug would still NOT plug in. There has to be a gasket, weather stripping solution because spraying de - icing,even WD-40 stuff into the area will damage the paint,port...
Click to expand...

You don't have the dust caps on when not in use? I am trying to figure out how ice got into the lower CCS.
 
ericy said:
You don't have the dust caps on when not in use? I am trying to figure out how ice got into the lower CCS.
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Somehow the freezing rain,wet snow squeezed into the lower CCS insert during my charging start,and finish . Caps covering the substance intrusion kept it from draining,exit garage,drive in sub zero,ices up... I was just happy to have no electrocuted myself trying to dig out the ice.The Chargepoint CCS plug ALSO required some clearing of ice/snow mix.
 
ehatch said:
I added PPF to the door in anticipation of the ice issue.It helped as i could,and did smack it harder to open it;) Then there's the charging port itself.Lower CCS part had ice trapped neatly inside, below the white connectors! Swiss army knife,used the phillips piece to carefully break the ice,then dig it out because the CCS plug would still NOT plug in. There has to be a gasket, weather stripping solution because spraying de - icing,even WD-40 stuff into the area will damage the paint,port...
Click to expand...
Ive read about ppl using windshieild wiper rubber blades around the seams.
 
ehatch said:
Somehow the freezing rain,wet snow squeezed into the lower CCS insert during my charging start,and finish . Caps covering the substance intrusion kept it from draining,exit garage,drive in sub zero,ices up... I was just happy to have no electrocuted myself trying to dig out the ice.The Chargepoint CCS plug ALSO required some clearing of ice/snow mix.
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I was thinking of using an insulated lunch bag, so while its charging and the door is wide open, it kinda covers it like a shrowd.
 
Funny, the US Amazon seems to only have covers for the Leaf.

I take a simple/cheap approach: I have a piece of heavyish sheet
plastic about 2 ft square, and I clamp the hood down on one edge
at the top. I sliced a slot near the left edge, and the open charge
door sticks out through that. Everything else stays dry underneath.

For sitting still while charging, obviously; it wouldn't survive wind
from driving...

_H*
 
Even more basic, when charging exposed to fowl weather I jam a piece of cardboard over the connector/ port assy. Works in driving rain or snow and is recyclable.
 
electriceddy said:
Even more basic, when charging exposed to fowl weather I jam a piece of cardboard over the connector/ port assy. Works in driving rain or snow and is recyclable.
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I am not sure I trust your functional solution in places with freezing rain.That cardboard gets soggy,and freezes,jams behind the charge door? I am sure that's what happened to me,the wet snow, ice got behind the door during driving,or charging outside.Garage overnight,it all melts,then froze up when I drove,creating the conditions for whatever melted to ice up.

@XtsKonaTrooper that thing's expensive.I am not sure it would sit over the Kona's hatch because we don't have a raised hood door flap like the leaf. Insulated lunch bag,any water proof bag that can handle wind,freezing rain,and snow would work.Thinking of something used for camping,like those waterproof backpack covers that can be found at Mountain Warehouse. It could hook over the flap,and the charger itself with the elastic,maybe?
 
Ok, the cooler ended up costing only a $1 from the thrift store and I have yet to put in a precision cut for the J1772 plug to pass through but I think this is proof of concept :)

O03tnzR.jpg
 
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