Dismantling CHAdeMO socket

[clivech]

When I posted here that my CHAdeMO socket was not working (which I found out after I bought the vehicle), someone suggested checking for corrosion behind the socket. That seemed unlikely to me since corrosion is not a big issue in the south of England. A month ago the registration plate light fell out and I discovered the frame had completely corroded through. So there is indeed a problem with corrosion on my car, and I would like to check if this is the issue with the CHAdeMO. Is it safe to unbolt the socket from its moorings under the charging flap to inspect it, or am I in danger of electrocuting myself with a 400V shock?

 

[WetEV]

First disconnect the 12 V battery. Then the HV battery is isolated, as the solenoid can't bet energized.

 

[SageBrush]

First disconnect the 12 V battery. Then the HV battery is isolated, as the solenoid can't bet energized.

Yah, but I would not stop there.
Wait 15 minutes for residual charge to dissipate;
Measure with a multimeter as you go before you touch things;
And wear HV gloves

 

[clivech]

Thank you both! I'll give it a try. Does anyone know what access I will have once I unbolt the socket from the car body? Will I be able to clean up any connections?

 

[GerryAZ]

I have not worked on the port so cannot help with that. For additional safety while working on the port, I suggest that you remove the traction battery disconnect/fuse located under the cover in the center hump in front of the rear seats.

 

[clivech]

So the CHAdeMO socket attaches to two fat cables that plug into the block behind it. I can't remove it because I've not figured out how to detach the connections from the block. They have locks at the top, but clearly they have another lock somewhere less visible so you can't pull them off easily. Frankly everything looks pretty clean. It's quite high up in the engine compartment, so there's not much chance of corrosion from road spray, etc. Water could get in from above, but there's no sign it has. So a bit of a dead end, so far. My money is on a software/signalling issue, rather than an HT issue.