GE WattStation Problem Thread (Was: Dead on Day 2 of use.)

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jms

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2011
Messages
59
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
My Ge Wattstation has a big red exclamation point and I have tested the fuses and the outlet so I know it has ground also there is nothing wrong with the panel. This is occuring even when not plugged into a vehicle.
Has anyone else experienced this?

Looking in the manual it could be
  • Contactor closed when not charging Fault, Non-correcting
  • Self-Test Fault, Non-correcting
  • Fan Fault, Non-correcting

I called the tech support number and it was absolutely no help whatsoever. I got shuffled off to some guy's voicemail.

I've already power cycled it several times.

I'm so pissed right now mostly because I know that nothing is going to happen with this for several days and that means I can't use my car which I just got 2 days ago.

[MOD note: Edited title to reflect this thread as the go-to thread for GE WattStation problems -drees]
 
jms said:
I'm so pissed right now mostly because I know that nothing is going to happen with this for several days and that means I can't use my car which I just got 2 days ago.

Why not use the 120V EVSE that came in the trunk of your Leaf?
 
I have a 60 mile roundtrip. I am getting home with 10-20 miles to spare. I get home around 9pm and leave around 6am. It is just not enough time. I started charging it today around 5pm on level 1 and I'm at 33% now with 11 hours to go and I leave at 6am. I've asked my boss to let me charge at the office but I won't know until tomorrow. I also don't expect to him to say that it's ok.

Besides I'm not upset by level 1. I'm upset that I paid around 1K to have a hunk of metal sit in my garage and do nothing.

I did leave the breaker off for a few hours and try it and I'm still getting the same thing. Big red exclamation point mocking me and frustrating me.
 
Don't forget about Chrysler - that German company that was purchased by a Canadian investment group so they could take billions in US tax payer dollars to build Jeeps and pickups.

TomT said:
And Ford's motto: Quality is job 1.1!

LakeLeaf said:
TomT said:
Well, remember GE's motto! "Profit is our most important product!"

They only make profit in foreign countries so that they can keep it all off shore and not pay taxes on it.
 
jms said:
Besides I'm not upset by level 1. I'm upset that I paid around 1K to have a hunk of metal sit in my garage and do nothing.
Do you have an electric dryer outlet you could use? For $379 evseupgrade will send you an upgraded L1 that will plug in and work reliably on both 120v and 240v. That price includes a 120v adapter, a 240v pigtail adapter, and advanced replacement service. While you are waiting for the shipment to arrive, go to any hardware store and get a plug matching your dryer outlet. Ship your GE unit back as defective and ask for a refund.

Like hundreds of other LEAF owners I use my evseupgrade for all of my home charging. It has never let me down. This is a very professional upgrade by Ingineer, one of the most respected contributors to this board.

Ray
 
planet4ever said:
Do you have an electric dryer outlet you could use?

I do actually and I've considered doing that but I didn't want to be hauling it in and out of the car on a daily basis and wanted something that was more stable.

I called GE this morning and support was a whole different experience. They are sending me out a new one and a return label. Should be about a week for them to get it to me.

For now my boss is letting me trickle charge at the moment so I can't complain.
 
I have been using my GE WattStation for over a month, no issues. Good to hear they are replacing yours.
 
ghabel said:
I have been using my GE WattStation for over a month, no issues. Good to hear they are replacing yours.
Support was actually very good during business hours. You are talking to an engineer who knows the unit inside and out. The replacement takes a couple of days to get it from the line and then they are sending it fedex 2day.
 
I too had a Wattstation that worked perfectly for about 2 months and then quit.

I worked with tech support and they could not fix the issue and sent me a replacement machine. This replacement was dead on arrival. I was then told that the first versions of the chargers had design flaws which were fixed in later revisions.

We went back and forth for a few weeks and they finally sent an engineer to the house to fix one of the machines. He could not get it to work with my Leaf.

Tech support said that my Leaf was broken in that, the Wattstation is SAE certified (not just the connector) and that my Leaf's diode which handshakes was broken and that is why the Wattstation did not work.

I pointed out that when I took my Leaf to the dealer, on GE's behalf, that it connected to the Aerovironment charger and worked with no issues. I was told that the Aerovironment is not a full SAE compliant charger. I also pointed out that Nissan is probably not going to do a warranty fix on something GE says is defective if the car works with the charger Nissan wants you to use.

At the end of the day the tech took one of the machines and I know have to go return the other defective one to Lowes.
 
celinamike said:
...I also pointed out that Nissan is probably not going to do a warranty fix on something GE says is defective if the car works with the charger Nissan wants you to use. ...
If the problem IS the diode in your car, Nissan needs to fix it as you will have problems with public L2 stations. There have been a couple of other owners on here who have had that problem and had it fixed under warrranty.
 
celinamike said:
Car works just fine at the Nissan charging station. Read the full post before replying.
I did. The AV EVSE (at the dealer) and the L1 supplied with the car skip the diode check. A car with a blown diode will therefore work with them, but NOT with other EVSEs...as the GE tech tried to tell you.

But if you don't want to have your car fixed, fine.
 
There are now to cases of Leaf not accepting charge from any source after using GE Wattstation few times. Those cars are new, charged few times. They need repair but I do not know what parts they need. One owner was told that GE Wattstation is a problem and have to work with GE to get this solved. Other too early to say, just diagnosed but same like other will not charge at all
 
EdmondLeaf said:
There are now to cases of Leaf not accepting charge from any source after using GE Wattstation few times. Those cars are new, charged few times. They need repair but I do not know what parts they need. One owner was told that GE Wattstation is a problem and have to work with GE to get this solved. Other too early to say, just diagnosed but same like other will not charge at all
This is an interesting comment. I made a detailed report about the ChargePoint incompatibility the BMW ActiveE is suffering from, and to my surprise, Coulomb had to patch the software in its stations. The car was apparently fine.
 
The AV and Panasonic EVSEs do not do the diode check and will work with a blown diode. Most other EVSEs are fully compliant and will not. The repair is replacement of the charger in the Leaf. To not have it fixed means that you will not be able to charge at many public EVSEs...

EdmondLeaf said:
There are now two cases of Leaf not accepting charge from any source after using GE Wattstation few times. Those cars are new, charged few times. They need repair but I do not know what parts they need. One owner was told that GE Wattstation is a problem and have to work with GE to get this solved. Other too early to say, just diagnosed but same like other will not charge at all
 
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