Help! EVSE showing fault light after changing J1772 connector on 2013 Leaf

I've searched a number of threads without finding some insight into my current problem, my apologies if this has been addressed in another thread - please point me in the right direction!

I have a 2013 Leaf SL. A few weeks ago, my Clipper Creek Level 2 charging station was arcing on the L1 pin of the J1772 connector which caused the plastic around the pin to melt and distort the receptacle on the car.

I called Clipper Creek, and they agreed to send out a new charging station at no charge.

I was able to pick away the melted plastic from around the L1 pin and shave down the outside of the inlet enough to successfully charge the car again with both my EVSE and the new Clipper Creek Level 2 charging station. Although it worked, I didn't like using the damaged receptacle because the space around the L1 pin was now twice the size of the original hole; not exactly a secure fit anymore.

So I ordered a new receptacle from Tony Williams at Quick Charge Power. I marked the wires going into the back of the J1772 receptacle, cut them off the OEM one, and crimped the 5 wires accordingly to the back of the pre-wired receptacle I received from Quick Charge Power.

I go to test the new receptacle by plugging in my EVSE, and it doesn't charge. The red fault light is lit up on the EVSE. I try the level 2, same thing. Fault light.

I tried disconnecting the 12V battery for 10 minutes and put my NOCO battery charger on it as well. The 12V battery is very strong with the battery charger showing 100% within a minute.

I also checked all the fuses in the fuse box beside the 12V battery, all good.

Tomorrow I will be testing the voltage between the Proximity Detection pin and the ground pin on the receptacle to make sure it's showing about 4.5V. I will also test the resistance between the Pilot pin and the ground pin to make sure there's no issue with the on-board charger.

Ideas? What else should I be looking at to diagnose the problem? I'd appreciate any insight before bringing it to the dealer to spend thousands of $$

Thanks!

I should also mention that I did not disconnect the 12V battery before chopping off the OEM J1772 receptacle, and while I was connecting the new receptacle, the 3rd blue charge light started blinking on the car - which I'd never seen before.

When I plug it in now, all 3 blue lights come on for a split second before the red fault light appears on the EVSE

Did you check for DTCs using LeafSpy? I would try that, note any codes that appear, then clear the codes and try charging again. If it faults again, check to see if the codes are the same or different.

The workshop manuals used to be available online, which made it possible to find good LEAF specific code info, but apparently Nissan issued that site a cease and desist order so the manuals are no longer available for free.

Thanks Alozzy, will check for any codes today as well

Here's what my multimeter told me today:

I'm getting about 4.5V between Proximity Detection pin and ground pin - all good.

I'm not getting any resistance reading between Pilot pin and ground pin - not good.

Also checked the DTC's on Leaf Spy and the following code has been logged several times in a row:
U1A05 0008 TCU USB Comm AV-199

Can anybody tell me what this code means?

Thanks,

Kevin

Someone else had that same DTC on this post:

https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=20155

Seems unlikely that a TCU USB connectivity issue would affect charging though.

Have a look here too:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=21588

The diode issue is well known, perhaps you inadvertently burned out the diode. If so, there's a cheap fix that involves installing an inline diode near the charge port to replace the dead one. Details on these forums.

klip said:

Also checked the DTC's on Leaf Spy and the following code has been logged several times in a row:
U1A05 0008 TCU USB Comm AV-199

Can anybody tell me what this code means?

Click to expand...

This code means that the TCU unit has been disconnected correctly (TSB: NTB17-077). You most likely have the legacy 2G TCU that has been disconnected to prevent any security concerns (and prevents any 12V power draw from the TCU). If this code is present, Carwings will not function.

This code will not cause any indications on the dashboard, nor affect any function of the car (except Carwings). This code should be ignored and is definitely NOT your problem.

To determine if it's the diode (and how to repair the diode), see here:
https://evsenhanced.com/services/on-board-charger-repair-firmware-updates/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R4dGg8nIUs

Note: The charger in the 2013 is under the hood, NOT behind the rear seat. The repair should be easier on a 2013. The process to determine if the diode is faulty starts at 2:45 in the video.

Assuming your diode is faulty: Someone mentioned an inline diode. If your diode failed open, you may be able to solder a diode in somewhere else (in the correct direction) to resolve the fault. if your diode failed closed, you'll have to remove the charger and repair it as shown in the video (or replace the charger).

@klip try charging your LEAF using the stock L1 EVSE. If that works, it's likely the diode issue.

If so, this is the post I mentioned that details how to add an inline diode at the charging port:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=24696

alozzy said:

@klip try charging your LEAF using the stock L1 EVSE. If that works, it's likely the diode issue.

If so, this is the post I mentioned that details how to add an inline diode at the charging port:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=24696

Click to expand...

I've tried both the stock L1 EVSE and the brand new Clipper Creek L2, fault light coming on for both of them...

When I took apart the OEM J1772 inlet, I could not find any diode. Looks like all the wires are crimped directly to the pins

Nonetheless, I will get up to speed on the diode fix after work and get back to you.

Thanks for the tips!

There is no diode in the connector. The diode is in the charger. Watch the video... It explains everything.

If the diode fails open and there's a high resistance, you could add a diode to the charging port to bypass the failure and not touch the charger. This is a hack, but it may work. If the diode has failed closed and doesn't provide resistance in either direction, this won't work.

The fact that the L1 EVSE doesn't work implies that the diode isn't the problem, unfortunately.

klip said:

I should also mention that I did not disconnect the 12V battery before chopping off the OEM J1772 receptacle, and while I was connecting the new receptacle, the 3rd blue charge light started blinking on the car - which I'd never seen before.

When I plug it in now, all 3 blue lights come on for a split second before the red fault light appears on the EVSE

Click to expand...

3rd light blinking means the 12V battery is being charged.

I can't recall exactly where the stock diode is on a 2013, but it's not in the EVSE or the charging port - it's buried somewhere in the motor stack. That's why people resort to adding a new diode rather than replacing the stock one - it's a huge deal to get at it.

Having said all that, if the stock EVSE isn't working then it's not likely to be a diode issue.

Nubo said:

klip said:

I should also mention that I did not disconnect the 12V battery before chopping off the OEM J1772 receptacle, and while I was connecting the new receptacle, the 3rd blue charge light started blinking on the car - which I'd never seen before.

When I plug it in now, all 3 blue lights come on for a split second before the red fault light appears on the EVSE

Click to expand...

3rd light blinking means the 12V battery is being charged.

Click to expand...

Yes, as well as a few other things. See 1:40 in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvoyXrbVKsY

alozzy said:

I can't recall exactly where the stock diode is on a 2013, but it's not in the EVSE or the charging port - it's buried somewhere in the motor stack. That's why people resort to adding a new diode rather than replacing the stock one - it's a huge deal to get at it.

Having said all that, if the stock EVSE isn't working then it's not likely to be a diode issue.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Alozzy.

That's correct. The car will not charge using the stock L1 EVSE that came with the car, or the brand new Clipper Creek L2 charging station. Both indicate "fault"

Both L1 & L2 were working properly and charging the vehicle prior to changing the J1772 inlet.

I read through the diode fix thread by tn77, and he was only having a problem with L2 charging but not L1 charging, so I assume his diode failed open? Or is the diode only required for L2 charging?

If my diode failed closed, would that explain why I'm not getting any resistance reading on my multimeter between the Pilot pin and the Ground pin in either direction on the J1772 inlet? It's as if the circuit isn't closed at all. Infinity resistance.

I cleared all the DTC's using Leaf Spy.

Tried charging using the L1 EVSE. Fault light flashing red on the EVSE again.

No new DTC's registered.

Checked the pilot wire splice again at the back of the J1772 inlet, couldn't be more secure.

Considering replacing the entire wiring harness rear of the J1772 inlet with another OEM one...

I haven't to repair anything like this before on a LEAF, but hopefully someone else can provide more ideas. It seems very unlikely it's the diode issue, given your L1 charging issues with the stock EVSE. Hopefully it's not a fault with the charger itself.

In the OP's first post in this thread http://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=24560 he describes the situation I am seeing with unlimited resistance between the Pilot and Ground in both directions. Apparently I need to replace the diode on the on-board charger's circuit board (or replace the entire on-board charger)

Before I begin disassembly of the car, it is my understanding that the L1 EVSE that comes with the car does not perform a diode check. So shouldn't my L1 EVSE work even if my diode is fried? Or would the L1 EVSE only work when you have resistance between the Pilot and Ground in the kilo-ohm range in both directions?

I've PM'd user 91040, hopefully he responds soon. If anybody else knows the answer to my question, let me know!

klip said:

I've PM'd user 91040, hopefully he responds soon. If anybody else knows the answer to my question, let me know!

Click to expand...

I can't explain why your L1 EVSE doesn't work--perhaps it now does a diode check or maybe someone else has an idea. According to the video I linked earlier in the thread, you should have Kiloohm resistance in one direction but megaohm resistance in the other. Kiloohm resistance in both directions indicates a diode failure that can be worked around using the steps you provided. It's possible you have other failures, but I can say for certain that your diode has failed. See 3:05-4:00 in the video I linked in the previous post.

Since you have a confirmed diode failure, the steps you linked here should work perfectly fine. You have two options:
1) Remove the OBC and replace or fix it. Because you have a 2013, it may look different than the 2011, and it is located in the hood, not behind the seat.

OR

2) Workaround the failure in the OBC by utilizing the steps listed in the link you specified. A diode such as this would work:
https://www.amazon.com/100-Pieces-1N4001-Rectifier-Electronic/dp/B079JPMW9H/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1542002519&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=diode+1n4001&psc=1

http://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=24560#p505289

This workaround modifies the charging port, leaving the charger broken. But because of how the failure occurs, a simple modification to the charging port is able to workaround the failure in the charger, fixing the issue without having to remove or open the charger at all. Should the issue ever come back, you could simply replace the diode again (without any charger modifications).

I know you damaged the car during your repair, but for anyone else reading this-- if you are using a GE wattstation to charge the car, ever, make sure that it has the software update:
The issue was that the GE Watt Station interrupted the J1772 pilot signal during charging, then the OBC turned on the inrush protection relay and the charging diode was damaged when actual current in-rush occurred.

Basically, the GE Wattstation is able to fry the OBC of the Leaf due to a software defect where it interrupts charging at precisely the wrong time. So BEFORE you do any more work, make sure:
1) The car is off
2) The battery safety disconnect is pulled from the main traction battery (in the floor between the rear seats)
3) The 12V battery is fully disconnected

klip said:

In the OP's first post in this thread http://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=24560 he describes the situation I am seeing with unlimited resistance between the Pilot and Ground in both directions. Apparently I need to replace the diode on the on-board charger's circuit board (or replace the entire on-board charger)

Before I begin disassembly of the car, it is my understanding that the L1 EVSE that comes with the car does not perform a diode check. So shouldn't my L1 EVSE work even if my diode is fried? Or would the L1 EVSE only work when you have resistance between the Pilot and Ground in the kilo-ohm range in both directions?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, if the diode fails OPEN, that disconnects the pilot signal is completely from the charger logic. If it fails closed, then EVSEs that do the diode check fail, but others (like the Nissan L1) work fine, and you can add a new diode outside the LBC itself. With it failed OPEN, you have to replace the diode inside the LBC to restore function.