KillaWhat
Well-known member
We had a small Ice storm here, followed by about 8" of snow on Monday.
Leafy lives outside, and I have taken to plugging him in when this stuff is approaching, because the only way to melt what accumulates is by using carwings and remote heating.
With the ice, I can't usually get the doors open, and for sure not the wimpy windows, and often not the charging door otherwise.
So, things went as usual.
Brushed the snow off with a broom, (which was easy with the layer of ice under it) and fired up the Heater using carwings.
An hour later (It was 9F, so it took longer than usual) the windows were clear, and I could get all the doors open.
I had my usual slight problem of the J1772 handle frozen into the socket, but I'm used to this one, and I had my handy 12 volt hair dryer in the car: 2 minutes and I had melted all the Ice, and removed the handle.
All is well.
Come home later, and plug in to charge.
I get no beeps, a single blue center dash light, and a plug in indication in the instrument display.... but that's the extent of it.
I get a little freaked.
I cycle the power to the Blink, but no change.
I get my EVSE upgrade out and try that; no change
So 99% chance it's the car.
Oh Crap.
I'm having visions of having to pull my Brusa out of there in 9F weather in order to take it in for service.
I check the timers; I pull the 12 Volt power and do the universal reset: no change.
At this point I slow down, and try to use my brain.
I mean, I kinda know a bit about this stuff.
The car is seeing the plug because the display shows it, but I am not getting the ready to charge.
What would keep it from showing ready to charge.
I mean it's one thing to not charge, but another to not show ready when it's plugged in, Right?
Proximity sensor?
I plug it back in, and realize that the lever that hold the plug to the socket is not engaging fully.
There is just a bit of ice in the indentation on top of the J1772 socket, maybe less than 1/8", but enough to throw off the Proximity sensor.
When I melted the ice, a drop of water must have gotten in that dent, and had no way to drain, so it froze.
I melted it with my finger, and flicked it out, and Bingo! Ready to charge.
And it doesn't have to be ice.
I could be a speck of dirt, a leaf bit or whatever, and because of the location, it's not visible.
I hope this save's somebody else a lot of time and panic.
Long story.
Oh well.
Off to some more $0.02 per mile errands.
Leafy lives outside, and I have taken to plugging him in when this stuff is approaching, because the only way to melt what accumulates is by using carwings and remote heating.
With the ice, I can't usually get the doors open, and for sure not the wimpy windows, and often not the charging door otherwise.
So, things went as usual.
Brushed the snow off with a broom, (which was easy with the layer of ice under it) and fired up the Heater using carwings.
An hour later (It was 9F, so it took longer than usual) the windows were clear, and I could get all the doors open.
I had my usual slight problem of the J1772 handle frozen into the socket, but I'm used to this one, and I had my handy 12 volt hair dryer in the car: 2 minutes and I had melted all the Ice, and removed the handle.
All is well.
Come home later, and plug in to charge.
I get no beeps, a single blue center dash light, and a plug in indication in the instrument display.... but that's the extent of it.
I get a little freaked.
I cycle the power to the Blink, but no change.
I get my EVSE upgrade out and try that; no change
So 99% chance it's the car.
Oh Crap.
I'm having visions of having to pull my Brusa out of there in 9F weather in order to take it in for service.
I check the timers; I pull the 12 Volt power and do the universal reset: no change.
At this point I slow down, and try to use my brain.
I mean, I kinda know a bit about this stuff.
The car is seeing the plug because the display shows it, but I am not getting the ready to charge.
What would keep it from showing ready to charge.
I mean it's one thing to not charge, but another to not show ready when it's plugged in, Right?
Proximity sensor?
I plug it back in, and realize that the lever that hold the plug to the socket is not engaging fully.
There is just a bit of ice in the indentation on top of the J1772 socket, maybe less than 1/8", but enough to throw off the Proximity sensor.
When I melted the ice, a drop of water must have gotten in that dent, and had no way to drain, so it froze.
I melted it with my finger, and flicked it out, and Bingo! Ready to charge.
And it doesn't have to be ice.
I could be a speck of dirt, a leaf bit or whatever, and because of the location, it's not visible.
I hope this save's somebody else a lot of time and panic.
Long story.
Oh well.
Off to some more $0.02 per mile errands.
