Unusual timer charging problem

When I first had my leaf I set the charging timer to charge overnight. I would plug in when I got home and the rolec chargepoint would clunk once to connect then clunk again to disconnect, I assume because the car indicated the timer was set for later.

However without warning this behaviour has changed. Now when I plug in with the timer set for later, I get the connection clunk and disconnection clunk as usual but then the process just keeps repeating on off cycling continuously. No charging is happening and I assume if I wait for the preset charging time all will be well but I cant leave it clunking on and off, its too noisy and will annoy the neighnours!!

I assume there is an issue with the 12v pilot/proximity comms but neither the Rolec chargepoint installer nor the Nissan Dealer can find a fault. I think the Nissan Dealer don't know what they are doing but hey, neither do I!

Occasionally it will work ok but only if the main battery is well charged.. might be a red herring.

Additionally I swapped the 12v battery as a precaution but no effect.

Any ideas?

The "clunking" you're hearing from your EVSE's contactor is supposed to let the car assess the voltage that it will be charging from when it DOES decide to charge. It needs to know that in order to figure out how far in advance of an "end time" the charging must begin in order to hit the car's charge target (sadly, always 100% these days). This sounds kind of silly, even as I type it in, but I wonder if Nissan could have screwed up the software badly enough that if the car doesn't see any voltage from the EVSE at all, it keeps reperating the "engage contactor, measure voltage, drop contactor out" process? In other words, if there's an open circuit somewhere in the EVSE's main power-delivery lines, but its J1772 pilot signal and other support connections are working well enough to make the car aware that it's been plugged in, maybe the behavior you report can occur. Have you tried getting a delayed charge from a different EVSE?

SeanN said:

...I get the connection clunk and disconnection clunk as usual but then the process just keeps repeating on off cycling continuously. No charging is happening and I assume if I wait for the preset charging time all will be well but I cant leave it clunking on and off, its too noisy and will annoy the neighnours!!

Click to expand...

Not only that but you'd be wearing out the contactor relays inside the EVSE and the car with years' worth of open/close cycles ("clunks") in just one night!

. These components are robust but they are only rated for a finite number of cycles.

I assume there is an issue with the 12v pilot/proximity comms but neither the Rolec chargepoint installer nor the Nissan Dealer can find a fault. I think the Nissan Dealer don't know what they are doing but hey, neither do I!

Occasionally it will work ok but only if the main battery is well charged.. might be a red herring.

Additionally I swapped the 12v battery as a precaution but no effect.

Any ideas?

Click to expand...

Two pieces of information would help
-- have you checked for this problem with a different EVSE?
-- If you turn off the timer and plug in to charge, do you get a normal charge?

Do the three blue charging lights keep flashing, and the car keep beeping as well? I had that happen with a refurbished Clipper Creek EVSE that had had the plug replaced by a third party. Clipper Creek fixed it for free. If this happens only with the charge timer active, this sounds like the same issue.