LEAF not charging, has a 'stuck' charge timer?!

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rainnw

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 31, 2010
Messages
283
Location
Seattle
I got my LEAF on Saturday afternoon, and while everything else is going great, I have been having some strange issues with charging.

I have not set any charge timers (none are displayed), and pretty much using whatever default settings are involved.

I drove over to my parents, and plugged in the trickle charger that evening. It turned on, and everything was fine. I came out the next morning to a topped off battery.

After going out for a bit of driving, I returned, and plugged in the trickle charger and left it for a couple hours. However, this time around, nothing happened. It seemed that if I pushed the charge timer off button, it kicked right on.

This same thing happened after I visited another relative later that day. I plugged in, but noticed this time around none of the blue lights showed up on the car display. I fiddled with plugging it in and out, etc. and sure enough, after I disabled the charge timer, it kicked on fine.

Sunday evening, when I returned home, i plugged in the charger and everything kicked on okay with no input from me.

This morning (Monday), after I returned from a quick trip and plugged it in, just the center blue light was solid, and nothing else. The BLINK said "NOT CHARGING". The charge timer off button started charging, after i removed and reinserted the EVSE.

Has anyone noticed erratic issues in the charging sequence? Is this normal?
 
rainnw said:
Has anyone noticed erratic issues in the charging sequence? Is this normal?
Not normal.

This is as if you have a charging timer set. I'd recheck the timer and make sure none are assigned to any of the days.
 
It says specifically, "No charge timers set", and the timers are grayed out. It wants me to select the date/times, which are all **'ed out.
 
I have been having this exact behavior, although more intermittently than you. A few times, I thought I was able to "wiggle" the connection and get it to charge. However, the last few times I've been in this state wiggling does not help.

I suspected my EVSE. However, I have a different EVSE than you (Schneider)

Here is what happens to me:
Most times, I plug in, get one beep, and a few seconds later I get a second beep and blue lights turn on.
Sometimes, I plug in, I get one beep, and... that's the end of it. Nothing else happens. At this point, I either have to unplug and replug, or I can go into the car and hit the cancel timer button.

I have been trying to experiment, forcing it to fail, but I just can't figure out what it is. It really does feel random to me. All I know right now is after I plug in I wait and watch/listen to make sure it does the second beep and the lights start flashing.
 
Rather than just checking that no timer is set ... could try a couple of things. The firmware seems to be "stuck" in some black hole.

1. Actually set a timer (to start a short time from now). Observe behaviour (should start charging). Then "CLEAR" that timer.
2. Use the negative battery reset procedure (less desirable).

And a few questions/Notes:

a. Any trouble connecting to CarWings (getting a status update on your PC for example; or use "Start Charging" button) ?
b. I noticed that after changing a timer's settings I almost forget to touch "Yes" when it asks "Save Timer?", and in my rush instead hit "OK". Make sure you avoid this ;)
c. Does your EVSE have a timer set ? If so ... try LEAF only timer settings.
 
What is even weirder is that these problems "sorted" themselves out. I am not sure if the connector is just mating better, etc. but it charges every time i plug in without a hitch.

It is interesting to note that I have not used the trickle charger since these problems. Maybe the trickle charger leaves the J1772 in some weird state under certain conditions.
 
The car is acting like a timer is set, even if it also says no timer is set.

Try setting start and end timers for all days on both timers, and 80%, carefully saving them, then clearing them, again saving as needed. Hopefully that will get you to no-timer mode.

If that does not work, your car might need a reboot to "clear" its confusion.

Some people are having trouble getting the "nozzle" plugged into the car sufficiently far. When properly in place, one CANNOT remove the nozzle without pressing down on the "release" button.

Setting both Start and End of one timer to the same time (11:00 am), for all days, and selecting 80% or 100% should start charging immediately, anytime, and charge to the selected percentage.
 
Unlike rainw, I am still having the problem and I am more and more suspecting the EVSE, but I'm having a hard time reproducing the problem.

Some additional info:
-I tried setting and saving one timer (but not both) - didn't help.
-I seriously don't think it is the timer. When I messed with the timer I noticed that the Leaf goes in a rolling light pattern for the charging lights. When I have this problem I have NO lights.
-One night I hit the problem... so I unplugged and replugged until I had the problem again. It only took 3 tries. So then I pulled out the 120 EVSE, and tried 10 plug ins (I'm hoping this isn't too bad for the car). No failure. HOWEVER, I then went back to my 240 EVSE, and tried 10-15 plug ins, and it didn't fail.
-After playing with the 120 EVSE, I've noticed there is a difference in the behaviors. With the 120, it goes pretty quickly from 1 beep to 2 beeps (charging). With the 240, there is a... 1 or 2 second delay between the 1 beep and the 2 beeps. This is part of what is making me think the problem is the EVSE

I'm probably going to at least email Schneider and see if they have had other reports of this. It's still so intermittent that I am not confident enough to blame the unit (yet).
 
JasonT said:
-After playing with the 120 EVSE, I've noticed there is a difference in the behaviors. With the 120, it goes pretty quickly from 1 beep to 2 beeps (charging). With the 240, there is a... 1 or 2 second delay between the 1 beep and the 2 beeps. This is part of what is making me think the problem is the EVSE

I'm probably going to at least email Schneider and see if they have had other reports of this. It's still so intermittent that I am not confident enough to blame the unit (yet).
You should be able to hear the EVSE relays clunk when they actually connect the AC power to the car. When it fails do you hear that happen? If it does, does it then clunk back off? Does the LEAF think it's plugged in?

I'd contact both Schneider and your Nissan dealer. Get it on record. If it's some sort of incompatibility, they're liable to point fingers at each other. Also, try to get some quality time with an L2 at the dealer. If you can make it happen there, you know it's the car.
 
davewill said:
You should be able to hear the EVSE relays clunk when they actually connect the AC power to the car. When it fails do you hear that happen? If it does, does it then clunk back off? Does the LEAF think it's plugged in?

I'd contact both Schneider and your Nissan dealer. Get it on record. If it's some sort of incompatibility, they're liable to point fingers at each other. Also, try to get some quality time with an L2 at the dealer. If you can make it happen there, you know it's the car.
Yes, very familiar with the clunk. When it fails, I get no clunk from the EVSE. Not sure how to tell if the LEAF thinks it's plugged in, except for the fact if I hit the cancel timer button then it will start charging. So... yes?
 
JasonT said:
Yes, very familiar with the clunk. When it fails, I get no clunk from the EVSE. Not sure how to tell if the LEAF thinks it's plugged in, except for the fact if I hit the cancel timer button then it will start charging. So... yes?
I would think yes, but... Anyway, I'm pretty sure plugged in status shows on the dash along with the predicted charging time. I know you can see whether it's plugged in from the website. Does the EVSE have an indicator to indicate it's plugged in?
 
davewill said:
I'm pretty sure plugged in status shows on the dash along with the predicted charging time. I know you can see whether it's plugged in from the website. Does the EVSE have an indicator to indicate it's plugged in?
I'll check the car and the site the next time I hit the problem. As to the EVSE, no - it shows that it is getting power, that it is charging, or that it is set up for a "timed" session. It will also show how long (in hour increments) it took for the car to charge. But there is no indication just for "plugged in"
 
Unfortunately, my trickle charger isnt putting it into weird states anymore. I was hoping an EVSE issue was the culprit for me.
 
I've had a few instances where my Blink said it's ready to plug in, but when I plug in, nothing happens. Normally it's supposed to connect and you hear the relays from both the Blink and the Leaf. What I had to do was to reset the Blink, then everything would work again. So I think it's most likely your Blink that is causing the problem.
 
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