Blink / Rav4 Blows Out a Contactor Pin (with gory pics)

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TonyWilliams

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Joined
Feb 19, 2011
Messages
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Location
Vista, California USA
Update: My Rav4 was fixed under warranty, and I got a Camry rental for a week, also courtesy of Toyota. Of course, I don't think the Rav4 had anything to do with this, and Phil's IR thermometer testing indicates at least one other Blink/Rema handle got quite hot on one pin (opposite to my pin) on a Rav4. Keep in mind, these are only 30 amp Blinks and the Rav4 can take 40 amps.

Phil's conclusion; a poorly crimped connector on the Blink/Rema charging handle.

Sept 3, 2013 - UPDATE: Rema charging handle strikes again and melts the pins on a Nissan LEAF: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=322830#p322830" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

More pics here



Blinkj1772burntPinB.jpg




Blinkj1772burntPinA.jpg




Rav4j1772burntPinB.jpg




Rav4j1772burntPinA.jpg
 
TonyWilliams said:
I wonder how long it will be before Toyota can even get this part. My car may be out of commission for some time.
Ouch, that sucks. Looks like Mitsubishi is using a similar inlet on the iMiev, it's likely Yazaki or some other Japanese supplier.

i-Miev%2013.jpg
1
 
The Blink can't handle real work. This is a Turtle to 100% "extended range" charge:

Average Power:
7.202 kW

2012-Nov-18

00:57:03 08:10:32 49.909 kWh

Looks like a little cell balancing followed by a top off charge:

10:40:58 11:07:04 0.509 kWh
 
That's not good. Looks like one pin severely overheated, probably due to poor contact.

It'd be interesting to compare high-res pics of other 30A+ rated connectors / inlets...
 
Ouch!

In my mind, the next questions are:
- Is it Toyota's fault?
- Is it the Blink EVSE's fault?
- Are we going to see more issues like this when we see more EVs with 6.6 kW or above chargers which are pulling that much?
 
Comments:
1) Where exactly is the proof for your assertion that your Blink is at fault? It matters because there are thousands of public Blink charging stations across the country with perhaps the same J1772 plug make as yours.
2) It now becomes clearer why 2 charging ports on a car can be better than one.
3) So UL listed parts may not be enough to prevent this problem?
4) So everyone ought to inspect any J1772 plug (especially for public charging stations) for deterioration before using? And also inspect your car's J1772 port for deterioration before you plug in to a public charging station lest you damage it (and potentially other car's plugs, etc, etc)?
5) Does there need to be AFCI (in the EVSE?) to prevent a worn/defective plug/port from damaging the port/plug?
 
How long had it charged before it faulted?
I have to say this is on Toyota. Their BMS,should have detected the issue and shut it down before that happened
 
MikeD said:
So UL listed parts may not be enough to prevent this problem?
UL listing for sure doesn't necessarily account for manufacturing tolerances or foreign debris accumulating in the outlet.

AFCI may not detect the issue shown here - there may not have been any arcing just poor contact. 30A focused on a small area of these small PINs could be the culprit. No wonder manufacturers seem to be hesitant to support 80A on this connector and support for that current was added later...
 
TonyWilliams said:
I wonder how long it will be before Toyota can even get this part. My car may be out of commission for some time.
Now you get to find out how good or bad Toyota service is.

Some of these inlets / plugs are rated at 70 amps and some are less than that.
http://www.tucsonev.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
MikeD said:
1) Where exactly is the proof for your assertion that your Blink is at fault? It matters because there are thousands of public Blink charging stations across the country with perhaps the same J1772 plug make as yours.
That was my thought. Tony seems to blame the Blink, but I'm inclined to blame the newest addition to the equation, his RavEV. Anyway, these parts are standard, and I doubt it points to any widespread problem. Just bad luck for Tony.
 
MikeD said:
...
4) So everyone ought to inspect any J1772 plug (especially for public charging stations) for deterioration before using? And also inspect your car's J1772 port for deterioration before you plug in to a public charging station lest you damage it (and potentially other car's plugs, etc, etc)?...

A good idea any time you're plugging something in.
 
Looking at the first 2 OP images I notice that the un-melted power receptacle to the right of the melted one appears damaged just inside its tip (at least compared to the one at the bottom -- which btw looks like all those in my Blink plug (REM Model: REV-1-30C) ). If true that it is damaged, how could that have happened as a result of the original overheating incident?
 
All connectors are prone to damage and wear out. Personally, I don't think the J1772 connector is a good enough design for high-utilization at high currents (much over 30A). In this case, Tony was pulling 30A from the blink. I routinely pull this as well with my upgraded Leaf's charger, and the connector definitely gets warm. I regularly inspect it, and occasionally monitor the temperature just to be sure. So far, so good!

It could have just been a fluke, a random defect, or maybe a dead bug in the connector.

Keep in mind very few blinks have been called on to deliver more than 16A or so.

-Phil
 
MikeD said:
Looking at the first 2 OP images I notice that the un-melted power receptacle to the right of the melted one appears damaged just inside its tip (at least compared to the one at the bottom -- which btw looks like all those in my Blink plug (REM Model: REV-1-30C) ). If true that it is damaged, how could that have happened as a result of the original overheating incident?
I agree. The pin also looks dirty like it was corroded from water. The ground and control pins have a shine absent in the other. Might be the pic angle.
 
Ingineer said:
It could have just been a fluke, a random defect, or maybe a dead bug in the connector.

Keep in mind very few blinks have been called on to deliver more than 16A or so.

-Phil


Guys, yes I am jumping on the "Blink is the problem" bandwagon on this, and it may be the (Yazaki?) connector on the Rav4. Obviously, some debri could have been in there since manufacture (sorry, didn't inspect that close).

My Blink charge handle was always noticeably warm at 7.2kW. It failed to start its charge Friday night / Saturday morning, and that should have been a clue, but of course, I was quick to blame that on my lack of familiarity with the Rav4 charge timer (and my wife drove it last, so I ass-umed again that she didn't plug it in correctly... maybe not seated?).

Sunday, I went to the airport with half a tank of electrons (since it didn't charge) and golfing. I charged with a Blink on Coronado Island, which worked fine. I don't know how hot it got, since I had my 12 year old unplug it.

Then, I plugged in Sunday night / Monday morning into my Blink at home for a Range charge (I planned to move motorcycles on a trailer Monday).

The Range charge from near dead (many miles below VLB and Climate Control Limited (CCL)) is what finished it off (about 50kWh).
 
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