EVSE Lock | Under $20 and 30 minutes | My First LEAF Mod

Add a lock to your standard OEM EVSE.

1. Take the EVSE apart. See GlennD's instructions. Pliers work just as well as a hammer.


2. Disconnect cord leading to J1772 plug:

• Remove four screws that hold the wires
• Two screws that lock the cord in place.
• Two more screws that hold the rubber grommet.

3. Run cord through your chain or cable.


4. Reconnect and put everything together in reverse order.

5. Add a lock and attach the key to your keychain.

Psst... Take a close look at the silver trigger. See the little hole under there? Slip a small padlock through there and the handle is effectively locked to the car. That's every bit as effective as your solution and a heck of a lot easier!

But congrats on your first mod...

GeekEV said:

Psst... Take a close look at the silver trigger. See the little hole under there? Slip a small padlock through there and the handle is effectively locked to the car. That's every bit as effective as your solution and a heck of a lot easier!

But congrats on your first mod...

Click to expand...

If I were worried, I'd do both!
Staying in a hotel, I actually put the brick in the car, and ran the J1772 out through the slightly open window, and locked the car.
Not a perfect solution.

GeekEV said:

Psst... Take a close look at the silver trigger. See the little hole under there? Slip a small padlock through there and the handle is effectively locked to the car. That's every bit as effective as your solution and a heck of a lot easier!

But congrats on your first mod...

Click to expand...

Plus you don't break the seal on the screw hole plugs and there is not a cable to drag along and get tangled.

So you went to all that trouble, when you could just put the lock shackle around the cable? Now you've got an EVSE with a leash you can't remove, whereas if you just lock it on when needed, it's fully removable. In fact, you don't even need to bother with the steel lock cable, you can just loop the EVSE cord itself though something, such as as a wheel, and put a padlock on it.

Of course, none of these methods stop someone with even just a pocketknife from cutting the EVSE cord and taking it all.

The ears on the 2013 EVSE are substantial, and you can put a lock directly into the EVSE body this way. A little more effort would be required to steal it.

Here's a pic of this method with the 2011 EVSE:



-Phil

EVDRIVER said:

GeekEV said:

Psst... Take a close look at the silver trigger. See the little hole under there? Slip a small padlock through there and the handle is effectively locked to the car. That's every bit as effective as your solution and a heck of a lot easier!

But congrats on your first mod...

Click to expand...

Plus you don't break the seal on the screw hole plugs and there is not a cable to drag along and get tangled.

Click to expand...

If he's got a 2013 LEAF, not even that is needed, as it can lock the handle to the car with a simple flick of a switch.

-Phil

Ingineer said:

If he's got a 2013 LEAF, not even that is needed, as it can lock the handle to the car with a simple flick of a switch.

Click to expand...

Indeed, I have a 2013 LEAF S. What's this "flicking of the switch" you're talking about?

DJiK said:

Ingineer said:

If he's got a 2013 LEAF, not even that is needed, as it can lock the handle to the car with a simple flick of a switch.

Click to expand...

Indeed, I have a 2013 LEAF S. What's this "flicking of the switch" you're talking about?

Click to expand...

On the dash I think, the car has an electronic lock for the charge handle. Check the owners manual.

Does the S have the charge port lock?

In this pic of an SL, it's the second switch there that reads "AUTO" and "LOCK":


-Phil

Ingineer said:

Does the S have the charge port lock?

Click to expand...

Yes, I have that switch in the S.
I'll check out the manual in a few hours when I get home.
It sounds like when set to "Lock," you can't yank the J1772 plug once it's inserted…?

"Auto" is the self driving Google feature, correct?

Ingineer said:

Does the S have the charge port lock?

Click to expand...

You're right!

AUTO locks the plug while it's charging.
LOCK locks the plug as soon as it's inserted.

To unlock, turn the switch off, or pop open the port from the adjacent switch or the key fob.

I still hope someone finds my mod as a useful thief-deterrent.

EVDRIVER said:

"Auto" is the self driving Google feature, correct?

Click to expand...

Sadly, no. :|

Not yet anyhow...

When it's in "Lock", it stays locked once the handle is in, when it's in "Auto" it's only locked until charging finishes (what you'd use for public), and in the middle position it's unlocked.

-Phil

A lot less work and probably a bit more secure:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=11272

ebill3 said:

A lot less work and probably a bit more secure:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=11272

Click to expand...

That seems more complicated, how were you able to get the handle through the lock without disconnecting the cord from the handle? Another method I use when I have no lock is to park on the cord with my front tire.

LOL! For that matter; you could simply park on the EVSE box itself, It's that rugged! Then at least if they cut the cord, all they get is a useless bit of cord!

Although I would imagine your EVSE will be pretty scuffed up after a few parking operations.

-Phil

EVDRIVER said:

ebill3 said:

A lot less work and probably a bit more secure:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=11272

Click to expand...

That seems more complicated, how were you able to get the handle through the lock without disconnecting the cord from the handle?

Click to expand...

It's tricky, but I finally figured it out. The really hard part was getting that latch loop through the lock.

Ingineer said:

LOL! For that matter; you could simply park on the EVSE box itself, It's that rugged! Then at least if they cut the cord, all they get is a useless bit of cord!

Click to expand...

But, isn't that what they want? The copper wire? That would be the case in these parts, wire theft.

DJiK said:

EVDRIVER said:

"Auto" is the self driving Google feature, correct?

Click to expand...

Sadly, no. :|

Click to expand...

Allowing autonomous driving would take away most of the fun of having a LEAF in the first place!