Charging fails when using a Lectron EVCharge14-50-40A and adaptor

[deek]

As the title says, I am getting an error every couple of minutes when trying to charge using a Lectron EVCharge14-50-40A and adaptor.

The errors are HVBATT_a174 and HVBAT_a236:

I have reached out to Lectron and they are suggesting a problem with the truck (works fine on my wall charger) or my adaptor (I have tried two with same result).

I have turned it down as low as 20A, and it seems to throw the error less frequently, but still an error. I have been unable to locate any information on the errors.

I purchased at Home Depot, so I have a return window, but I would really like to know if this is an issue with the truck, or if just an issue with the Lectron.

Thanks.

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[carsly]

While Lectron has a name, I'm always leery of using non-OEM adapters on any of my electronics like phones and laptops. Not sure you could pay me to try one on an expensive EV.

 

[REM]

While Lectron has a name, I'm always leery of using non-OEM adapters on any of my electronics like phones and laptops. Not sure you could pay me to try one on an expensive EV.

Completely agree; and I'm betting Lectron didn't even bother to give a darn about your issue either, they just blamed it on the truck and called it a day.

I would return it asap.

 

[Crissa]

These are really odd messages.

EVSE are just fancy switches. They shouldn't be doing anything to the power coming to your onboard charger.

Are you sure the power itself is okay?

-Crissa

 

[MeadowShade]

EV's and Teslas are NOT the same. There is something about "bonding the neutral" that matters. People have the same trouble when trying to use a generator or a 220 extension cord. My nephew that has a PhD in Electrical Engineering did not even understand it. For instance, when you use extension cords and go from 50 amp to 30 amp, the adapter HAS to be for a TESLA.

I thought it was hooey. I bought the EV adaptor for a Tesla and it says EV on it and it works.

I also wired my two chargers. One wall charger and one mobile charger and the neutral is tied directly to the ground. Not sure why that matters if it is terminated at the box to the same bar or to separate bars that are both tied to ground. But it does.

Look up the Tesla wiring instructions or get an electrician to translate. I am just a hacker and I got it working.

 

[deek]

[/QUOTE]

EV's and Teslas are NOT the same. There is something about "bonding the neutral" that matters. People have the same trouble when trying to use a generator or a 220 extension cord. My nephew that has a PhD in Electrical Engineering did not even understand it. For instance, when you use extension cords and go from 50 amp to 30 amp, the adapter HAS to be for a TESLA.

I thought it was hooey. I bought the EV adaptor for a Tesla and it says EV on it and it works.

I also wired my two chargers. One wall charger and one mobile charger and the neutral is tied directly to the ground. Not sure why that matters if it is terminated at the box to the same bar or to separate bars that are both tied to ground. But it does.

Look up the Tesla wiring instructions or get an electrician to translate. I am just a hacker and I got it working.

Thank Frank, easily the most useful information on this thread. This resonates because I was using a extension cord with shared ground/common.

I will test with the Tesla portable charger today using the same cord and report back.

 

[igs]

I also wired my two chargers. One wall charger and one mobile charger and the neutral is tied directly to the ground. Not sure why that matters if it is terminated at the box to the same bar or to separate bars that are both tied to ground. But it does.

Neutral is not ground! Look up a diagram on how AC circuits work before you get yourself killed!

 

[deek]

Neutral is not ground! Look up a diagram on how AC circuits work before you get yourself killed!

I know I will regret responding to this. On a three-prong 240 connector what is the function of the middle (round-ish) prong?

 

[Crissa]

I know I will regret responding to this. On a three-prong 240 connector what is the function of the middle (round-ish) prong?

Ground. It's not connected to neutral, because there is no neutral on a three-prong connector.

However, in a typical house, back at the main panel, Neutral is tied to ground. Tesla expects this to be the normal condition, and will think the wiring is broken if it's not, and refuse to charge.

Others, like my Zero, don't care, as they don't use or test Neutral at all.

-Crissa

 

[deek]

Ground. It's not connected to neutral, because there is no neutral on a three-prong connector.

However, in a typical house, back at the main panel, Neutral is tied to ground. Tesla expects this to be the normal condition, and will think the wiring is broken if it's not, and refuse to charge.

Others, like my Zero, don't care, as they don't use or test Neutral at all.

-Crissa

This:

But also this:

That is because, as you correctly point out, Common and Ground are bonded at the main, or sometimes at a sub (most code does not allow ties at a sub these days). For most use-cases, Ground and Common are the same by virtue of being bonded.

Tesla may be a very special use-case, and I am curious. I will test tomorrow to determine if the Lectron works better (it works now, but just restarts periodically) when the bonding is at the panel and not at the receptacle.

A final note: The Lectron also has a problem running on my 4-wire solar inverter. This gives even more credence to Franks point that it is not about whether they are bonded (they are if you are code), what maters where they are bonded.

 

[Crissa]

This:

But also this:

That is because, as you correctly point out, Common and Ground are bonded at the main, or sometimes at a sub (most code does not allow ties at a sub these days). For most use-cases, Ground and Common are the same by virtue of being bonded.

Tesla may be a very special use-case, and I am curious. I will test tomorrow to determine if the Lectron works better (it works now, but just restarts periodically) when the bonding is at the panel and not at the receptacle.

A final note: The Lectron also has a problem running on my 4-wire solar inverter. This gives even more credence to Franks point that it is not about whether they are bonded (they are if you are code), what maters where they are bonded.

Wow, non grounding seems super unsafe x-x

-Crissa

 

[MeadowShade]

Neutral is not ground! Look up a diagram on how AC circuits work before you get yourself killed!

Oh my. I did not say it was. If these two wires are connected to each other through a bed or bar, it works. If they terminate together, what does that mean?

 

[deek]

Final report from me:

• Verified G-C are bonded at my panel.
• Tried Lectron 4 prong (no bonding at receptacle), and it continues to only charge intermittently.
• Tried Tesla portable charger on same 4 prong receptacle, and worked fine.
• Tried Tesla portable charger with three prong adaptor (bonding at receptacle), and it also worked fine.

Lectron offered to replace the charger; but based on information from here (thanks Frank), and another source, I suspect a replacement will have the same problem.

Conclusion: I have returned it to Home Depot (thanks HD card for allowing 1 yr of returns), and will just continue with Tesla portable chargers.

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