Charging cable has died!!!

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bindi
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by bindi »

I have a 2012 iMiev and the charging cable I have has died!!!! It is still working technically but I looked at the connection between out 15amp extension lead and the car cable as it was making a sizzling sound, and one of the prongs is all blackened and corroded away completely!!!! I have no idea what happened!!! It has always been under cover!!

a) Do you think it would be covered under the warranty
b) Is if fixable - ie can an electrician just replace the plug (it is the wall plug side that has corroded, not the car side of the cable)
c) how much is a new cable from mitsubishi if I need to buy a new one??

Thanks guys for all of your knowledgeable help!!!!!
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Adverse Effects
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by Adverse Effects »

both plug and wall plate will need replacing as with most electronic connections if 1 damaged the other will get damaged
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by coulomb »

bindi wrote: b) Is if fixable - ie can an electrician just replace the plug (it is the wall plug side that has corroded, not the car side of the cable)

I would think so.

I also agree what whatever it was plugged in to (whatever things?) should also be checked. If the plug got hot, the socket would also have gotten hot, and likely built up a layer of oxidisation which would increase resistance and hence heat.

It sounds like you were lucky to avoid a fire there. Corroding away the plug pin completely is pretty severe.
Last edited by coulomb on Sat, 10 Jan 2015, 15:07, edited 1 time in total.
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by g4qber »

One reason to get a wall box installed rather than use a 15 amp socket as Thomas Braunl would say
But I don't do this cos the Imiev doesnt have a timer.

I am thinking of getting the 32 amp circontrol wall box permanently installed on a circuit that has a timer and power meter in the meter box.

The timer might not be necessary since the leaf, tesla, volt n i3 have off peak timers
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by LauraiMiEV »

I have no idea about the warranty but I'd sure try. It costs a bomb (I've heard over a grand) to replace the cable with an official Mitsubishi one.

I've recently purchased a Volt cable from my local Holden dealer for $350. It has a 10 Amp plug and works fine for charging (the once I tried it). I bought it as a back-up and a travel plug. It lives in the car so if I'm stuck I can more easily beg a bit of juice from any old power point.

As for "fixing" the plug - I'd call Mitsubishi first. It would be horrible if an electrician did something to your cable that did something to invalidate any part of your warranty on your car battery. I might be a bit cynical but it seems to me manufacturers love reasons to invalidate warranties.

Good luck - be sure to post back and let us know how this turns out.
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by g4qber »

yep brand new mitsu 10A EVSE costs $AUD1600
nissan 10A $3500
bmw 8A $1501
holden 10A $350

clipper creek (CC) 15A was around $763 last year, CC make the holden and BMW EVSEs
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by bindi »

Image

OK, so just heard back, they are not going to replace it under warranty because I had it plugged into an extension cord which apparently it says in the instruction manual that you are not allowed to do.

Replacement is about $800.

The volt one is being quoted as $400 from my local Holden dealership (anyone know where to get them for $350?)

I am just going to look into getting in repaired now. Needless to say I am more than a little cranky at the moment.

Thanks guys.

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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by bindi »

So I just read the page from the manual they printed out that says no extension cord. It is from an American manual (talks about the i - 120 volt etc). I had a look in my manual and there is no mention of extension cables. Went back and showed the guy, so they are going to look at it again.
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by bindi »

Image

This is the cable - any thoughts on what caused this?? It looks like it is corroded on that one prong.

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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by bindi »

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This is the extension cord - both ends. The wall plate is fine.
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by Adverse Effects »

all that damage is caused by bad connection on that pin generating heat and then burning

let me guess that is a $10 (you know what i mean Elcheepo) extension cord

i am betting that the socket on the extension is the cause of it cheep china molded crap ends

i missed that you had it on an extension cord in your first post so the wall plate wont need replacing but go get a GOOD QUALITY extension cord

and if they wont do the plug on warranty just get it replaced with a GOOD QUALITY one
Last edited by Adverse Effects on Mon, 12 Jan 2015, 12:51, edited 1 time in total.
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by bindi »

The extension cord was from Bunnings/Miter 10, about $25. It was the only 15a extension cord they had? Where do you get a good quality one from???
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by antiscab »

My one burnt out ages ago too - basically the AUS plug they are using isn't that great.

I swapped mine and put a longer lead on when I had to replace the plug on the unit.

pull it apart - it's not too much mucking around to put a new lead on

I suggest getting an orange lead with at least 1.5mm2 wire in it, and cutting the female end off.
just make sure you get a lead with a 10A male on it to save you the hassle

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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by Adverse Effects »

box stores (bunnings , kmart , target and the like) will always have the lowest quality goods they can get so they can sell as cheep as possible

electrical supplies gold coast
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by weber »

I have found these HPM brand 1.5 mm^2 15 amp extension leads, from Bunnings, to be good so far. "Caravan 15 Amp Extra Heavy Duty Extension Cable". Bunnings have them in lengths of 10, 15 and 20 metres. See
http://www.bunnings.com.au/hpm-caravan- ... -_p4430367

Antiscab's experience suggests it is not the extension lead at fault, but the plug on the plug-in EVSE.
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by bindi »

That is the extension cord that I used :)

Antiscab did you tell Mitsubishi about the problem you had? I did call the service department today and they were meant to call me back but didn't so I still don't know if they are going to cover it or not.
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by antiscab »

bindi wrote:
Antiscab did you tell Mitsubishi about the problem you had?


the thought never crossed my mind....

mainly because it was going to be too much hassle when I knew I could fix it myself for nothing
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by bindi »

I wish I was that talented!!!
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by antiscab »

Happy snaps I took while doing an emergency cord swap

that was the other reason I just fixed it - I needed the cord that night

Image

Image

Image
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by antiscab »

from memory I swapped a new plug on the first time, (the orange one in the picture), then that burnt out too.

so then I swapped the cord too.
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by offgridQLD »

Unless you can see significant wear on the pins to reduce there thickness. I would say it's the extension cord. Given the female end in the extension cord most likely just expanded and became a loose fit.

I have had no issue at all (not even slightly warm) Using the white screw collar 15A plug that came on the stock Imiev EVSE. That said I don't use extension cords only the proper screw collar lock ring style industrial outlet that the plug was designed for.

That said Australia really did draw the short straw when it came to domestic GPO socked design. Going through my travel Bag of world plugs and comparing the beefy designs (definitely cant step on the euro 10a plug and bend it like the Au one. Our plugs and sockets must be the laughing stock of other country's

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Last edited by offgridQLD on Wed, 14 Jan 2015, 09:30, edited 1 time in total.
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by Johny »

offgridQLD wrote:That said Australia really did draw the short straw when it came to domestic GPO socked design. Going through my travel Bag of world plugs and comparing the beefy designs.....Kurt
I agree - it's usually the sockets fault. I have now cooked 2 plugs and the associated sockets. The fact that the 10A and 15A Australian plugs/sockets have the same size A/N pins is a joke.
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Post by offgridQLD »

I think the pins total mm2 area is ok. It's way thicker than the cable typically feeding it. Though how easy they are to distort and how that evects the contact surface area and pressure in the socket is another thing.

Some of the sockets on extension cords just look like light femail spade terminals set into soft plastic.

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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by carnut1100 »

I need to use an extension cord to charge mine, and the socket started getting toasty....so I went out and bought a decent quality screw lock heavy duty socket and wired it on.
Like a dream now...
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Charging cable has died!!!

Post by offgridQLD »

quoat from AS/NZs 31112 Wikipedia regarding the Au plug & socket design.

" One of the reasons behind the adoption of that particular design was that it was cheap to make; the flat pins could be easily stamped out of sheet brass, in contrast to round pins or thicker rectangular ones used in other countries"

What is that old saying .....you get what you pay for Image

Kurt
Last edited by offgridQLD on Wed, 14 Jan 2015, 10:05, edited 1 time in total.
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