iamjustinpowell Posted March 16, 2015 at 02:19 AM Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 at 02:19 AM Hello everyone,Curious to know if anyone is having issues with their OEM L1 charging cable. Specifically I'm having 2 major problems. The first is the output cable becoming severely twisted and now the sheathing is cracking up and down the cable. This has been an ongoing problem since practically day 1. I've tried everything I can think of including untwisting the cable over and over just to find it re-twisted. The second is much more serious. I've noticed that past few weeks that the outlet is starting to get blackened and a prong is now starting to come out of the plug housing. Based on #2 above, it is safe to say I will no longer be using the cable as there is obviously some major short or malfunction with the charger. Has anyone experienced either of these issues?? Also, has anyone had any luck getting for to replace a unit under warranty?? Here is a link to pictures if anyone cares to look at photos of the unit and damage https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dlugo5o743g7bh0/AABDoAOFdxHaYF0yXUaSYkOla?dl=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug0716 Posted March 16, 2015 at 02:41 AM Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 at 02:41 AM Looks like you've had some major electrical issues with that. While the charger should be replaced under warranty you should definitely check the rest of the circuit. The breaker should have flipped before it got to that point and there may be damage to the wiring in the walls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamjustinpowell Posted March 16, 2015 at 11:25 AM Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 at 11:25 AM You are correct Doug, the breaker should have tripped. Fortunately, (I forgot to mention) the GFI that the circuit is on did trip. That's how I first discovered something had happened. My garage walls are completely open so I've visually inspected the entire run of wire and found no issues. I am going to replace the receptacle though just to be safe. The reason I ask about replacing under warranty is that on my last trip to the dealership to replace an ECM, I asked the service manager to check into it. Granted, this was prior to the major issue I've had now, but his response was that Ford would not replace the item due to "Normal wear and tear". Typical boiler-plate response....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homegameroom Posted March 16, 2015 at 11:56 AM Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 at 11:56 AM (edited) Be sure that the outlet was wired properly while you have it apart. Make sure the wire gauge is correct. I'd also be sure it was wired with the screw terminals rather than the push-in connectors that you occasionally find. Good luck!! I hope everything turns out okay. Edited March 16, 2015 at 12:07 PM by Homegameroom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonzo71 Posted March 16, 2015 at 05:02 PM Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 at 05:02 PM I've havent had any problems with mine and glad you caught it. Let us know what happens next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevedebi Posted March 16, 2015 at 05:23 PM Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 at 05:23 PM Hello everyone,Curious to know if anyone is having issues with their OEM L1 charging cable. Specifically I'm having 2 major problems. The first is the output cable becoming severely twisted and now the sheathing is cracking up and down the cable. This has been an ongoing problem since practically day 1. I've tried everything I can think of including untwisting the cable over and over just to find it re-twisted. The second is much more serious. I've noticed that past few weeks that the outlet is starting to get blackened and a prong is now starting to come out of the plug housing. Based on #2 above, it is safe to say I will no longer be using the cable as there is obviously some major short or malfunction with the charger. Has anyone experienced either of these issues?? Also, has anyone had any luck getting for to replace a unit under warranty?? Here is a link to pictures if anyone cares to look at photos of the unit and damage https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dlugo5o743g7bh0/AABDoAOFdxHaYF0yXUaSYkOla?dl=0 I've had mine 6 months. I charge outside and my cord (while it tangles) does not look anything like that. I'm afraid from that plug that your wiring has damaged the OEM charge cable. You might look into replacement cords from other manufacturers, or maybe bite the bullet for an L2 - but get the wiring fixed first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug0716 Posted March 17, 2015 at 12:33 AM Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 at 12:33 AM I've had mine 6 months. I charge outside and my cord (while it tangles) does not look anything like that. I'm afraid from that plug that your wiring has damaged the OEM charge cable. You might look into replacement cords from other manufacturers, or maybe bite the bullet for an L2 - but get the wiring fixed first!What makes you think the defect was in the outlet? It's much more likely that the problem was in the charger and circuit breaker failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted March 17, 2015 at 12:45 AM Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 at 12:45 AM A burned receptacle slot can be caused by the screw for that wire not being tight enough. It creates a high resistance connection that gets hot. Replace the receptacle and cut the end off of the wire because it has probably become brittle from the heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pioneer11 Posted March 17, 2015 at 12:47 AM Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 at 12:47 AM You are correct Doug, the breaker should have tripped. Fortunately, (I forgot to mention) the GFI that the circuit is on did trip. That's how I first discovered something had happened. My garage walls are completely open so I've visually inspected the entire run of wire and found no issues. I am going to replace the receptacle though just to be safe. The reason I ask about replacing under warranty is that on my last trip to the dealership to replace an ECM, I asked the service manager to check into it. Granted, this was prior to the major issue I've had now, but his response was that Ford would not replace the item due to "Normal wear and tear". Typical boiler-plate response.......You need to get a pro electrician to check out your house wiring. The breaker and GFI protect two different things. Breakers trip on high current. GFIs trip when the currents in hot and neutral differ (meaning juice is going to ground some way it should not). Doug0716 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Fusion Posted March 17, 2015 at 01:30 AM Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 at 01:30 AM Seems like you have some good advice about problem #2. Problem #1 is you're wrapping it every time you wind it up. You need to rotate the spool as you go so the cable wraps without twisting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamjustinpowell Posted March 17, 2015 at 11:04 AM Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 at 11:04 AM Thanks to everyone for their replies and suggestions. Hats off to Fat Fusion too. That suggestion is so beautifully simply I'm almost embarassed I couldn't think of it myself (I'm having flashbacks of my father yelling at me for wrapping an extension chord around my arm!!). In regards to problem #2, I'm going to inspect the receptacle tonight when I get home. Will add pictures to the same DB folder as I go. Interestingly, I looked at a few receptacles at my work and places I frequent and noticed a few of them are darkened, although not nearly as bad as the one at my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted March 17, 2015 at 01:59 PM Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 at 01:59 PM If that receptacle is wired using the strip and insert hole, that is a problem. That type of wiring works fine if the only load is a table lamp. For continuous maximum load on a receptacle the wire should be wrapped around the screw and the screw tightened as tight as possible without stripping the screw threads. Hybridbear 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevedebi Posted March 17, 2015 at 05:58 PM Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 at 05:58 PM What makes you think the defect was in the outlet? It's much more likely that the problem was in the charger and circuit breaker failure.Well, it could be a defective charger, but that would be unusual since I've not read of a lot of defective charges. A circuit breaker tripping should not cause issues. I would think (as others have suggested) that something is wrong with the plug, causing higher resistance and therefore heat. I use my charger outside, and keep it in a plastic bag. That makes it a bit more trouble to wind the cord, so I generally don't bother winding it at all, except for looping it around my arm. I'll have to consider winding it. But then I have to unwind it at night, rewind it the next day, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordService Posted March 18, 2015 at 10:28 PM Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 at 10:28 PM Hello everyone,Curious to know if anyone is having issues with their OEM L1 charging cable. Specifically I'm having 2 major problems. The first is the output cable becoming severely twisted and now the sheathing is cracking up and down the cable. This has been an ongoing problem since practically day 1. I've tried everything I can think of including untwisting the cable over and over just to find it re-twisted. The second is much more serious. I've noticed that past few weeks that the outlet is starting to get blackened and a prong is now starting to come out of the plug housing. Based on #2 above, it is safe to say I will no longer be using the cable as there is obviously some major short or malfunction with the charger. Has anyone experienced either of these issues?? Also, has anyone had any luck getting for to replace a unit under warranty?? Here is a link to pictures if anyone cares to look at photos of the unit and damage https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dlugo5o743g7bh0/AABDoAOFdxHaYF0yXUaSYkOla?dl=0 Hi there! I want to see how to best assist on this. Please send me a PM with your VIN, mileage, best daytime phone, full name, and dealer name/location. Meagan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamjustinpowell Posted March 19, 2015 at 01:29 AM Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 at 01:29 AM Hello everyone...Sorry for the delay in getting back to you all. Been a busy week for me. So last night I went ahead and removed the receptacle and inspected the wiring. I have uploaded pics into the dropbox folder for everyone to see. The wire is 12/2 with a ground. Most of your suspicions were correct, as the receptacles were wired using the push-in connectors and not the screws. To make matters worse (I suspect), the two receptacles were wired in series and the one I was using was on the end of the circuit. All of the wiring appears to be intact and not brittle, but in the pictures it appears that the insulation on the end of the neutral is discolored. When looking at it in person that did not appear to be the case, so I'm wondering if that was just the flash. I plugged in my circuit analyzer to make sure everything was wired correctly and tested the continuity to make sure there was no short in the circuit. So there you have it. Now, the last picture in the folder is of an outlet at my work that I inspected also. Unfortunately, my phone died so I couldn't take anymore but I performed the same type of inspection. This time though the screw lugs were utilized on the receptacle as push-in connectors were not present. You can see though that the same type of heat was generated..... While I'm assuming most of you will say "Ah hah! It was the receptacle!" and are probably much smarter people than I am; I just can't shake the fact that the greater, more catastrophic damage is to the charger. In my line of work (15 year Fireman and certified Fire Investigator), you always work towards the area of most heat damage and that usually ends up being your origin/cause. In this case that's the input plug on the charger. By all means poke holes in my thoughts as I'm wanting this to be a learning situation for anyone that comes across the thread! Thanks guys/gals for all of your input and thoughts! BTW, BIG round of applause for Ford stepping up and joining the thread :clapping: !! Meagan I will PM you now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug0716 Posted March 19, 2015 at 03:30 AM Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 at 03:30 AM Jumper wires between two outlets in a single box is normal. Was the wiring loose at all? It looks to be the correct gauge for the receptical. Honestly I'd cut the wire while it's still inside and take the front plate off to look at the wiring connection.Also just out of curiosity are your circuitbreakers labels red with black text? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russael Posted March 19, 2015 at 03:49 AM Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 at 03:49 AM If your wire gauge is 12/2, those may actually be clamp pins. If you had to undo the screw to remove the outlet from the wires, those are most likely commercial grade outlets (significantly more expensive than regular 69 cent specials), and MUCH better than the quickwire residential grade ones. Most of the quickwire ones only use 14 gauge, not 12. Someone posted this little article on the MFM website who wound up having the same problem as the OP. http://www.handymanhowto.com/electrical-outlets-side-wire-versus-back-wire/ It doesn't look like your wires themselves were scorched... I'm inclined to believe there was something wrong in the plug head of your EVSE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted March 19, 2015 at 09:46 AM Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 at 09:46 AM All of the outlet pictures except for the last one are of 15 ampere outlets. The standard wire size for a 15 ampere circuit is 14 gauge wire. The last outlet picture is of a 20 ampere GFCI outlet. The standard wire size for a 20 ampere circuit is 12 gauge wire. I do not see an indication of the heat being generated at the back of the outlet. That leaves the plug on the charger. Was the charger body separately supported or was it being supported by the plug? If the charger body was being supported by the plug it could slowly back out of the outlet due to the weight which would reduce the contact patch between the plug pins and the outlet prongs. If the contact patch is too small heat will be generated at the contact patch. Once it starts to heat the resistance of the contact patch will climb and the heating will increase. I don't know if this was true in your case but as a warning to anyone reading this thread, DO NOT LET THE CHARGER BODY HANG FROM THE PLUG. It must be separately supported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonzo71 Posted March 19, 2015 at 01:31 PM Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 at 01:31 PM I used to do that. In my case, the plug was very snug in so there wasnt any play in it but dont have to worry about it now. Is there a warning somewhere about that? I didnt know till I read it here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted March 19, 2015 at 01:45 PM Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 at 01:45 PM The warning applies to any appliance that has a plug. The plug was not designed to support any weight other than the cord. Most appliances have long cords so it isn't an issue. I don't understand why Ford put such a short cord on the charger. It should have been at least 6 feet long. Mine spends 99.9% of the time in my trunk. My wall mounted 240 volt charger has a 25 foot cord that can reach anywhere in my garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordService Posted March 19, 2015 at 05:22 PM Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 at 05:22 PM ...BTW, BIG round of applause for Ford stepping up and joining the thread :clapping: !! Meagan I will PM you now! :hat_tip: I got it! Meagan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamjustinpowell Posted March 19, 2015 at 05:56 PM Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 at 05:56 PM Doug, the only reason I point out the daisy-chaining aspect is from a resistance stand-point. Obviously resistance seems to be a common theme in everyones suggestions and utilizing the last receptacle in the line would increase ones chances of having a higher resistance, no? Also, every wire was secure near as I could tell. Murphy to address your concern, at no time does the charger ever hang from the receptacle. At home the receptacle has a small deepfreeze directly underneath about 3-4" and the charger rests on top of it while in operation. At work the receptacle is near the ground and I rest the charger against the building while in operation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamjustinpowell Posted March 19, 2015 at 06:06 PM Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 at 06:06 PM Jumper wires between two outlets in a single box is normal. Was the wiring loose at all? It looks to be the correct gauge for the receptical. Honestly I'd cut the wire while it's still inside and take the front plate off to look at the wiring connection. Also just out of curiosity are your circuitbreakers labels red with black text? Are you referring to the breakers in my main panel Murphy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted March 19, 2015 at 07:30 PM Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 at 07:30 PM Are you referring to the breakers in my main panel Murphy? I didn't ask the question about circuit breakers, Doug0716 asked that question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug0716 Posted March 20, 2015 at 03:07 AM Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 at 03:07 AM (edited) Yes I am talking about the main breaker. The reason I ask is that it's almost a surefire indicator of a Federal Pacific breaker box, which as a brand is known to fail to trip. But they're not always red w/ black so if they're not, don't assume that means your box is safe.http://www.ismypanelsafe.com/fpe_damage.aspx http://inspectapedia.com/fpe/FPE_Stab_Lok_Hazards.htm Edited March 21, 2015 at 10:24 AM by jeff_h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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