Charging anomalies M3 & Zappi

[Dilly]

I’ve been charging EV’s for 7 years without issue, the Tesla for 4 years.

I had a new charge port fitted at the back end of last year and since last month, perhaps a shade earlier the car has randomly delayed charge. Usually it’s just a few minutes and then continues. Once it didn’t restart at all. Once it signalled charge complete when it was nowhere near.

Today charge completed at 11:47. The Zappi logs show no interaction with the car after this time.
At 16:07 the Tesla app notified charge complete (again!). No charge whatsoever had taken place. I’ve never seen this before.

There are no timers set, I’m not on IO and I have no voltage issues. The Zappi was new in November and all the log entries indicate it’s responding to what the car tells it.

I suspect a poor connection in the charge port or suchlike.

Anyone encountered similar?

 

[MrBadger]

Today charge completed at 11:47. The Zappi logs show no interaction with the car after this time.
At 16:07 the Tesla app notified charge complete (again!). No charge whatsoever had taken place. I’ve never seen this before.

I noticed last week or so that the charge completed notification was very late. It may have been a comms /api issue as iirc TeslaFi reported a phantom charge.

I say phantom charge as I checked my homebrew electricity monitor that spot measures every 5 minutes but also averages over that time and no evidence of any large power draw during that time.

But memory is a little vague so actually may be slightly different. I could double check logs if needed.

Dumb/in car scheduled charging fwiw.

 

[Dilly]

I noticed last week or so that the charge completed notification was very late. It may have been a comms /api issue as iirc TeslaFi reported a phantom charge.

I say phantom charge as I checked my homebrew electricity monitor that spot measures every 5 minutes but also averages over that time and no evidence of any large power draw during that time.

But memory is a little vague so actually may be slightly different. I could double check logs if needed.

Dumb/in car scheduled charging fwiw.

That’s the trouble. Could be car software, car hardware, recent app update or perhaps the new Zappi though that’s less likely.
I’m sure it’s car orientated.

 

[pdk42]

I’m sure you’re aware that the Zappi implements the stupid regulatory requirement to delay a charge by up to 10 mins?

 

[Dilly]

I’m sure you’re aware that the Zappi implements the stupid regulatory requirement to delay a charge by up to 10 mins?

Yes, I am. It does that, but that’s not the problem which in itself is a bit random. Say I set a scheduled boost in the Zappi. The charge starts, albeit up to 10 mins late, then usually early on in the charge, Zappi shows ‘charge delayed’. It could be moments or minutes later that the charge restarts. Once, it was not at all! Charge delayed is usually the car saying no. Never had this problem until this year.

…and of course, it’s not every charge.

 

[Burley]

I've had all sorts of issues with charging my M3 on my mum's Zappi. Ours works fine and we never have an issue (our Zappi is a couple of month's newer), but when I charge at hers I get all sorts of interruptions, charge delayed and failed charges. I've worked around it by reducing the current to 29A, which seems to help - even with that there are still some interruptions. I've wondered if her Zappi is oversensitive to heat, but the readings never show a high temperature.

 

[Dilly]

I've had all sorts of issues with charging my M3 on my mum's Zappi. Ours works fine and we never have an issue (our Zappi is a couple of month's newer), but when I charge at hers I get all sorts of interruptions, charge delayed and failed charges. I've worked around it by reducing the current to 29A, which seems to help - even with that there are still some interruptions. I've wondered if her Zappi is oversensitive to heat, but the readings never show a high temperature.

Likewise, temperature doesn’t seem to be an issue. It’s in the garage in the same place as the old Zappi. It’s set to 30 amps.
The V1 worked for 4 years without issue. This is V2.1 new in November.
Our outdoor V2.1 works fine and the Peugeot charges fine on the garage one too.

 

[LachyB]

Has anyone solved their Tesla not charging using the Zappi?
I schedule mine overnight to charge between 12:30-4:30 and sometimes I get 20miles, sometimes a full 4hr charge, and sometimes nothing.

Charger works fine with other EVs, just tesla that's an issue. Visited their service centre twice to be told its user error the first time as they had it working on their tesla chargers and then it must be the charger the second time "because the car is smart and the charger is a smart, so they don't work. But other evs aren't smart so they work".

 

[Dilly]

Has anyone solved their Tesla not charging using the Zappi?
I schedule mine overnight to charge between 12:30-4:30 and sometimes I get 20miles, sometimes a full 4hr charge, and sometimes nothing.

Charger works fine with other EVs, just tesla that's an issue. Visited their service centre twice to be told its user error the first time as they had it working on their tesla chargers and then it must be the charger the second time "because the car is smart and the charger is a smart, so they don't work. But other evs aren't smart so they work".

Do you get charging interrupted messages from the Tesla app?
Check the Zappi event logs to see what’s happening. I’d expect to see charge delayed in them .

 

[pdk42]

Has anyone solved their Tesla not charging using the Zappi?
I schedule mine overnight to charge between 12:30-4:30 and sometimes I get 20miles, sometimes a full 4hr charge, and sometimes nothing.

Charger works fine with other EVs, just tesla that's an issue. Visited their service centre twice to be told its user error the first time as they had it working on their tesla chargers and then it must be the charger the second time "because the car is smart and the charger is a smart, so they don't work. But other evs aren't smart so they work".

My Zappi works fine with the Model Y.

 

[Drew57]

My Zappi works fine with the Model Y.

Same here. The V2 Zappi has worked faultlessly with two Teslas for more than four years.

Model 3 from April 2020 until December 2022 - Tracker, Agile, Go then IO

Model Y/Zappi since December 2022 - IO/IOG

I've been using Octopus Intelligent via Fast mode (now IOG) for more than two years and the Zappi has remained 100% reliable. Likewise with solar charging using Eco+ and also with a Fiat 500e via Zappi scheduling and via solar since January 2022.

 

[Dilly]

I haven’t had a significant problem with charges dropping out for a while now. Just the odd short one where charging then continues.

The prime suspect is the tethered cable or plug.

Today I got around to swapping that cable for the one off my V1 Zappi which never missed a beat.

I’ll report back in a month with my verdict.

What I will say is that the original lead was heavy duty with a Duosida plug. When I measured all my plugs, the Duosida was 0.25mm wider side to side than the Myenergi plugs and feels much firmer in the charge port. Since moving the new plug in the port was possible and did have a detrimental effect, the firmer fit may put paid to the problem.

 

[LachyB]

Do you get charging interrupted messages from the Tesla app?
Check the Zappi event logs to see what’s happening. I’d expect to see charge delayed in them .

Even when it charges I get a charging stopped message from the Tesla app. Get multiple notifications during the charging session.

Attached the event log from the zappi (I took photos of all the other events after I don't know what I'm looking at here)

 

[Dilly]

Even when it charges I get a charging stopped message from the Tesla app. Get multiple notifications during the charging session.

Attached the event log from the zappi (I took photos of all the other events after I don't know what I'm looking at here)

I think you said Tesla looked at the problem. Using the event log give them a date/timestamp and ask them to do diagnostic for proximity voltage.
If it’s 1.9V and stable that’s not the problem. If it’s unstable then it might be the lead or the plug.

What has worked for me is to plug in gently and let the cable hang to the floor under the plug..

 

[LachyB]

I think you said Tesla looked at the problem. Using the event log give them a date/timestamp and ask them to do diagnostic for proximity voltage.
If it’s 1.9V and stable that’s not the problem. If it’s unstable then it might be the lead or the plug.

What has worked for me is to plug in gently and let the cable hang to the floor under the plug..

I've tested it with 3 other EVs and none of them have a problem. When I took it in they only tested it using an immediate charge rather than waiting for the Tesla to go to sleep and try and get wakened by the charger.

 

[Dilly]

I've tested it with 3 other EVs and none of them have a problem. When I took it in they only tested it using an immediate charge rather than waiting for the Tesla to go to sleep and try and get wakened by the charger.

I’m not aware that waking the car is a problem these days. Tesla’s have usually been more reliable than other marques at waking to charge.
I still believe that Tesla’s are more sensitive to proximity voltage stability and the root cause is faults in the pilot cable or the plug itself.

If you have one, try a charge from your Tesla granny charger. I’ll wager that won’t miss a beat.

The Zappi event log for a successful charge should show; RCD checking, charging, (until completion)then charge delayed, charge complete.
If there are more charge delayed entries, and charging does or doesn’t restart then pilot cable or plug is my best guess.