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Charging cable overheats
- Thread starter ahostmadsen
- Start date
It would make more sense to check the connections that you are plugging into than replacing the cable. Its telling you there is resistence / heat. This is something that should be addressed "now" not "later when I get around to it, as heat in electrical wires can cause fires.
Its not impossible that its the tesla mobile connector, but you should start with making sure the adapter that plugs into the mobile connector is securely plugged into it, then looking at the outlet you plug into, before replacing the mobile connector.
Its not impossible that its the tesla mobile connector, but you should start with making sure the adapter that plugs into the mobile connector is securely plugged into it, then looking at the outlet you plug into, before replacing the mobile connector.
Thanks. The outlet was just installed by a (certified) electrician, so I think that should be OK. The NEMA plug itself we also recently bought from Tesla. The Tesla mobile connector, though, is the original that came with the car in 2019.
E90alex
Active Member
Where is it overheating? Feel various parts with the back of your hand from the car going back to the wall. Most likely it’s the outlet that’s overheating. If you have an IR thermometer to take readings then that’s even better.
If it’s the outlet, call the electrician back and tell them it’s overheating. Something is wrong with it, be it a loose connection or faulty receptacle.
If it’s the outlet, call the electrician back and tell them it’s overheating. Something is wrong with it, be it a loose connection or faulty receptacle.
I've read that Tesla uses changes in feed-in resistance as a proxy for wiring overheating, as resistance increases in wiring with increased temperature. So if the wiring resistance climbs 10 minutes after plugging in, that indicates a temperature rise due to current flow and inadequate conductance. The most likely cause is a poor joint connection at your NEMA 14-50 socket. Next most likely would be poor connection in the house wiring, and then a manufacturing defect in the portable EVSE. You might want to confirm your electrician installed 6 AWG or larger wire between you service panel and the NEMA 14-50 socket.
Be very careful when unplugging or plugging into the NEMA 14-50 socket, as you can get a nasty electrical shock if you touch the plug blades. I always flip the breaker to OFF before plugging or unplugging at a NEMA 14-50 connection.
Be very careful when unplugging or plugging into the NEMA 14-50 socket, as you can get a nasty electrical shock if you touch the plug blades. I always flip the breaker to OFF before plugging or unplugging at a NEMA 14-50 connection.
Don't assume that. It is the most likely culprit of this issue. But as others have said when it reports that it is slowing the charging because of heat feel around to see where it feels warm.
What adapter for the mobile connector did you purchase, and outlet did you have installed?
It's the Tesla 14-50, and the corresponding outlet.
The electrician did all the wiring for our new house, and he seems fairly competent.
By the way (in case people didn't notice) I meant that the charging dropped to 16A, not 16V. From 32A to 16A. I also posted here to see if it's a common issue, and it seems not, so something must be wrong.
I will try to feel were the cable is hot right after it drops to 16A next time. But when I have felt the cable in the past, it never seemed hot anywhere, just slightly warm (I would say the Tesla adapter and the box on the cable are slightly wark, not the long part of the cable).
What brand / model of receptacle?
Or, if you remove the plug and look into the plug holes, do the contacts in the receptacle look full size or half size? If the contacts are half size, that can result in higher resistance and heat. The heat may be felt around the plug head.
The very common Leviton 279-S00 has half size contacts. Unfortunately, it is very commonly used because it is compact and fits in smaller receptacle boxes.
Or, if you remove the plug and look into the plug holes, do the contacts in the receptacle look full size or half size? If the contacts are half size, that can result in higher resistance and heat. The heat may be felt around the plug head.
The very common Leviton 279-S00 has half size contacts. Unfortunately, it is very commonly used because it is compact and fits in smaller receptacle boxes.
Very strong chance that it’s the outlet. The Mobile Connector doesn’t usually fail in this manner.
Is the message complaining about the cable or connections? My S has a different alerts.
I got a problem with my recently installed Tesla wall charger, charging rate reduced from 40A -> 19A -> 16A and the alert is "wall connections hot, charging rate reduced", there is one red light flash on the wall charger, unplug and replug sometimes solved the problem.
Originally I thought I may not properly inserted the charger or it is the cable but they asked me to take pictures of the port and the wand, then I realized the end of the charge port is broken. It's not obvious until I took a picture with flash, scheduled a service waiting for parts now.
I got a problem with my recently installed Tesla wall charger, charging rate reduced from 40A -> 19A -> 16A and the alert is "wall connections hot, charging rate reduced", there is one red light flash on the wall charger, unplug and replug sometimes solved the problem.
Originally I thought I may not properly inserted the charger or it is the cable but they asked me to take pictures of the port and the wand, then I realized the end of the charge port is broken. It's not obvious until I took a picture with flash, scheduled a service waiting for parts now.
Now I tried to plug out the wall plug. The prongs on the plug are fairly hot. So, perhaps the theory expressed here that it's the wall outlet that is the issue is correct. Perhaps the wall outlet cannot handle 32A.
I might be misinterpreting your wording here but this wouldn’t be something to dismiss. If it’s a 14-50 outlet and the outlet temperature is indeed the culprit, this is a fault with the installation or receptacle, and is a fire risk.
Did your electrician use a $10 Leviton receptacle? Or a Hubbel that costs anywhere from $75-$130 depending on the source?
This is almost always the fault with these kinds of errors. Either the plug or the breaker screw terminals aren't torqued down enough, or got loose over time. Flip off the breaker, and unscrew the receptacle, inspect the wires and connections, retighten. Retighten the breaker wires as well.
fholbert
Active Member
After reading stories on this forum, I bought one of these to make sure nothing was getting hot. I was able measure things I didn’t want to touch, like the wires inside the breaker panel.
JCtx
Member
The mobile cable does get warm, especially in summer, where it gets quite hot inside the garage. But it shouldn't get hot, as in too hot to touch. My car always charged at 32A.
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