Mobile Connector Keeps Tripping GFCI

[nextdoorjames]

I have a 2020 Model 3 (just bought it used from a friend who took immaculate care of it). I don't use enough electricity to warrant installation of a dedicated charger, so I've been charging it with the Mobile Connector. The Mobile Connector, however, keeps tripping the GFCI outlet that I plug it into. It will charge a variable amount of time -- sometimes just a few minutes, sometimes several hours -- but will inevitably trip the GFCI outlet. Here are all of the fixes/causes that I've tried and/or eliminated:

• There is nothing else plugged in to the circuit that the GFCI outlet is on. It's a dedicated circuit -- I had a plug-in hybrid before the Tesla, and we installed the outlet specifically to charge the car and nothing else.
• The GFCI outlet itself is brand-new; I had an electrician come in and replace it just last week.
• The Mobile Connector is nearly new -- I took it into Tesla about 2-3 months ago for some other service, and told them about my problems with the GFCI outlet. They said they couldn't find anything wrong with the car's electrical system (although I don't know how hard they looked), but they gave me a brand-new Mobile Connector in case the old one was the problem.
• It is the GFCI in the outlet tripping, not the GFCI in the Mobile Connector itself or the actual breaker.
• I have lowered the charging amperage from 12 to 11, and then 10, and that doesn't seem to make a difference.

I've seen a lot of threads in the forums about GFCI issues, but I don't see any definitive fixes or causes. People raise some combination of the points above ("Have you replaced the mobile connector?" "Are you sure it isn't the breaker tripping?", etc.), but I haven't seen any solution when someone has tried all of the fixes above. Has anyone (a) had these types of issues and (b) been able to find a permanent fix?

 

[fholbert]

You have a double GFI, that’s your issue.

• One for your wall outlet.
• One built into the charger.

Plug into a non GFI outlet and I think you problem will disappear.

 

[brkaus]

You have a double GFI, that’s your issue.

• One for your wall outlet.
• One built into the charger.

Plug into a non GFI outlet and I think you problem will disappear.

That maybe the issue, but implies the first is overly sensitive. Technically the outlet needs a gfci for code these days.

 

[fholbert]

That maybe the issue, but implies the first is overly sensitive. Technically the outlet needs a gfci for code these days.

True, most codes require it.

Years ago I rented a tile saw, one that sprays water on the blade while it cuts. The rental yard gave me a 5 foot extension cord with a GFI plug. Said he’s required to give me the GFI plug, but if I plug it into a GFI outlet it will pop the breaker. First I heard that two GFI’s, like having two girlfriends, just doesn’t work.

Nothing has changed.

 

[sewing1]

I had the same problem with my Tesla Mobile Connector. At first I replaced the GFCI receptacle with a regular one. Later I installed Tesla’s recommended home charging solution, a Wall Connector.

 

[Rocky_H]

You have a double GFI, that’s your issue.

No, that's not it--or not directly. That doesn't cause anything, and they don't do anything to each other. It's just GFCI's being likely to have a problem, and the more of them you put in the path, the higher the chances of one of them having a problem.

I have lowered the charging amperage from 12 to 11, and then 10, and that doesn't seem to make a difference.

Reducing amps doesn't matter, because it's not about high current.
The action that causes the trips in these is usually the ground test that the charging cable does. It tries to leak a little current onto the ground pin to see if it's tied down or floating. But that is the very thing a GFCI is supposed to detect and prevent by tripping. So it gets really touchy if the amount of current the cable is putting on there is below the trip threshold of the GFCI or not. GFCI's can get out of spec fairly easily over time, so that's not unusual for them to have problems with this.

 

[ATPMSD]

I assume you are using a standard breaker in the panel and a GFCI outlet, if you have a GFCI in both places that is a problem. You need to have one or the other.

If a GFCI is tripping it could be a bad or oversensative unit, but most likley it is a wiring problem. Check to ensure the wires in the panel are tight, and also the connectors on the outlet are tight. And especially do not forget the ground wire at both locations.

 

[Hotwheelzz]

I have a 2020 Model 3 (just bought it used from a friend who took immaculate care of it). I don't use enough electricity to warrant installation of a dedicated charger, so I've been charging it with the Mobile Connector. The Mobile Connector, however, keeps tripping the GFCI outlet that I plug it into. It will charge a variable amount of time -- sometimes just a few minutes, sometimes several hours -- but will inevitably trip the GFCI outlet. Here are all of the fixes/causes that I've tried and/or eliminated:

• There is nothing else plugged in to the circuit that the GFCI outlet is on. It's a dedicated circuit -- I had a plug-in hybrid before the Tesla, and we installed the outlet specifically to charge the car and nothing else.
• The GFCI outlet itself is brand-new; I had an electrician come in and replace it just last week.
• The Mobile Connector is nearly new -- I took it into Tesla about 2-3 months ago for some other service, and told them about my problems with the GFCI outlet. They said they couldn't find anything wrong with the car's electrical system (although I don't know how hard they looked), but they gave me a brand-new Mobile Connector in case the old one was the problem.
• It is the GFCI in the outlet tripping, not the GFCI in the Mobile Connector itself or the actual breaker.
• I have lowered the charging amperage from 12 to 11, and then 10, and that doesn't seem to make a difference.

I've seen a lot of threads in the forums about GFCI issues, but I don't see any definitive fixes or causes. People raise some combination of the points above ("Have you replaced the mobile connector?" "Are you sure it isn't the breaker tripping?", etc.), but I haven't seen any solution when someone has tried all of the fixes above. Has anyone (a) had these types of issues and (b) been able to find a permanent fix?

I have a 2020 Model 3 (just bought it used from a friend who took immaculate care of it). I don't use enough electricity to warrant installation of a dedicated charger, so I've been charging it with the Mobile Connector. The Mobile Connector, however, keeps tripping the GFCI outlet that I plug it into. It will charge a variable amount of time -- sometimes just a few minutes, sometimes several hours -- but will inevitably trip the GFCI outlet. Here are all of the fixes/causes that I've tried and/or eliminated:

• There is nothing else plugged in to the circuit that the GFCI outlet is on. It's a dedicated circuit -- I had a plug-in hybrid before the Tesla, and we installed the outlet specifically to charge the car and nothing else.
• The GFCI outlet itself is brand-new; I had an electrician come in and replace it just last week.
• The Mobile Connector is nearly new -- I took it into Tesla about 2-3 months ago for some other service, and told them about my problems with the GFCI outlet. They said they couldn't find anything wrong with the car's electrical system (although I don't know how hard they looked), but they gave me a brand-new Mobile Connector in case the old one was the problem.
• It is the GFCI in the outlet tripping, not the GFCI in the Mobile Connector itself or the actual breaker.
• I have lowered the charging amperage from 12 to 11, and then 10, and that doesn't seem to make a difference.

I've seen a lot of threads in the forums about GFCI issues, but I don't see any definitive fixes or causes. People raise some combination of the points above ("Have you replaced the mobile connector?" "Are you sure it isn't the breaker tripping?", etc.), but I haven't seen any solution when someone has tried all of the fixes above. Has anyone (a) had these types of issues and (b) been able to find a permanent fix?

Same issue with my Y LR. Sometimes it charges until it's full. Sometimes it trips within 10% of charging. Sometimes it trips after charging 40%. I just left at work charging yesterday and it tripped after 7%. My understanding is what the other comment said. The charger will leak a micro amount of electricity via the ground wire in order to test the integrity of the system. (I'm not an electrician, so please forgive me for not using the proper phraseology). I don't think there's a way to fix it. I've had more success in plugging my car into older GFCI's (maybe it's no longer working properly, so it is not as sensitive like the new one). Only Teslas (so far I havent found anyone with this problem) seem to have those issues. It is incredibly annoying, especially when you go away and count of that charge. I am hoping Tesla will upgrade the software at some point, in order to remediate this issue!!

 

[LostVector]

Same issue with my Y LR. Sometimes it charges until it's full. Sometimes it trips within 10% of charging. Sometimes it trips after charging 40%. I just left at work charging yesterday and it tripped after 7%. My understanding is what the other comment said. The charger will leak a micro amount of electricity via the ground wire in order to test the integrity of the system. (I'm not an electrician, so please forgive me for not using the proper phraseology). I don't think there's a way to fix it. I've had more success in plugging my car into older GFCI's (maybe it's no longer working properly, so it is not as sensitive like the new one). Only Teslas (so far I havent found anyone with this problem) seem to have those issues. It is incredibly annoying, especially when you go away and count of that charge. I am hoping Tesla will upgrade the software at some point, in order to remediate this issue!!

I might be overthinking it, but after reading enough annoyance stories, I avoided installing a GFCI EV charging outlet in the garage for this exact reason. To adhere to the spirit of the code, I put a lockable in-use cover over the outlet so it's really not accessible for anything but what I use it for, which is the mobile connector that has GFCI built in.