Model 3 not remembering charge rate that I set

[EVnut]

I have an HPWC that was installed and commissioned (by me) for 48A. It has been working flawlessly and consistently for almost five years with my Model 3. I've been able to charge at any rate that I set... until recently. Now it seems to forget my chosen charge rate setting for this location, and consistently resets to 48A every time.

One of the features I like and use a lot is the geo-location-remembered charge rate. I drive to my Mom's, set it at 30A, charge, drive away. The next time I arrive, it defaults to 30A. Awesome! And I do this at home several times per week. At least I did, for many years, but now it will not remember my setting, and will simply always default to the HPWC max setting of 48A.

I choose to charge at 32A while home (the reason for this is not relevant for this discussion. If it interests anybody [it won't] we should start a new thread.)
I plug the car in (delayed until 3AM). I set the desired SOC and I set the charge rate to 32A. I can set these in the car, on my phone's app, on my wife's phone. They all mirror each other no matter where it is set.... they all show the same thing. When when 3AM rolls around, the car charges at 48A. I can unplug, plug back in, and it starts charging at 48A. After some driving, when I plug back into my HPWC, the car again defaults to 48A.

If I set it to 32A (or anything), and start charging immediately, it charges at 32A as expected. When done, and I next try to charge, it resets to 48A. This has been going on for a few months now, and I can't figure out why it will not remember the charge rate, and why it resets to max even after I manually change it.... if I use delayed start.

The one thing I have not yet tried is power-cycling the HPWC. Maybe that will magically fix it (note that I'm not sure if it will work correctly at OTHER locations, since I haven't tried that since this began. Only at home). And yes, I have excellent Wifi and cellular connection where the car is parked in my garage.

Anybody wish to take a stab at this? Poking all around the 'net makes it seem like I'm the only one with this particular (won't remember the setting) issue.

 

[jjrandorin]

I dont remember a bunch of threads on this type of thing. If you installed this 5 years ago, you probably have a gen 2 wall connector. You can try power cycling it by flipping the breaker its connected to off and on, (rebooting something is always something one can try).

If you never want to charge at 48amp at this location (why is irrelevant as you mention), you could also change the configuration of the wall connector to a 40amp circuit, vs the 60amp circuit its configured for now.

On the Gen 2s, this setting is a dial inside the wall connector.

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/wall_connector_installation_manual_80A_en_US.pdf

(page 22)

Move from position 9 (which is 60amp / 48amp charging, to position 6 40amp / 32amp charging).

If you never intend to charge at 48amp, and this continues, this would be an option.

 

[Sophias_dad]

A reminder that if you want to change the setting of the HPWC, turn off the breaker first. That's both because of hazardous voltages(which are actually very well protected) inside the case, and more importantly because I've heard tales of HPWCs that have hard-failed because their dial was turned while power was on.

 

[EVnut]

Thanks JJ. As I wired, installed and commissioned the HPWC, I'm familiar with the settings and how to change them. Heck, I created a circuit for this thing that's capable of 100A and always want the option to charge at 48.... as I do when in a hurry. But at the same time, I want the option to charge slower on a typical, regular basis. So that's the only part that's missing here. I know I can change the Gen 2 HPWC to throttle the charge permanently. But that's not what I'm after. I've just power cycled it, and tonight we'll see if that helps. But I can't help but think this is an issue with the app and/or the car settings. But we'll know soon enough. I'm just surprised that nobody else seems to have run across this.

As per usual, I'm a bit "special."

 

[jjrandorin]

Thanks JJ. As I wired, installed and commissioned the HPWC, I'm familiar with the settings and how to change them. Heck, I created a circuit for this thing that's capable of 100A and always want the option to charge at 48.... as I do when in a hurry. But at the same time, I want the option to charge slower on a typical, regular basis. So that's the only part that's missing here. I know I can change the Gen 2 HPWC to throttle the charge permanently. But that's not what I'm after. I've just power cycled it, and tonight we'll see if that helps. But I can't help but think this is an issue with the app and/or the car settings. But we'll know soon enough. I'm just surprised that nobody else seems to have run across this.

As per usual, I'm a bit "special."

Its funny you mention starting charge at 3am, since that also what time I have my car set to charge (my wifes car is set to 4am start time). Any chance you have a third party app connected to your car that might be setting charge rate?

 

[EVnut]

Its funny you mention starting charge at 3am, since that also what time I have my car set to charge (my wifes car is set to 4am start time). Any chance you have a third party app connected to your car that might be setting charge rate?

Good thinking, but nope. This is one of those times when I've been wracking my brain to figure out what may have changed to create this. So far... I've got nothing. It MAY have happened after the last FSD update that I got. It is one of those things that happens while I'm sleeping, and didn't notice that the current was set to 48A. Then one day I got up early, and expected the car to NOT be all the way charged, but it was. That's when I noticed that I was charging full-bore every time, no matter what I set it to.

 

[Rocky_H]

@EVnut, Huh, you do have kind of a puzzle going on here. I don't have a really good answer, but just some related thoughts on this. Power cycling or whatever on the wall connector unit shouldn't be relevant. It's still announcing what it can provide. That's not the issue. The car is requesting some amount of amps, so that's where the issue is.

The amp level is only being changed and memorized when it is plugged in at that location, but it does sound like you were doing it that way, so should be fine.

That custom amp setting can be forgotten/lost/deleted for various reasons with an update. But then it should only take one following time of setting it again to create that entry again. If you set it again, but it's still not using it, that's weird.

My car went through several weeks where the GPS on my car was drifting all around my subdivision, so it would not use my custom amp setting at home, because it didn't think the car was there. If you look at your car's position on the map, does it look like it's in the right spot?

 

[EVnut]

@EVnut, Huh, you do have kind of a puzzle going on here. I don't have a really good answer, but just some related thoughts on this. Power cycling or whatever on the wall connector unit shouldn't be relevant. It's still announcing what it can provide. That's not the issue. The car is requesting some amount of amps, so that's where the issue is.

The amp level is only being changed and memorized when it is plugged in at that location, but it does sound like you were doing it that way, so should be fine.

That custom amp setting can be forgotten/lost/deleted for various reasons with an update. But then it should only take one following time of setting it again to create that entry again. If you set it again, but it's still not using it, that's weird.

My car went through several weeks where the GPS on my car was drifting all around my subdivision, so it would not use my custom amp setting at home, because it didn't think the car was there. If you look at your car's position on the map, does it look like it's in the right spot?

Thanks for the understanding, and the empathy! I just checked the location of the car at my Wife's work. And at least at that location it is precise down to the very parking space. I'll check that when it arrives home as well. Good idea. I wonder what would allow poor GPS positioning like that. The mirrors on the car fold when I return home, at the proper time (ish) so me thinks that it knows where the car is. But we'll see!

 

[father_of_6]

I suspect this is just a regression from a recent update. This seems to happen all of the time. They break something that was working, then a few months later they fix it (or don't).

I had driving directions to a store today, but stopped at a different place on the way. Usually when I do this and get back in the car, my directions are still on screen... but today they were just gone. I recently updated to whatever the latest version is.

 

[EVnut]

I suspect this is just a regression from a recent update. This seems to happen all of the time. They break something that was working, then a few months later they fix it (or don't).

I had driving directions to a store today, but stopped at a different place on the way. Usually when I do this and get back in the car, my directions are still on screen... but today they were just gone. I recently updated to whatever the latest version is.

Oh, I agree with the regular regressions! But you'd think that this would happen to at least one other person....

 

[Park2670]

No matter what I do, my car always says 48 amps when its at home, until I plug it in... Then it drops to 32 amps. I do wonder if thats a possibility?

Mine is a Gen 2 wall connector, can charge at 48 amps, but regularly charge at 32 set to start at 1 am.

 

[EVnut]

No matter what I do, my car always says 48 amps when its at home, until I plug it in... Then it drops to 32 amps. I do wonder if thats a possibility?

Mine is a Gen 2 wall connector, can charge at 48 amps, but regularly charge at 32 set to start at 1 am.

Ha! Mine is set to 32/48. And if I plug in and charge immediately, it charges at 32. If I let it sit until the delayed time, it charges at 48/48.

I'm sure you've tried to click the + button on the right side of the 32 to increase it while charging? It says 32/48 while charging? You are not able to notch it up while charging? If you do that, then it SHOULD remember this the next time you charger at that location. Mine certainly used to! Or are you saying that you always HAVE to increase it if you want 48, and then it doesn't recall this the next time? That would be the opposite of what I'm seeing!

I should really say that I set mine to 34 or 33 or something that isn't the limit of one of the vehicle configurations. That usually triggers somebody. Like me.

 

[father_of_6]

Oh, I agree with the regular regressions! But you'd think that this would happen to at least one other person....

You have to be using scheduled charging AND want to charge using reduced amperage AND actually notice this issue AND then care enough to post about it. You might actually be the only one to have done all 4 of those

I only recently updated to the latest version, and only today did I notice that the dashcam / sentry playback window has been moved down which causes the controls at the bottom to be partially covered by the main bar. Even a cursory glance would've caught this. Do their software devs even look at this stuff? I'm gonna guess that none of them drive a Tesla.

 

[EVnut]

You have to be using scheduled charging AND want to charge using reduced amperage AND actually notice this issue AND then care enough to post about it. You might actually be the only one to have done all 4 of those

Ha! OK, fair enough.

We all have our pet 1st world problems. And today, this is mine, dang it!

Oh wait. I can get out of part of this. I only noticed this with my scheduled charging because it was done so quickly. Fact of the matter is, every time I return home and plug in, even if I start charging immediately, It starts at 48. I can then dial it down for that session. But the next time I plug it in at home (or schedule a charge time) it starts at 48 again. So the three things: I want to charge at a lower amperage, I notice that it defaults to 48, and I care.

 

[EVnut]

And for those keeping score at home, a power cycle of the wall connector has accomplished nothing.

I can easily charge at reduced amperage. I just can't seem to make it stick these days.

 

[RayK]

Power cycle (i.e., manual re-boot) of the car maybe? I'm not one to give good advice on cases of home charging (since I don't have it) but you did mention earlier about a software updating happening around the same time you noticed this problem.

 

[father_of_6]

I'd say it's definitely the car software, not the EVSE. The crappy part is there's no official method of reporting bugs like this, so if it doesn't get enough attention then the devs may never know.

Maybe open a service request?

 

[EVnut]

Power cycle (i.e., manual re-boot) of the car maybe? I'm not one to give good advice on cases of home charging (since I don't have it) but you did mention earlier about a software updating happening around the same time you noticed this problem.

Thanks. The car has been hard reset twice and soft rebooted twice since this begin happening.

 

[EVnut]

I'd say it's definitely the car software, not the EVSE. The crappy part is there's no official method of reporting bugs like this, so if it doesn't get enough attention then the devs may never know.

Maybe open a service request?

Certainly a power cycle of the HPWC was unsuccessful. I have the latest version of the app now. Still the same thing happened last night. I did open a service request, and I was told mobile service could not do this and that I must bring it in. And my estimate was $225 to look at it. Totally not worth it

 

[Park2670]

Ha! Mine is set to 32/48. And if I plug in and charge immediately, it charges at 32. If I let it sit until the delayed time, it charges at 48/48.

I'm sure you've tried to click the + button on the right side of the 32 to increase it while charging? It says 32/48 while charging? You are not able to notch it up while charging? If you do that, then it SHOULD remember this the next time you charger at that location. Mine certainly used to! Or are you saying that you always HAVE to increase it if you want 48, and then it doesn't recall this the next time? That would be the opposite of what I'm seeing!

I should really say that I set mine to 34 or 33 or something that isn't the limit of one of the vehicle configurations. That usually triggers somebody. Like me.

So I set mine up and then checked my Sense (whole home power meter) and confirmed the car charged last night at 8kW. So mine is working.

What I mean is I pull into the garage, and pull up the charging screen in the car. It says 48/48 amps at 1am at this location. Then I get out of the car, plug in the wall connector, and the screen now says 32/48 amps at 1am.

If I charge it immediately or let it start at the delay, it charges at the correct amps.

I have also verified that I can change the amperage at any time while charging.... except I have not yet tested that in the middle of the night.