[emg77]

This morning was the first time I've had my level 2 charger frozen to the car, preventing me from leaving for work for about 10 minutes. The latch was releasing, but freezing drizzle last night must have worked its way into the connection and frozen. After about 10 minutes of trying to wiggle and pull it loose, I finally grabbed a heat gun out of the garage and warmed the connector slowly and it finally released. I need to be more diligent about cleaning up my projects so i can just park in the garage. It got me thinking... what would I have done if I was at a public charger and had gotten frozen. Would I have to pour hot water on it and hope I didn't make things worse?

 

[CurrentEvent]

Be careful with heat guns. They can melt plastic. I had a frozen toilet once and I got the mechanism too hot and melted it and ruined it. They are very hot. A blow drier for hair would be okay. The charger (it isn't really a charger) is protected so you can't get a shock. If water gets in it, it just quits working until it dries out. I got some snow in mine once and it wouldn't charge until the snow was out of it. The problem I've had is the release button won't go in and the latch won't release. Pouring a little hot water on it allowed the button to be pressed. Freezing is a big problem. If you can't remove the "charger" you can't drive the car (of course).

 

[emg77]

Yes, I had my hand on the handle of the connector too while heating it, knowing that I was OK if my hand didn't get too hot. I was on low and about 2' away with the heat gun. But definitely worth pointing out if other try! A blow dryer would be the better choice, but I'm lazy and the heat gun was closer. My latch was releasing without issue, so the water was inside the round parts, keeping them connected.

 

[Synovialbasher]

I live in the Detroit area as well and know exactly what you mean this morning. I use a Clipper Creek EVSE, and even though the button was definitely frozen in place, a strong squeeze and tug using both hands was enough to break the ice holding it in place.

Something to consider is when your car finishes its charge and when you leave. I've read on Tesla forums that they recommend preconditioning the vehicle prior to leaving so that the vehicle pulls current through the plug. Doing so creates some heat, and could possibly loosen up some ice. Of course, a Tesla can draw significantly more power than 3.3Kw and could therefore generate more heat, but the idea is the same. While getting ready in the morning, I'll initiate the precondition about 15 minutes before I leave (10 minutes of heating the car, then 5 minutes for it to replenish the electricity it had to pull from the battery). It's no guarantee but I've never been frozen with no way of disconnecting it, so you could say it theoretically works.

 

[turboguy327]

The guy that makes the volt shelf has a product to prevent this.

 

[apoc69]

There's a few options. Cheapest is to cut an old mouse pad to fit the charge port.

 

[KenC]

They should make EVSEs with a little blowdrying function in the handle. It would help to unstick a frozen EVSE, also could help with stuck car door handles and key locks.

 

[Steverino]

The guy that makes the volt shelf has a product to prevent this.

This is the answer you are looking for. It's a neoprene gasket that surrounds the charge handle and covers the charge port.

 

[Cord]

start the car- open the hood - run heater - you can't move from park but other items work.

Before 100 Watt Basic Light Bulb were illegal they were a good thaw help

12-Volt Polar Fleece Heated Travel Blanket -- get one anyway .

--run a cardboard tube from the air vent --or use your jacket .

----------------
of all else fails drink 3 beers ... ( this did NOT work in Omaha when the key would not go into a frozen lock )

 

[JRRF]

Your breath is pretty warm too

 

[FI Spyder]

As opposed to pouring warm water over handle, try rubbing alcohol (similar to spraying alcohol into locks to free them up). The alcohol shouldn't cause any harm to paint or plastics, be anymore conductive than water, will evaporate long before water.

 

[BillG]

This is the answer you are looking for. It's a neoprene gasket that surrounds the charge handle and covers the charge port.

And here's a link to the fix, plus lots of Volt extras: https://voltshelf.weebly.com/voltport-charge-port-koozie.html