moved to Newcomer, Owner Stories...
The break-away gasoline hose safety feature is based on fluid check valves that close. I think they sense a lack of back pressure to close, but not sure.
I suspect a quick disconnect for a high voltage power line under load might present some engineering challenges. As-is, the charge handle trigger is what stops the current to avoid high voltage arching and possible bodily harm. Maybe something with a strain gauge could serve the same purpose? But how would it know you aren't simply tugging the cord caught on the other car's tire?
It might should if the force is pulling straight out. If the force is up or down, to one side or the other side, the latch isn't even going to come into play.This is the second time this has happened to me, my Spark, now the Volt. The real problem may be my impatience to charge the car. In both cases I wasn't there to witness the event, only to see the remains of a cars's EVSE broken socket and mangled wires, the charge cable does not get damaged in this type of event. The clip should just let go and release under extreme duress is all I'm saying.
The safety issue is that the latch is there to provide a secondary signal of intentionality to the removal of the plug. There is, for most of these, a microswitch under the button that ALSO lifts the latch. The microswitch disconnects the pilot pin and that tells the EVSE "turn off the mains voltage". Were it not there, it would depend on the actual pin disconnecting BEFORE the main power pins do, which it's designed to do, but it's not guaranteed that shutting down the mains voltage that way is necessarily fast enough to do what needs to happen: prevent arcing and potential damage to the power pins thereby.The power will automatically disconnect when the signal wire is broken, there is no reason on earth, at least no one has explained to me why this safety issue was just left unanswered or unaddressed. Do I have to modify the design myself to let go under stress? file/notch the cable lock somehow? Seems ridiculous and expensive that's all
Steverino,
This is the second time this has happened to me, my Spark, now the Volt. The real problem may be my impatience to charge the car. In both cases I wasn't there to witness the event, only to see the remains of a cars's EVSE broken socket and mangled wires, the charge cable does not get damaged in this type of event. The clip should just let go and release under extreme duress is all I'm saying. The power will automatically disconnect when the signal wire is broken, there is no reason on earth, at least no one has explained to me why this safety issue was just left unanswered or unaddressed. Do I have to modify the design myself to let go under stress? file/notch the cable lock somehow? Seems ridiculous and expensive that's all
Stephen
Man, I really think I would put the door back on, especially if there is rain
where did you get the illuminated door kit? new or used? price? everything just unbolts from the outside? no digging in tight places? when did the changes happen? Do you have wiring diagrams for both?
I don't want to know where those fingers have been.
How do you remove the old housing to get to the bolts, pry from a certain side to make it pop out?dannyV
Bought it new on eBay for $171.60 with shipping and tax included. You possibly could get a better deal somewhere else.
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2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt Genuine GM Illuminated Charge Port 84334825 635650609428 | eBay
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The kit just snaps in and there are no bolts involved, I did not use the wire routing suggested through the drain hole and drilled my own hole in the door housing to route the wiring. On the connector there was a not obvious plastic "protection" plug in the terminal pin slot that had to be removed first before the supplied wire would insert properly. The locking tab on the terminal of the wire has to face up, there is a faint symbol of the wire terminal position to be inserted on the connector housing. The correct orientation of the terminal fitting insertion is critical for the connector to work. No force of any kind is required, just try to be patient when attempting this project, it requires a certain amount of finesse.
Stephen