[BlueStar]

I bought a 2013 Volt used that came with an EVSE from a previous model year. It is a Lear unit with the orange charge cord and black power cord noted as a 2012 replacement in Steverino’s thread on differences in Gen 1 EVSEs.

This EVSE wasn’t talking nice to my car. I don’t know if it was voltage variation, amperage deviation, or something else but the car would connect then disconnect and repeat about every three minutes during the charge cycle. This would stretch charge time out to double or triple the normal time at 12 amps. If that wasn’t bad enough, sometimes the car would drop the EVSE during the middle of the night. Of course I didn’t discover it until morning when I needed to use the car.

I convinced the dealer to purchase a new EVSE for me; problem solved. The new EVSE is a Cripple Creek unit that can be modified into a 240V L2 unit. If I do that I would like to repair the older Lear unit to use when I want to do 120V. Does anyone on the forum know how to trouble shoot the Lear EVSE? Is it worth trying to fix?

 

[mvanzanten]

I don't know about repairing it, but many people take broken EVSE's and rebuild them using OpenEVSE. You already have the housing and charge cord, so the mod should be easy if you have a little background in electronics. Do a search on this forum and a google serarch for OpenEVSE.

 

[Steverino]

I second replacing with OpenEVSE. Here's my trip down that road http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?25513-Voltec-240v-Conversion-to-OpenEVSE

While this was for my dead L2 Voltec unit, the same could be done for your portable as the electronics are auto-sensing for 120V or 240V. Keep in mind I did my conversion many years ago and prices, etc. for OpenEVSE may have changed since then. Good luck!

 

[Chris TX]

Volt's can't reliably be charged with a Nissan EVSE due to some pilot signal delay they have. While it does fall withing the J1772 spec, there is a "feature" of the Volt's firmware that doesn't like this, and will stop the session, then start later.

As for the L2 upgrade on your 2013 EVSE, the conversions I've been doing allow for both L1 and L2. I'd just use the Volt's EVSE for L1/L2 and sell the Leaf L1, since there's probably nothing wrong with it. If you know someone with a non-GM plug-in electric, test it out on a different car to make sure it works.

 

[TSquare]

Volt's can't reliably be charged with a Nissan EVSE due to some pilot signal delay they have. While it does fall withing the J1772 spec, there is a "feature" of the Volt's firmware that doesn't like this, and will stop the session, then start later.

As for the L2 upgrade on your 2013 EVSE, the conversions I've been doing allow for both L1 and L2. I'd just use the Volt's EVSE for L1/L2 and sell the Leaf L1, since there's probably nothing wrong with it. If you know someone with a non-GM plug-in electric, test it out on a different car to make sure it works.

Chris, the OP said it is a LEAR EVSE, not a Leaf EVSE.

 

[Chris TX]

Chris, the OP said it is a LEAR EVSE, not a Leaf EVSE.

Ah, oops! I read it too fast. Either way, convert the 2013 Volt EVSE to L1/L2 and get rid of the old Lear unit

 

[bentbiker]

BlueStar, if memory serves me (and it often doesn't), the Lear model has a case that is ultrasonically welded. Thus you have to cut the case open and then figure a way to put it back together. If you aren't excited about building an OpenEVSE unit using whatever parts you can scavenge from the Lear, one thought would be to contact VegasBrad here and ask him if he would do it using your old Lear. You say the dealer bought you a new model, but you don't say what generation; as you may or may not know, if it is the new Gen2 version, you only need an adapter to use it with 240v. Depending on your conversation with Brad, you might decide to leave the Clipper Creek unit in the car (perhaps with a 240v adapter) and use Brad's unit at home with all the bells and whistles you want.