[Ohms Law]

So I took my Gen 1 in for warranty work and the dealer loaned me a Gen 2 (very nice ride BTW).

For years, the Schneider L2 charger has worked nearly flawlessly. I connected the Gen 2 to it today and it connected, started charging, but when the Gen 2 is done, the light on the dash goes solid green (opposite of what Gen 1 does), turn on the car, says fully charged, but the L2 charger is red as if there was an error and the only way to reset it is to kill the power to the L2 charger and turn it back on.

It will charge the Gen 2 and when the Gen 2 says it's full, the charger display on the L2 charger goes into some sort of error mode with a red light.

Kinda puzzled, I thought the communication between the car and the L2 charger was a standard, but could the I'm full notification changed on a 2018 vs a 2015 that could throw the L2 charger into this tailspin?

**EDIT** The model of my Schneider L2 is EV2430WS

 

[edk-austin]

Sounds like a sequencing or timing issue between L2 station and car.
Certainly Schneider never had a g2 Volt back then to test their station on.

Before about 2013, most car charge levels were at 15 and 30 amps, then they moved to 16 and 32 amps.
L2 stations were also updated to report the new numbers on their Pilot signal.
Volt g1 looks for 15A max, g2 looks for 16A max.
Seems your Schneider model is 30A, but is it possible that there is an internal switch to set 15A limit ?
Understand your station is working, but does seem there is a test condition that Schneider didn't know about.

I do recall a few other sequencing issues reported here, with g2 Volts on older L2 stations.

 

[1612202]

I had a similar problem with my Schneider EVSE when I went from a Gen 1 to a Gen 2. I called Schneider and they sent me a new board @ no charge. They could not have been any nicer or more helpful. The contact info is on the Schneider web site.

 

[Ohms Law]

Thanks all for the responses.

I called Schneider this morning and they confirmed that a new standard for ground fault was changed in 2013. Old standard allowed for 5 milliamps of ground fault "leakage" where in 2013 and newer, cars (and new chargers) could now get away with 20 milliamps, sending old chargers into a tailspin at charge completion or at anytime during the charging process (but more regularly, the failure at the end of charge session).

Support told me about the replacement board, however, they stopped making chargers in 2017 and have no more boards.

So if correct this would mean that folks like me that got on the PHEV or EV wagon early and have an older Schneider L2 charger that traverses the standard-- you'll need to buy a new charger if you get a car post 2013 that follows the new standard.

My guess is GM may not have implemented the new 20 milliamp standard until 2016 because my 2015 charges without issue with the old charger, but the 2018 loaner I got throws the charger into a troubled state at the end of the charging session.

Not sure what this means for other chargers from other manufacturers of the same vintage, but at least it's an answer. Guess I should factor in another $450-$500 when I finally take the next PHEV or EV plunge.

 

[Barry]

The Gen 2 comes with a charger than can be used as a Level 2 charger if you provide a plug adapter. That would save you purchasing another charger.

Or you could just use the Schneider on your next car and reset it for each charge. Not ideal, but it is an option.

 

[edk-austin]

Interesting. 5mA is way too sensitive. Most L2 EVSEs return current into ground because they have no neutral, and the car (-) is tied to ground. Inherent problem with J1772 and automotive 12V power systems. Your Schneider could be "repaired" by dumbing down it's GFCI sensitivity. If that's really the issue.

 

[Ohms Law]

Interesting. 5mA is way too sensitive. Most L2 EVSEs return current into ground because they have no neutral, and the car (-) is tied to ground. Inherent problem with J1772 and automotive 12V power systems. Your Schneider could be "repaired" by dumbing down it's GFCI sensitivity. If that's really the issue.

How would I dumb it down? Something changed between Gen 1 and Gen 2. Got my Gen 1 back yesterday and it worked as expected with the Schneider L2 charger. At some point I'm prob gonna upgrade and if I can save $400-$500 on a new EVSE, and not start a fire or electrocute myself of others.....

 

[edk-austin]

If it's really the GFCI detection, shorting out the sense coil, or putting a resistor across it to reduce it's sensitivity might work. Yes, that's disabling a safety feature.