[GJO]

For the last six months, our house has been in the hands of builders for major renovation. During this time we have been living on our boat and charging the Ampera using the "Granny Charger" on a long extension lead from our shore supply.
I was surprised that this would work because our shore supply is notoriously shaky and the extension lead to reach the parking spot is over 30 Metres long. Nevertheless it has worked very well and I have been able to charge the car every night.

Yesterday, our house was handed back to us by our builder who had completed the job at last. I plugged the Ampera into the EO Mini that we had installed last year but there was no orange or green light illuminated on the dash top so I powered the car up and got the usual beeps and message on the info screen to confirm that the charge cable was connected.

When I powered down, the info screen displayed the message "Unable to Charge". I suspected that the builders may have disturbed the earth rod so I had their electricians back to check - they fitted a brand new earth rod and tested it to confirm that it was significantly more efficient than the old one. They also confirmed that all the power connections to the EO Mini were functioning as they should. Unfortunately, despite several more tries, the car remained "Unable to Charge".

Just to be sure - I took the Ampera back to our mooring and it charged up fine using the "Granny Charger" on the extension lead.

So I have a challenge! Is the problem:
a. The EO Mini charger?
b. The cable that I use to connect the charger to the car?
c. The car?

I have the car booked in to Bellingers next month so this will answer question c.
I have tried to contact the manufacturer and the installers of the EO Mini charger to see if it can be checked out but, so far, I have been unsuccessful with this line of enquiry.

My plan is to try and get the charger and the car checked out before I shell out on a new charging cable.

Have other forum members seen this "Unable to Charge" message? If so what was the cause?

 

[h8ten]

Only once on a public charger. Can you check your cable at a public charger, borrow someone else's cable (assuming yours is not tethered) to check or even have them attempt a charge at your EO mini? When my original GM cable stopped working it was intermittent and I put it down to a broken strand in the cable somewhere as wiggling the cable, not at the plugs, would start/stop the charge.

 

[Marli]

Anyone you know can pop by with an ev and cable to test.... Banbury is a bit far for me.

 

[Dethleffs]

I'd a wall charger fail. It was the coms unit in it that packed up - so, there's electricity available but the info that tells the car to accept a charge wasn't getting through. Buy the time the company that fitted the wall charger got round to sorting it under warranty, specs had changed and my cabling wasn't 'good enough', so it took in total three visits before they fitted a like-for-like (their term) unit. It's been OK since.

...one thing you can try is plug the car in then give the wall unit a good thumping. Sometimes it worked - either way it feels good...

Good luck.

 

[Cjl160]

Is it an EO Mini Pro, ie a ‘smart’ charging point? I had one fitted about a year ago and have a vague recollection that the installer told me that until I’d connected the associated EV JuiceNet app it wouldn’t work properly. No idea if that was true or not but if you are using that app there might be some indication in the ‘Charging’ dashboard if there is anything getting through.

 

[freddym]

As. per replies above, eliminate the car and cable by charging at a public post. If the car charges OK there, it must be the EO unit.

 

[Spiny]

Spiders and bugs nesting in the unused EO wallpoint socket can prevent the cable going fully home. Torch and a bamboo skewer to dislodge them may effect a cure

 

[GJO]

Thanks for all the ideas - the electrician who installed the charger has now been out and has confirmed that the charger is defunct. I am now waiting for EO to contact me . . .

 

[Richard Gledhill]

That's (relatively) good - my first thought was "Oh, it's the charger ECU on its way out". Hopefully you can get EO to replace it free of charge as it can't be that old?

 

[GJO]

An update on the EO Charger failure: After several emails flying back and forth, I am still awaiting a response from EO Chargers and they say that they are waiting for a response from the installers (EV Charging Points Limited) which all means that I am still only able to charge with the good old 'granny charger' . . .