Did a stupid thing !

[Thebiglad]

Last weds evening I prepared the car for charging after midnight but didn't plug into the car as I was going to do it later, so I just left the car end of the granny cable resting on top of the opened charge port.

The following morning I went out to the car, put the dog in, turned on and noticed no charge ??

Didn't think too much about it as I had enough juice so started to reverse out of the courtyard when I heard a big BANG!!

It turns out I'd left the cable draped over the charge lid and I'd ripped off the front grill and it's now in many pieces. A small cable was wrenched from it's plug behind the grill and it would no longer accept a charge.

Sent it down to MG Limoges on a breakdown truck and now awaiting news.

As this was our only car it has been a nightmare practically as well as emotionally. Tried to do any food shopping on my bike with a haversack ain't easy.

I am posting this to try and help others avoid this stupid mistake I made.

 

[Tim Green]

So easy to do!
Moral: don't put off doing things to tomorrow when you can do them today!

 

[Thebiglad]

I did my preparations at about 6pm and was waiting for midnight and cheap rate before connecting.
So my message to me is stop being a tight git, it costs too much !!!

 

[Anf800]

Can't you schedule charging?

 

[Thebiglad]

I'm using my granny charger into an external 16 amp socket, so other than putting a timer into that socket, no I can't.

I'm running a 2021 gen 1 ZS EV.

 

[Anf800]

Ah right. We have a facelift SR Trophy and it’s our first ev. Still working out what’s what.

 

[Kithmo]

It's a shame you didn't have it plugged in, the car wouldn't have let you put it in reverse if it was plugged in.

 

[Thebiglad]

It's a shame you didn't have it plugged in, the car wouldn't have let you put it in reverse if it was plugged in.

And off course you are absolutely right. However, being total tosser I neither plugged it in nor did I stow the cable in a safe place !

 

[DB Go Rex]

Another reason to invest in a home charger install ?

 

[Lovemyev]

I appreciate your total honesty and my deepest sympathy goes out to your late, large charge port door !.
It’s an easy and costly mistake to make alright @Thebiglad .
Yeah - While you are waiting for the dealer to sort out your car, I would be a good idea to put some time into sorting out the lack of a timer issue, I strongly suggest.
It’s happened once, it could happen again, dare I say it !.
How many swear words did you use at the time my friend, far too many to list I would suggest.
As always, the wait time on the bits is the problem here !.
They are certainly going to be a “back order” items I would hazard a guess ?.
Ask the dealer to contact the main MG parts supplier and ask for a ETA on the parts.
They can e.mail or even call them, trust me I know !.

 

[Thebiglad]

Another reason to invest in a home charger install ?

I agree with you, but over here in France for an average 7kw/hr charger plus install you're near enough 2000€ !!!

 

[Tim Green]

If it was attached to a granny charger you still wouldn't be able to reverse. You don't need the faster charger- unless you need to charge faster!

 

[Thebiglad]

Hi Tim, as I said earlier, the granny charger wasn't connected to the car, it was merely laid across the trapdoor ready to be connected at midnight

 

[Narrowgauge725]

I unplugged type 2 cable but laid on top of towbar, then forgot to hand it up and ripped the plug off

 

[Thebiglad]

I unplugged type 2 cable but laid on top of towbar, then forgot to hand it up and ripped the plug off

Oh BUGGER !!!! I think I know just how you feel...

 

[Exdro]

So easy to do!
Moral: don't put off doing things to tomorrow when you can do them today!

Schedule charging to start when your cheaper rate starts. Plug in, lock up and walk away. Job done, no risk. (Or at least less risk).

 

[Thebiglad]

Schedule charging to start when your cheaper rate starts. Plug in, lock up and walk away. Job done, no risk. (Or at least less risk).

I would love to be able to do that, but neither my Gen 1 car or my outdoor socket allows for that.

 

[crite40]

I guess that I am very lucky here in NZ. What I did was to install a 5 KW solar roof, BEFORE getting an electric car. In the meantime it could save me money on power and charge my mobility scooter and electric bike. The Solar installation cost about $10,000 NZ and the high power charger system cost another $2,500 but this was financed by the sale of my very last "gas buggy" a Mitsubishi Colt.
So in New Zealand when your partner goes into full time care (as mine has) your car and your house are not counted as assets, so then is the time to spend money on a car. The ZS EV has had only one problem after exactly a year. This seems be some what like I have heard here, involving the control circuits. Luckily it did not immobilise the car, just put up a whole slew of dash warnings and cut out my rear view camera. So I got the car trailered to the local agent. They found a fault in
in something called the FICM. The car seems to go perfectly well without it, though I would Imagine that some of the "bells and whistles" don't work, however it is perfectly drivable and I took it for a 70 Km shopping trip yesterday. A new FICM is on order from the Central Kingdom!
As I have said before I am a retired Electronics engineer, but I am still trying to work out what those acronyms stand for! The CM is probably a control module ?
I am left wondering about the abilities of "Pommy" EV technicians actually. If my car can be safely put back on the road in 2 days with its problems, I wonder how many UK EV drivers are carless or driving antique loan car who might be in the same situation, when there appears to be a "work around"?
Here at 36 South with a roof at 20 degrees the car is getting about 93% of its power over a year from solar. The inverter is programmed to send power to the car before dumping it back into the grid. I would have considerable doubts about solar power in the UK though, I was born there and lived there until I was 24! Despite Cyclones we still get a lot more sun that the UK.

 

[Fluffykins]

I'm firmly convinced there should be at least a door sensor on the charging port, a prominent idiot light, preferably accompanied by a loud bong (or an MP3 recording of someone yelling "careful f###wit"), triggered by preparing for motion with the charging door open.

H'mmm. Magnet, reed switch, and a live feed taken from any "ignition" 12V feed. Magnet on the back of the hatch, reed switch behind the grille moulding so nice and dry. H'mmm

 

[Lovemyev]

I would love to be able to do that, but neither my Gen 1 car or my outdoor socket allows for that.

Install a suitability rated, good quality timer control and you are sorted !.
What does your outside socket outlet look like, was it installed by a spark and is it on its on dedicated circuit do you know ?.
Can you grab some photo’s ?.