Frozen Charging Port Door? (Flap)

[Bricktop X PWR]

Mods, I know there are plenty of Charging Flap related Debacles, but I've started afresh as I haven't seen this information before.

Please move, if this has been covered elsewhere.


After last year's faffing and Charging Flap related shenanigans, I got my hair off last night when it wouldn't open.

I needed to plug in and charge my household battery bank.

Quite by accident (Ahem) I managed to pull off the painted cover to expose the Charging Flap itself.

This was preluded by several bowls of quite warm water hoping to free it off.

Anyway, I have since discovered that you can open the flap with a T45 bit.

This removes the pin from the door which in-turn means you can access the port itself.

To be clear, you rotate the pin, then pull the flap open.

The pin, if frozen, will likely stay in place, but you can still open the flap.

You must of course remove the painted flap cover first.

This is child's play.......

If the flap is shut, then you simply get a trim tool into the gap and pull towards you, starting at the Top Right Corner.

The painted cover has 4 tabs that slide into a channels on the Charging Flap.

I didn't take a picture (soz) but it is obvious when you see it.

I am now carrying, as part of my emergency tool kit, a jump pack, a trim tool and a T45 bit.

There will be nothing worse than rocking up to a charger, desperate for electrons and not being able to open the flap without outside assistance.

If you ever need to remove the painted cover, but you flap is operational, then pull this plastic tang towards you whilst sliding off the cover.

Please note the emergency release cable is purely to release a stuck charging cable and not to open the door.

 

[OriginalBigAl]

Good advice!!! interesting pictogram on the flap, does this mean Roger Daltrey can never have an EV?

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Good advice!!! interesting pictogram on the flap, does this mean Roger Daltrey can never have an EV?

The annoying thing is that I have already prepared said flap with copius application of silicone spray and Autoglym Rubber and Vinyl care.

I will be adding some Vaseline to the rubber seal later on, and be damned any deterioration of the rubber.

I'd rather that and be able to get flap open when required.

Strangely, the pin was also solid with ice.

Can't really understand that given the lubricants used and the fact the door is closed when washing?

Edit: Don't use Vaseline, purchase Automotive Red Grease.

 

[siteguru]

Strangly, the pin was also solid with ice.

Can't really understand that given the lubricants used and the fact the door is closed when washing?

Water got in whilst the flap was open for charging the car?

 

[Anon70]

That's another couple of things for the MY25 wish list, heated charger port flap and heated screen washer nozzles as the washer system doesn't get the heat an ICE car generates with thousands of explosions a second under the bonnet

 

[DixieTGS]

I wonder if there are any safe DIY solutions for the nozzles or port flap ?

Anything from hand warmers held against the flap to installed heating elements that are on when the heated seats is on. I think many portable battery packs have sockets with 12V or USB power delivery on them for a non installed solution.

Anything of this nature would likely have to be rather slow to be safe and to avoid damage to the car.

 

[Ian Key]

What about something like this for your frozen flaps and nozzles?

https://amzn.eu/d/4plpr4e

 

[jpk]

The annoying thing is that I have already prepared said flap with copius application of silicone spray and Autoglym Rubber and Vinyl care.

I will be adding some Vaseline to the rubber seal later on, and be damned any deterioration of the rubber.

I'd rather that and be able to get flap open when required.

Strangely, the pin was also solid with ice.

Can't really understand that given the lubricants used and the fact the door is closed when washing?

Use red rubber grease instead of vaseline/petroleum based greases if you want the rubber to survive

 

[DannySB1]

I had a frozen flap this morning, first time I've encountered it. Managed to get it open after a few firm pushes!

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

I had a frozen flap this morning, first time I've encountered it. Managed to get it open after a few firm pushes!

I adopted the very technical solution of "****ting" it last year.

Can be quite effective if the ambient temperature isn't too low.

Oh dear, the swear filter has kicked in.

So last year I was "Ratting" The Bejesus out of it, til it opened.

 

[siteguru]

My flap (fnarr) opened perfectly fine this morning when I got back from getting the undertray support bar fitted. Temperature was still hovering around 0°C.

 

[DBedford]

What about something like this for your frozen flaps and nozzles?

View attachment 32499

https://amzn.eu/d/4plpr4e

Not great if you can't get in the car, due to frozen doors

 

[Rip Van]

My flap (fnarr) opened perfectly fine this morning when I got back from getting the undertray support bar fitted. Temperature was still hovering around 0°C.

Oh dear! Flaps and undertray supports. What will they think of next?

 

[Ian Key]

Not great if you can't get in the car, due to frozen doors

Which is why on October 4th I posted about wiping the rubber seals etc. with silicone so they don't freeze

 

[tsedge]

Not great if you can't get in the car, due to frozen doors

At least it is possible to remotely heat the car to fix this via the app.

 

[NickT]

I was regularly plagued with frozen flap and snow and ice issues while charging so I got a magnetic cover which goes over the flap door and works great. However I still have problems getting the charger flap to close when it’s below zero as the ‘close mechanics’ freeze up. Silicon spray prep helps, but not 100% always. Also, suffer water getting into the type 2 socket on the car and freezing is an issue for me. I have to chip away at the ice inside with a plastic spike and then a cotton bud to dig the bits of ice out before I can charge! However the portable hair dryer looks like a solution I will try out!

Really it is a bit rubbish how little thought (or investment?) has gone into the resilience of the charging port considering its importance!

I've tried looking for a dust cap for the upper bit, but can't see anything except one for a Tesla model 3. May try it to see if it fits. The MG5 had a dust cap for each of the CCS bits, top and bottom. I did try using a cable dust cover, it fitted, but almost couldn’t get the cover off again as nothing to grip onto! That was a little frightening for a while

 

[ElectricBenSolar]

My locking pin is stuck inside the car from the lock part of the flap… any ideas as to how to get it out and reattach-attach it to the flap door?

 

[M44LCY]

My locking pin is stuck inside the car from the lock part of the flap… any ideas as to how to get it out and reattach-attach it to the flap door?

I have an MG5, and looking at this thread from the sidelines. The charge port cover on my car wouldn't unlock from time to time because there was a fault with the lock/release solenoid. It's only warranted for one year (!). My solution was simply to remove the locking pin. It no longer locks, but why would anyone but me want to get into the port?

Looking at the photo of the flap, the lock is a bayonet fit. You could perhaps remove that and wait until your lock thaws out. You can then choose whether to leave it out, putting it in your glovebox for when you sell the car.

I may, of course, be barking up the wrong charge flap cover

 

[ElectricBenSolar]

I have an MG5, and looking at this thread from the sidelines. The charge port cover on my car wouldn't unlock from time to time because there was a fault with the lock/release solenoid. It's only warranted for one year (!). My solution was simply to remove the locking pin. It no longer locks, but why would anyone but me want to get into the port?

Looking at the photo of the flap, the lock is a bayonet fit. You could perhaps remove that and wait until your lock thaws out. You can then choose whether to leave it out, putting it in your glovebox for when you sell the car.

I may, of course, be barking up the wrong charge flap cover

Sounds like a plan actually, thanks! perhaps I don’t need it to be fixed right now. Will maybe look at it in the summer

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

My locking pin is stuck inside the car from the lock part of the flap… any ideas as to how to get it out and reattach-attach it to the flap door?

Undo it with a T45 Star bit.

I think I've misread, it's already stuck in the mechanism?

Must be a mechanical fault as it should easily come out if unlocked.

Frozen Charging Port Door? (Flap)

Mods, I know there are plenty of Charging Flap related Debacles, but I've started afresh as I haven't seen this information before. Please move, if this has been covered elsewhere. After last year's faffing and Charging Flap related shenanigans, I got my hair off last night when it wouldn't...

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