Scheduled charging using the app - does it work for you?

[Susanna]

I should add to my post #18 that scheduling can be done for any time you please - I just meant that it’s much more convenient to do so if the times you want are in the middle of the night when you would prefer to be asleep ?

I am with @Gadget Geek on this one, I prefer to make the settings via the head unit in the car TBH.
I once did make a change once via the App and it reported it as successful, but I later realised it had not obeyed the command and therefore failed ?.
On other occasions it has worked 100% just fine.
Others owners have reported sending a commanded ( like to preheat the car ) and it has reported a fail, but in fact it is working !.
Yeah - It does have its moments now and again alright.
So If possible, that’s why I tend to favour using the head unit.
Appears to be a little more stable and reliable.

I am a little confused by that, as whatever is set in the app, is also set in the head unit. They are identical. If you make a change on one, the other mirrors it.
Well, it does in my car.

 

[fatboyfat1981]

Works for me, however I use my charger to set the schedule; more important now that I’m on Ovo’s 10p/kWh leccy deal

 

[Lovemyev]

I am a little confused by that, as whatever is set in the app, is also set in the head unit. They are identical. If you make a change on one, the other mirrors it.
Well, it does in my car.

Yes it SHOULD, as long as the command from the App makes it through to the car !.
Plenty of evidence on the forum that occasionally commands from the App have been successfully sent, but the instruction does not materialise ?.
Other owners have seen the preheat command report as failed on the App, but in fact the preheat has then acutely started.
This is why I personally favour using the head unit for setting important things as scheduled charging instructions.
I don’t want to be disappointed and having to be charging on my high day rate !.

 

[suz]

Hi Suz, yes it's a thing. I have a charger with out a lead and some times when I plug in the small light on the charger flashes or goes Red. I have found if you pull the plug out, wait for a little click then reply it in, it's Happy ang the light shows steady Green. Then plug the car in second. That seems to work for me . Then the charger App reads "Schedule Charging Ready"
Hope that helps a little....

I have a fast-ish charger installed at home and it has a lead. When i plug it in to the car it “registers” that it’s there so that bit isn’t an issue, but when I’m trying to use scheduled charging it just doesn’t start the charge at the designated time. It’s the same when I try to use the portable charger that just goes in to the normal plug.

Works for me, however I use my charger to set the schedule; more important now that I’m on Ovo’s 10p/kWh leccy deal

I’ll have to dig out the instruction manual for the charger and see if I can use that because I just don’t think the car is going to do it

We’re about to head in to winter so solar will fall of a cliff and our off peak rate kicks in at 10pm and we’re normally in bed by then ? (we’re 19c Australian off peak, so similar to your 10p)

Yes it SHOULD, as long as the command from the App makes it through to the car !.
Plenty of evidence on the forum that occasionally commands from the App have been successfully sent, but the instruction does not materialise ?.
Other owners have seen the preheat command report as failed on the App, but in fact the preheat has then acutely started.
This is why I personally favour using the head unit for setting important things as scheduled charging instructions.
I don’t want to be disappointed and having to be charging on my high day rate !.

I end up with both the app and the car telling me scheduled charging is on with the right time attached to it, and then…nothing happens. If I then try to start charging in the app it fails.

Getting the best of both worlds ?

 

[Eclectic]

You don’t have a smart charging point by any chance? If so it needs to be in either “dumb” mode or “always charging” for the scheduling to work from the car.

 

[Lovemyev]

You don’t have a smart charging point by any chance? If so it needs to be in either “dumb” mode or “always charging” for the scheduling to work from the car.

My wall box is a proper "Old School" dumb Rolec unit, installed in 2016.

 

[Eclectic]

My wall box is a proper "Old School" dumb Rolec unit, installed in 2016.

Similar to me, I have an early (2018) Chargemaster unit, it worked fine with my Zoe, and now with the ZS, I dread having to get a "smart" unit some day

 

[Susanna]

I have a ‘smart’ Wallbox Pulsar Plus, but just have the head unit/app set for my 4 hour Octopus Go slot.

The Wallbox is always ‘ready’ to charge as soon as it receives the ‘demand’ from the car, so I just plug it in when convenient, and leave it to do its thing. No issues, and the Wallbox app shows how many kWhs it has put in, together with the cost.

It’s a perfect set up, imo.

 

[Lovemyev]

Similar to me, I have an early (2018) Chargemaster unit, it worked fine with my Zoe, and now with the ZS, I dread having to get a "smart" unit some day

Me also !.
Rolec units where either "Cheap & Cheerful" or even free at one point via MG.
Some of the Rolec own branded internal components in their units, have a pretty poor reliability record.
The RCB breaker switch is a very common item to fail.
I had three replacement items installed in my unit ( two under warranty ).
The front cover had been on & off SO main times for repairs, that the securing screw plastic posts in the rear case had cracked and failed.
As result the front cover could never be tightened down correctly.
They are very basic inside, which does have the added advantage that they can be repaired and back up and running fairly quickly though.
However as these dumb units are not sold anymore, obtaining spares for them has become almost an impossible task.
About 18 months ago I did a total rebuild of the unit, even the back and front cases of the unit.
Back then, parts where still available and fairly cheap as they where starting to sell items off as "New - Old Stock" parts.
The RCBO in the unit was replaced with a better quality "Garro" unit and a new main contactor.
I have managed to pick up another spare contactor ( cheap at £15 ) and a communication module which has now been discontinued.
Just need another Garro RCBO ( £20 ) and I have enough spares to rebuilt it once more.
After this it will be time for a completely new wall box.
The dumb Rolec did a brilliant job of being able to perform a timed delay charge on our 2019 ZS EV ( Gen 1 ) when the car was unable to do this !.
The addition of a Wi-Fi relay was the secret to this problem.
Even the first wave of smart chargers could not perform delayed charging on the very early models.

 

[Susanna]

@Lovemyev
It’s great that you have been able to replace parts of your charger, and very good for the environment to not discard it unnecessarily.

It reminds me of the garden broom sketch with several new heads and handles bought separately over the years because as one part failed the other was perfectly serviceable. I have one like that myself!

 

[DB Go Rex]

Works reliably for me. Sometimes it falsely reports the default setting, but that's just the MG app glitchyness/charm

 

[abby mo]

hello!

Just wondering whether others have good experiences scheduling their charging start time using the app?

I’ve tried to do it twice and both times have gotten up in the morning to an uncharged car! Obviously the app is…well…crap…? but I’d love for this to work.

It doesn’t give me any sort of error message or start the charging immediately, it just doesn’t charge at all! I then have to perform a series of seemingly random activities to make it start charging again (resetting it in the app, logging out of the app, mess about with various settings, dance under the light of a full moon etc)

Is it just me??

Hi I have 2020 model with same problem ,did you manage to sort it out?