Scheduled charging - what am I doing wrong.

[PeteC]

The only way I can get my car to follow the schedule (set on the car) is to do the following:

(1) Have the car unlocked and powered up so that the middle screen is active. Set that screen to the battery screen.
(2) Plug in the charge cable.
(3) Press 'start charging' (or is it just 'start'?) on the central screen so that the car starts charging.
(4) Immediately press 'stop charging' to stop it again.
(5) Close the door and lock the car.
(6) Tip toe away and pray!!

That works for me most of the time, although like you I find myself checking the smart meter display to see if it is behaving.

If I don't do the above the car just starts charging way before the schedule should start it, often a minute or two after plugging in the cable. It's a pain as it should be a simple plug in and leave it.

 

[AlC]

Having seen so many threads about scheduled charging issues, I avoided using the car's scheduler for the first 6 months of ownership, instead relying on a simple timer switch.

After being told it was a bad idea just to cut the power on the granny charger under load, I changed to using the car's scheduler and I've had no issues. I just plug in and it works on schedule. Sometimes I'll plug in while the car is still on, sometimes I'll plug in after it has been powered off. Works fine either way.

I guess the difference is I'm using the granny charger and most people with issues are using faster EVSE setups?

I assume some EVSE's are falling back into some sort of standby state when the car doesn't start drawing a charge immediately on connection and then don't wake up when the car requests a charge on it's schedule.

I guess the fix in some cases could be to disable the car's scheduler and instead use the one on the EVSE (if it has one).

Of course it could also be that I just got lucky in terms of the firmware versions lottery with my particular car.

 

[Bam Bam]

I've had no issues with the car scheduler, but then I use it in the opposite way - to avoid charging during the afternoon peak.

For the actual charging decision itself I use the charger app.

So I'm using both!

One issue arose when the car had a service and the schedule got forgotten.

Might want to check the MG app every now and again to check it hasn't switched itself off.

 

[Tig170]

I've never used the MG4 to dictate charging = no issues todate (via an ohme charger on IOG, )

 

[Lovemyev]

I have one of the older type dumb wall boxes.
For our ZS EV Gen2 Trophy model, I prefer to use the head unit in the car, to set up my off peak schedule charging requirements.
Our current energy tariff gives us five hours of cheaper off peak rate every single night.
Therefore I have found it very rare to require a charge outside of the cheaper off peak tariff.
But on two occasions only, I found it necessary to charge on the standard rate briefly, to make an unexpected trip.
In order to do this, you have to turn off the scheduled charging first in the head unit of course.
Then the car will charge successfully with not problem, however so have noticed that when you then turn the delayed / scheduled charging back on, it will default to a start time of 10.00pm I think !.
As my of peak rate does not commence until just after mid night, this is clearly no good at all !.
So, you have to remember to go back into the settings in the head and reset the start and finish times manually yourself.
Otherwise the next time you plug in to charge, it will automatically start charging way before your off peak time has aligned.
I have no idea why it does this ?.
But others have noticed the same condition.

 

[PeteC]

My pod point is out of range of our wifi so I can't program it and have to rely on the car's scheduling. If I use the MG app outside of the schedule to check things it just seems to wake the car up and then it starts charging regardless of schedule. It's been like this since day 1 and was mentioned at first service and again for second service. They didn't complete updates at that one so it's going back in later this month for them to do that. I'll see what happens after that.

 

[MGCamb]

My pod point is out of range of our wifi so I can't program it and have to rely on the car's scheduling. If I use the MG app outside of the schedule to check things it just seems to wake the car up and then it starts charging regardless of schedule. It's been like this since day 1 and was mentioned at first service and again for second service. They didn't complete updates at that one so it's going back in later this month for them to do that. I'll see what happens after that.

I have just upgraded my wifi and have some BT mesh wifi surplus to requirements, very cheap and collectable in Huntingdon if that could help you (PM me).
I had some issues charging which I raised on here.
I now do not touch the MG App for charging
The cheap times the car can charge are set by the PodPoint's app. Charge set to 80 or 100% in car
Evening:
Unwind charger from wall; unlock car and open port; plug in
Morning
Unlock car; plug out and close port, coil charger on wall
Car locks itself after plug in and plug out

 

[richbaseley1]

I have learned to live with the charging foibles but is often a pita.

First I do not use the app as I am still in the stone age with smart phone so the settings are done on the car. I am 85 and haven’t done anything since that post due to a series of medical problems more or less since we bought the car. The biggest of those was bladder cancer needing removal and I now wear an outside bag.

So the home charging from a generic 7 kW wall box. Car is set to charge to 80% (100 occasionally)

Normal sequence is –

1, unlock the car to release the flap. The wall box shows green flashing which changes to blue flashing when plugged in and the car lights round the charge plug also change to blue presumably then a hand shake is complete.

2, lock the car and observe the driver’s display through the driver’s side window. Usually it shows the circle with the “electrical flash” and says “connecting”. Goes blank after about 10 seconds. The car does not charge. (checked on the remote power display from the smart meter.)

3, Unlock the car to unplug, wait a few seconds and re plug. I might have to do this 2 or 3 times until the driver’s display changes to includes the “snake” (cable) symbol. Go inside the house and check the power meter and usually – sod it the damn thing is charging despite the settings of start at 00.05 & finish at 05.00.

4 Back outside , unlock car pull out the plug and re-plug. Re-lock , check for the “snake” and go back inside, check the power display and with luck it is not charging. I might have to do this again !!

5 , Luckily I am a night owl so I check the smart meter display around mid night and usually it starts to charge at the set time. But occasionally I have to go back out to the car and do the unlock, unplug, re-plug and re-lock routine again !! Another oddment is that occasionally the car will change the required charge level to 100% without me changing the settings !!

The car has not had any software upgrades yet. I will check the current software reference later – it was purchased May 2023. I understand that there is a new upgrade pending so will probably have that done.

We have done approx 10,k miles with only 2 high power charges away from home & both were fine.

So if anyone has any thought I will be “all ears”

What brand is your EV charger ?