Car tries to lock charger but can't

[karlth]

Got a 2015 eGolf and if I plug a charger into the car's socket I hear a whirl when the car tries to lock the charger but nothing happens. The whirl sound is repeated 3-4 times and then it stops and the red light on the car's socket is displayed. I have tried 3 different chargers and they all behave the same. Also I can see that the locking pin the car's socket does extend but for some reason it doesn't lock.

Does anyone have any ideas of what the problem might be?

 

[naphid]

I have a similar issue except my pin doesn’t come out or only comes out a little bit. I can usually get it to charge but sometimes I have to plug it over and over again. Additionally, after removing the plug sometimes the car still thinks it is plugged in for a few minutes during which time I cannot turn the car on. Best bet may just be to take it to the dealership unfortunately.

 

[karlth]

I used some high pressure air to clean the car's socket and suddenly it worked. Sometimes it just seems just like pure luck, while the Nissan Leaf's charging just works. :|

Then again the Nissan Leaf is ugly as sin and the Golf drives so much better.

One tip: If the charger is stuck in the socket you can hold the "Unlock" button the the key while pressing the top button in the socket and then the charger will release. This has saved me a number of times.

 

[RecoverE]

I experienced a red light charging fault today as I attempted to charge my 2015 SEL eGolf with 43K miles. I have had earlier plug release issues which I corrected with the silicon spray lubrication solution on the plug locking pin. For this new issue the charging plug will release with the red light active. To address this new issue, I again sprayed the retracted locking pin with silicon and waited roughly 1 hour. Plugged the connector into the charging port and the locking pin engaged and charging started with no red light fault. I further sprayed the pin in its extended position with the plug engaged. Any thoughts on additional actions to address the issue?

I am concerned that this latest fault portends an ultimate hard charging failure. I have owned this vehicle since new and have never charged the vehicle outside of my garage. These charging issues are the only problems I have had with this vehicle. These issues are clearly engineering/parts quality ones which potentially cost out-of-warranty customers $2000 or so. I am sold on EVs for my local car needs and have owned VWs for the past 45 years.
This issue has me questioning VW quality/engineering going forward (sorry, I had to vent).

 

[f1geek]

Glad to hear you fixed it with silicone spray. I need to remember that! I only have 20 k miles on my 2017 and no issues so far. I charge at home but also in public. I wonder if the part is made by VW or a supplier? Regardless of vendor, I agree such a frequently used and mission critical part needs to be more reliable.

On the topic of VW reliability, I already had the charge port door lock fail so that it did not lock. While some people may prefer a non-locking port door, I had the dealer fix it under warranty as I would prefer to be able to secure my charge port when out and about. My first car was a '91 GTI 16V that I had for 6 months prior to it being stolen and then had a nearly 25 year gap in VW ownership. So far, the 2017 seems fairly solid.

 

[RecoverE]

Thanks for your reply f1geek. Today I vacuumed the charging port thinking that debris in the well of the charging port prevented the seating of the plug locking claw. I have tested the charging process three times since the fault yesterday with no issues. I will update this post if issues continue.

On a positive note, I have owned this vehicle for 4.5 years and have not experienced any significant battery degradation at 43K miles. New tires and cabin filters have been the only expense.