Charge plug not locking at all

[bizzle]

There is a Conv. feature but I thought it was some function related to a Convertible top
So now my windows work.

Anyway, I can't get VCDS to communicate with the car.

I'm pm'ing you my email address regarding the Ross Tech file.

 

[JoulesThief]

There is a Conv. feature but I thought it was some function related to a Convertible top
So now my windows work.

Anyway, I can't get VCDS to communicate with the car.

I'm pm'ing you my email address regarding the Ross Tech file.

"Convenience" feature.

Which area did you find the keyfob feature in on Ross-tech, and which version of Ross-Tech are you running? Take notes, and show others what you discover, and how to do it themselves, with a post on a "how to" Quid pro quid.

 

[bizzle]

The steps are listed in this thread http://www.myvwegolf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=405

I actually don't have a complete scan of my car. I thought I did but the scan won't complete. I see that the drop-down list only includes <2015 eGolfs. Maybe they're working on the 2016?

 

[JoulesThief]

The steps are listed in this thread http://www.myvwegolf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=405

I actually don't have a complete scan of my car. I thought I did but the scan won't complete. I see that the drop-down list only includes <2015 eGolfs. Maybe they're working on the 2016?

When a 16.x Beta version comes out, probably you can try a scan then.

 

[jdeslip]

I also have a 2016 SE and it doesn't appear to lock the charger. When I press the J1772 handle, charging appears to immediately be interrupted.

I guess this is a common difference on the 2016 SE? Though, the manual definitely claims it will lock (perhaps meant for SEL?). Based on the other threads of this forum, I guess we should consider ourselves lucky.

 

[alexbolluca]

Hi,

I have same issue with my 2016 e-Golf SE that my charge connector never gets locked.

I bought my car in December 2015.

Before my purchase, Sales person showed me on 2016 SE test drive model where cable was locking.

Today, I took my e-Golf to Santa Monica dealership and they said 2016 SE doesn't have cable locking feature. On the other hand user manual and all other places it says cable locks.

What do you suggest?

Alex

 

[JoulesThief]

Hi,

I have same issue with my 2016 e-Golf SE that my charge connector never gets locked.

I bought my car in December 2015.

Before my purchase, Sales person showed me on 2016 SE test drive model where cable was locking.

Today, I took my e-Golf to Santa Monica dealership and they said 2016 SE doesn't have cable locking feature. On the other hand user manual and all other places it says cable locks.

What do you suggest?

Alex

Appreciate the fact that the SE model with the 3.6 kwh charger on board does not lock. Ask your dealership to show you any other SE model on the show floor with the 3.6kwh charger and the locking feature on it.

Only the SEL model has this cursed feature, as well as SE with DCFC and 7.2 kwh charger on it. Consider yourself lucky if you use public charging stations, and yours does not lock. Consider yourself unlucky if you use public charging stations and you didn't buy the 7.2kwh charger pack, because you're going to get a slooooow charge at a public station, and many stations have 2 hour charging time limits, before penalties start accruing for time on the public charger.

All VW's currently with the DCFC connector port have the locking cable feature, for safety reasons.

Yanking a 110 Amp 360 volt connection apart when electrically "hot" is dangerous, hence the locking feature.

Yanking a 208V at 15 amps, on the slow charger on the SE with 3.6kwh charger not so much.

 

[DucRider]

Yanking a 110 Amp 360 volt connection apart when electrically "hot" is dangerous, hence the locking feature.

Yanking a 208V at 15 amps, on the slow charger on the SE with 3.6kwh charger not so much.

ummm... No
There are redundant ways the power is cut when disengaging the charge cord. They all happen long before you could "yank" it loose. I assume you're worried about an arc as the connection is broken. Most of the problems with compatibility people experience with specific EVSE/car combinations are due to these safety features stopping/preventing charging. If the signal is just slightly out of range, charging will stop or fail to start.
Not sure why VW chose to delete the locking "feature" on the SE, but that ain't it (more likely part of the effort to reduce cost on the SE)

 

[RonDawg]

Yanking a 110 Amp 360 volt connection apart when electrically "hot" is dangerous, hence the locking feature.

Yanking a 208V at 15 amps, on the slow charger on the SE with 3.6kwh charger not so much.

ummm... No

There are redundant ways the power is cut when disengaging the charge cord. They all happen long before you could "yank" it loose. I assume you're worried about an arc as the connection is broken. Most of the problems with compatibility people experience with specific EVSE/car combinations are due to these safety features stopping/preventing charging. If the signal is just slightly out of range, charging will stop or fail to start.
Not sure why VW chose to delete the locking "feature" on the SE, but that ain't it (more likely part of the effort to reduce cost on the SE)

I refuted Joules' assertion in a different thread, but for those who missed it, I mentioned Wikipedia's article about the J1772 standard which is what non-Tesla post-2009 EVs use ( though Tesla is compatible with it): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J1772

The J1772 standard includes several levels of shock protection, ensuring the safety of charging even in wet conditions. Physically, the connection pins are isolated on the interior of the connector when mated, ensuring no physical access to those pins. When not mated, J1772 connectors have no voltage at the pins,[19] and charging power does not flow until commanded by the vehicle.[17]

The power pins are of the first-make, last-break variety. If the plug is in the charging port of the vehicle and charging, and it is removed, the control pilot and proximity detection pin will break first causing the power relay in the charging station to open, cutting all current flow to the J1772 plug. This prevents any arcing on the power pins, prolonging their lifespan. The proximity detection pin is also connected to a switch that is triggered upon pressing the physical disconnect button when removing the connector from the vehicle. This causes the resistance to change on the proximity pin which commands the vehicle's onboard charger to stop drawing current immediately before the connector is pulled out.

While VW may or may not follow the J1772 protocol strictly, in case of the control and proximity pins it has to, otherwise no EVSE that does follow the standard will ever work with the eGolf.

 

[forbin404]

2016 SE doesn't have a way to lock the handle once charging starts.

The manual doesn't say so but it looks like they removed it. I looked inside and didn't see any evidence of a 'locking' mechanism.

 

[RonDawg]

I wish VW removed the locking feature on mine. So $%^^^&^* annoying!

 

[JoulesThief]

I wish VW removed the locking feature on mine. So $%^^^&^* annoying!

I am pretty certain, once VCDS in Pennsylvania gets a SEL e-Golf and files also from a 2016 SE without the lock, and compare the files, they will be able to figure out the bits and bytes to remove that feature by changing a setting or two with VCDS. Unfortunately, the e-Golf is expensive, and not sold in PA, for the folks at VCDS to compare the hexidecimal code with, to find the solution.

Give it some time... pretty sure a solution will be found when 2016's are compared with complete scans between the two models, being sent in to Ross-tech. Since it is controlled also by the door locks, I'm pretty certain it will be a setting in the Body Control Module that needs to be changed in the locking portion, Both in the BCM, and possibly in the infotainment center with a setting being removed on the keyfob also.

 

[Sparky]

I would definitely like to know if there is a code that could be changed in VCDS. I had an incident recently where my '15 SEL would not unlock and release the charge plug at a public charging station. The eGolf was 98%+ charged and still charging when I unlocked the doors. When I didn't immediately remove the plug, the system threw a fault when it attempted to resume charging, the charge light turned red, and the lock wouldn't release. Tried restarting the charge cycle via Car-Net, but was unable due to the fault. The emergency release procedure outlined in the owner's manual couldn't override the fault, either. Even "rebooted" by disconnecting the 12v battery, without any success.

After multiple calls to Car-Net, it was determined there is no other emergency release procedure. I had to physically yank, twist, and pry the plug until the charge port partially separated, breaking free from whatever supports hold it in place. Only at that point did the charge light turn amber and I was able to unlock the plug with the key fob. VW Customer Support has been great so far, but I've asked for the engineering team to look into how it is possible to recode the '15 eGolfs to prevent this from reoccuring. Unlike the i3, eGolfs don't have a cable or manual release to use in an emergency.

 

[miimura]

I would definitely like to know if there is a code that could be changed in VCDS. I had an incident recently where my '15 SEL would not unlock and release the charge plug at a public charging station. The eGolf was 98%+ charged and still charging when I unlocked the doors. When I didn't immediately remove the plug, the system threw a fault when it attempted to resume charging, the charge light turned red, and the lock wouldn't release. Tried restarting the charge cycle via Car-Net, but was unable due to the fault. The emergency release procedure outlined in the owner's manual couldn't override the fault, either. Even "rebooted" by disconnecting the 12v battery, without any success.

After multiple calls to Car-Net, it was determined there is no other emergency release procedure. I had to physically yank, twist, and pry the plug until the charge port partially separated, breaking free from whatever supports hold it in place. Only at that point did the charge light turn amber and I was able to unlock the plug with the key fob. VW Customer Support has been great so far, but I've asked for the engineering team to look into how it is possible to recode the '15 eGolfs to prevent this from reoccuring. Unlike the i3, eGolfs don't have a cable or manual release to use in an emergency.

This has happened to multiple people. It REALLY sucks. Not only can't you get away from a public charging station, but even if the stuck EVSE is the included 120V charging cord, you can't drive the car because the J-plug is still connected, even if it's not plugged into the wall. People have had to have their car towed to the dealer because of this strange catch-22 situation.

The only thing I can think of to get out of this situation is to use a screwdriver or something similar to push in the solenoid pin that locks the J1772 latch. Removing the 12V power by disconnecting the under-hood battery may make it easier push the pin back in, but I haven't tried it.

 

[forbin404]

Wow this makes me glad that the 2016 SE doesn't have a lock.

 

[JoulesThief]

I would definitely like to know if there is a code that could be changed in VCDS. I had an incident recently where my '15 SEL would not unlock and release the charge plug at a public charging station. The eGolf was 98%+ charged and still charging when I unlocked the doors. When I didn't immediately remove the plug, the system threw a fault when it attempted to resume charging, the charge light turned red, and the lock wouldn't release. Tried restarting the charge cycle via Car-Net, but was unable due to the fault. The emergency release procedure outlined in the owner's manual couldn't override the fault, either. Even "rebooted" by disconnecting the 12v battery, without any success.

After multiple calls to Car-Net, it was determined there is no other emergency release procedure. I had to physically yank, twist, and pry the plug until the charge port partially separated, breaking free from whatever supports hold it in place. Only at that point did the charge light turn amber and I was able to unlock the plug with the key fob. VW Customer Support has been great so far, but I've asked for the engineering team to look into how it is possible to recode the '15 eGolfs to prevent this from reoccuring. Unlike the i3, eGolfs don't have a cable or manual release to use in an emergency.

You didn't state how you unlocked the doors. Did you use the unlock button on the keyfob? Or?

 

[Sparky]

You didn't state how you unlocked the doors. Did you use the unlock button on the keyfob? Or?

Nope, just grabbed the door handle to unlock, and sat down to let the charge cycle complete itself. What I didn't realize was that at 98%+ charge, the charging wouldn't resume and the system would throw a fault. I don't try to charge unless the battery is at least 1/16 depleted, but never thought the eGolf would actively refuse to complete a charge cycle after pausing for 30 seconds when unlocked.

 

[Sparky]

This has happened to multiple people. It REALLY sucks. Not only can't you get away from a public charging station, but even if the stuck EVSE is the included 120V charging cord, you can't drive the car because the J-plug is still connected, even if it's not plugged into the wall. People have had to have their car towed to the dealer because of this strange catch-22 situation.

The only thing I can think of to get out of this situation is to use a screwdriver or something similar to push in the solenoid pin that locks the J1772 latch. Removing the 12V power by disconnecting the under-hood battery may make it easier push the pin back in, but I haven't tried it.

Believe me, I tried using a screwdriver to push the pin back. Nothing was effective. The building engineer even shut off the power to the EVSE, but the car refused to stop throwing the fault. The charge light would go dark after a minute of inactivity, and each time I tried to unlock it would immediately light amber, then turn green (as if charging had resumed), followed by red (and the MFI display would show the charge fault). In the end, breaking the charge port must have caused enough separation between the plug to allow the cycle to be interrupted, because the light stayed amber and the solenoid released when I unlocked with the key fob.

I recall reading a post (VWVortex maybe?) when all of this happened that the locking pin and solenoid can be accessed from the behind the wheel well cover, and the locking pin disconnected by unscrewing some torx screws. The problem is that the solenoid has to continue to engage without the pin, in order to fool the system into thinking it's locked, or the poster said charging won't occur.

If you know of other owners who've experienced this, shoot me a PM. I'd like to be able to push for this to be corrected through a coding fix while VW has my eGolf and is investigating.

 

[JoulesThief]

You didn't state how you unlocked the doors. Did you use the unlock button on the keyfob? Or?

Nope, just grabbed the door handle to unlock, and sat down to let the charge cycle complete itself. What I didn't realize was that at 98%+ charge, the charging wouldn't resume and the system would throw a fault. I don't try to charge unless the battery is at least 1/16 depleted, but never thought the eGolf would actively refuse to complete a charge cycle after pausing for 30 seconds when unlocked.

Take the keyfob, and lock the car. Walk around to the charger port. Take the keyfob and press "unlock" on the keyfob twice.That should unlatch the handle, provided you put the handle all the way back in to the port, first, other wise it binds, releasing the pin. This has always worked for me... Car has to be and should be locked when not in use, and when charging, even in the garage, to shut off all the peripheral electrics on a VW.

If that doesn't work, then you really do have problems. It's important to always push the charger handle back IN fully if it doesn't come out due to the locked pin, before locking the car, and then trying again via the keyfob unlock button.

 

[Sparky]

You didn't state how you unlocked the doors. Did you use the unlock button on the keyfob? Or?

Nope, just grabbed the door handle to unlock, and sat down to let the charge cycle complete itself. What I didn't realize was that at 98%+ charge, the charging wouldn't resume and the system would throw a fault. I don't try to charge unless the battery is at least 1/16 depleted, but never thought the eGolf would actively refuse to complete a charge cycle after pausing for 30 seconds when unlocked.

Take the keyfob, and lock the car. Walk around to the charger port. Take the keyfob and press "unlock" on the keyfob twice.That should unlatch the handle, provided you put the handle all the way back in to the port, first, other wise it binds, releasing the pin. This has always worked for me... Car has to be and should be locked when not in use, and when charging, even in the garage, to shut off all the peripheral electrics on a VW.

If that doesn't work, then you really do have problems. It's important to always push the charger handle back IN fully if it doesn't come out due to the locked pin, before locking the car, and then trying again via the keyfob unlock button.

Trust me, I tried everything. If this happens to you, it's not a matter of locking and unlocking via the key fob, or the driver's door lock, or the "emergency release" procedure in the owner's manual. The root of the issue is the charge fault. I should never have unlocked the car while it was almost completed with charging, without immediately disconnecting the plug. Once that fault happens, no normal unlock process or pull/push of the charge plug will interrupt the fault cycle. It really is a problem without an emergency release on the locking pin.