Charger overheating

[mhockett]

It can be adjusted, it’s just a very simplified interface. There is no transformer componentry inside the PMC+ to actively modify the current. That button is just taking the numeric amperage associated with the attached pigtail, dividing by two and communicating that number to the vehicle when negotiating a charging session.

Any idea on how to adjust it? I didn't see anything in the directions.

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[Jhenson29]

Any idea on how to adjust it? I didn't see anything in the directions.

From the manual:
https://files.porsche.com/filestore...er-Plus-Operating-and-Installation-Manual.pdf

 

[satchurator]

I have the generic charger that came with the car. No screen, therefore no adjustment capability. Just purchased a Chargepoint Home Flex for $750 because it's supposed to allow the 50 amp charging. If not - I'm off to Home Depot for some 40 amp breakers.

We can debate semantics, but for the last time - the PMC+ is adjustable, to 100% or 50% of the current associated with the connected pigtail, by pressing the 50% button.

Also, if you have a NEMA 14-50 socket in your garage, on a 50A circuit, and you obtain an EVSE with a NEMA 14-50 pigtail, the most amperage the EVSE will allow the vehicle’s charger to draw, will be 40A. This is a regulatory thing - in the USA, a circuit can’t have more than 80% of its max current under constant draw. My PWCC is hardwired to a 100A circuit, supporting max 80A draw.

 

[daveo4EV]

I'm off to Home Depot for some 40 amp breakers.

40 amp breakers won't fix your problem unless you also purchase a EVSE that is 40 amp breaker and 32 amp charge rate.

the breaker is _NOT_ the problem - Porsche's PMC+ _IS_ the problem - and you if want to downgrade it's settings you need to use the 50% button!

 

[Tooney]

TLDR; the amount of amps advertised to the vehicle by the EVSE is a loose agreement/guess by the EVSE as to what it "thinks" it's plugged into - there is NO ACTUAL mechanism for an EVSE to interrogate any given raw-power circuit for it's size/capacity - so the EVSE "guesses" the amps based on the type of supply cable currently plugged into it - or in the Case of the Porsche Wall Charger for example it's a dip-switch setting "inside" the EVSE that you configure when you install the Porsche Wall charger - nothing prevents you from lying with this setting…but there is _NO WAY_ for a given EVSE to "know" the breaker size for a given raw-power feed - there is only loose agreements that you should not have a 30 amp breaker attached to a NEMA 14-50 plug…
.....

the EVSE has _NO_ mechanism to "interrogate" a raw-power feed as to wire-gauge or breaker size - there is no way to do this - you can attempt to pull 100 amps from a 15 amp breaker - and the only thing keeping that safe is the 15 amp break will "pop" and cut off the power flow…​

but the EVSE can be "informed" as to the breaker size via various mechanisms that are either assigned, implied, configured, manually set - once the EVSE has been "informed" as the the breaker size it's dealing with - it will simply repeat that lie to the vehicle and we all hope for the best…

I hope this helps.

Thanks a lot for all the info on EVSE functions. My takeaways:
1. The EVSE informs the EV about the maximum amps the EVSE can deliver, but this amount is determined by the configuration of the EVSE, not by the EVSE measuring the actual current it is or can deliver.
2. Even if the EVSE itself is "properly" configured, the maximum amps available it informs the EV it can deliver could be wrong depending on adapters, circuit breakers, and cable and house electrical wiring supplying the EVSE.

It's not just EV owners who find this stuff confusing. The electrician who installed the 240 v line for my Wallbox has done numerous home EVSE installations. I was the first customer who requested the beefier Hubbell 14-50 receptacle, based on posts here. I saw him recently and he said he had since heard from other electricians that receptacle was the best approach. Also, although he knew about the correct breakers and wiring sizes to use to install various models of home EVSEs, he seemed unfamiliar with exactly what functions the EVSE performs for the car.

He had gotten call-backs from an EVSE owner who was complaining that his car sometimes was not charging as fast as he thought it should, and was concerned the wiring to the EVSE was the problem, instead of the EV charger. Sort of like calling the electrician when your clothes dryer is taking too long.

 

[daveo4EV]

Thanks a lot for all the info on EVSE functions. My takeaways:
1. The EVSE informs the EV about the maximum amps the EVSE can deliver, but this amount is determined by the configuration of the EVSE, not by the EVSE measuring the actual current it is or can deliver.
2. Even if the EVSE itself is "properly" configured, the maximum amps available it informs the EV it can deliver could be wrong depending on adapters, circuit breakers, and cable and house electrical wiring supplying the EVSE.

It's not just EV owners who find this stuff confusing. The electrician who installed the 240 v line for my Wallbox has done numerous home EVSE installations. I was the first customer who requested the beefier Hubbell 14-50 receptacle, based on posts here. I saw him recently and he said he had since heard from other electricians that receptacle was the best approach. Also, although he knew about the correct breakers and wiring sizes to use to install various models of home EVSEs, he seemed unfamiliar with exactly what functions the EVSE performs for the car.

He had gotten call-backs from an EVSE owner who was complaining that his car sometimes was not charging as fast as he thought it should, and was concerned the wiring to the EVSE was the problem, instead of the EV charger. Sort of like calling the electrician when your clothes dryer is taking too long.

yeah it's way way way too confusing - I believe it's holding back EV adoption - but part of the problem is homes that are between 150 years and 5 months old - this is not just "one size or even two sizes" that fit all - an EVSE is a high demand 240V appliance, so each EVSE install is very very particular to the characteristics of one's home and in particular it's electrical system…

it truly and honestly sucks.

but this is where we are in the situation.

and yeah very very very few people - even electricans really understand this stuff.

 

[mhockett]

From the manual:
https://files.porsche.com/filestore...er-Plus-Operating-and-Installation-Manual.pdf

Thank you! I will try it.

 

[mhockett]

Another reason why the charger which came with the car is still in its original shrink wrap packaging while a ChargePoint EVSE charges the Taycan @50A without any issues.

Did some research and picked up a ChargePoint Home Flex 6-50. Make sure you go 6-50! This comes with the 6 gauge wire - LONG cord. It definitely handles the 50 amp charge. The ONLY way to use the default Taycan charger is if you step it down to the 50% setting. I took some pictures to show an example of the time difference between the Taycan charger and the ChargePoint.

In summary, the ChargePoint is 3 hours faster going from 57% to 85%.

 

[mhockett]

Thank you! I will try it.

The 50% setting worked perfectly. No errors in charging. So this definitely is the solution IF you want to use the Taycan charger. Just poorly designed.

After doing this and watching the posts, I researched the non-Porsche EV chargers and settled on the ChargePoint Home Flex 6-50. It comes with the 6 gauge wires and handles the 50 amp charge perfectly. Going from 57% to 85% was 3 hours faster than the Porsche charger set at 50%.

 

[DerekS]

That Chargepoint Flex was on my short list too. I ultimately went with a Wallbox Pulsar Plus due to price ($574 on Prime Day.)

So far I am gruntled with it, no issues with heat or performance, and it keeps nice stats.

In fact it has an undocumented API, such that my forthcoming EV charge/road-trip tracking app can automatically ingest home charges.

 

[daveo4EV]

soooo many excellent alternatives at great prices - the PMC+/PMCC really are not VW/Audi/Porsches best effort and the are sooooooo pricy if you have to pay for them -better off with alternatives

 

[DerekS]

soooo many excellent alternatives at great prices - the PMC+/PMCC really are not VW/Audi/Porsches best effort and the are sooooooo pricy if you have to pay for them -better off with alternatives

I was absolutely stunned that the PMC+ is almost $2000 at Suncoast.
Not even remotely worth that.

My next Taycan I'd like them to just strike that option from the build and credit me.

 

[Asu]

Had my first charge the other night saw the alert on charger stating it’s overheated. Do you think if I lower the amp to maybe 20-30 amp this will solve the problem. Don’t mind charging at slower speed since I’ll be charging overnight anyways.

 

[satchurator]

You can also change your breaker from 50 amps to 40 amps. The 40 amps will give you 32 amps continuous and you can set the Porsche charger at 100%. It should perform slightly better than the Porsche charger at 50%.

@mhockett This is not correct. You can’t swap a 50A breaker to a 40A breaker and run the PMC+ or PMCC at 100% on a 14-50 supply adapter - it will trip the breaker. Breakers do not regulate current in any way other than by breaking at their amperage rating.

 

[daveo4EV]

I can tell you that you can lower the charger setting to 50% and that will solve the problem. You can also change your breaker from 50 amps to 40 amps. The 40 amps will give you 32 amps continuous and you can set the Porsche charger at 100%. It should perform slightly better than the Porsche charger at 50%.

AS NOTED IN OTHER POSTS - this is _BAD_ advice.

the PMC+/PMCC can not magically "detect" that you've swapped a breaker - there is no such mechanism - the PMC+/PMCC maximum amp charging rate is based on which supple cable is connected to the unit - _NOT_ based on some mythical ability to "know" what size breaker is on your circuit…

Porsche sells/provided 5 separate PMC+/PMCC supply cables for North America

• NEMA 5-15 (included)
• NEMA 14-50
• NEMA 6-50
• NEMA 14-30
• NEMA 6-30

based on plug type from the supply cable the PMC+/PMCC sets it maxium charge rate in AMPs as follows:

• NEMA 5-15 - 15 amp breaker - because building code for this type of plug - 12 amps
• NEMA 14-50/6-50 - 50 amp breaker - because building code for this type of plug - 40 amps
• NEMA 14-30/6-30 - 30 amp breaker - because building code for this type of plug - 24 amps

@Administrator - this advice is dangerous and could lead to electrical failure/problems at someone's home - it should be deleted - post #74

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