MG ZS EV Intermittent AC Charging Issue

T

TschZS

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Location
Melbourne, Australia
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MG ZS EV
Hi everyone,

Long time reader, first time poster. Have always found this forum useful to diagnose issues I face with my Mk1 ZS EV but I've come across something I'm stumped on. I purchased my car new (had been sitting in the dealer's yard for some time) last year, it is a 2021 MG ZS EV Mk1 (Standard range is all we have in Australia).
For the last 9 or so months I have gotten by using the supplied 10A granny charger, but about 6 months ago I noticed an issue with it where the car would stop charging when nowhere near full, and the granny would flash both the charge and power lights as if the charge had completed. At that time, I found I could get the car to charge again if I plugged it and replugged it in, but it would only charge for about 5 to 10 minutes before doing the exact same thing.
This occurred over any SoC and was no more frequent at lower SoCs than higher.
I initially blamed the granny charger, naively. The issue was so intermittent though that by the time I was sufficiently frustrated to report the issue to my local dealer, the problem would disappear again and not reappear for weeks.
In frustration one day, I bought a Level 2 charger/EVSE online, and had it installed last week. It worked fine initially, but then just like clockwork, the issue has returned. I can confirm it is not the wall charger as it's occurring on the granny too (please see video).
All I get is the 'connected but not charging' and the car will whirr the locking mechanism every minute or so. The only 'fix' seems to be to unplug it for a while and try again in a few hours, in hope it works.

Today when it occurred, it had charged fro 40 minutes on the wall charger before suddenly refusing any further and displaying the 'connected but not charging'.
I have now asked my dealer to look into it and I'm awaiting a call back, but considering the lack of knowledge around EVs and the fact I cannot replicate the issue on demand leaves me thinking that the dealer is going to tell me nothing is wrong, and send me home.
FYI - there is a Level 2 AC charger (BYO Cable) at a shopping centre that this consistently occurs at, too.

Any thoughts? Faulty onboard charger?

Thanks
 
First thing I'd do is disconnect the -ve battery terminal for a minute or so to see if that resets anything.
Also make sure your 12v is good.
 
Kithmo said:
First thing I'd do is disconnect the -ve battery terminal for a minute or so to see if that resets anything.
Also make sure your 12v is good.
Click to expand...
Just an update - the issue disappeared for a few weeks and is back again so I tried this - no help unfortunately. I’ve been chasing my dealer for 2 weeks to get it booked in but they’re horrible with returning calls.
 
I had issues with my gen 1 refusing to charge. When the garage got hold of it, there were loads of random error codes, almost like the car had got it's knickers in a twist. They deleted all the codes and it now charges fine. Fingers crossed your issue is something as simple as that?!
 
Thanks for the info! So did yours charge at all, randomly? I had mine just charge on 7kW for about 20 minutes before spitting the dummy. Interesting that would leave a fault code?
 
Bizarrely mine would charge on a granny plug but not the box on the wall. The garage said the error messages that appeared were very random and nothing to do with charging. We think a power cut whilst plugged in caused the issue...
 
TschZS said:
Hi everyone,

Long time reader, first time poster. Have always found this forum useful to diagnose issues I face with my Mk1 ZS EV but I've come across something I'm stumped on. I purchased my car new (had been sitting in the dealer's yard for some time) last year, it is a 2021 MG ZS EV Mk1 (Standard range is all we have in Australia).
For the last 9 or so months I have gotten by using the supplied 10A granny charger, but about 6 months ago I noticed an issue with it where the car would stop charging when nowhere near full, and the granny would flash both the charge and power lights as if the charge had completed. At that time, I found I could get the car to charge again if I plugged it and replugged it in, but it would only charge for about 5 to 10 minutes before doing the exact same thing.
This occurred over any SoC and was no more frequent at lower SoCs than higher.
I initially blamed the granny charger, naively. The issue was so intermittent though that by the time I was sufficiently frustrated to report the issue to my local dealer, the problem would disappear again and not reappear for weeks.
In frustration one day, I bought a Level 2 charger/EVSE online, and had it installed last week. It worked fine initially, but then just like clockwork, the issue has returned. I can confirm it is not the wall charger as it's occurring on the granny too (please see video).
All I get is the 'connected but not charging' and the car will whirr the locking mechanism every minute or so. The only 'fix' seems to be to unplug it for a while and try again in a few hours, in hope it works.

Today when it occurred, it had charged fro 40 minutes on the wall charger before suddenly refusing any further and displaying the 'connected but not charging'.
I have now asked my dealer to look into it and I'm awaiting a call back, but considering the lack of knowledge around EVs and the fact I cannot replicate the issue on demand leaves me thinking that the dealer is going to tell me nothing is wrong, and send me home.
FYI - there is a Level 2 AC charger (BYO Cable) at a shopping centre that this consistently occurs at, too.

Any thoughts? Faulty onboard charger?

Thanks
Click to expand...

hi similar symptoms on my 2yr old ZS. Couldn't charge for several days but DC charge on public charger ok. Garage couldn't find fault first time I took it in & it was ok for a few days then stopped again. next time garage couldn't make it charge & couldn't find fault so MG told them to fit a new on board charger. Fine now & I don't have to lock the car to charge
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just an update on my original post in case Sam Luscombe is watching as I ran out of time.
I found Luscombes Leeds very good on the job once my charging problem was confirmed.
They sent a driver to pick my car up, fitted a new OBC & returned my car within 4hrs all FOC within the no quibble warranty.
Now I don't have to lock the car to start the charge & it doesn't stop if I unlock it. Best of all a full charge gives me another 25/30 miles which leaves me to believe that the AC settings on the original were not optimum.
 
Malcolm said:
Just an update on my original post in case Sam Luscombe is watching as I ran out of time.
I found Luscombes Leeds very good on the job once my charging problem was confirmed.
They sent a driver to pick my car up, fitted a new OBC & returned my car within 4hrs all FOC within the no quibble warranty.
Now I don't have to lock the car to start the charge & it doesn't stop if I unlock it. Best of all a full charge gives me another 25/30 miles which leaves me to believe that the AC settings on the original were not optimum.
Click to expand...
I’m in Australia and have been having this battle now for well over a month. EVCC and Charge port replaced but no OBC replacement yet, has now been back in the shop twice for warranty repairs. MG say this time they cannot find the issue so the car has been handed back to me, but I bet it will play up again. When they first found the issue, it seems the control pilot would just sit on 9 volts and not move down to 6V to initiate the charge. I still am sure it's the OBC at fault.
 
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