Home (3 pin) Battery Charger MG ZS EV

[Rhonddabiker]

The battery charger supplied appears to be seriously affected when using a two metre extension lead to connect to the car
I.e. power light and charging light extremely dim, charges at about 10% in six hours.
Above mentioned lights are bright when charger is plugged directly in to wall socket, will not reach the car, hence need for extension cable.
Any body able to help.
Signed,
Clueless

 

[Davemac278]

I've used my 12m extension lead without issues. Suggest trying another lead or get your home charger checked out or try and find somewhere to allow you to plug it in a socket directly to test it.

 

[ARealHuman]

Is your extension lead capable of carrying the required current? Is it getting hot when in use? As above, see if you can test the charger elsewhere, then try another extension lead. Both of these tests should point to what's going wrong!

 

[Cocijo]

Quite a bit on here. This might help.

Granny charger extension lead.

Just bought this extension lead. As far a I can see it seems to be able to handle the load. https://www.wickes.co.uk/Masterplug-Weatherproof-Garden-Tidy-Extension-Lead---15m-13A/p/205895

www.mgevs.com

 

[Lovemyev]

All been said really !.
I would reframe from using your current extension lead until you are totally convinced it has a safe carrying load to handle the “Granny” unit.
I feel like others that the extension your are using right now is under rated and could be a fire risk.
Although using unwound extension leads with a “Granny” units is okay, it is not a practice I would be comfortable using on a regular basis to be honest.
I do have an extension cable that can be used in conjunction with the “Granny” when no other charging option is available.
It is using a 2.5mm cable that is more than capable of carrying the load from a “Granny” unit.

 

[Kithmo]

You're getting about half the charge rate you should be getting at 10% in 6 hours, so there's either some serious resistance on the extension or the wall socket or the granny is faulty.
Is the socket you're using a proper 13A socket on a mains circuit, not a spur off a lighting circuit ?

 

[Lovemyev]

You're getting about half the charge rate you should be getting at 10% in 6 hours, so there's either some serious resistance on the extension or the wall socket or the granny is faulty.
Is the socket you're using a proper 13A socket on a mains circuit, not a spur off a lighting circuit ?

I think the problem is only evident when introducing the extension lead, the “Granny” works fine when the extension is removed.

 

[Kithmo]

Above mentioned lights are bright when charger is plugged directly in to wall socket

I missed that bit.

 

[bzr160]

Tough Leads make dedicated EV extension cables etc,I've got two and they work well.

 

[Elec Car Aust]

I think the problem is only evident when introducing the extension lead, the “Granny” works fine when the extension is removed.

Definitely sounds like the lead. You could try a heavy duty rated one used for a caravan. In Australia these work fine with a granny charger.

 

[Gordon MG3]

The battery charger supplied appears to be seriously affected when using a two metre extension lead to connect to the car
I.e. power light and charging light extremely dim, charges at about 10% in six hours.
Above mentioned lights are bright when charger is plugged directly in to wall socket, will not reach the car, hence need for extension cable.
Any body able to help.
Signed,
Clueless

 

[Gordon MG3]

I have used extension lead with no problem when charging from completely flat. Are you fully extending (unwinding) the extension cable they generally deliver 10A when fully extended but only 3A when only partly unwound.

 

[Rhonddabiker]

I have used extension lead with no problem when charging from completely flat. Are you fully extending (unwinding) the extension cable they generally deliver 10A when fully extended but only 3A when only partly unwound.

Fully extended. Many thanks for the reply

 

[MGBGT2ZS]

With thanks from a newbie to the OP and members in the thread, rest assured that your value is a gift that keeps on giving from two years ago.

Nice place y'all have here. Cheers for resolving the mystery. Still trying to fathom who (and why they) figured 2.5m should be the sole one-size-fits-a-few granny cable length. The planning meeting must have been entitled: How to Kick Start Profits for Others in a Third Party Aftermarket.

 

[Jomarkh]

Did you car come with a 2.5m granny EVSE as I thought the MG ones were had a 5m cable.

 

[MGBGT2ZS]

Thanks @Jomarkh, in this instance, 'came with' means a brand new 2.5m granny.

In short, the only size available, see below for longer explanation in a main dealer supplied MG-badged bag, for this shiny pre-loved 70-plate ZS Exclusive (reg'd Sept 2020). Given due to a partially empty accessories tray in the boot, inferring that the original (of whatever length cable) went AWOL.

I took delivery last Thursday from Chiswick MG (Norton Way Group) in West London after a test drive the week previous. The deal includes install of an Ohme 7.4Kw home charge point ("free" meaning artificially massaged pricing, which is a whole other conversation), otherwise I'd have probably ordered from a dealer more local to me.

I'm not getting a lot of sense out of Chiswick, so a visit yesterday to the closest in St Albans (Glyn Hopkin) confirmed (allegedly) that 2.5m is the only OEM length available. Presumably for all MG EVs, unless myself, a dealer salesman and the Norton Way Group webmaster are mistaken. I was incredulous, as to me, 5m gives folk without a garage (or with one but full of cr*p) a fighting chance of not so close and personal with a granny to a 3-pin socket.

Despite no part-ex, Chiswick MG wouldn't cough for anything beyond a set of mats, which weren't in the delivered car and still to arrive <sighs> so I bought a 10m 22Kw 32A Type 2 to Type 2 EV cable via Amazon, in prep for the untethered install (my preference) and to hook to my workplace charging stations.

I'd browsed a few 5m and 10m 3-pin options on Amazon (as one does, nose to the glass like a kid longing for toys on display), thought about cobbling a DIY workaround with an IP66 box and 5mm cable to handle 750v/3250w ... and then did the grown up thing: browsed this forum and found these helpful fellows, talking unwound extension leads.

 

[jaydee]

The battery charger supplied appears to be seriously affected when using a two metre extension lead to connect to the car
I.e. power light and charging light extremely dim, charges at about 10% in six hours.
Above mentioned lights are bright when charger is plugged directly in to wall socket, will not reach the car, hence need for extension cable.
Any body able to help.
Signed,
Clueless

I use a 25m camping extension lead with built-in RCD, rated at 16 amps. No problems with granny charger when in use. Only snag is it has a commando plug but a short adapter to 3 pin plug works fine without getting particularly warm. We already had it but easily available at camping shops.