Instavolt refusing to release cable?

[Senhor Sydney]

Had a fairly unpleasant experience this week with a bank of instavolt chargers and wondering if anyone else has had this issue with an MG5 long range?

Plugged car in, started charge. After about 10 minutes needed to stop the charge to move the car, but when I pressed stop it stopped charging and just hung on the 'charging complete' screen, refusing to release the cable from the car. After about 40 minutes on the phone to instavolt customer services they said they couldn't release it from their end, gave up and told me to use the emergency release on the car. After a quick trip to buy a screwdriver for the engine cover I did this, released the car and moved it to a different instavolt machine in the same bank as still needed a charge. This time the device refused to charge at all but again wouldn't release the cable from the car. Two more customer service calls later instavolt were out of ideas so I tried the emergency release again, this time even that wouldn't release to begin with, but eventually got the car free after several tries. I eventually got charged at a gridserve charger a few miles away without issue, but now am concerend this might happen every time I try to charge with an instavolt. Anyone got a clue what might have been happening here?

 

[Gomev]

I have used several Instavolts on my ZS and not had a problem. I waved my card at it again to stop the charge when I wanted to (not using the app). Was the stop button on the app or on the charger ?

 

[Zoomy]

With Instavolt, I have had a US-built Chargepoint unit do this to me. Wouldn't initiate a charge after the handshake and locked me in, customer support couldn't release so I had to pull the cable under the bonnet (ZS). Obviously if the charge is flowing, you can't do this due to the high DC current involved.
Instavolt aren't 100% perfect, despite the hyped culture about them.

 

[5teep]

If that happens again try pushing the emergency stop button in on the charger. The should cut power and release your cable.
Be sure to reset the button after.

 

[defeatedbythecat]

With a MG5 LR arriving (hopefully) in the next couple of weeks, I would sure like to know which screwdriver I need to keep in the car just in case

 

[5teep]

With a MG5 LR arriving (hopefully) in the next couple of weeks, I would sure like to know which screwdriver I need to keep in the car just in case

Flat blade, 4mm should do it for you.

 

[ALANB]

Had a fairly unpleasant experience this week with a bank of instavolt chargers and wondering if anyone else has had this issue with an MG5 long range?

Plugged car in, started charge. After about 10 minutes needed to stop the charge to move the car, but when I pressed stop it stopped charging and just hung on the 'charging complete' screen, refusing to release the cable from the car. After about 40 minutes on the phone to instavolt customer services they said they couldn't release it from their end, gave up and told me to use the emergency release on the car. After a quick trip to buy a screwdriver for the engine cover I did this, released the car and moved it to a different instavolt machine in the same bank as still needed a charge. This time the device refused to charge at all but again wouldn't release the cable from the car. Two more customer service calls later instavolt were out of ideas so I tried the emergency release again, this time even that wouldn't release to begin with, but eventually got the car free after several tries. I eventually got charged at a gridserve charger a few miles away without issue, but now am concerend this might happen every time I try to charge with an instavolt. Anyone got a clue what might have been happening here?

I'm finding with the faster Instvolt rapids (those over 50) that the cable is much heavier and I think that it doesn't seat well as a consequence so I always support it when both starting and ending.

 

[billyboy]

i had a similar problem on my first charge so phoned the garage and they said i had left it to long after opening the door so to relock the door and unlock all ok after that and since

 

[Senhor Sydney]

I have used several Instavolts on my ZS and not had a problem. I waved my card at it again to stop the charge when I wanted to (not using the app). Was the stop button on the app or on the charger ?

On the charger - I didn't use the app. I also tried touching the contactless card to the reader a bunch of times to try to get the cable released, and each time it chimed as if accepting it but then nothing else changed.

 

[Senhor Sydney]

If that happens again try pushing the emergency stop button in on the charger. The should cut power and release your cable.
Be sure to reset the button after.

Thanks. The devices I used didn't have a physical emergency stop button on them though. Also the device had stopped charging, it just wouldn't release.

 

[Senhor Sydney]

i had a similar problem on my first charge so phoned the garage and they said i had left it to long after opening the door so to relock the door and unlock all ok after that and since

I locked and unlocked the car a whole heap of times in attempt to get it to release - no luck

 

[Senhor Sydney]

With Instavolt, I have had a US-built Chargepoint unit do this to me. Wouldn't initiate a charge after the handshake and locked me in, customer support couldn't release so I had to pull the cable under the bonnet (ZS). Obviously if the charge is flowing, you can't do this due to the high DC current involved.
Instavolt aren't 100% perfect, despite the hyped culture about them.

This is exactly what happened to me - so not a unique event then... thanks. Sadly, an incident like this will definitley make me avoid Instavolt in future...

 

[Zoomy]

They're generally good though Syd, everything falls over once in a while.

 

[pjmuk]

I once had difficulty pulling the Instavolt lead out of my MG5. I worked out it was the fact it was wedged in by the thick cable on the ground. The charge point had a raised kerb, and where i was parked in to charge the cable was simply wedged to the ground as the MG5 has a lower charge port.

 

[Esi]

Hi
I had the same problem last night with a Pod Point rapid charges.
It would not release even with the emergency button pressed.
Shut the car down. Locked and unlocked twice then it let go of the cable.
I believe it’s the car that would not let go and nothing to do with the charger.
Maybe MG need to look into this problem

 

[DuracellBunny]

This has happened to me on a Gridserve charger, it would not stop charging no matter what. Spoke to them on the phone the guy could not connect remotely to the charger, eventually, the cable was released without the guy on the phone realizing it did, left then was billed for £20, about 3x the charge taken.