Frequent "Charge Interruptions"

[gpsman]

So far I only own the 120 volt AC EVSE that comes with the car.

The past couple of nights I have had 60 to 75 "Charge has been interrupted" messages come through on my cell phone connected to my OnStar account.
(That's a lot of text messages!)

The car still charged up over those 12 hours.
So each "interruption" had to be just for a moment.
Or the messages are false.
Once when I looked, I did see the light on the dash was yellow, then went back to flashing green as is normal. I did not witness any of the 150 other "events".

Any idea why the car is doing this!
Highly annoying in the least. But also has me worried of a pending problem.

Thanks Much.
-John

P.S. I am positive the outlet did not lose power.

Actual cut and paste of one message below.

"OnStar(R)
Your 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is not charging due to an interruption. Please check your vehicle. It is possible the vehicle has been unplugged or the outlet has lost power. "

 

[user 744]

Are you sure that the outlet can supply that much current?

 

[LeftieBiker]

Check the outlet and wiring, especially the ground connection. A marginal connection might produce momentary "failures" like that.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

+1^
If you have to use 120, the outlet should ideally be: new, well grounded, wired using the screw terminals (not the push in the wire things), and dedicated (nothing else on that circuit), with a new breaker.

 

[ChevyCustomerCare]

So far I only own the 120 volt AC EVSE that comes with the car.

The past couple of nights I have had 60 to 75 "Charge has been interrupted" messages come through on my cell phone connected to my OnStar account.
(That's a lot of text messages!)

The car still charged up over those 12 hours.
So each "interruption" had to be just for a moment.
Or the messages are false.
Once when I looked, I did see the light on the dash was yellow, then went back to flashing green as is normal. I did not witness any of the 150 other "events".

Any idea why the car is doing this!
Highly annoying in the least. But also has me worried of a pending problem.

Thanks Much.
-John

P.S. I am positive the outlet did not lose power.

Actual cut and paste of one message below.

"OnStar(R)
Your 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is not charging due to an interruption. Please check your vehicle. It is possible the vehicle has been unplugged or the outlet has lost power. "

Hi gpsman,

If you are using a grounded, dedicated outlet, and are still getting this "Charge Interrupted" message, please shoot me a private message. If this is the case, I'd like to get you connected with your dealership for diagnosis/inspection of your charge port and vehicle.

I am still awaiting more information in regards to the previous inquiry you sent me via private message. I hope to have more information for you in that regard, soon!

Amber G.
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

[sgt1372]

I turned off the "Charge Interrupted" notifications because I was getting to many of them. Just get "Charge Completed" now.

Don't even really need that since I always charge at home but I can see where it would be useful if you're on the road waiting for the car to charge up before taking off again.

 

[gpsman]

Grounded outlet, yes.
GFCI since it is outdoors.
On a 20 amp circuit built in 2014.
No other devices on this circuit.

(I switched from 12 amp to 8 amp and got the same number of messages so current carrying capacity isn't the issue.)

However, voltage may be. I have not hooked up a volt meter to the power supply, but there MAY be a momentary drop in voltage, say when HVAC in the building starts and stops, etc.

How sensitive is the charging system to voltage?
Is 110 volts just fine? How about 108 volts? 105 volts for half a second? What are the tolerances?

Thanks a bunch for the prompt replies!

-John

So far I only own the 120 volt AC EVSE that comes with the car.

The past couple of nights I have had 60 to 75 "Charge has been interrupted" messages come through on my cell phone connected to my OnStar account.
(That's a lot of text messages!)

The car still charged up over those 12 hours.
So each "interruption" had to be just for a moment.
Or the messages are false.
Once when I looked, I did see the light on the dash was yellow, then went back to flashing green as is normal. I did not witness any of the 150 other "events".

Any idea why the car is doing this!
Highly annoying in the least. But also has me worried of a pending problem.

Thanks Much.
-John

P.S. I am positive the outlet did not lose power.

Actual cut and paste of one message below.

"OnStar(R)
Your 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is not charging due to an interruption. Please check your vehicle. It is possible the vehicle has been unplugged or the outlet has lost power. "

Hi gpsman,

If you are using a grounded, dedicated outlet, and are still getting this "Charge Interrupted" message, please shoot me a private message. If this is the case, I'd like to get you connected with your dealership for diagnosis/inspection of your charge port and vehicle.

I am still awaiting more information in regards to the previous inquiry you sent me via private message. I hope to have more information for you in that regard, soon!

Amber G.
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

[LeftieBiker]

How sensitive is the charging system to voltage?
Is 110 volts just fine? How about 108 volts? 105 volts for half a second? What are the tolerances?

House current in the US is 120 volts nominal, with typical readings in the 117 volt range. 110 should be no problem, so the question is how much below 110 can the EVSE and/or onboard charger handle? Have you tried another charging cable (EVSE)?

 

[user 387]

Have you tried another EVSE, perhaps a free one at a store or mall? If you do this and get no messages it points to a problem with your EVSE or home circuits. If you do get messages it points to a fault with the car.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

There was a case in another EV forum where the line voltage coming into the building was off. Your utility could assess that.

 

[ChevyCustomerCare]

Grounded outlet, yes.
GFCI since it is outdoors.
On a 20 amp circuit built in 2014.
No other devices on this circuit.

(I switched from 12 amp to 8 amp and got the same number of messages so current carrying capacity isn't the issue.)

However, voltage may be. I have not hooked up a volt meter to the power supply, but there MAY be a momentary drop in voltage, say when HVAC in the building starts and stops, etc.

How sensitive is the charging system to voltage?
Is 110 volts just fine? How about 108 volts? 105 volts for half a second? What are the tolerances?

Thanks a bunch for the prompt replies!

-John

It's our pleasure, John! We want to try and address your questions/concerns as best as we can. When you have a moment, could you follow up with me via private message about these "Charge Interrupted" messages? Within that message, please also confirm if you've attempted charging via different cables/locations and confirm your OnStar account information. I'd like to take a look at this from all possible angles and assist as best as I can.

To review GM's privacy policy, please visit https://www.gm.com/privacy-statement.html.

Warm Wishes,

Amber G.
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

[gpsman]

Hi Amber-

Since it has persisted for several days, I have found a pattern. I am trying to charge from a regular, 20 amp 120 VAC outlet during the work day in an industrial park.

During normal business hours when lots of heavy duty equipment is running, I get 65 to 75 charging interruptions in a 12 hour period. ( 7am to 7pm )

Charging after 7pm I do not get charging interruptions. The power never goes out during the day. Only the blinking green light on the front window goes to solid yellow for just a minute to 3 minutes: then goes back green blinking (charging). 75 times per day this happens.

So I'm pretty sure it is trouble with the power source.
I would like to hear from Chevy what the lower limit for charge voltage is. (105 volts? 100 volts?) If I know what is triggering the stoppage of charging, I can try to avoid it ( aka search for an outlet that provides at least the minimum ).

Thanks in advance.

 

[ChevyCustomerCare]

Hi Amber-

Since it has persisted for several days, I have found a pattern. I am trying to charge from a regular, 20 amp 120 VAC outlet during the work day in an industrial park.

During normal business hours when lots of heavy duty equipment is running, I get 65 to 75 charging interruptions in a 12 hour period. ( 7am to 7pm )

Charging after 7pm I do not get charging interruptions. The power never goes out during the day. Only the blinking green light on the front window goes to solid yellow for just a minute to 3 minutes: then goes back green blinking (charging). 75 times per day this happens.

So I'm pretty sure it is trouble with the power source.
I would like to hear from Chevy what the lower limit for charge voltage is. (105 volts? 100 volts?) If I know what is triggering the stoppage of charging, I can try to avoid it ( aka search for an outlet that provides at least the minimum ).

Thanks in advance.

Always my pleasure, gpsman! The operating voltage for the charge system is 85v-265v. Anything outside of that range will not charge your Bolt EV.

Please keep in mind that the circuit voltage may fluctuate as it becomes loaded. A circuit that measures 110v with no load may get pulled down below 85v after the charge power ramps up. This would keep your Bolt EV from charging and would cause the "Charge Interrupted" messages you're seeing.

If you have additional questions/concerns about this, please let me know. I'm always happy to help.

Amber G.
Chevrolet Customer Care