ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: LateLifeCrises on August 27, 2016, 01:02:39 AM
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I have a 2015 Zero S 12.5 and the charging cord is connected to a 25' 14 AWG extension cord which plugs into a 20 amp outlet. The end of the charging cord that is plugged into the Zero is hot but not too hot to touch. I cannot hold onto the other end of the charging cord as it is very hot. The charging cord is warm in between the ends but the extension cord is not warm. Has anyone modified their charging cord so that it can be plugged into a 220v outlet thereby cutting the amperage in half?
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I use a 16 AWG Cord for my Zero S 2013 here in Germany at a standard 230 Volts outlet. Cable and plugs keep quite cool running at only 6 Amps. I always ensure to plug and unplug at the outlet and not at the Zero as arcs will damage the contacts over the time. If they are worn down I replace cable and outlet to ensure good contact and keep them cool. Replacing an outlet socket is easier than the socket at the Zero I think.
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A socket plug adapter is all you need. I wish I had 220 at home to use for that.
One thing you can do is to minimize the stress near the plug. I often run the charge cord over the seat or side luggage and down to the onboard charging inlet so that there is as little load on the cord where it meets the plug as possible.
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One thing you can do is to minimize the stress near the plug. I often run the charge cord over the seat or side luggage and down to the onboard charging inlet so that there is as little load on the cord where it meets the plug as possible.
Similarly, I run my cord through the frame tube above the socket.
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I have a 2015 Zero S 12.5 and the charging cord is connected to a 25' 14 AWG extension cord which plugs into a 20 amp outlet. The end of the charging cord that is plugged into the Zero is hot but not too hot to touch. I cannot hold onto the other end of the charging cord as it is very hot. The charging cord is warm in between the ends but the extension cord is not warm. Has anyone modified their charging cord so that it can be plugged into a 220v outlet thereby cutting the amperage in half?
I have been charging my 2014 Zero by plugging into a 25' 16 AWG extension cord at my daughter's house for the past two years. I plugged into the standard Zero extension cord, which I think was about 8' feet long and 14 AWG. A couple of weeks ago the male and female connectors of the two cords got so hot that they melted together and were ruined (but there was no damage to my bike and it charged up to 100% before I discovered the meltdown). So I bought my daughter a 25' 12 AWG extension cord and a new two meter long 12 power cord for my Zero. The last time I recharged there, the connectors were cool, so the heavier cords solved that little issue. I might add that the outlet was a 120V U.S. type.
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I sometimes use a similar setup. The end of the extension cord at the female end where the male end of the Zero cable plugs in it gets warm (not burning hot, but almost uncomfortably warm). The cord itself does not get even warm. The wall end of the extension cord and the bike end of the Zero cord are ever so slightly warm but not hot at all.
I think the issue is with sub-optimal contact surfaces between the Zero male plug and the female end of the extension cord. That, or the way that end of the extension cord attaches to the cord itself, causing heating.
If I plug the Zero cord without extension, it gets slightly warm on both ends, more so at the wall side, but not hot at all.
That is with US voltage, 120V, so 12-15A.
I think the main issue is the poor contact points at the plugs. The cord itself is plenty thick, but at the connection points there are usually cord-to-plug connection quality and pin-to-socket less than ideal contact area and tension issues. So best to use good quality plugs and extension cords that minimize the resistance at the plug ends that causes the heating.
I have a 2015 Zero S 12.5 and the charging cord is connected to a 25' 14 AWG extension cord which plugs into a 20 amp outlet. The end of the charging cord that is plugged into the Zero is hot but not too hot to touch. I cannot hold onto the other end of the charging cord as it is very hot. The charging cord is warm in between the ends but the extension cord is not warm. Has anyone modified their charging cord so that it can be plugged into a 220v outlet thereby cutting the amperage in half?
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Don't forget the contacts, people. If you get heat at a connection, you've got resistance in your connection. So get some electrical cleaner spray and clean up those contacts.
Another clue- flickering or touchy connections. Don't tolerate that stuff. Clean those contact points.
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Change the outlet to a hospital grade. Most regular outlets are sloppy and the loose connection is a recipe for meltdown. It happened on my Volt charger. Since changing to hospital grade, the wires barely get warm.
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I've been known to bend the blades of the plug into a very slight "C" shape with a pair of pliers. On an old socket, the fingers that grab the blades can lose tension, resulting in a poor connection; bending the blade a little bit can restore enough tension to make sure the connection is still good. Having a little tension also creates some scrubbing action when the plug is inserted, which also helps establish a good connection.
Or you can just get a new outlet and replace the old cheesy one. They're under $2.00 at the home improvement store of your choice, and it takes just a few minutes to replace one. You'll wonder why you put it off so long.
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In my case the heat is generated by the female plug of the extension cord, has nothing to do with contacts or outlets. It is due to sub-par connection inside rhe plug itself where its contacts connect to the wires inside the cord.
I suppose I can cut off the female plug on the extension cord and replace it with a heavy duty one with a better connection inside to the wires. On my "heavy duty" extension cord the heat generated thete is tolerable, but I think still more than it could/should be. I still use this extension cord as is, but keep an eye on it if the heat worsens. I'll report back after I replace the plug to let you all know if it helped. On another, lower quality yet also 15A rated cord, the heat in the same place is much worse, so I no longer use that cord with the Zero even though by rating it should be fine and it is short...
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2013S 12.5 benchmark:
After 4 and a half hours of charging... plugged in at 48%, now at 96%
148-152 degrees F at the bike socket
100 degrees F about 6-8 inches down the cable.
Wall Outlet 138-142 degrees F at the wall socket.
100 degrees F about 3-4 inches down the cable.
2015SR 12.5 benchmark:
After 4 and a half hours of charging... plugged in at 49%, now at 100%
cables at room temperature (I'll have to check earlier)
So - note to self - the 2015SR charges faster...
Outlets without load return 122-122.6V
Using the Stock Charging cables.
Following this thread I bought new higher grade outlets, and will retest after installation and cleaning.
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If you don't mind a slightly off-center question: The voltage out of my home wall outlets have increased from 121 volts last year to 125 volts this year. My daughter, who lives in another county serviced by the same utility company, has a voltage of 118 volts at her home. This seems kind of odd to me. Also odd is that when I visit her home to recharge, my 2014 Zero shows 100% when it stops charging, while at my home it stops charging at 98% and then 30 hours later turns back on and finishes charging to 100%. All this seems kind of weird to me. :o
Does anyone have any thoughts about the differences between 118 volts and 125 volts and which one is better to see from a home wall outlet? Just curious. ???
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If you don't mind a slightly off-center question: The voltage out of my home wall outlets have increased from 121 volts last year to 125 volts this year. My daughter, who lives in another county serviced by the same utility company, has a voltage of 118 volts at her home. This seems kind of odd to me. Also odd is that when I visit her home to recharge, my 2014 Zero shows 100% when it stops charging, while at my home it stops charging at 98% and then 30 hours later turns back on and finishes charging to 100%. All this seems kind of weird to me. :o
Does anyone have any thoughts about the differences between 118 volts and 125 volts and which one is better to see from a home wall outlet? Just curious. ???
Do any of your neighbors have solar power?
as far as voltage goes, more is better until its too much for household items... so 125v AC RMS is excellent. Lower amp draw, less loss.. its a good thing. It will continue to be a good thing until its so high that something you own doesnt like it for input power.
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There are a lot of factors to voltage at your house. Proximity to substation, power usage at your house versus neighbors, time of day, load on the grid, and what the power company is currently doing. The physical location on the house to the end of the power line. That is why most electronics can support a large range of voltages and still work +/-5 volts is not too much as long as it is gradual changes. I have notice sometimes my LED lights dim or flicker when the AC comes on since they are very dependant on voltage.
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I have solved the hot power cord problem by cutting off the female end of a 220V AC extension cord and attaching a NEMA 5-15R 110V outlet that I bought from Lowes. This was an easy solution for me as I have a 220V outlet in my garage for an AC unit that is infrequently used. The charging time is about the same as 110V but since the amperage is cut in half using 220V the cheater cord and the charging cord remain at room temperature.
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Don't forget the contacts, people. If you get heat at a connection, you've got resistance in your connection. So get some electrical cleaner spray and clean up those contacts.
Another clue- flickering or touchy connections. Don't tolerate that stuff. Clean those contact points.
Confirmed to work for me. I've added this to the wiki:
http://zeromanual.com/index.php/Common_Problems#Stuck.2FWarm_Charging_Cord
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I lived with hot cord too long. Started to smoke. Big mistake.
Resistance builds up where there is a weak connection. This causes heat.
I removed the AC plug (male) from motorcycle and dissembled it at the heat source.
After cleaning and soldering the connection and covering everything with liquid tape and epoxy the plug is cool when charging now.
Job is easy . About an hour with a day for epoxy to dry.
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BTW this motorcycle is the best thing in the world. This is the only major issue I ever had in six years. I ride almost every day.
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BTW this motorcycle is the best thing in the world. This is the only major issue I ever had in six years. I ride almost every day.
I just did a quick calculation using a Kill A Watt meter when fully charging my Zero S this morning after riding 74 miles to my daughter's home and back this weekend. About 1/3 freeway travel and 2/3 surface streets. The cost, at my home's electric rate of 40 cents per KWh was 2.3 cents per mile.
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Here is my fix for hot connections. https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=10514.0
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If the line voltage is low for any reason the switching converter in the charger will happily just draw more current to get the same input power. This could make all the difference for a light cord which is borderline at 120v.