Problems with fast charging

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Hertz

New member
Joined
Aug 22, 2019
Messages
4
I am driving Chevy Spark EV MY2015 with fast charging option. While charging at different fast-charging stations I found that Spark is not able to charge at every station. For example, it charges at ABB stations but does not charge at Delta stations. I read the forum and found that it could be the problem with car socket: tabs at the top were not at angle of 45 degrees. So I cut them. Now I found that it has much better contact and easier connect. But the problem still exists. At some stations even of the same brand, I not able to charge. On the fast-station screen, I get an error message: "Connection was canceled by the car".
It was several cases that using Torque program I found two error messages (but not after each unsuccessful charging):
P0606 - Powertrain. ECM/PCM Processor
P1E00 - Powertrain.

Where to find the problem?

p.s.: the car I bought has frontal damage But the cables of the charging circuit look intact.
 
Hertz said:
I am driving Chevy Spark EV MY2015 with fast charging option. While charging at different fast-charging stations I found that Spark is not able to charge at every station. For example, it charges at ABB stations but does not charge at Delta stations. I read the forum and found that it could be the problem with car socket: tabs at the top were not at angle of 45 degrees. So I cut them. Now I found that it has much better contact and easier connect. But the problem still exists. At some stations even of the same brand, I not able to charge. On the fast-station screen, I get an error message: "Connection was canceled by the car".
It was several cases that using Torque program I found two error messages (but not after each unsuccessful charging):
P0606 - Powertrain. ECM/PCM Processor
P1E00 - Powertrain.

Where to find the problem?

p.s.: the car I bought has frontal damage But the cables of the charging circuit look intact.

Take your Spark EV to a Chevy dealer that sells and services Chevy Bolt EVs and have them check out the codes. They both may be covered under warranty.

I made the same modification to the DCFC connector on my leased 2015 Spark EV as you did and it helped. I also found there is an O-ring in the plug that sometimes would bind when connecting the plug to the car. A bit of silicone spark plug grease helped cure this problem.

With respect to charging - older EVgo charging stations are manufactured by ABB and I have found they worked fine for my now returned leased 2015 Spark EV. They are working fine for my current 2016 Spark EV too and I have had no charging problems with EVgo.

However, if you try to charge a Spark EV using the new ABB chargers installed by Electrify America, good luck! I have had a100% failure rate. On the plus side, I have had a 100% success rate charging at Electrify America locations where chargers manufactured by BTCPower have been installed. I have made Electrify America and ABB aware of the problem.
 
I am not able to use a warranty as I imported Spark from the USA to Europe.

I started to think that there is some problem with Spark EV protocols. Before fast charging quick-charging station and car exchange protocols and if everything is ok, charging starts. I have read that there are some problems with Renault Zoe and ABB fast-charging stations. Due to some differences in protocols Zoe not able to charge using ABB stations.
I tried another Delta fast-charging station and in this case, the station showed the message "unable to charge. unplug and check the car". And after this, I got error codes I wrote before.
Also tried a new station, made by Circontro. With this station, it looks like the station does not see the car at all. In other stations charging process initializes and starts to charge or shuts down charging after starting. And with this station on car screen, there is no message also no error or any other message on station screen
 
I've had my 2015 for a year and have only DC'd it once at a Chevy dealer. No problem at all.
 
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