EV charger not resuming charging

[zedamoca]

I noticed this a few days ago. Today I was able to catch it.
I use my station in Auto mode.
Yesterday evening the car charged until the home battery SOC defined in the settings and went in LOW_SOC status, stopping the charge as it should.
I didn’t took the cable out, I knew the sun today would charge the rest.
This morning, the home battery went above 65% (the defined setting to restart charging) around 11:40 and the charger noticed this starting the charging for less than 30 seconds, going back to zero. At the time the panels were producing almost 6000W and the home was using maybe 1000W, so, plenty to the car to restart.
The truth is, it didn’t start. I had to go there when I remembered, after 13:00, to take the cable out and putting it back in. then the car restarted and its since then charging at 15A (my maximum defined current.

Am I missing any setting?

[motylu]

I am also running into problems with new FW, see https://community.victronenergy.com/t/can-new-ev-charging-software-optimize-battery-use/6921.

On previous FWs in “Auto” mode, if I made start charging, EVCS was waiting in “Low SOC” state and automatically started charging when battery SOC increased above set min. SOC level for start charging.
Now if I start charging, EVCS wait in “Low SOC” state for some time and then automatically switch to “Wait for start” state. Why? It is totally inconvenient! And no, it is not car problem - same car, EVCS, cable,… with different FWs leads to different behaviour…

Very similar inconvenient behaviour is with the moment for stop charging. In previous FWs (some users say it isn’t, but in my experience it just is) if charging in “Auto” mode and battery SOC during charging dropped below set min. SOC level, charging was automatically stopped and EVCS switched to “Low SOC” state.
Now EVCS still continue with charging from battery when battery SOC is lower than this level. Due to my observation, this is related with automatic reset of countdown counter, which is reset every-time if battery status is changed from “Discharging” even for very short time and leads to discharging battery to much lower SOC level compared with previous FWs.

Also with previous FWs it was possible to left car connected to EVCS and left EVCS in “Auto” mode over night. EVCS was waiting in “Low SOC” state and next day automatically started charging when battery SOC increased above set level.
Now it is not possible, because EVCS is everytime automatically switched to “Wait for start” state and charging needs to be “manually” started. Also for example it is not possible to make start charging in the morning and left EVCS wait in “Low SOC” state for automatic start charging based on battery SOC.

I love Victron products, there are great and high quality products, but a lot of made changes in FW for EVCS does not lead to better (or at least same) behaviour…

But your problem is I think related to the car, because after you made start charging, EVCS is switched to “Charged” state. I had very similar problems with previous Renault Zoe and also VW ID.3, when charging did not start after some time after connecting cable to the car. With the actual car (Tesla Y) I no longer have this problem.

[zedamoca]

Yes, I also experience all you described. Its frustrating.
My previous EVCS (OpenEVSE) had no issues at all and always did what it was supposed; now I need to keep and eye on this one. Maybe is my fault, but victron needs a point to help user, its a pity this forum is not the point.
There is something I didn’t get yet and I can’t find a place that can explain it; its related to CP calibration. By some reason this calibration seems to change with time. I press calibrate and things seems to work better for a time, but after a few days it comes back to the same odd random issues.
I’m at the moment using it in manual mode at 6A, it works as intended. BUT I need to keep an eye in the home battery soc several times during the car charge otherwise things might go too far. Also, the days of excess solar are gone, I barely charge the home battery to 100% within 1 week, so I have to wait again for March or April to revisit this Auto setting.

But yes, I observe the same behaviour as you. I only charge 1 car there, always with the same cable.

[Lpopescu (Lucian Popescu)]

@motylu what firmware are you running? If you leave the car in Auto, it should stay in Auto and “low soc”. Maybe only if the EVCS restarts, it will go into waiting for start.
Then, for charging below SOC, how low? What is the backup battery size?
I don’t see any similarities between what you are describing and the initial post.

[Lpopescu (Lucian Popescu)]

@zedamoca what you are experiencing, in the initial post you are not saying that.
Please explain in few words what the issue is.

[motylu]

Hello @Lpopescu , previously I tested v2.0 beta and after official release I am running on this last release. Historically I ran gradually on v1.25, v1.26, v1.27, v1.28, v1.29 and v1.30. Same behaviour is observed in another installation, which was recently updated to new Venus OS and EVCS FW compared to older versions.

I haven’t data from all situations, but for example I can show you some of them:

1a) EV is connected, EVCS is in Auto mode and waiting for start command.

1b) Start command at 15:20:53, then EVCS switch to Waiting for sun state for approx. 53 seconds and automatically switch back to Wait for start state. I don’t know why…

1c) At 15:35:25 I must “manually” start charging again. EVCS switched to Start charging state and then Charging.

1d) After about 15 minutes of charging EVCS automatically switched to Wait for sun state.

1e) After approx 12.5 minutes EVCS switched automatically to Wait for start state again, so no Low SOC or something like that…

Another situation is below.

2a) After connecting the car EVCS switched from Disconnected state to Wait for start state.

2b) Then I start charging and EVCS switched to Low SOC state due to low battery SOC, which is correct behaviour. But after approx. 5 minutes EVCS automatically switched back to Wait for start state, so I must again “manually” start charging.

2c) During charging EVCS switched for short period to Wait for sun state, which is correct behaviour.

2d) Then charging continues (with battery discharging below EVCS set min. SOC level - not logged in Home Assistant) and is stopped automatically based on countdown counter for limiting battery/grid usage for charging. But EVCS is switched again to Wait for start state, not to Low SOC state.

I also suspected problem with EVCS restart, but if I read counters using Modbus, there is no incrementation for long time.
Backup battery is 14.2 kWh (of course not sufficient for EV charging, but charging battery from another battery is nonsense itself), but i don’t know the point, how battery capacity is related to problem in SW implementation of switching to/from Low SOC state…
According to practical experiences with Auto mode and new FW, battery can be discharged even more than 15 % below EVCS set min. SOC level. I think this is due to some not so good implementation of reseting countdown counter - due to my observation counter is reset everytime if battery status is changed from “Discharging” even for very short time.
This behaviour is quite different thing than @zedamoca behaviour, which is in my opinion related to car, but I wanted to use existing topic and topic named “EV charger not resuming charging” matches my troubles :–) If I am wrong, sorry for that and I can start new topic…

[Lpopescu (Lucian Popescu)]

No, don’t have to be sorry, let’s try to understand why it is switching, it shouldn’t do that.
Can we simulate it?

[zedamoca]

Indeed in my example it changes to “charged” and in your example it changes to “wait for sun”.
I will need to search my HA history to see if it happens also “waiting for sun”.

Just an idea. Can your case happen because you don’t have enough power available in your inverter, and the charger stops to free power? That I know it happens to me, but I believe this is an intended behaviour.

In any case, here is a video I found on my phone for the “charged”.
This case I solved with another CP calibration.

victron evcs charged status

[motylu]

In auto mode I am using 1phase charging and I have 2 Multis on phase L1, so it is enough power for min. 6 A charging current…

According to “Charged” state, I had these kind of problems with previous cars (Renault Zoe and VW ID.3). When I connected cable to car and charging was not started to some defined time, car indicated error (red indicator in charging port) and EVCS was not able to start charging, when battery was above min. SOC level and there was sufficient PV power.
With Tesla Y if I connected cable to the car and charging was not started to some defined time, car also indicated error (red indicator in charging port) but EVCS was able to start charging, when battery was above min. SOC level and there was sufficient PV power. This was with previous EVCS FWs and also older Venus OS. Now with latest EVCS FW v2.00 and Venus OS v3.51 I am dealing with problems described above (Low SOC, Waiting for start).

[Lpopescu (Lucian Popescu)]

Yes, displaying “charged” state on some vehicles, it’s expected. If the cable is plugged but not charging for a while, the vehicle powers down as many components as possible to reduce consumption. On some vehicles, that includes the computer that is taking care of Ac charging.

[zedamoca]

So in this case, the charger will never resume charging the next day.
I guess this is not a particular case… Can’t we cycle the contactor, simulating an unplug / replug on every time the restart charging conditions are met? Or maybe some other solution…

In my case I have several times, different status during charging. The big amount of times, it returns “non decodable”

[motylu]

It seems, that you have same problem as I have with EVCS data from Cerbo GX using MQTT, see https://community.victronenergy.com/t/evcs-repeated-occurrence-of-incorrect-values-over-mqtt/8360.

[Nicolas]

Hi @motylu . About your problem with “Waiting for start”. Do you have some automation in nodeRed or HA that is sending ‘Stop’ command or switch the modes? Because “Waiting for start” in auto mode charging or in “LOW SOC” appears after “Stop” command. If you able to simulate this situation again - we can check what happens on you charging station if you give access.

[Lpopescu (Lucian Popescu)]

"Can’t we cycle the contactor, simulating an unplug / replug on every time the restart charging conditions are met? Or maybe some other solution… "

No, unfortunately we can’t do anything from the EVCS side, sorry

[zedamoca]

I even have this go and back changing states during hours long…

[motylu]

Hi @Nicolas and @Lpopescu ,
yes, I have some Node-RED automation related to EVCS. But only one is active and could made stop charging, but is is only in case of grid lost alarm and according to description of EVCS node, it could cause stop only if EVCS is in Manual mode…

[Lpopescu (Lucian Popescu)]

Sorry, I don’t know what you mean

[zedamoca]

Lucian with all the respect, I believe you know MUCH more than me over the EVCS, and when you say “we can’t do anything from the EVCS side, sorry”, I’m pretty sure you did put thought in it, so I’m very far from wanting to antagonize you.

You must also understand that as an EVSE manufacturer, you cannot say that your EVSE only works with some cars, or you really need to add a big disclaimer, when selling the EVSE, stating, “the advertised functions might not work with your car, because we are unable to do it compatible with all cars in the world.”

Again and with all the respect, I bought 18000€ of Victron system because all was integrated, and I would have the possibility of charging the car on excess solar a big part of the year, automatically, without using my victron home batteries.

What you are saying now is, “sorry, you can’t.”
I’m willing to help Victron in making a better product, giving all the needed access for this to happen. Because if it happens in my Kia Soul EV and also in my Kia Ceed PHEV, there is a big chance it happens in all the Kyas, or at least in the older platform before the EV6 and EV9.

First I must understand why all this need of CP calibration? Other EVSEs don’t need this. I own electric cars since 2016, my OpenEVSE already charged 5 different EVs and PHEVs with different cables without problems or calibrations needed. At work, we have 4 chargers, 4 cars, 4 cables, that randomly charge in our stations, and again, no problems.

As I said before, once I do this calibration, things go better for some time, just to fall back to this irregular status changes. Much probably this instability has something to do with it.
Any idea where is this instability coming from? Why it happens?

[Lpopescu (Lucian Popescu)]

That’s all we can do from the EVCS side, if the car decides to turn off the computers, it will. There are lots of discussions on other forums, not only Victron. Not all the features are working the same for all the vehicles. For example, on some, charging is stopped when unlocking the doors. Can we control that on the EVCS side?

[motylu]

Thank you @Nicolas and @Lpopescu for your help. I think that both sides have now more information about the problem and could deal with it :–)