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Fixing the charging cable

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by Sanjath, Jul 6, 2017.

  1. Sanjath

    Sanjath Member

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    My original charger stopped functioning after 4.5 years. For last year or so it seemed like it had a loose connection somewhere and once I folded the cable near the socket and taped it, it worked. Now it completely stopped, IIRC, it costs quite a bit to replace it.

    I was wondering if I could just open it and fix (assuming that some wire is coming loose). So, while I tried to see how I can open, I hit a road block, the screw head (drive) it has doesnt seem to match any tool I have or what ever I could see in Lowes. I searched the List of screw drives - Wikipedia, no luck.

    Can any of you tell me what kind of screw head it is and is it a reasonable thing to try to open and fix it?

    Here is the picture of the screw upload_2017-7-5_22-36-55.png

    Thanks in advance.
     

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  2. gallde

    gallde Active Member

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  3. gallde

    gallde Active Member

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    You might also find the cable "strain relief" clamps hard to figure out. I gave up on trying to release the cables on mine, since the charger was covered by my extended warranty.
     
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  4. iluvmacs

    iluvmacs Member

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    I'm sorry, but what made you think that it was okay from a safety perspective to keep using it if you "folded the cable near the socket and taped it"? That's a fire hazard waiting to happen. Don't use it until it's fixed or replaced.
     
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i would rip her open and see if you can make repairs. then put it all back together in a safe manner. no reason why it can't be fixed, evseupgrade does it all the time.
     
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  6. Sanjath

    Sanjath Member

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    Agreed, I dont know what I was thinking :(. I also remember that it was around the same time I discovered that the inner washer (within the socket) also had come loose and coming in the way of properly latching it. So, I removed the misaligned washer and things worked. I thought folding may not have been required. But, anyway... yeah I should've tried to fix it right then.
     
  7. Sanjath

    Sanjath Member

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    Most of the things I seem to find are for iphone and macbook. I am not sure if those are too small for the charger unit. I am bit hesitent to order from internet and finding it that it doesn't work.

    I am going ahead and ordering this from amazon.


    Let me see if that works.
     
  8. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

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    Do you know what caused the tear? Did you drive over it or anything? I don't take care of my EVSE but it seems to have held up pretty well. A good portion of the time it is out doors where I charge at work.
     
  9. Sanjath

    Sanjath Member

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    It seems to twist and wrangle a lot, my guess is that it may have caused it. I haven't driven over it or anything. It may have been dropped few times, but no crack or any damage on the unit apart from this seemingly loose connection.
     
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  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    some people fail to hang the brick, and let it dangle from the plug.
     
  11. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    I've let it dangle from the plug since the beginning and haven't had any issues.
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    past performance is no guarantee of future returns.:p
     
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  13. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    I've never heard of a cord failing because it dangled. Even if this is the case with this one, we have no proof.
     
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  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    agreed. it's in the manual, i go by it. but i pick and choose my poison.
     
  15. Sanjath

    Sanjath Member

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    As I thought it is pretty small. It doesn't work. I dont know how to search for this driver!
     
  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    can you get a tool with all the sizes?