Charging Issues for my XC60

Masta120 · Jul 17, 2022

I have a 2022 XC60 Recharge ER (located in New York), I have been plugging it in using a 110v outlet. Over the past few weeks I've noticed that while plugged in it just stops charging. For example, I plug it in, the charger had the white light, I see the green light on the car, and in the app I see it is charging. But I check the app a few hours later and I see the indicator is yellow, and the status says plugged in but not charging. Sometimes it will start charging again if I leave it alone. But will stop again randomly overnight.

Any ideas on what could be causing this?

Again I've noticed this over the past few weeks. My local dealer is horrible 5o deal with so dreading having to take it in.

MoRf3uS · Jul 17, 2022

Had something similar happen to my 2018 T8 except the charging light will sometimes go red. Dealer ended up replacing the faulty charging port on the car and replacing the faulty charging cable that came with the car. Try to go to a different dealer if you can.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

formare · Jul 17, 2022

Masta120 said:
I have a 2022 XC60 Recharge ER (located in New York), I have been plugging it in using a 110v outlet. Over the past few weeks I've noticed that while plugged in it just stops charging. For example, I plug it in, the charger had the white light, I see the green light on the car, and in the app I see it is charging. But I check the app a few hours later and I see the indicator is yellow, and the status says plugged in but not charging. Sometimes it will start charging again if I leave it alone. But will stop again randomly overnight.

Any ideas on what could be causing this?

Again I've noticed this over the past few weeks. My local dealer is horrible 5o deal with so dreading having to take it in.

possibly a ground fault in your outlet.

Masta120 · Jul 19, 2022

Hmm so I tested the outlet with a proper outlet tester, seems to be wired properly.

But I think my issue might have been that I am using an extension cord to plug in the charging cord. When I went to unplug it yesterday morning the extension cord was fairly warm to the touch (more than I've ever felt an extension cord get). The insulation on the cord felt softer than normal. Granted this was plugged in for about 18 hours (charging off and on), but still, I suspect that this might have been causing the car to stop charging somehow. This is supposed to be a heavy duty cord...but maybe it is not heavy duty enough (10A at 110v for 18 hours).

I plugged the charger directly into the outlet, hoping for the best. Car had about 50 percent charge left, so it's not a full charge, but will see how it goes.

Thanks for the suggestions and feedback.

DFrantz · Jul 19, 2022

Yeah the extension cord isn't a great idea. Let us know if you still have problems with using the wall outlet directly.

Masta120 · Jul 19, 2022

Side question, I'm having a 240v outlet installed by an electrician soon. I wanted to use a toggle switch so I can disconnect the charger without having to unplug from the outlet every time. I believe it says in the manual that you should unplug the charger after you've finished charging the car.

I was planning to get a heavy duty 240v 20A extension cord, but add an inline toggle switch (rated for 240v 30A). Would I experience a similar issue then?

capndavey · Jul 19, 2022

Masta120 said:
Side question, I'm having a 240v outlet installed by an electrician soon. I wanted to use a toggle switch so I can disconnect the charger without having to unplug from the outlet every time. I believe it says in the manual that you should unplug the charger after you've finished charging the car.

I was planning to get a heavy duty 240v 20A extension cord, but add an inline toggle switch (rated for 240v 30A). Would I experience a similar issue then?

I’d definitely recommend going with an actual installed charger. The Volvo BMS seems glitchy and doesn’t totally shut off charging when the battery is charged. We had a 14-50 outlet installed and bought a Chargepoint L2 charger (but I’m sure most other brands are just fine too). We can schedule and shut off charging via app and the charger and installation are eligible for a tax credit. Getting an outlet, toggle switch, and specialty extension cord sounds spendy and you might as well get easier operation and future-proofing with a dedicated charger. Bonus points: our Volvo cable lives under the trunk floor so we have it ready to go if we wind up somewhere without a charger.

DFrantz · Jul 19, 2022

Honestly running any sort of extension cable is going to be worse than leaving it plugged in. If you unlock the vehicle you'll stop the charging. The manual does say to stop charging before disconnecting power to prevent damage. I don't see in the manual anything stressing unplugging when the charge is finished and haven't heard that before. Not that it isn't a thing, but things you're talking about doing are absolutely forboden... so to me those are a bigger worry.

Pioneer4x4 · Jul 19, 2022

I use an extension cord because I have a very old home and the garage is ancient wiring without ground. New modern GFC wiring nearby porch. And I use a 12 gauge cord outdoor rated which is better than 15amp indoor wiring (14 gauge) I do make sure I never unplug it without disconnecting from the car first.

Masta120 · Jul 19, 2022

capndavey said:
I’d definitely recommend going with an actual installed charger. The Volvo BMS seems glitchy and doesn’t totally shut off charging when the battery is charged. We had a 14-50 outlet installed and bought a Chargepoint L2 charger (but I’m sure most other brands are just fine too). We can schedule and shut off charging via app and the charger and installation are eligible for a tax credit. Getting an outlet, toggle switch, and specialty extension cord sounds spendy and you might as well get easier operation and future-proofing with a dedicated charger. Bonus points: our Volvo cable lives under the trunk floor so we have it ready to go if we wind up somewhere without a charger.

Thanks for the feedback. My extension cord / toggle switch idea was a cheaper attempt to avoid pulling the Volvo charger from the wall outlet every time (cord and toggle switch would be like $40 on Amazon). I get what you are saying though...my main reason for wanting such a thing is when I leave the charger plugged in to a 110V outlet, without plugging in to the car, the last time I remember doing it, it felt warm to the touch. And I thought I saw in the manual that it should be unplugged from the wall, but I could be wrong on this. I am not so focused on charging time (making sure it charges overnight), since in my area you need to sign up for a specific time-of-use program with the power company and when doing the overall math, its not really too much of a savings for me.

The other possible option (to avoid unplugging the charger) is having the electrician put in a wall switch (like a light switch) that controls the 240V outlet. This way, I can easily kill the power to the charger without having to unplug from the wall each time (of course, after unplugging from the car). Ideally I would get a ChargePoint or something, but I'm trying to avoid shelling out too much money for a charging unit ($750 or more).

DFrantz · Jul 19, 2022

Well the charging install, even the wiring, is likely eligible for you for some tax credit... so something to consider.

The switch idea also falls against the suggestion in the manual that you should stop charging before killing the power. I can see this at best ending in a glitch where the charging cable becomes stuck in the port, which would require the car getting towed. I do not advise trying to find a way to kill the power to the charging cable prior to ending the charging cycle.

Masta120 · Jul 19, 2022

DFrantz said:
Well the charging install, even the wiring, is likely eligible for you for some tax credit... so something to consider.

The switch idea also falls against the suggestion in the manual that you should stop charging before killing the power. I can see this at best ending in a glitch where the charging cable becomes stuck in the port, which would require the car getting towed. I do not advise trying to find a way to kill the power to the charging cable prior to ending the charging cycle.

Yes, sorry, I probably wasn't clear. Yes, definitely will stop charging the car before unplugging from the wall (so disconnect from the car). But my point of trying to kill the power to the charging cable is from fear that the Volvo charging cable might burn out or something. Am I being too crazy? (haha)

DFrantz · Jul 19, 2022

Gotcha! I'm sure it does draw some power when not plugged in, so never a bad idea to disconnect its power after use if you're not going unplug it. The PHEV cars currently come with the lower power cables rather than a 240v NEMA 14-50 type plug... which if you're going to be paying an electrician to come in and install, that's what I would do for better future compatibility. Unless that's changed, but I don't think it has. We haven't had a PHEV come in for a few months now.

dubs · Jul 21, 2022

An extension cord is not recommended by the manufacturer, but using a heavy gauge, heavy duty, high amperage industrial/professional rated extension cord shouldn't cause an issue. I have one run across and strapped to pipes on the ceiling of the parking garage I park at (surprised they gave me permission), since the nearest outlet is quite far away (nearly 50ft). Haven't had a single charging issue yet and the cable has stayed cool and stable due to the heavy gauge and amp rating.

A cheap low grade consumer extension cord on the other hand has a high chance of overheating and failing at high amp loads and prolonged usage periods.

Southwire 50 ft. 10/3 STW 20-Amp Power Distribution Outdoor Heavy-Duty Generator Extension Cord with Power Light Plug 26188802 (homedepot.com)

For example.

rpmccormick · Jul 22, 2022

I would avoid extension cord configurations unless you or an electrician evaluate the distance and determining the proper wire gauge based on the load. I don't know what the Volvo ER vehicles draw when charging (with the vehicle provided charging cable), but the previous T8 gen vehicles is something under 4kW. There will be voltage drop across any length of wire - the large the gauge the smaller the drop. And if you're using an extension cord and its getting warm that's not a good sign - it probably means the conductors in the cord are too small for the power that is attempting to be passed through it.

No need for a toggle switch if you are going to make an extension: no different plugging in the car charging cable to an outlet, or the extension to an outlet. You should not attempt to unplug a charging vehicle until charging has been halted. As previously noted, if you unlock your car the charging will stop and the car will release the J1772 connector. Always remove that plug from your car first before disconnecting the other end of the charging cable.

There are a lot of charging devices out there. I would suggest investing in one. I have ChargePoint at both home and work - been rock solid 5+ years. ChargePoint has an app that can show you charge rates, history and even let you control things. (There are others that do the same as well.) Check your state EV program and/or your electric supplier. Many have partial or full rebate programs.

If you have one of the newer vehicles that may be able to draw more amperage (or kW) you may find you get faster charging rates by using a Level II charger than the cable that comes with the vehicle.

When you plug a J1772 cable into the vehicle, the vehicle and the charging station (or integral charging device in car provided cable) will exchange information between the two. That's how the car finds out what the charger is capable of and sets up charging accordingly. And also how the car tells the charging station it is done, so you can safely remove the J1772 from the car.

I leave my car plugged in 100% of the time (and locked) in my garage. When the battery is full the car turns off the charging. When I want to go somewhere, I unlock the doors, remove the charging cable and close the vehicle cover. Get in - start car - and I'm on my way.

HTH

dubs · Jul 22, 2022

rpmccormick said:
I would avoid extension cord configurations unless you or an electrician evaluate the distance and determining the proper wire gauge based on the load. I don't know what the Volvo ER vehicles draw when charging (with the vehicle provided charging cable), but the previous T8 gen vehicles is something under 4kW. There will be voltage drop across any length of wire - the large the gauge the smaller the drop. And if you're using an extension cord and its getting warm that's not a good sign - it probably means the conductors in the cord are too small for the power that is attempting to be passed through it.

No need for a toggle switch if you are going to make an extension: no different plugging in the car charging cable to an outlet, or the extension to an outlet. You should not attempt to unplug a charging vehicle until charging has been halted. As previously noted, if you unlock your car the charging will stop and the car will release the J1772 connector. Always remove that plug from your car first before disconnecting the other end of the charging cable.

There are a lot of charging devices out there. I would suggest investing in one. I have ChargePoint at both home and work - been rock solid 5+ years. ChargePoint has an app that can show you charge rates, history and even let you control things. (There are others that do the same as well.) Check your state EV program and/or your electric supplier. Many have partial or full rebate programs.

If you have one of the newer vehicles that may be able to draw more amperage (or kW) you may find you get faster charging rates by using a Level II charger than the cable that comes with the vehicle.

When you plug a J1772 cable into the vehicle, the vehicle and the charging station (or integral charging device in car provided cable) will exchange information between the two. That's how the car finds out what the charger is capable of and sets up charging accordingly. And also how the car tells the charging station it is done, so you can safely remove the J1772 from the car.

I leave my car plugged in 100% of the time (and locked) in my garage. When the battery is full the car turns off the charging. When I want to go somewhere, I unlock the doors, remove the charging cable and close the vehicle cover. Get in - start car - and I'm on my way.

HTH

A T8 is not drawing 4kW of power during normal at home charging. At full 230V AC 16A current it's drawing 3.7kW perhaps(onboard charger limit), at which point you more than likely have an AC home charging station installed. However, most regular modern American household 120V 15A circuits can't support more than 1.8kW continuous draw theoretically, and are only rated at 80% capacity by electrical code with a 1.4kW actual max draw. Newer builds usually include 120V 20A circuits, which would allow for up to 2.4kW theoretical or 2kW actual.

Heavy duty extension cords like I mentioned are rated for 2.5kW of sustained usage which is well in line with your average home socket draw. That all being said, most people aren't going to actually get the right damn thing and just use cheap crap without knowing and cause a fire.

Walkabout · Jul 22, 2022

You don't have to install a home charging station to draw 37kW. The standard charging cord supplied by Volvo can drawn that from a 240/20 circuit. If you have a conventional 110, you can easily swap it out for a 240/20, as long as the 110 has it's own breaker.

dubs · Jul 22, 2022

Walkabout said:
You don't have to install a home charging station to draw 37kW. The standard charging cord supplied by Volvo can drawn that from a 240/20 circuit. If you have a conventional 110, you can easily swap it out for a 240/20, as long as the 110 has it's own breaker.

I think you're largely missing the point there. 90% of people don't have a spare NEMA 6-20 240v outlet just hanging out in their garage unless they're using a washer/dryer in there, at which point you're gonna need another outlet anyway. And anybody who DOES have an outlet like that conveniently placed in their garage, will more than likely be using a home charger station as that's the receptacle's dedicated purpose rather than use the included portable charger.

Masta120 · Jul 25, 2022

Just had a 240v 20A outlet installed in my garage. Charge time went from 17.5 hours to 5.5 hours. So far so good.

TBaum · Jul 26, 2022

I installed a 240v 20A in my garage in anticipation of getting my new recharge. I wanted to go with the 50A to try to future proof the outlet for potential EVs, but the electricians I had bid on the job both quoted a huge upgrade for the different gauge wire and bigger circuit breaker. Add that to the cost of the $600-700 charging point, it didn't make sense. I mean both electricians quoted about 200-250 dollars more (300 dollars for what I did - so 60-80% additional charge) plus the cost of the charging point. I couldn't justify that when I didn't need it. I have no plans to buy a full EV in the next 5-6 years. Might not have been smartest financial move, but I am happy with the decision. Now I just need the car

Supposed to get it by the end of next month. 2023 XC60 Recharge Ultimate Bright. I am excited to get it. I have the VIN and it is waiting in port in Sweden to ship over here. Fingers crossed.

Charging Issues for my XC60

Masta120

MoRf3uS

formare

Masta120

DFrantz

Masta120

capndavey

DFrantz

Pioneer4x4

Masta120

DFrantz

Masta120

DFrantz

dubs

rpmccormick

dubs

Walkabout

dubs

Masta120

TBaum

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