[ANNOUNCED] - PMCC tech advisory : charging rate amperage lowered for "normal" usage of the PMCC (rate reduced by half)

[Vfr750Rouge]

PWCC certificate error thread has a solution for the certificate error or at least the solution that worked for me. Since the one manual update to the software it has been happily updating on its own.

Yep, after a good thousand of attempt I finally was able to download the file to update PWCC for some reason Serial Number was not recognized until....it was giving me the file...and sync it to my Profile - totally useless but working fully now ( it never was an issue simply annoying but relative to other things I guess)

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[rx7arai]

Not sure if this is any correlation to the issue, but I noticed my PMC+ cable gets very, very warm to the touch when charging, especially the cable between the wall plug and the main charger body can get quite uncomfortable very quickly if I touch it a little longer.

I did a quick comparison between the PMC+ and the Polestar 2 charger, and the differences is unexpected.

Which cable belongs to the PMC+?

Yup, the thinner one is the PMC+. In fact, the PMC+ cable is 2” in circumference compared with 3” circumference for the Polestar 2 charger.

The cable between the plug and the charger is also quite significant.

It looks like I'll be using my Polestar 2 charger for now.

 

[satchurator]

Not sure if this is any correlation to the issue, but I noticed my PMC+ cable gets very, very warm to the touch when charging, especially the cable between the wall plug and the main charger body can get quite uncomfortable very quickly if I touch it a little longer.

I did a quick comparison between the PMC+ and the Polestar 2 charger, and the differences is unexpected.

Which cable belongs to the PMC+?

Yup, the thinner one is the PMC+. In fact, the PMC+ cable is 2” in circumference compared with 3” circumference for the Polestar 2 charger.

The cable between the plug and the charger is also quite significant.

It looks like I'll be using my Polestar 2 charger for now.

That Polestar EVSE looks quite nice. Besides the well-regarded Tesla L2 chargers, I wonder are any other OEM EVSEs that are notably good?

 

[daveo4EV]

Not sure if this is any correlation to the issue, but I noticed my PMC+ cable gets very, very warm to the touch when charging, especially the cable between the wall plug and the main charger body can get quite uncomfortable very quickly if I touch it a little longer.

I did a quick comparison between the PMC+ and the Polestar 2 charger, and the differences is unexpected.

Which cable belongs to the PMC+?

Yup, the thinner one is the PMC+. In fact, the PMC+ cable is 2” in circumference compared with 3” circumference for the Polestar 2 charger.

The cable between the plug and the charger is also quite significant.

It looks like I'll be using my Polestar 2 charger for now.

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/threads/nema-14-50-supply-cable-heat-data.1940/

 

[Tooney]

https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/threads/nema-14-50-supply-cable-heat-data.1940/

Two years after that thread and others, Porsche still selling them and unwitting Taycan owners are still buying them. But that info prompted me to buy a Pulsar Wallbox, so I'm grateful.

 

[Art]

This problem does not look very complicated. High current needs more copper.
In EU 3x400V is typical connection. The smallest supplies 3x16A ie. we get 400x16x SQRT(3)=11 kW. While having only 16A per one lead we will need only 2.5 mm2 wire (AWG 14).
If the cable has - lets say - 0,1 Ohm resistance per lead we will generate P=IxIxR ca. 25W heat. In three wires this means 75W.
When you must take the same power - 11 kW - from single phase 120V (?) you need 92 A of current. In the same 0,1 Ohm cable this would make 846 Watts of heat. In two phase leads this will mean 1692 Watts of loss.

For some reason these devices have not been localized well for lower voltages and single phase use.

It's a bit late here... You will tell if this sample was somehow erratic

 

[wmras]

FWIW, I have had zero issues with PMCC and now PMC+ on two Taycan over 1.5 years now. I attribute it to the fact that I have a 6-50 plug, and not 14-50 which likely runs hotter.
[/QUOTE]

After two years, our PMCC has been flawless (except for minor operator error when new ). It never gets hot and has charged in our garage at 95 degrees to 100% flawlessly. The secret may be the NEMA 6-50 cable and resulting configuration. Note the latest Porsche US configurator no longer offers the NEMA 14-50 cable, only a NEMA 14-30 cable that lowers the maximum current without any hardware or software changes. Both NEMA 6-30 and 6-50 are still offered. I have been a fan of NEMA 6-50 connections from the beginning - less wasted copper, less heat from crowded wires, and one less path for tricky ground currents.

 

[Jhenson29]

Note the latest Porsche US configurator no longer offers the NEMA 14-50 cable

The 14-50 is standard. That’s why it isn’t an option.

 

[Jhenson29]

When you must take the same power - 11 kW - from single phase 120V (?) you need 92 A of current. In the same 0,1 Ohm cable this would make 846 Watts of heat. In two phase leads this will mean 1692 Watts of loss.

We have 240VAC for those wattages, not 120VAC. And it wouldn’t be the same resistance because we wouldn’t use the same wire gauge. It would be larger and lower resistance. 14AWG has around 2.5x the resistance of 10AWG. The overall loses are still higher; but not as high as you show.

 

[daveo4EV]

FWIW, I have had zero issues with PMCC and now PMC+ on two Taycan over 1.5 years now. I attribute it to the fact that I have a 6-50 plug, and not 14-50 which likely runs hotter.

After two years, our PMCC has been flawless (except for minor operator error when new ). It never gets hot and has charged in our garage at 95 degrees to 100% flawlessly. The secret may be the NEMA 6-50 cable and resulting configuration. Note the latest Porsche US configurator no longer offers the NEMA 14-50 cable, only a NEMA 14-30 cable that lowers the maximum current without any hardware or software changes. Both NEMA 6-30 and 6-50 are still offered. I have been a fan of NEMA 6-50 connections from the beginning - less wasted copper, less heat from crowded wires, and one less path for tricky ground currents.

this is an interesting theory but I'm not sure - in the NEMA 14-50 supply cable (at least mine) the 4th blade on the connector _IS_ a dummy/blade connector - it is not actually wired to anything - there is _NO_ 4th wire inside the supply cable - and there is no 4th conductor inside the supply cable connector that plugs into the PMCC/PMC+ - so it is effectively identical to the 6-50 cable in that there are only 3 wires inside the supply cable - 2 hots + ground

there is electrically no difference between 14-50 and 6-50 for an EVSE which only uses/connects the two 120V hots and the ground.

also 14-50 is still the default supply cable it was never offered as as separate choice because it's the default or standard option if you do not select one of the 3 alternatives…the photo below is the standard equipment list for the current model year Taycan on the porscheusa.com website.

there is no meaningful difference between 6-50 and 14-50 cables due to the following factors:

• the neutral blade is a dummy blade in the 14-50 - it's not wired to anything
• the 14-50 supply cable is missing a 4th wire
• the PMCC/PMC+ side of the supply cable has no conductor for the neutral connector
• and the neutral wire even if it was use would not contribute any heat to the equation since ti's an electrical "drain" not actual power

if you chop the NEMA plug-heads off the cable the internals of these two cables are identical - 2 hots + ground leading to the PMCC/PMC+ supply cable connector.

 

[Avharrisjr]

What's the concern on that exactly? Fire/overheating?



For what it's worth, I actually have had decent experiences with it, my main issue is weight. I've charged Teslas and BMW with it and all charging experiences have been without issues.

I haven't had any issues with it over the last 9 months I've had it either.

 

[TaterTex]

The recall of the PMCC is for real.

My 2021 4S is supposed to have its big update completed today. My service adviser asked me to bring my PMCC in to the shop today because they just got the service campaign notice on it. He said they must do an update and change out a part on the PMCC. I did not get the reason for this recall. While he was telling me this a technician told him that they don’t have the part yet for the PMCC, so we’ll have to do it later. I will report back once I speak to the advisor about the reason for the recall.

Some on this thread speculate that this may have to do with the unit overheating. My unit overheats when it’s very hot outside (live in Texas), so I often dial it down to 30 Amps with no issues after that.

I have a Wallbox Pulsar Plus at another house where the climate gets just as hot and it never overheats. I’d recommend this Wallbox if anybody needs another unit.

 

[Tooney]

The recall of the PMCC is for real.

My 2021 4S is supposed to have its big update completed today. My service adviser asked me to bring my PMCC in to the shop today because they just got the service campaign notice on it. He said they must do an update and change out a part on the PMCC. I did not get the reason for this recall. While he was telling me this a technician told him that they don’t have the part yet for the PMCC, so we’ll have to do it later. I will report back once I speak to the advisor about the reason for the recall.

Some on this thread speculate that this may have to do with the unit overheating. My unit overheats when it’s very hot outside (live in Texas), so I often dial it down to 30 Amps with no issues after that.

I have a Wallbox Pulsar Plus at another house where the climate gets just as hot and it never overheats. I’d recommend this Wallbox if anybody needs another unit.

Is the part for the PMCC the same one described in this earlier post?
I agree with you about Pulsar Wallbox. I have one, too.

 

[TaterTex]

Is the part for the PMCC the same one described in this earlier post?
I agree with you about Pulsar Wallbox. I have one, too.

The service adviser DID mention adding a sticker, but I don’t know if that’s what the part is yet. He also said they needed to have the charger about 45 minutes to update it. So, maybe there a “real” part. I should know later today after I pick up my 4S from the big uPdate. I also don’t know when they will have the part.

Post showing that sticker says we need to reduce the PMCC’s output to 50% or 20 amps! That would slow charging time dramatically. I hope there is a real fix that allows setting it to 100% (40 amps) and that that is what the “part”!really is. I’d have to buy another Wallbox charger if the try to limit the PMCC.

 

[jkoya]

I dropped my 2022 CT off this morning for the ANA6 and they told me a few days ago to make sure and bring the Porsche EVSE as well. I've never used it and its still wrapped up. Have been using both a ChargePoint Home Flex and a Tesla Wall Connector without any issues.

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