need help with PMCC

[IrwinJ]

Per a previous post expressing confusion setting my car to a schedule during which it would charge (and only up to 85%), I was told skip trying to set a schedule because it's so confusing/convoluted, and instead just set a timer that I want it to finish charging by 6:30 am to 85%, and then whatever time I actually plugged the car in, it wouldn't start charging until a time at night that would take to 6:30 to finish the 85% charge. I did that, so far so good.

Tonight I plugged my car into the PMCCC. The PMCC took a minute to recognize my car, and then it just lit up green and started charging, completely sidestepping the timer I had set in the car.

What am I doing wrong??

Also, I read somewhere that I should be able to set schedules on the PMCC using My Porsche app. However I see nothing in the app to do that, much less connect with the PMCC.

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[daveo4EV]

Per a previous post expressing confusion setting my car to a schedule during which it would charge (and only up to 85%), I was told skip trying to set a schedule because it's so confusing/convoluted, and instead just set a timer that I want it to finish charging by 6:30 am to 85%, and then whatever time I actually plugged the car in, it wouldn't start charging until a time at night that would take to 6:30 to finish the 85% charge. I did that, so far so good.

Tonight I plugged my car into the PMCCC. The PMCC took a minute to recognize my car, and then it just lit up green and started charging, completely sidestepping the timer I had set in the car.

What am I doing wrong??

Also, I read somewhere that I should be able to set schedules on the PMCC using My Porsche app. However I see nothing in the app to do that, much less connect with the PMCC.

what was your battery percentage when you plugged in? if below 25% it will always charge to 25% when plugged in and then finish with timers and schedules

or…

you may have selected direct charge in the car inadvertently- direct charge ignores timers and schedules

 

[Jhenson29]

I was told skip trying to set a schedule because it's so confusing/convoluted,

Not because it’s confusing/convoluted (it’s not), but because the profile doesn’t accomplish what you want.

I agree with Dave. Most likely <25% or direct charge.

 

[Dave777]

Try this link


also here is a link to a lot of other useful info.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmoaL0bruSj83YJa2chWzGQ/videos

 

[IrwinJ]

Try this link


also here is a link to a lot of other useful info.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmoaL0bruSj83YJa2chWzGQ/videos

thanks for that!

 

[IrwinJ]

Try this link


also here is a link to a lot of other useful info.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmoaL0bruSj83YJa2chWzGQ/videos

I checked out that video, and it doesn’t address programming of the PMCC. likewise I looked at the manual for the PMCC and it says nothing about programming.

Also in response to prior comments, my battery was above 25% when I plugged it in, so I don’t understand why the PMCC overroad the charging schedule that I programmed into my car.

And I still want to find out is there an app that pairs with the PMCC allowing it to be programmed?

 

[daveo4EV]

I checked out that video, and it doesn’t address programming of the PMCC. likewise I looked at the manual for the PMCC and it says nothing about programming.

Also in response to prior comments, my battery was above 25% when I plugged it in, so I don’t understand why the PMCC overroad the charging schedule that I programmed into my car.

And I still want to find out is there an app that pairs with the PMCC allowing it to be programmed?

no there is no app - EV chargers are mostly dumb - the PMCC did not (and can not) decide to charge your vehicle - the Taycan was in control and for some reason decided to ignore the schedule/profile…or it did exactly what your profiles/schedule told it to do and further adjustments are required to the settings - given how complex Porsche's software is we have to allow for the fact the profile/schedule might have not behaved the way you thought it did and the vehicle did exactly what it was told to do…frankly I've mostly given up trying to understand Porsche's charging software and I worked in tech for 30 years…

EVSE's (like the PMCC) do NOT PUSH power into the vehicle…

the vehicle "pulls" power from the PMCC - the vehicle "tells" the PMCC to let power flow - and the PMCC responds - that's it's _ONLY_ function - to let power flow under control of the vehicle's onboard charger…the PMCC is _NOT_ a charger - it's actually an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) - people commonly refer to them as "chargers" - people are wrong.

The actual charger is embedded inside your vehicle (and all EVs) - in the Taycan's frunk if I recall - and the actual charger inside the car controls charging the battery - it converts the AC power coming from the EVSE to DC power to charge the battery - and it regulates flow - changes 240V AC power into 400/800V DC power and monitors battery temp, voltage and other factors - the EVSE external to the vehicle is simply flow control for the power to flow into the onboard vehicle charger…it does not and can not start and stop on it's own - it has no brain to do so - if power started flowing it's because the Taycan told it to let the power flow - it's impossible for anything else to have happened. The PMCC does not have the authority to charge your Taycan. It only responds to command issues from the Taycan.

the vehicle's onboard charger is controlled by the Taycan's profile/schedule software - which Porsche in their infinite wisdom has made insanely complex - and programming it is very complex - I often have my Taycan charge at unexpected times for reasons that are beyond me - at this point I consider it part of the Taycan ownership process - Porsche's software is un-necessarily complex and should be simplfied, I'm not holding my breath.

the PMC+/PMCC and other EVSE's are mostly dumb devices - they are actually nothing more than an on/off switch under control of the vehicle they are plugged into - they have 3 basic functions:

1. on/off switch to let power flow under control of the vehicle (yes they are nothing more than a glorified light switch)
2. safety - they will not allow power to flow unless plugged into a vehicle - this is for your safety so that you don't electrocute yourself if you drop the cord into a puddle of water
3. they tell the vehicle how much power it can pull (in AMPs) - this is how your Taycan knows it can pull 40 amps from your home charger - but only 30 amps from the ChargePoint chargers at your local mall - the EVSE "tells" the vehicle the maximum power it can provide. The onboard charger then never asks for more power than the EVSE advertises when it was plugged in.

that's it - nothing more…everything else you can envision is under the vehicle's control - not the EVSE.

given your observations that the vehicle started charging when you plugged in the power cord, that means the vehicle/taycan/porsche software decided to charge the vehicle right then and there and for some reason ignored your set profile/schedule…

Porsche's charging software is complex, hard to understand and frankly overly complex - they really need to improve things - welcome to Taycan ownership - mechanically the Taycan is great (mechanical engineering is one of Porsche's historical strengths) - what you encountered here is a software problem - software has bugs, it doesn't always work like people think it should - from what you have stated there isn't enough information to know what actually happened or why it started charging

but we can keep watch on it and see if we can determine if it will happen again or if some addtional change to charging programming on the Taycan is necessary.

the PMCC/PMC+ is actually very very dumb - it's a light switch - nothing more nothing less…and that's by design - which is why your Taycan can charger from _ANY_ EVSE - and not just the PMCC…the car is in control of charging - not the EVSE.

one of two things happened:

either your profile/schedule settings did exactly what they were programmed to do - it's possible - Porsche's software and setting in this space are mind boggling

or

there was/is a software bug and for whatever reason they profile/schedule was ignored and the vehicle just started charging - it happens

without a LOT of trial and error and much more detailed tracking of what you did, when you did it, and all the factors (which profiles were enabled/disabled, battery state, gps location, and schedule settings) debugging this and determining what actually went wrong will be very very difficult.

Tesla's charging software is drop dead simple to program and understand and I never had any issues with it - but Tesla is strong than Porsche on software, but I had/have a number of issues with Tesla's mechanical engineering (not their strength)…

Porsche is as good at mechanical engineering as Tesla is at software
Tesla is as good at mechanical engineering as Porsche is at software

at the moment I'm unaware of any EV that nail's both aspects (mechanical engineering vs. software engineering) of an EV…

the Taycan is vastly superior to other EV's in mechanical engineering - I simply tolerate and occasionally shake my head in disbelief whenever I encounter Porsche's software…I'm not trading my Taycan any time soon for something else, but it does have it's faults…mostly software.

 

[W1NGE]

I checked out that video, and it doesn’t address programming of the PMCC. likewise I looked at the manual for the PMCC and it says nothing about programming.

Also in response to prior comments, my battery was above 25% when I plugged it in, so I don’t understand why the PMCC overroad the charging schedule that I programmed into my car.

And I still want to find out is there an app that pairs with the PMCC allowing it to be programmed?

There is no programming of PMCC.

All programming is performed from the following sources: 1) via the PCM charging option, 2) via the My Porsche App, or 3) via My Porsche website. It doesn't matter which one you use.

Most convenient is via the app. When logged in tap the picture of your car and then Functions to get to the menu option 'Charging'. Then select Timers and Profiles and programme as needed.

It is pretty straightforward.

 

[daveo4EV]

I checked out that video, and it doesn’t address programming of the PMCC. likewise I looked at the manual for the PMCC and it says nothing about programming.

Also in response to prior comments, my battery was above 25% when I plugged it in, so I don’t understand why the PMCC overroad the charging schedule that I programmed into my car.

And I still want to find out is there an app that pairs with the PMCC allowing it to be programmed?

if you have to have video's like this to explain software design, it means you have failed…

it's like a joke you have to explain - if you have to explain it - not a very good joke

if you have to publish a 5 minute video to explain how to schedule your EV charging - you've failed - pure and simple.

software can be done better, but apparently not by Porsche.

 

[daveo4EV]

it's like VCR's programming from the 80's and 90's - lots and lots of people figured out how to program them - but it wasn't easy and generally speaking VCR programming while able to be mastered, is largely a cautionary tale of how not to do things if you want to be able to accomplish a task…no one would point to it and say "yeah, let's make this work like VCR programming from 1986, that was a great user experience" - except maybe for the designed at Porsche who did their charging software schedules/profiles…they clearly took inspiration from some of the late great VCR's from our past…

 

[Scandinavian]

Per a previous post expressing confusion setting my car to a schedule during which it would charge (and only up to 85%), I was told skip trying to set a schedule because it's so confusing/convoluted, and instead just set a timer that I want it to finish charging by 6:30 am to 85%, and then whatever time I actually plugged the car in, it wouldn't start charging until a time at night that would take to 6:30 to finish the 85% charge. I did that, so far so good.

Tonight I plugged my car into the PMCCC. The PMCC took a minute to recognize my car, and then it just lit up green and started charging, completely sidestepping the timer I had set in the car.

What am I doing wrong??

Also, I read somewhere that I should be able to set schedules on the PMCC using My Porsche app. However I see nothing in the app to do that, much less connect with the PMCC.

Sorry to hear you have these problems! we have many if us gone through a steep learning curve about how to charge the Taycan at home. Porsche have made the whole system too complex but once you get behind the details it works.

Below is probably the best video for AC charging. He shows it on a 2020 model but I think it still is all the same. Look at it and I think it will work. If not then you may have a SW bug that the dealer needs to look at. And please note that the settings below is not just limited to the PMCC but is valid to all EVSE that are AC charging, whether private or public.

 

[Jhenson29]

Also in response to prior comments, my battery was above 25% when I plugged it in, so I don’t understand why the PMCC overroad the charging schedule that I programmed into my car.

As Dave mentioned, it doesn’t work that way and the PMCC can’t force the car to charge. That’s physics, not Porsche.

Did you. change the charging current on the PMCC? Because that’s another possible cause. The lower the current the earlier the charging will start.

Do you know what rate in kW the car was charging when you plugged in?

How long did it charge for when initially plugged in?

Did it stop on its own or did you stop it?

 

[IrwinJ]

As Dave mentioned, it doesn’t work that way and the PMCC can’t force the car to charge. That’s physics, not Porsche.

Did you. change the charging current on the PMCC? Because that’s another possible cause. The lower the current the earlier the charging will start.

Do you know what rate in kW the car was charging when you plugged in?

How long did it charge for when initially plugged in?

Did it stop on its own or did you stop it?

WOW such incredible input from all of you. I’m going to delete whatever charge profiles I created, watch the video and start over creating new profiles and/or timer. And I accept the Taycan’s deficiencies on the software side simply because it’s so spectacular on the hardware side.

 

[daveo4EV]

BTW - the only reason to schedule charging is to take advantage of TOU (Time of use billing) - if your home electricity rates are fixed cost per-kwh all day - just set minimum charge to be 85% and be done - it will just charge immediately every time you plug in to 85% and you will be good to go - no real reason to schedule and car will be charged and ready as soon as possible

 

[W1NGE]

BTW - the only reason to schedule charging is to take advantage of TOU (Time of use billing) - if your home electricity rates are fixed cost per-kwh all day - just set minimum charge to be 85% and be done - it will just charge immediately every time you plug in to 85% and you will be good to go - no real reason to schedule and car will be charged and ready as soon as possible

Unless you want to preheat or cool the car ?

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