R1S Supercharger problems - looking for advice

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Rivian lawyers make them say that…: Rivian told me the same adapter that Ford is getting isn’t approved either… hmmm what’s the difference? Awkward silence…I use both my A2Z adapters no issues key is 4-5 Tesla charging sites to test seating adapter and make sure it works… also I want to say Etsy had a cover for the CCS 3d printed plastic, I would put that on place face down on the cement and push the Tesla charger in no issues

Policy is policy. It's their leased property (Tesla) and investment that is in harm's way. They make the rules. You are essentially short term sub-leasing from them when you charge there. Rivian/Tesla make sure you know what the rules are to limit their liability. AND so you can't claim ignorance. Knowing what that policy is, no matter how illogical it is, it would be common sense for you to limit your liability. Failure to protect yourself in any way, is a liability to yourself. Having not experienced any problems with an unapproved adapter, doesn't exempt you from that policy or legal risks for violating it.

Agree, pushing on end of adapter directly against cement is not good advice. And honestly it isn't even needed beyond the first few uses. The adapter loosens up after 2 or 3 full insertions of the plug. And one could do all of the break-in at or ahead of first session. I have the 3D printed cap also and it helped reduce some physical discomfort (of slapping my hand against the end of adapter). But, a piece of cardboard or small journal would have served same purpose. One can also try the technique recommended by Lectron (for their adapter)—insert and latch adapter to charge port first, then the Supercharger plug. Having the adapter firmly fixed in 3D space makes both parts easier to manipulate.

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[smunro622]

Policy is policy. They make sure you know what it is to limit their liability. AND so you can't claim ignorance. Knowing what that policy is, no matter how illogical it is, it would be common sense for you to do what you can to limit your liability. Failure to protect yourself, is a liability.

They have to prove that your device was the cause..not the charger or electrical company.

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

I can’t speak to the adapter because I haven’t used one yet, but was it hot outside? Pretty much every charger slows in the heat. Also assuming the battery didn’t precondition since they weren’t RAN chargers.

Just tossing ideas out there…

This! Tesla v3 plugs get hot to begin with. As far as I know they don't have cable cooling (v4 superchargers do).

Also, I have a road trip vid coming soon. Didn't show this but I used both A2Z and Lectron adapters on the road trip. Both got really hot charging in direct sunlight in the southeast US. This wasn't the adapters though as my two previous Model Y would have some derating and a hot plug.

The A2Z Adapter is a good unit. They have a new Pro adapter that has a cool locking mechanism on it to make the process a bit easier. I haven't had a chance to review that one yet.

This is how I use the adapter
Unlocked I push the supercharge plug firmly into the adapter (I believe official instructions from @A2ZEV say to plug adapter into car first).

After the SC cable is plugged in securely you can flip the locking mechanism and initiate the charge.
The first two times I used it I had to fiddle with the mechanism a bit (it was tight when new). Used it on my recent road trip 8 times and it worked great!

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

They have to prove that your device was the cause..not the charger or electrical company.

And your legal defense isn't free. You could end up being victorious, but it will cost you far more than the charging session, the cost of the adapter and damages to your vehicle and charging site. Risk manage is name of the game. Makes no sense to volunteer info that could be detrimental to yourself. Watch yourselves. That's the point. Tesla's agreement with Ford does not involve Rivian. Even though the two distributed adapters are physically identical, they are not covered under same agreements.

Take it for what it's worth... Someone from a different owner community took their R1 to a service appointment (completely unrelated to charging). During that appointment the SC staff noticed his A2Z adapter in the frunk. That was enough for him to receive a warning.

The A2Z Adapter is a good unit. They have a new Pro adapter that has a cool locking mechanism on it to make the process a bit easier. I haven't had a chance to review that one yet.

The Pro isn't shipping yet. Last I checked, they missed their tentative ship date in order to spend more time perfecting the dual-action button/latch. In the meantime, the non-Pro appears to have been discontinued (not found on their site).

 

[iamnid]

This! Tesla v3 plugs get hot to begin with. As far as I know they don't have cable cooling (v4 superchargers do).

The plugs DO get hot. V3 cables have liquid cooling - V2 did not and that's why they were so much thicker.

I think the likely problem for OP is a combination of hot handles at the V3 stations as well as the R1S's inability to cool the battery sufficiently due to hot weather. I've seen plenty of videos online (Out of Spec, etc.) documenting the R1S large and max pack having difficulty adequately cooling the batteries on long trips (especially in summer weather).

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

The plugs DO get hot. V3 cables have liquid cooling - V2 did not and that's why they were so much thicker.

I think the likely problem for OP is a combination of hot handles at the V3 stations as well as the R1S's inability to cool the battery sufficiently due to hot weather. I've seen plenty of videos online (Out of Spec, etc.) documenting the R1S large and max pack having difficulty adequately cooling the batteries on long trips (especially in summer weather).

Makes sense. I would also point out that the condenser is ventilated through the front wheel wells so all that hot air is blowing around right in back of where the charging port is located. At best it doesn't help reduce charging port temps. ?

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Makes sense. I would also point out that the condenser is ventilated through the front wheel wells so all that hot air is blowing around right in back of where the charging port is located. At best it doesn't help reduce charging port temps. ?

Which is likely why preconditioning is written into the nav software (and make a difference in extreme conditions). But OP said it was 70º at one of the stops. The local utility supplying power to each of the sites could be a factor too.

 

[waitingonanr1s]

Make sure the adapter switch is in the unlocked position, insert firmly, and then lock with the switch. If you’re having trouble, try setting the switch the other way. The markings were opposite of how I thought about it. After fighting with it my first couple of times, I tried setting the switches in the opposite position to what I thought was unlocked. That solved my problem and I can connect the adapter efficiently each time now.

 

[SPITmadFIRE]

The Supercharger with Magic Dock also exhibited the same issue. That will be the source of my service call. I will be visiting the same chargers in reverse order this Saturday.

Make explicit note of your battery temp and outside temp before each charge session begins. I don't think you should ever get throttled to 10kW but it's possible there's something wonky going on back and forth between vehicle and charger.

There are known thermal constraints with Max Pack vehicles that can make it very difficult to get temps back down for full speed charging once they get too warm.

 

[A2ZEV]

Took family in our R1S from Ohio to Destin Florida are, yesterday. I was looking forward to the trip knowing I would have access to Tesla's network with by A2Z adapter, and I could avoid Electrify America, due to occasional reliability and charging speed issues. Have to say, yesterdays experience with Tesla left a lot to be desired. Note: I have been a Tesla owner for 5 years as well.

Issues with A2Z - is there some special trick to lock the adapter on the Tesla cable plug? Took me several tries and strained fingers to lock in place at each stop. Has to be an easier way to lock into place. WIll contact A2Z to see if I have a defective adapter.

Charging stop 1 - Elizabethtown, KY V3 supercharger. Fought locking the adapter into place, but once connected, issuing the charge from the Tesla app, worked OK and I got the membership pricing. Charging curve was great, close to 100KW up to 80%. Peaked at 188KW, starting with 33% charge.

Charging stop 2 - Cornersville, TN V3 supercharger - 15% charge to start, struggled again with adapter lock but better than stop 1. Charge started well, 53 minute estimate. Walked to McDonalds for some breakfast... watching the charge rate on my phone and rate went from 180KW down to 10KW around mid 40s%.... walked back over to car (2-3 minutes) Still slow. Unplugged. Charge rated was as expected. Probably lost 5-10 minutes with the charge speed and moving.

Charging stop 3 - Prattville, AL V4 Supercharger with Magic Dock. Decided to use Magic dock to eliminate A2Z as potential issue. 15% charge to start, charging started as expected. Walked to Five Guys for lunch. Charge progressively slowed to 10KW again around mid 40s SoC. Walked back moved to another open charger. Charge started, and then immediately slowed. Moved to 3rd spot. Charge was steady 150+ and slowed to 80KW around 75-80%.. not the best.

Overall I have never had to move with EA.... never had that experience with a Model 3 or Model S?

Any advice?

Hi there,

Could you please send us an email with your phone number attached in it - we would like to understand your situation.

[email protected]

Thank you.

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

But OP said it was 70º at one of the stops. The local utility supplying power to each of the sites could be a factor too.

??‍I missed that part. Could be grid supply as you say it could also be the equipment as well. These stations need regular maintenance to keep them in good repair. This article was a good read on the subject of EVSE maintenance. The EV Charging Industry Has a Maintenance Problem (autoweek.com)

 

[Kidentist]

I used my A2Z yesterday in Cle-Elum WA (Tesla Supercharger). I noticed that I could never "feel it lock" but after a couple of tries it worked. Outside temp was in the 80s, 50 KWh added in 16 minutes at a cost of $31. I noticed the little slider feels "loose" but like I stated, mine worked. Not sure if I should contact A2Z as well.

 

[bigsky]

What A2Z adapter are you using?
I just ordered the Typhoon PRO NACS to CSS1.
Could there possibly be an issue with your Rivian charging?
DId you precondition? I do not mean to insult your intelligence (I own an R1S and two Teslas).
I charged my R1S at the Tesla SC in Moses Lake using the Magic Dock, twice, and did not have any issues at all (charging speed was at least 150 kW).

I find this troubling because I cannot wait to get my adapter to Rivian and never, ever, under any circumstance do I plan on using the (in my view) outrageous, scam EA and the like CCS prices.
So sorry you had these problems.
Typically, whenever I had any charging rates at Tesla SCs, even with my Teslas, I moved over to different stalls, and my vehicle started charging normally (at high rate). Thank you.

There are several videos online using this adapter and reviews are good.
A guy at the Tesla SC in another location showed me his A2Z adapter he was using on his LIghtning. Said he loved it, showed it to me. One thing he liked for sure was the manual lock on the bottom of the adapter.
Please update us with what you find!

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

What A2Z adapter are you using?

The Pro has yet to ship

 

[bigsky]

Delivery to my home by August 5 or 5-10 days from ordering (last week).
This is A2Z's current status for the PRO shipping.
All other adapters, A2Z says status normal 1-2 business days shipping.

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