JuiceBox 40 Shorted while charging my R1T

[RYU]

Your explanation doesn’t really make sense. All EVSEs (like the juicebox) tell the vehicle it is connected to what the maximum current draw it can output. So even if the Rivian‘s settings were the default 48A, the Rivian would have tried to draw only 40A since that’s what the juicebox would have told it the maximum draw was.

I completely agree with you. Something doesn't make sense. I also meant to say the Rivian draws the power based on the setting of the Energy screen specified. Not what I think i said which was the charger pushing current.

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[electruck]

I completely agree with you. Something doesn't make sense. I also meant to say the Rivian draws the power based on the setting of the Energy screen specified. Not what I think i said which was the charger pushing current.

I thought you were suggesting that because of a voltage drop from unstable mains, the EVSE may have allowed the current to rise too high. This could happen (in theory) if the EVSE were attempting to maintain constant power based on an incorrect assumption of constant voltage. I don't know if this is even possible as I don't know what is assumed/configured (max current, voltage) and what is actually regulated by the EVSE. Perhaps someone familiar with the inner workings of an EVSE can chime in.

 

[VSG]

I also meant to say the Rivian draws the power based on the setting of the Energy screen specified.

That's not how it works. Your EVSE sends a signal to the Rivian to tell the Rivian how much current it can provide. The setting on the Energy screen in the Rivian is there in case you want your Rivian to draw *less* than the EVSE says is available. You can't command the Rivian to draw *more* than the EVSE says is available.

If you're saying that this is Rivian's fault, and your Rivian was pulling too much power, that's a really serious fault in Rivian's on-board charger because it violates the SAE standard for how a J1772 EVSE works. I really doubt this is the case because this communication between the EVSE and the vehicle is a fundamental part of the standard and would be rigorously checked in compliance testing for the Rivian design.

Your fried EVSE is supposed to communicate to the vehicle and tell the vehicle the maximum current the EVSE can provide. Then the vehicle adjusts its current draw to what the EVSE specifies. If the Rivian was really trying to draw more than that, then your Rivian will be doing the same thing in the future even after you've replaced your relay, and will be doing the same thing with other Level 2 "chargers".

If you truly believe that your Rivian shorted your charger, you should NOT attempt to Level 2 charge your Rivian again until Rivian service has checked out your vehicle.

As I said, I highly doubt that this problem was because of the Rivian. I would question why a replacement relay board has been available (for almost two years) on eBay of all places if this is a problem caused by the Rivian, rather than a problem with JuiceBoxes. Electromechanical relays do fail, and if you have an older charger that's been on an iffy circuit in the past, frankly my first thought would be the relay failed. I personally wouldn't use that charger even after replacing the relay, because you have no idea what other circuitry might have been damaged and next time you use it you could start a fire. Likewise, if the EVSE is communicating the wrong current limit to the vehicle, you haven't fixed that issue because the relay isn't involved in that process - the relay was just the first-in-line component which took the hit.

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