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[Starpower]

Yesterday I charged on the road and used a GFCI outlet for the first time. During the charge cycle the Red triangle warning lamp flickered dimly very fast while the green charge light remained solid on. It took the charge fine but I was puzzled by this first occurrence.

Was it a symptom of a GFCI or was something else going on? This is a common charge point for me (favorite brewery!) but this is a new GFCI.

Any ideas or concerns?

[Starpower]

Never saw this posted, bump....

[DonTom]

Yesterday I charged on the road and used a GFCI outlet for the first time. During the charge cycle the Red triangle warning lamp flickered dimly very fast while the green charge light remained solid on. It took the charge fine but I was puzzled by this first occurrence.

Was it a symptom of a GFCI or was something else going on? This is a common charge point for me (favorite brewery!) but this is a new GFCI.

Any ideas or concerns?

Provide more details . . .was it a 120 VAC outlet you were charging from direct to the bike?

A GFCI outlet should have no effect on anything until it trips.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Starpower]

Yesterday I charged on the road and used a GFCI outlet for the first time. During the charge cycle the Red triangle warning lamp flickered dimly very fast while the green charge light remained solid on. It took the charge fine but I was puzzled by this first occurrence.

Was it a symptom of a GFCI or was something else going on? This is a common charge point for me (favorite brewery!) but this is a new GFCI.

Any ideas or concerns?

Provide more details . . .was it a 120 VAC outlet you were charging from direct to the bike?

A GFCI outlet should have no effect on anything until it trips.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

It was a 120V outlet to the bike via a 25' 14 ga. extention cord that I have used numerous times. This has not happened before and when home I charged without issue. This was a 1st on a GFCI and I agree that it should not have any effect but I suspect it was the culprit.

[Crilly]

My guess, is that you had a low voltage outlet.  The bike did not like it.  GFI has nothing to do with it.

[DonTom]

My guess, is that you had a low voltage outlet.  The bike did not like it.  GFI has nothing to do with it.

My guess is low voltage after that 25' 14 gauge extension cord. When I used to charge with 120 VAC I used a ten gauge extension cord.

IAC, the GFCI had nothing to do with it, so I agree it was caused by low voltage.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Starpower]

I use this ext. cord a lot without issue. I doubt Vdrop is the problem. 14ga. at 120V and 12A has a 1.34Vdrop. This is in significant in my book. Perhaps the GFCI monitoring the ground path is causing this. I’ve used this outlet many times but the owner just put the GFCI in its place. I would need luggage to pack a 10ga. cord for the overkill!

[Fran K]

From reading other threads on here it seems the ground fault outlets really watch power in and power out.  Presumably the current in the black and the white wire is the same.  In that manner it can tell if some is escaping to the ground or perhaps just plain escaping.

I do not like the strip the wire and stuff it in a little hole in the back of receptacle.  I always bend the wire around the machine screw at least half way.  Even not bending it and putting under the screw most likely is better than the hole I would think.  Kind of amazing how a real electrician stuffs things in boxes compared to how hard it can be.

"favorite brewery"

Another thing an electrician told me was he always pig tailed as opposed to going in line.  We have an outside ground fault that used to take out other plugs inside.  That was a logical explination.                                           

[DonTom]

I use this ext. cord a lot without issue. I doubt Vdrop is the problem. 14ga. at 120V and 12A has a 1.34Vdrop. This is in significant in my book. Perhaps the GFCI monitoring the ground path is causing this. I’ve used this outlet many times but the owner just put the GFCI in its place. I would need luggage to pack a 10ga. cord for the overkill!

You can defeat any imbalance caused by the bike with one of these thingies. Make sure the adapter ground lug  does not make contact to anything. Then see if the flickering stops. If it then stops, it proves the GFI was then doing something weird, such as being very close to shutting off or whatever. Perhaps right on the edge of tripping or something like that.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Relevant background for GFCI and the onboard charger: https://zeromanual.com/wiki/Common_Problems#GFCI_Faults

[Electric Cowboy]

It is likely this was just some leakage through the calex chargers canbus coms. It happens some times.

However, your calex could also be dieing. BTR depotted one of his old bikes and found it scorched inside. The potting keeps everything safe (this is what you pot things) so unless you see it while sitting or while riding, I wouldn't worry about it too much, but perhaps plan on needing a replacement charger sooner rather than later. If you are in warranty it would be free to replace.

[Starpower]

It is likely this was just some leakage through the calex chargers canbus coms. It happens some times.

However, your calex could also be dieing. BTR depotted one of his old bikes and found it scorched inside. The potting keeps everything safe (this is what you pot things) so unless you see it while sitting or while riding, I wouldn't worry about it too much, but perhaps plan on needing a replacement charger sooner rather than later. If you are in warranty it would be free to replace.

I sure hope it is not this! It has only happened once and just on this GFCI. Back home it was normal. With fingers crossed....

[Electric Cowboy]

If you don't see it every time, you should be fine, but keep an eye on your end of charge voltage. When the calex starts to go bad, that may begin to lower.

It was probably just a chaffed wire touching somewhere, but could have been something else.

[Starpower]

Will do, at this point it is charging to 116V.