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[quixotic]

You can test it with a multimeter set to resistance.

Resistance should be low.  High resistance will prevent current from flowing, and medium resistance will generate heat, like we learned in physics P=I*R^2.

Perfect!  I'll try that.  Thanks!

[quixotic]

You can check if the hot pole is clean or not. If its clean and still getting hot, it could be the AMP connection on the back. In my case I could see that easily; the heatshrink wich covers the AMP connections on the back was melted.
There should be no power on the poles when the bike is disconnected/unplugged from the mains. So it should be fine to work on.

I assume the hot pole is the top one (?).  I did a bit more scraping today with a small file, but maybe I need to get some steel wool into the mix. 

Maybe my AMP connection is OK.  I had a closer look at the heat shrink covering it, and it seemed to be in perfect condition.  In any case, the little bolts holding it on are quite difficult to get at.  I got the top one out, but the bottom one will require either a very short screwdriver (2.5" or less) or a 1/4" socket drive, neither of which I had today.  If I do end up getting them both out, I think I'll see if I can replace them with a couple of hex bolts (it seems to be a M3-0.5 metric thread). 

[wijnand71]

Looking at your burned plug it should be the top pole indeed. Don't scrape/file too much material away.. Then the contact pressure lowers and that isn't good too. If this all isn't helping, just replace the chassis part of the power inlet. It's no official Zero part but just an 2 dollar piece wich is being customised by Zero.

The part is actually this unit or similar:
http://tinkersphere.com/power/962-male-power-connector-iec-320-c13-c14.html
(try to get one without solderholes in the contacts..)

Put carefully new heatshrink back, so it is closed and kind of water/dust proof..

[quixotic]

I notice that the conductors within the female plug seem to be quite recessed.  There is what looks and feels like a teflon shield in the upper part of the holes (I had a peek with a dissecting microscope).  And even they are somewhat hidden from view.  So perhaps in the past, I may have occasionally not fully plugged the cord into the bike, with the result of some arcing (?)

In any event, a new cord arrived, and so at a 90% charge, I plugged her in fully, taking careful note for the future as to where certain markings were on the plug, relative to the bike's receptacle.  It didn't take long to get fully charged, but at least during that time, I noticed no heat build-up, either at the cord ends, or on the back of the receptacle, where the heat shrink cover is.   So far, so good.

[togo]

That's a great observation!

[ESokoloff]

luckily, my wife pestered me about a weird smell in the garage.  Any thoughts on what might be the cause?  It is the 15 amp cord supplied by Zero, which has been working just fine for the last 18 months or so. 

.................

I've ordered another 15 amp cord from amazon (couldn't find a 12 amp one anywhere), but now I'm really nervous about plugging the bike in.

Unless I'm missing something, this plug/socket is only rated for 10 amps!!!


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320 (see c13 in the table)

That would explain why you WILL NOT find a 12awg version of this cord configuration.

[MrDude_1]

luckily, my wife pestered me about a weird smell in the garage.  Any thoughts on what might be the cause?  It is the 15 amp cord supplied by Zero, which has been working just fine for the last 18 months or so. 

.................

I've ordered another 15 amp cord from amazon (couldn't find a 12 amp one anywhere), but now I'm really nervous about plugging the bike in.

Unless I'm missing something, this plug/socket is only rated for 10 amps!!!


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320 (see c13 in the table)

That would explain why you WILL NOT find a 12awg version of this cord configuration.

15a if you read the north america section.

[quixotic]

luckily, my wife pestered me about a weird smell in the garage.  Any thoughts on what might be the cause?  It is the 15 amp cord supplied by Zero, which has been working just fine for the last 18 months or so. 

.................

I've ordered another 15 amp cord from amazon (couldn't find a 12 amp one anywhere), but now I'm really nervous about plugging the bike in.

Unless I'm missing something, this plug/socket is only rated for 10 amps!!!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320 (see c13 in the table)

That would explain why you WILL NOT find a 12awg version of this cord configuration.

I suspect that somewhere along the way, I was getting wire gauge mixed up with amperage.  So please disregard any pseudo-knowledge on the subject of electricity coming from my pen.   

[ESokoloff]

luckily, my wife pestered me about a weird smell in the garage.  Any thoughts on what might be the cause?  It is the 15 amp cord supplied by Zero, which has been working just fine for the last 18 months or so. 

.................

I've ordered another 15 amp cord from amazon (couldn't find a 12 amp one anywhere), but now I'm really nervous about plugging the bike in.

Unless I'm missing something, this plug/socket is only rated for 10 amps!!!


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320 (see c13 in the table)

That would explain why you WILL NOT find a 12awg version of this cord configuration.

15a if you read the north america section.

Guess that's the part I missed 

[ESokoloff]

I've ordered another 15 amp cord from amazon (couldn't find a 12 amp one anywhere),

What you could do is to use a 12awg cord & cut the female end off & connect IEC c13 rewirerable plug to it or just pick up one of these.....
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AJM27A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[togo]

> > That would explain why you WILL NOT find a 12awg version of this cord configuration.

> 15a if you read the north america section.

Please let's not be confusing AWG (wire gauge) with A (amps).

1300 watts will try to be pulled.  If your voltage is low, that's more amps, P=IV.  If your voltage is high, that's fewer amps.  What's the voltage at your home?  Mine's 117V, 118V when the sun is out.  If your home voltage is low, maybe there's thin wire or bad connection from your breakers to your outlet.

Resistance is the only source of heat, and P=IV, P=I^2 R, more amps is more power generating heat, so if your home voltage is low, more amps are going through your cable, more heat.  Thin cables have more resistance, more heat.  That's why you want 12 AWG cable, for North America, that's thick enough to generate little heat at our lower voltages.

Is there resistance at your outlet?  Make sure the contacts are shiny and clean, use electronics spray cleaner, work the plug in and out to make sure the contact has low resistance. 

Is there resistance at your inlet?  Make sure the contacts are shiny and clean, use electronics spray cleaner, work the plug in and out to make sure the contact has low resistance. 

Don't confuse dielectric grease with contact cleaner!  Dielectric grease keeps exposed surfaces from corroding, it does *not* ensure good electrical contact, indeed it is nonconductive.

Don't file the contacts!  The surface may be plated with tin or gold or silver, you don't want to remove that! 

After you plug in, check for heat.  Check both the wall outlet end and the motorcycle end.  If heat is coming from inside the motorcycle end, suspect faulty crimps, check with Zero customer support.  There were a few like that.

[Doug S]

The voltage and resistance will determine the current and power. I = V / R, P = V^2 / R. Voltage is equivalent to pressure. Current is equivalent to flow. The power loss in the cable with connectors is I^2 * Rcable.

For a simple resistive load, sure, V = I * R. But a switching power supply (like all modern chargers) is anything but a simple load. Togo's right, a 1300W charger will draw less current from a higher voltage; let's say it draws 12 amps from 110VAC, but it will deliver the same 1300 watts to the battery by drawing only 6 amps from 220VAC. In fact, to keep current draw and heating down, it's recommended to run the charger from 220.  Try it yourself at home, it works. Smaller changes in voltage (a house with 110VAC on the high side vs. a house with 110VAC on the low side) results in smaller changes in current, but it still applies -- higher voltage, lower current.

[togo]

And my caution is that if your "110" outlet is only delivering
100 volts or less, due to poor wiring or bad connections or
whatever, your 1300 watt charger is going to draw *more
amps* and produce more heat to get the same 1300 watts,
i.e. more danger.

Measure the voltage.

[ESokoloff]

or just pick up one of these.....
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AJM27A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

After posting this I had the opertunity to use mine & after several hours I found it to be alarmingly hot.
Best to not trust one for regular use but I'll still leave it on the bike for a backup/emergency option.

[togo]

Which end? Or the whole cable?