You plug in at night and wake up to the same battery level. Before assuming the charger is dead, rule out the simple explanations: a charging schedule, a charge limit, an app setting or a tripped breaker. This checklist goes in the order an electrician would, starting with the checks that need nothing but your phone, and stopping well before anything that means opening a panel or a charger.
Safety first: when not to troubleshoot at all
Skip the checklist and call an electrician if you see or smell any of these: a hot or melted plug or receptacle, scorch marks, a burning smell, crackling from the charger or panel, a damaged cable, or water in or around the charger. If the charger or car was in floodwater, do not plug in; read flooded EV and charger after a storm first. Never open the charger's cover or the panel's dead front. There is nothing inside either one for a homeowner to fix.
Step 1: is it the car or the charger?
Most EVs can hold off charging on their own, and most of the time that is the explanation. In the vehicle's app or screen, check:
- Scheduled charging. Many owners set charging to start late at night, for example to use an off-peak rate such as FPL's time-of-use option (FPL time-of-use). If the car was plugged in after the window, or the schedule reset, it will simply wait.
- Charge limit. If the car is already at its set limit, it will not charge further.
- Charge port or connector lock. Some cars will not charge if the connector is not fully latched.
- Charging current. Some cars let you set the current. A low setting can make it look as if nothing is happening.
If you can, try the car on a different charger, or a different car on your charger. That one test tells you which side the problem is on.
Step 2: read what the charger is telling you
Most home chargers show their status with lights, a display or an app. A solid color, a blinking pattern or an error code usually has a specific meaning in the manual. Look it up before doing anything else; it may tell you exactly what is wrong, such as a ground fault, over-temperature, a communication problem with the car, or a supply issue. Write down or photograph the code. The manufacturer's support line and an electrician will both ask for it.
Step 3: check for power
- No lights at all? Look at the panel. The charger usually has its own two-pole breaker. If it has tripped, it will sit in the middle or the off position.
- Reset it once. Turn it fully off, then back on. If it trips again right away, or trips again later, leave it off. See why an EV charger keeps tripping the breaker.
- Plug-in charger? Check that the plug is fully seated in the receptacle. If the plug feels loose, warm or looks discolored, stop and call an electrician.
- Whole house out? Then the problem is upstream. Check FPL's outage map or your utility before anything else.
Step 4: restart it the way the manual says
Chargers occasionally lock up like any other electronic device. Most manuals describe a restart, often by switching the breaker off, waiting, and switching it back on, or by a button or an app command. Follow your model's instructions rather than a generic method. If a restart clears it and it happens again soon after, note how often; a recurring fault is worth reporting to the manufacturer.
Step 5: check Wi-Fi and firmware
Smart chargers depend on their connection for scheduling, app control and updates. Some chargers only support 2.4 GHz networks; Tesla's Gen 3 Wall Connector is one (Tesla Wall Connector specifications). A new router, a changed Wi-Fi password, or a garage at the edge of your signal can knock a charger offline. Whether your charger will still charge without a connection, or only loses its schedule, depends on the model; the manual will say.
After a long outage or a router change, reconnect the charger in its app and check for a firmware update. Updates can fix known faults, and some manufacturers push them automatically once the charger is back online.
Step 6: look at the connector and cable
- Debris. Sand, leaves and insects get into connectors, especially at driveway and carport chargers. Look inside with a flashlight; do not poke anything into the pins.
- Adapters. If you use a NACS to J1772 adapter, or the reverse, make sure it is the correct one for Level 2 use and fully seated. NACS vehicles can use J1772 Level 1 and 2 chargers with an adapter (DriveElectric.gov charging connectors). A worn or damaged adapter is a common failure point.
- Cable damage. Cuts, crushed sections from being driven over, or a stiff and cracked jacket mean the cable is done. Stop using it.
Step 7: think about heat and storms
Chargers have operating temperature limits. The Wallbox Pulsar Plus, for example, lists an operating range up to 104 F (Wallbox Pulsar Plus datasheet), and a charger on a west-facing wall in a Florida summer can get hotter than the air around it. If your charger stops or slows on hot afternoons and works at night, check the manual for how it handles heat and consider shade or a different location. Our post on Florida heat and EV charging goes further.
If the problem started right after a storm, a lightning strike nearby or a power restoration, a surge may have damaged the charger's electronics. The manufacturer can diagnose it, and whole-home surge protection is worth adding before the replacement goes up.
When to call an electrician
- The breaker trips again after one reset.
- There is any heat, discoloration, smell or sound at the plug, receptacle, charger or panel.
- The charger shows a supply, ground or wiring fault code.
- The charger has no power but the breaker is on.
- Water got anywhere near the charger or panel.
For faults inside the charger itself, the manufacturer's support line is the right first call. For everything between the panel and the charger, an electrician is. On a plug-in charger, the receptacle and the breaker are the usual suspects; see NEMA 14-50 outlet installation.
Questions homeowners ask
The charger light is green but the car will not charge. What is wrong?
Usually the car is waiting on a schedule, is at its charge limit, or the connector is not fully latched. Check the vehicle app first, then try another charger.
Should I unplug the charger to reset it?
Follow the manual. Many describe restarting at the breaker. Pulling a plug-in charger from its receptacle under load is not recommended, so stop charging first.
My charger stopped working after a power outage. Is it broken?
Often it lost its schedule or Wi-Fi connection. Reconnect it, check the schedule and look for a firmware update. If it has no power or shows a fault code, a surge may have damaged it; call the manufacturer or an electrician.
Can I repair the charger myself?
No. There is nothing user-serviceable inside, and opening it exposes you to 240 volts. Checking the app, resetting per the manual and resetting the breaker once is as far as a homeowner should go.
For more, see the Florida Home EV Charging Guide and EV charger maintenance in Florida. KRW Electric (EC13012832) handles EV charger installation and repair across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Tell us what the charger is showing or call (305) 359-7312.
Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.
