Ohme charger problem

[TheJimster]

Hi all. I'm having issues with my Ohme charger so would like to seek the collective wisdom of the forum!

We've got an Ohme go, commando socket version, and are on Octopus go for our electricity. The Ohme app is set to restrict charging to only times where the cost is less than 5p, which up to now has worked flawlessly. I get a four hour charge window every night, which is almost always sufficient.

I usually set the car to 80% SoC, but on Thursday night had charged to 100% as I was expecting to do more miles than normal on Friday. I connected the charger when I got home on Friday, as usual, at which point it would usually do nothing until 12:30.

At 11:30pm on Friday I remembered that I needed to dial the charging limit back to 80%, but did a double take when I opened the VW app and saw that the car had already charged to 100% at peak rate since I'd connected it.

I'm stumped! Oddly the Ohme app reports that I had a charging session on Friday night, but it shows it as starting at 12:30, and the cost of the session is clearly calculated based on the 5p rate.

I've contacted Ohme support, but they don't operate over the weekend, which isn't terribly helpful. I've power cycled the charger, and I've also tried deleting my charging schedule in the ohme app. Whatever I do, the charger now ignores the 5p limit restriction.

It doesn't seem like it should be relevant, but I'd only just updated the vehicle type in the ohme app, so the charger could determine the SoC. But I'm sure I did that prior to having a normal charging session on Thursday night.

Any words of wisdom would be gratefully received!

[davidwalton]

I'm still testing... I'm also on Octopus Go (5p per kWh, 00:30-04:30)

The charging/preconditioning seemed to be stable when using 1-hour charge slots set in the car (00:30-01:30, 01:30-02:30, 02-30-03:30, 03:30-04:30), with a max charge of 80% and a warm cabin by 08:30 - with the Ohme acting like a dumb charger. But the car did miss on a few slots. This was on car software 2.1

The car has finally updated to 2.3 today, so there's a bunch of other unknown variables recently thrown in

Now I'm back to trying the car as 'dumb' (no location charging slots set, 100% max charge selected) and the Ohme set with the API link to the VW ID account. The Ohme app settings do not have the 'greater than 5p charging restrictions' enabled at this point as I'm starting from scratch again. In fact, all I have configured in the Ohme app at this stage are: Charge car to 80% by 08:30 (pre-conditioning ON), and 'Save Money' in settings enabled. Everything else is OFF/Disabled. The Ohme app graph shows that tonight, it'll start charging at 00:30 and reach 80% by 04:30

If this happens, and consistently, with a warm cabin by 08:30 and 80% charge (charged only between 00:30 and 04:30) - Ohme will have nailed it as far as my use-case goes. Let's see!

[billybobb2019]

i had this happen a few weeks ago - we have the ohme home pro and same don’t charge over 5p settings selected just as you describe did almost exactly the same -ohme diligently investigated suggested that the chargers had for whatever reason dropped off the network so couldn’t verify the rate in this scenario according to ohme the chargers will default to charging the car instead of leaving you in a situation where you have no charge

whilst i was a bit upset it had done this costing wise it’s better than having a flat car like my sister has with her rolec that when it drops off the network it goes into full computer days no and has left them high and dry on more than one occasion

in 6 months of having the ohme it only did it once and i’m very pleased with the unit

[sidehaas]

I haven't updated to get the api support yet... I think I'll wait bit longer! Having said that - I found the price cap option to be buggy anyway. It works best for me just using the 'save money' option. Try disabling the price cap, enabling save money and disabling the options for battery care and green energy use. That will probably do what you want. You can check in advance from the charge schedule (I think it's always worth doing this just in case but it seems reliable for me now.)

[TheJimster]

i had this happen a few weeks ago - we have the ohme home pro and same don’t charge over 5p settings selected just as you describe did almost exactly the same -ohme diligently investigated suggested that the chargers had for whatever reason dropped off the network so couldn’t verify the rate in this scenario according to ohme the chargers will default to charging the car instead of leaving you in a situation where you have no charge

whilst i was a bit upset it had done this costing wise it’s better than having a flat car like my sister has with her rolec that when it drops off the network it goes into full computer days no and has left them high and dry on more than one occasion

in 6 months of having the ohme it only did it once and i’m very pleased with the unit

Ohme got back to me and said exactly this. As you say, if there's a connectivity issue, reverting to dumb charger mode is the least worst option.

I had a successful charge last night, with a new charging schedule set to take me to 80% SoC using only the cheap rate electricity. It was good to see the Ohme throttling the charging rate down to the minimum required to achieve the necessary charge in the available time.

[ItshardtobuyId3]

I’m still having a ‘mare with mine. I’ve only had one charge do as expected. Last night it went wrong again. I woke up at around 1am and thought I better check the app and it was going at half speed yet again! Paused the charge and resumed immediately and it went up to 7.4kW for the rest of the charge session.

It’s doing my nut in. It’s completely unreliable

Going to give it one last try tonight to 80% and if (when) that doesn’t work I’m going to revert back to using it without the API. Though I’m not sure that will actually sort it as I only started using it a couple of days before the API came out so it could just be faulty.

[sidehaas]

Are you looking at the schedule in the Ohme app before it starts? Is the Ohme planning to make these changes in charging rates mid session or are they happening unplanned? That would tell you whether there is any possibility of it being the car's 'fault'. When mine was doing silly things I could see they were planned in the schedule by the Ohme as soon as it started, rather than being a function of something that happened while it was actually charging.
Plus, if you can see the schedule is stupid, you can try unplugging and replugging to see what it comes up with second attempt (probably not the same in my experience.)

[monkeyhanger]

I’m still having a ‘mare with mine. I’ve only had one charge do as expected. Last night it went wrong again. I woke up at around 1am and thought I better check the app and it was going at half speed yet again! Paused the charge and resumed immediately and it went up to 7.4kW for the rest of the charge session.

It’s doing my nut in. It’s completely unreliable

Going to give it one last try tonight to 80% and if (when) that doesn’t work I’m going to revert back to using it without the API. Though I’m not sure that will actually sort it as I only started using it a couple of days before the API came out so it could just be faulty.

I binned the API functionality as ut was causing me issues. I would go and reselect your car.as an ID3 and decline to connect.

My settings are:

Schedule Mon to Fri, +80% by 0430, Sat to Sun +80% by 0430.

Tariff: Octopus GO, never charge above 5p per kWh,

Settings: push notification, favour green energy, optimised for battery life, save money - all set to
on.

ID3 2021 Pro Perfornance selected as car but declined connection for API functionality.

In the car itself, max charge is set to 80%

[ItshardtobuyId3]

I’m still having a ‘mare with mine. I’ve only had one charge do as expected. Last night it went wrong again. I woke up at around 1am and thought I better check the app and it was going at half speed yet again! Paused the charge and resumed immediately and it went up to 7.4kW for the rest of the charge session.

It’s doing my nut in. It’s completely unreliable

Going to give it one last try tonight to 80% and if (when) that doesn’t work I’m going to revert back to using it without the API. Though I’m not sure that will actually sort it as I only started using it a couple of days before the API came out so it could just be faulty.

I binned the API functionality as ut was causing me issues. I would go and reselect your car.as an ID3 and decline to connect.

My settings are:

Schedule Mon to Fri, +80% by 0430, Sat to Sun +80% by 0430.

Tariff: Octopus GO, never charge above 5p per kWh,

Settings: push notification, favour green energy, optimised for battery life, save money - all set to
on.

ID3 2021 Pro Perfornance selected as car but declined connection for API functionality.

In the car itself, max charge is set to 80%

Thanks, I think I’ll give that a go instead tonight. I’ve tried to get it escalated with technical support but I think I’ve had enough!

[Newfie]

Last my Ohme only charged at 3.7kW. In the schedule it was planned for it to start at a lower supply but it seems the ID3 does not like it when it is ramped up to 7.4kW and keeps it at the lower rate.

[ItshardtobuyId3]

Last my Ohme only charged at 3.7kW. In the schedule it was planned for it to start at a lower supply but it seems the ID3 does not like it when it is ramped up to 7.4kW and keeps it at the lower rate.

Worth reporting to Ohme if you haven’t. I’ve had that happen and the opposite where it starts off fast. Pauses for about an hour then goes at 3.7kW when it’s apparently demanding 7.4kW.

It seems to me a fix would be that if the Ohme decides that’s it’s mot charging at the expected rate it pauses and restarts the charge automatically after a period of time (say 15 mins). Another issue is it thinks the battery is the full size of the battery not the useable amount so it automatically reduces the target charge level based on what it thinks it can achieve but based on a bigger battery size. So you end up with even less charge (if by some fluke it charges at the correct rate). They need to change the battery capacity to the useable amount!

[monkeyhanger]

I do wonder whether those that regularly see only 3.7kW are on a looped supply or only have a 60A main fuse as opposed to 100A? Mine has never dropped to 3.7kW.

[monkeyhanger]

I’m still having a ‘mare with mine. I’ve only had one charge do as expected. Last night it went wrong again. I woke up at around 1am and thought I better check the app and it was going at half speed yet again! Paused the charge and resumed immediately and it went up to 7.4kW for the rest of the charge session.

It’s doing my nut in. It’s completely unreliable

Going to give it one last try tonight to 80% and if (when) that doesn’t work I’m going to revert back to using it without the API. Though I’m not sure that will actually sort it as I only started using it a couple of days before the API came out so it could just be faulty.

I binned the API functionality as ut was causing me issues. I would go and reselect your car.as an ID3 and decline to connect.

My settings are:

Schedule Mon to Fri, +80% by 0430, Sat to Sun +80% by 0430.

Tariff: Octopus GO, never charge above 5p per kWh,

Settings: push notification, favour green energy, optimised for battery life, save money - all set to
on.

ID3 2021 Pro Perfornance selected as car but declined connection for API functionality.

In the car itself, max charge is set to 80%

Thanks, I think I’ll give that a go instead tonight. I’ve tried to get it escalated with technical support but I think I’ve had enough!

On those settings, I have only ever had 2 failures to charge - 1 early in the ownership of our Family model, it was supplied on software 2.0 when 2.1 was out there.

The second was with API integration and the ID connect app had our Life model actively selected within it (hence why I dropped the API functionality and refused Ohmi app connection to the VW servers/ID connect).

Fingers crossed for you.

I will have to remember to change the tariff when I get bumped up to the new Go with 30p/7.5p per kWh pricing.

[Newfie]

Worth reporting to Ohme if you haven’t. I’ve had that happen and the opposite where it starts off fast. Pauses for about an hour then goes at 3.7kW when it’s apparently demanding 7.4kW.

It seems to me a fix would be that if the Ohme decides that’s it’s mot charging at the expected rate it pauses and restarts the charge automatically after a period of time (say 15 mins). Another issue is it thinks the battery is the full size of the battery not the useable amount so it automatically reduces the target charge level based on what it thinks it can achieve but based on a bigger battery size. So you end up with even less charge (if by some fluke it charges at the correct rate). They need to change the battery capacity to the useable amount!

I have reported this on to Ohme and will see what they come back with

I do wonder whether those that regularly see only 3.7kW are on a looped supply or only have a 60A main fuse as opposed to 100A? Mine has never dropped to 3.7kW.

My property is not on a looped supply and has a 100A main fuse. The property is only 4 years old so the electrics are up to scratch.

[ItshardtobuyId3]

I’m on100A too without a loop but my CT clamp wasn’t fitted and I had to disable load balancing or it never went above 3.7kW. I’m wondering if that is something to do with it.

[monkeyhanger]

I’m on100A too without a loop but my CT clamp wasn’t fitted and I had to disable load balancing or it never went above 3.7kW. I’m wondering if that is something to do with it.

You should get onto your installerabout missing a CT clamp. It's a safety feature to prevent overloading. Having to disable load balancing (essentially what the CT clamp is monitoring and governing) isn't entirely safe, although you'd need to be charging the car while tumble drying , using the washing nachine, the cooker and the kettle to be in danger of breaching 100A draw.

[ItshardtobuyId3]

I’m on100A too without a loop but my CT clamp wasn’t fitted and I had to disable load balancing or it never went above 3.7kW. I’m wondering if that is something to do with it.

You should get onto your installerabout missing a CT clamp. It's a safety feature to prevent overloading. Having to disable load balancing (essentially what the CT clamp is monitoring and governing) isn't entirely safe, although you'd need to be charging the car while tumble drying , using the washing nachine, the cooker and the kettle to be in danger of breaching 100A draw.

I’ve been thinking about doing that. If it does it when I’m not using the API don’t think I’ll have any choice but to contact him as it must have some sort of fault and that’s an obvious candidate.

[Newfie]

I’m on100A too without a loop but my CT clamp wasn’t fitted and I had to disable load balancing or it never went above 3.7kW. I’m wondering if that is something to do with it.

My installer also did not fit a CT clamp. Maybe might have something to do with it.

[ItshardtobuyId3]

I’m on100A too without a loop but my CT clamp wasn’t fitted and I had to disable load balancing or it never went above 3.7kW. I’m wondering if that is something to do with it.

My installer also did not fit a CT clamp. Maybe might have something to do with it.

Hmmm does seem to link our issues together more. I’ll feed it back to Ohme if and when they get back to me. I think I’ll email the installer.

[Newfie]

Hmmm does seem to link our issues together more. I’ll feed it back to Ohme if and when they get back to me. I think I’ll email the installer.

Its weird. Currently I have my car plugged in and current SoC is 61% and a planned charge to 80% later tonight. Look at the erratic behavior.

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Somehow I don't think the car likes this sort of charge.