Lists of Do’s - Don’ts

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BelfastID3
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Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2022 5:13 pm

Post by BelfastID3 »

As I haven’t picked up my car yet ( Sept/Oct earliest) I’m wanting to find out the do’s and don’t of owning the car and if it’s worthwhile providing tips on one page.

Sorry if it’s already covered somewhere.


First question am i right in saying keep the charge between 20-80% unless on a long drive ( my driving will be mostly city with the odd 100mile journey)

monkeyhanger
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Post by monkeyhanger »

VW would like you to do that, mainly to reduce their warranty reliability. Theoretically, the likelihood of battery degradation beyond lowest permissible limits of the warranty will be lower if you generally keep the battery between 20 and 80%
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Audi S3 - because I hate rapid charging for long distance driving.

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Up the jumper
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Post by Up the jumper »

Use a public charger early. To gain self confidence in "how to" before you have to use one in earnest.
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TheJimster
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Post by TheJimster »

Up the jumper wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 7:00 pm Use a public charger early. To gain self confidence in "how to" before you have to use one in earnest.
This is sage advice. Compared to the familiar old 'lift a nozzle and squeeze the trigger', public EV charging can be a complete minefield of different sequences, payment options and the like. The way one charger works can feel completely different to another.

Get the zap-map mobile app if you haven't already.
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MotMot
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Post by MotMot »

Good advice. I spent the first week trying as many different chargers as I could - so I was confident taking long journeys
monkeyhanger
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Post by monkeyhanger »

Up the jumper wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 7:00 pm Use a public charger early. To gain self confidence in "how to" before you have to use one in earnest.
I used one uninitiated on my drive home (245 miles from Evesham to Newcastle), when my full charge from the dealership started to run low at about 190 miles (15% left).

Plugging in at a Shell garage was easy, but I plugged in and initiated the type 2 3 phase charging, which was slow. After 10 mins at 11kW charging, the penny dropped. I stopped the charge and went to disconnect, but the cable wouldn't unlatch.

Took me a short while to realise that pressing unlock on the keyboard wasn't enough. I locked and unlocked and it wasn't unlatching. Realised that I had to have all the doors closed, then lock and unlock before it would unlatch.

Then I swiped my debit card again to start a CCS fast charge...card declined, 3 times. No other cards to try, asked the lad behind tge till if he'd stick a tenner on his own card if I gave him a £10 note. He did, and I got 33kWh to do the last 80 miles of my journey.

Not the smoothest start to EV ownership! All other charges away from the house have worked OK since, including a wait at a 2 tetherpoint charger which got me a free charge. Despite having 2 CCS tethers, it would only let one car charge at a time. When the Audi E-tron already plugged in reached 100%, it allowed my car to charge, but asked for no payment up front. I assumed I would have to pay before it unlatched at the end of my charge. The Audi went about 5 mins into my charge and I was able to disconnect, no payment asked. Presumably the Audi footed the bill! :lol:
Cupra Born V2 e-boost 230ps Aurora Blue, replaced ID3 PP Family

Audi S3 - because I hate rapid charging for long distance driving.

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OB1CCFC
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Post by OB1CCFC »

I think most new issues are around charging and related networks rather than the car itself.
Looking back for me:
1. I wouldn’t buy a granny charger, £200 and on reflection unnecessary for me. I could always have got a charge somewhere local until my home charger came.
2. Definitely do some relaxed practice charges before having to do one under travel pressure.
3. The ID3 can lock you in on a red light, if you plug in too early or leave it there too long. So read instructions and if in doubt plug in later rather than sooner.
4. If you think the cable is ‘stuck’ try double clicking on the key fob unlock button. 1st for the car, 2nd for the charging lock.
5. On a drive look for at least stops with 2 charging bays and preferably 4. Also look for a plan B site not too far away.
6. On the car, I would do some relaxed braking tests, in D and B mode. Get used to the feel, the weight and the behaviour on the last few mph.
Kia Niro EV3 in pearl white.
CoalPorter
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Post by CoalPorter »

OB1CCFC wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 9:33 pm I think most new issues are around charging and related networks rather than the car itself.
Looking back for me:
1. I wouldn’t buy a granny charger, £200 and on reflection unnecessary for me. I could always have got a charge somewhere local until my home charger came.
I would have said the same until very recently, but have just bought one for use on a forthcoming holiday (and hopefully others in future!). Yes, I could use a public charger (even in Dorset there are some), but this way my “out and about” time doesn’t have to revolve around finding a charger, at all.
OB1CCFC
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Post by OB1CCFC »

CoalPorter wrote: Sat Apr 16, 2022 6:21 am
OB1CCFC wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 9:33 pm I think most new issues are around charging and related networks rather than the car itself.
Looking back for me:
1. I wouldn’t buy a granny charger, £200 and on reflection unnecessary for me. I could always have got a charge somewhere local until my home charger came.
I would have said the same until very recently, but have just bought one for use on a forthcoming holiday (and hopefully others in future!). Yes, I could use a public charger (even in Dorset there are some), but this way my “out and about” time doesn’t have to revolve around finding a charger, at all.
It’s totally on personal circumstances. I just have never gone anywhere where I needed it or could even use it comfortably.
There seems to be more AC chargers about if I need a bit of a top up as well (on a recent trip to Norfolk).
Kia Niro EV3 in pearl white.
BelfastID3
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Post by BelfastID3 »

Up the jumper wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 7:00 pm Use a public charger early. To gain self confidence in "how to" before you have to use one in earnest.
There’s one very close by and I’ve downloaded the app and registered 👍
BelfastID3
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Post by BelfastID3 »

TheJimster wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 7:13 pm
Up the jumper wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 7:00 pm Use a public charger early. To gain self confidence in "how to" before you have to use one in earnest.
This is sage advice. Compared to the familiar old 'lift a nozzle and squeeze the trigger', public EV charging can be a complete minefield of different sequences, payment options and the like. The way one charger works can feel completely different to another.

Get the zap-map mobile app if you haven't already.
Cheers just downloaded it.
BelfastID3
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Post by BelfastID3 »

OB1CCFC wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 9:33 pm I think most new issues are around charging and related networks rather than the car itself.
Looking back for me:
1. I wouldn’t buy a granny charger, £200 and on reflection unnecessary for me. I could always have got a charge somewhere local until my home charger came.
2. Definitely do some relaxed practice charges before having to do one under travel pressure.
3. The ID3 can lock you in on a red light, if you plug in too early or leave it there too long. So read instructions and if in doubt plug in later rather than sooner.
4. If you think the cable is ‘stuck’ try double clicking on the key fob unlock button. 1st for the car, 2nd for the charging lock.
5. On a drive look for at least stops with 2 charging bays and preferably 4. Also look for a plan B site not too far away.
6. On the car, I would do some relaxed braking tests, in D and B mode. Get used to the feel, the weight and the behaviour on the last few mph.
Thank you.

I have ordered a granny charger but thinking maybe I’ll change that.

Anyone recommend a granny charger of Amazon etc ( just as a backup )

Could you explain the red light a bit more please ?
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Utumno
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Post by Utumno »

If you’re doing any touring of more remote parts of the UK then I recommend you have a granny as a get out of jail free card. The provision of fast and rapid chargers is increasingly woeful the more remote you get.
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OB1CCFC
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Post by OB1CCFC »

BelfastID3 wrote: Sat Apr 16, 2022 9:43 am
OB1CCFC wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 9:33 pm I think most new issues are around charging and related networks rather than the car itself.
Looking back for me:
1. I wouldn’t buy a granny charger, £200 and on reflection unnecessary for me. I could always have got a charge somewhere local until my home charger came.
2. Definitely do some relaxed practice charges before having to do one under travel pressure.
3. The ID3 can lock you in on a red light, if you plug in too early or leave it there too long. So read instructions and if in doubt plug in later rather than sooner.
4. If you think the cable is ‘stuck’ try double clicking on the key fob unlock button. 1st for the car, 2nd for the charging lock.
5. On a drive look for at least stops with 2 charging bays and preferably 4. Also look for a plan B site not too far away.
6. On the car, I would do some relaxed braking tests, in D and B mode. Get used to the feel, the weight and the behaviour on the last few mph.
Thank you.

I have ordered a granny charger but thinking maybe I’ll change that.

Anyone recommend a granny charger of Amazon etc ( just as a backup )

Could you explain the red light a bit more please ?
The ID3 may lock the cable in and display a red light if there is a perceived safety issue or (in my experience) if the process of charge initiation is too long.
As a newbie I had it a few times mainly by plugging in too early and then Faffing about.
You don’t want it to happen, as while a double click on the key fob ‘unlock’ might sort it, the worst case is you might have to reboot the charger, or get the helpline to do that, or wait for 20 mins or so for the ID3 to ‘time out’.
I would say many chargers have now improved a lot eg, instavolt, ionity, gridserve have ‘swipe a card’ plug in and off you go.
You might also want to consider getting a couple of RFID cards to bypass the need for apps or websites. Makes things a little more stress free.
Kia Niro EV3 in pearl white.
BelfastID3
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Post by BelfastID3 »

Thank you.

When you say “plug in early” could you explain a bit further sorry.
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Utumno
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Post by Utumno »

I think the basic advice is to faff about with the charger before plugging the car into the charger, as opposed to pluggin the car into the charger then faffing with the charger.

In ICE terms, sort out all the “pay at pump” stuff before lifting the nozzle to start furling 😀
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OB1CCFC
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Post by OB1CCFC »

Utumno wrote: Sat Apr 16, 2022 4:25 pm I think the basic advice is to faff about with the charger before plugging the car into the charger, as opposed to pluggin the car into the charger then faffing with the charger.

In ICE terms, sort out all the “pay at pump” stuff before lifting the nozzle to start furling 😀
This!
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sidehaas
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Post by sidehaas »

I don't entirely agree.
Some chargers ask you specifically to do things the other way around (including Gridserve.) What you need to do is (1) read the instructions on the charger and follow them, and, (2) if it involves plugging in before swiping your card, then have your card out ready so you aren't faffing for ages in your wallet or trying to load your Google pay app while your fingerprint fails to unlock your phone (been there.)
It's straightforward really though.
ID.3 Family Pro Performance (Jan 22), Makena Turquoise / East Derry alloys. Ohme Home Pro charger.
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