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New Charging Cable Plug

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by ukr2, Sep 6, 2012.

  1. ukr2

    ukr2 Senior Member

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    I want to cut the plug off the charger cable and use a Right-Angle plug to reduce the strain with the Straight Plug in the outlet. Something like this. I wish this was the standard for the PIP cable.


    [​IMG]









    Leviton 515AN 15 Amp, 125 Volt, Angle grounding Plug, White

    by Leviton
    4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews) |
    (0)
    List Price: $6.99
    Price: $5.37
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    agreed. because of the short length from the box to the plug, either the box cannot hang flat or there is a sharp bend in the cord. i am loath to mutilate my new cord tho.
     
  3. DLee

    DLee Junior Member

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    That could void the warranty on a very expensive charging cable.
     
  4. priuskitty

    priuskitty PIP FAN

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    Pluggo likes this.
  5. rockerdan

    rockerdan PiP Rocks!

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    actually there are some really nice heavy duty short extension cords with a right angle built into them for refrigerators....

    I agree the stock cable should have been a right angle design.

    some extensions...
    Amazon.com: Pro Cord 90 degree rotating wall plug adapter: Lamps & Light Fixtures

    Stanley 31526 Heavy Duty 6-Foot 125V Extension Cord,Beige - Amazon.com

    Prime EC680506L Air Conditioner and Major Appliance Extension Cord,Gray,6-Feet - Amazon.com
     
  6. priuskitty

    priuskitty PIP FAN

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    I see you picked others with 12awg cord. and some with 14awg. Isn't 12 awg the minimum required for the charging brick?
     
  7. rockerdan

    rockerdan PiP Rocks!

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    I agree Id rather use 12ga for any type of extension. I like that one you linked to, just really like those right angle ends though. I put up a small shelf on my wall in my shop next to my outlet so i could lay my cable on it. No stress on plug that way.

    Dad is considering trading his TDI Jetta in on a new PiP since I keep showing him my MPG! So im going to run a new circuit out to his garage soon. Ill do the same with a small shelf on rear right for him.
     
  8. staze

    staze Junior Member

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    Well, since it's in a garage, you might even consider something like this: Amazon.com: Coleman Cable 03392 12/3 2-Foot Right Angle GFCI Extension Cord with Molded Tri-Source and Power Light Indicator: Home Improvement

    That said, the gauge is a BIT moot since the plug on the cable is a 15amp plug (a 20amp 110v plug has one blade horizontal, i.e. NEMA 5-20P). So 14gauge should be fine... I'm guessing Toyota just knows if they said 14 gauge, some yahoo is going to try to use a 100ft 14gauge extension cord, and melt it (since it's going to get quite hot over that length). ​
     
  9. ukr2

    ukr2 Senior Member

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  10. John H

    John H Senior Member

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  11. Three60guy

    Three60guy -->All around guy<-- (360 = round) get it?

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  12. John H

    John H Senior Member

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  13. Three60guy

    Three60guy -->All around guy<-- (360 = round) get it?

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  14. John H

    John H Senior Member

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  15. ukr2

    ukr2 Senior Member

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    Close, but No Cigar !!!
    When you plug the cable in, the weight will pull down and OUT.

    Also there is about 1" of Leverage to twist the adapter OUT of the outlet.

    Having the right-angle connector wired to the cable would have the cable pulling down at right-angle to the outlet, reducing the chance of a Pull Out.
     
  16. John H

    John H Senior Member

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    oh well. The 110V EVSE that comes with the Volt has a right angle plug and a snap in wall mounting bracket for the primary garage location.
     
  17. stacey

    stacey ☆☆☆☆☆

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    I got an extra deep box for my outdoor outlet and the plug fits in it pretty well. The cord does need to have a bit of a kink in order to close the cover completely, but I don't think it's enough to cause damage. To combat the problem of the weight of the EVSE pulling the plug out of the socket, I found an adjustable tie down strap (Shop The Hillman Group 34" Adjustable tie down strap at Lowes.com) that I wrapped around the box and hang the EVSE off of one of the holes in the strap with a hook. It works nicely.
     
  18. ukr2

    ukr2 Senior Member

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    When I had the 2012 Prius Plugin, the Right-Angle plug worked great at home and at work, each with the normal outdoor cover.

    However, the 2017 Prius Prime draws 12 amps and after 2 years, the Right-Angle plug and outlet showed signs of overheating. I found out that 15 amp plugs and outlets can overheat when serving 12 amps for 5 hours. So I replaced the outlets with 20 amp outlets.

    Since replacing the plug a couple of times and not having enough plug cord left, I bought a new Plug Assembly Cable, G90GO-47120, with a new Straight Plug, short cable and adapter to the Brick, for $134.99 from the Toyota Dealer. Later I found it on parts.olathetoyota.com for $113.67, darn. I also bought the deeper outdoor covers which required bending the cable to close the cover, but doesn't require other support of the brick. So far, so good.

    The Right-Angle Plug is a better idea and Toyota should make a Right-Angle Plug Assembly Cable, but now I concede.
     
  19. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

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    I don't believe there is actually a current capability difference between a 15A and a 20A receptacle, based on inspection of two receptacles from the same vendor, same product line, almost identical construction. Same size lugs, same size connector bars, etc. The only difference I can see is that one is NEMA 5-15R configuration and the other is 5-20R configuration. I weighed them, and the 15A was 68.5 grams, the 20A was 68 grams. So, there does not appear to be a difference in underlying construction.

    If the branch circuit is a 15A circuit, the code does not allow installing a 20A receptacle on that circuit.

    upload_2019-6-11_21-19-37.jpeg
    upload_2019-6-11_21-21-43.jpeg
     
  20. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

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