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Problem seating charger - issue started recently

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by lopgok, Sep 27, 2017.

  1. lopgok

    lopgok Member

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    I have a 2012 plug in prius. The charger plug used to be very easy to connect. In the last month, it requires more force to seat to the point where the latch on the top clicks. Sometimes I need to rock it up and down a tiny bit to get the latch to click.

    I looked at the car socket as well as the plug end, and there is no debris or anything that would cause an issue. There is an O-ring at the base of the plug. I was wondering it it may have expanded a bit over the years, which might cause this issue.

    I went to my dealer today and they said the warranty was 5 years or 60k miles, which I am well beyond.
    They also said there have been no voluntary recalls of any kind, and my car is fully up to date.

    I was wondering if anyone else is having issues like me?
     
    #1 lopgok, Sep 27, 2017
  2. Pluggo

    Pluggo Senior Member

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    From several past posts the consensus is that you do not need the orange O ring. You can remove it without hurting anything and your problem should be over.
     
    #2 Pluggo, Sep 27, 2017
    bisco and jerrymildred like this.
  3. lopgok

    lopgok Member

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    Sometimes I charge the car outside in the rain. I think I would prefer keeping the o-ring.
    Is it known to swell up and cause this issue?
    Can it be replaced?
     
    #3 lopgok, Sep 27, 2017
  4. Pluggo

    Pluggo Senior Member

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    Anything can be replaced, but I really don't think rain is a problem. When you look at the plug you can see the little towers that stick up into the socket and I really don't think the O-ring would have much to do with keeping water out if the trough around the O-ring somehow filled up with water. Eventually you would have to unplug and the water would be right there, pooling around the towers, with or without the O-ring.
     
    #4 Pluggo, Sep 27, 2017
  5. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    The only way water can get in there even in the rain is if the car is submerged that deeply. They did away with the O-ring after 2012. I plug in my '13 in the Florida rains all the time. But, if it's wet when I unplug, I leave the rubber cap off the EVSE until it dries, which I think should be SOP.
    @Pluggo, you must be getting lots and lots of EV miles!! Awesome Fuelly stats.
     
    #5 jerrymildred, Sep 28, 2017
    Yea Right likes this.
  6. Pluggo

    Pluggo Senior Member

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    Plug-in Advanced
    Only the usual 11 or 12 EV miles, but it’s nice being at the top of the Entune leader board since May. I average nearly 300 monthly miles, and the downside is that I now find myself avoiding certain destinations just to keep the stats high. Fortunately we are a 2-car family.
     
    #6 Pluggo, Sep 28, 2017
    jerrymildred likes this.
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    they stopped putting o rings in the newer models because of the issue, no worries, yank it out, or be prepared to continue the battle.
     
    #7 bisco, Sep 28, 2017
    jerrymildred likes this.
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