Fix for Leviton EVB40 - all 3 lights illuminated

[Joe_EV]

My Leviton EVB40-SPT charging station arrived with a manufacturing defect that caused all three lights on the front panel to illuminate continuously. There was an easy to fix for this, and it may work for you too if you're willing to get inside the thing. Power (red), Charging (yellow), and Fault (red) lit up together, and stayed that way. This is not mentioned anywhere in the installation or user instructions. I first tried unplugging and re-plugging, resetting the circuit, etc. I then called the Leviton support line, and they unintentionally led me to a DIY solution.

Leviton told me to return the unit to the retailer (Amazon). I was warned repeatedly to absolutely positively not open this thing up, that I would void my warranty, etc. etc. But...during that telephone troubleshooting session, I gathered enough clues as to the cause of this problem. As a Silicon Valley guy who's been tinkering with the insides of ham radios, computers, and random electronics for decades, I was not about to waste another week waiting for a replacement without at least taking a quick look inside.

At Home Depot I purchased the security Torx bit required for the screws on the internal cover. I then **unplugged the EVB40,** removed the cover, and ***very carefully not touching anything else,*** tried unplugging and reversing the ribbon cable leading to those lights. And voilà: the display was fixed. That ribbon cable plug does not have any physical guides at all, and I can see how it could easily be reversed in manufacturing. Any numbers or other markings on those things, when they even have them, are microscopic.

PHOTOS:

I did not take a picture of the EVB40 before I began, but as I said all three lights were illuminated.

This is a picture of the internal unit with the cover removed. I've added a red circle around the plug I had to reverse:

I then replaced the cover, plugged the EVB40 in, and only the green Power light was lit. That is as it should be.
Note the special "tamper-proof" Torx bit set I had to buy at the local Home Depot:

Here's the EVB40 with everything back in place...

....and while charging an EV:

Display on the RAV4 EV, indicating a complete 240V charge:

Display on the Prius Plug-in, sipping only a small amount of what this charger can provide, but still charging in half the 110V time:

 

[cwerdna]

That's interesting that they having a warning about not opening the unit up.

I won a Nissan-branded Aerovironment L2 EVSE in a drawing (sold it to a PiP owner) and the screws weren't even installed on the cover/lid, by design. The unit ships w/no cord so it must be hardwired and the only way to make the connections to the wiring is by doing it inside the unit.

Part of the instructions involves putting in the screws (after wiring) and optionally covering them w/a trim ring.

 

[Joe_EV]

Yes, it's ridiculous, but they need to cover themselves against certain people I suppose. The instruction sheet has that warning, but there's no seal on the cover and I really don't see how they could tell it's been opened, as long as you get the right security Torx bits and are careful. I called Leviton's support line a second time and told them how I fixed it, but I didn't provide a serial number or other identifying information. ;-)

 

[cwerdna]

^^^
Heh, as long as there's no warranty sticker or any switches to detect the cover's been opened.

Your post struck a chord and reminded me of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx14_hWALLA. (Funny thing is, TiVo's warranty stickers weren't orange. Later, they didn't bother even them on their units.)

 

[Joe_EV]

:- ) Yes, I'm an outlaw TiVo upgrader too. Guilty as charged.

 

[Philly RAV4 EV]

I have the same Leviton and my instructions tell you to open the unit to hard wire it in. I don't know why they would say not to open it, you have to open it to hard wire it!

 

[Joe_EV]

Do you mean that you removed the plastic cover to install a flush-mount outlet? That is in my set of instructions too, although they do say that installation "must be performed by an electrician".

Or do you mean you took off the metal cover of the interior electronics unit, the one with the security Torx screws? That is where my instructions draw the legal line in the sand, such as it is: "Opening the interior electronics access panel will void the warranty." But that's what consumer electronics companies always say, and anyone who is afraid to open up electronics should be required to leave Silicon Valley. We need more housing anyway. :- )

 

[miimura]

I think as far as Leviton is concerned, the only reason to open the metal cover with the security Torx screws is for outdoor hard-wired professional installation. According to them, you cannot install outdoor with an outlet, so liquid-tight conduit to the bottom of the metal inner box is the only way to do an outdoor installation. If you're installing in a garage, you should just buy the proper plug-in version - flush or surface - and not touch anything inside the metal box.