EV Charger Not Working? Work Through It in This Order
A diagnostic sequence that isolates the fault in under ten minutes — car, cable, charger, circuit — so you know whether you need a reset, a part, or an electrician.
Most “the charger is broken” situations are not broken chargers. They are settings, schedules, or a protective device doing its job.
This sequence isolates the fault by working from the cheapest thing to check to the most expensive. Do it in order — skipping ahead is how people end up replacing hardware that was fine.
Step 1: Is it the car, not the charger?
Start here. It is the most common answer and costs nothing.
- Scheduled charging. Almost every EV has a departure time or charging window. If it was set, or updated by a software release, the car will refuse to draw current until the schedule allows. Check the car’s own charging settings, not the app.
- Charge limit reached. If the limit is 80% and the car is at 80%, everything is working correctly.
- Reduced current setting. Many cars let you cap the AC charging current per location. It can be set inadvertently.
- Plug fully seated. The latch has to engage for the handshake to complete.
Quick test: try a different charging location, or plug into a public Level 2 point. If the car misbehaves there too, the problem is not your charger.
Step 2: Is there power at the circuit?
- Check the breaker. A tripped double-pole breaker often does not look obviously tripped — the handle may sit in a middle position. Push it firmly fully off, then back on.
- If it trips again immediately, stop. That is a fault, and it has a separate diagnosis in why your charger keeps tripping the breaker.
- Check any GFCI device in the run and reset it.
Step 3: Read what the charger is telling you
Every unit signals state through lights or a display. Get the manual out — colour conventions differ between manufacturers, and guessing wastes time.
Broadly, what the categories mean:
| Indication | Usually means |
|---|---|
| No light at all | No power reaching the unit — back to step 2 |
| Steady standby | Powered, waiting for a vehicle |
| Pulsing or breathing | Charging normally |
| Fault colour, often red | Protection triggered — read the code |
| Rapid flashing | Ground fault or self-test failure |
A ground-fault indication after rain points at moisture ingress. The same indication in dry weather, repeatedly, points at the cable, the connector or the car’s onboard charger.
Step 4: Power-cycle properly
A reset clears transient faults. Do it correctly:
- Unplug the car.
- Switch the breaker off. Wait at least 60 seconds — this matters, because internal capacitors need to discharge for a genuine cold start.
- Breaker back on.
- Wait for the unit to complete its self-test before plugging in.
Switching off for two seconds is not a reset. It is an interruption.
If this fixes it once, fine. If you are doing it weekly, you have an intermittent fault and it needs diagnosing, not repeating.
Step 5: Network problems on smart chargers
Basic charging almost never requires connectivity — most units fall back to charging without it.
If yours genuinely stops when the network drops, look for a setting requiring authorisation before each session, and turn it off if you do not need it. A garage is usually the worst Wi-Fi location in the house; if the signal is marginal, a repeater is cheaper than replacing the charger.
Step 6: Slow charging that is not a fault
Charging at half the expected rate is usually correct behaviour:
- Cold. The pack warms itself before accepting full current. Below freezing, a much reduced rate for the first period is normal.
- Load management. If a device was fitted to avoid a service upgrade, it is supposed to throttle when the house draws heavily. That is the feature working.
- The car is the limit. If the onboard charger tops out at 7.7 kW, an 11.5 kW wall box will still deliver 7.7. See kW vs kWh.
- Near full. Charging tapers as the battery fills. Normal.
Stop and call an electrician for any of these
Not troubleshooting steps. Reasons to stop:
- Any burning smell, however faint.
- Discoloured, melted or deformed plastic at a receptacle, plug or connector.
- A breaker that is warm to the touch.
- A circuit that trips repeatedly after a proper reset.
- Anything that requires removing the panel cover.
- Visible damage to the cable or connector pins.
The first two in particular are not “keep an eye on it” situations. Heat at a connection is how these installations fail, and it accelerates once it starts.
Frequently asked questions
Why has my EV charger stopped working suddenly?
Most sudden failures are one of four things: a scheduled charging setting in the car, a tripped breaker, a fault detected by the charger's own protection, or a lost network connection on a smart unit. Work through them in that order before assuming hardware failure.
Why is my car charging much more slowly than usual?
Cold weather is the most common cause — the pack has to warm before it accepts full current. After that, check whether the charger's current limit was reduced, whether the car is set to a reduced charging current, and whether a load-management device is throttling it.
Should I reset my EV charger by turning off the breaker?
Switching the breaker off and on is a legitimate reset and is safe to do from the outside of the panel. It is not a fix for a repeated fault — if you are resetting weekly, something is genuinely wrong.
Does my charger need Wi-Fi to work?
Almost never for basic charging. Most units fall back to charging without a connection. If yours stops entirely when the network drops, check for a setting requiring authorisation before each session.
When should I call an electrician instead of troubleshooting?
Any burning smell, discoloured or melted plastic, a warm breaker, a repeatedly tripping circuit, or anything requiring the panel cover to be removed. Those are not user-serviceable.
