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DIY guideEV charger

Test the EV charger's GFCI and look over the cable

Press the charger's test button, reset it, and look its cable and plug over for damage, so it stays safe to use.

  • 5 to 10 min
  • 7 steps
  • Every step animated
Test the EV charger's GFCI and look over the cable: the animation’s first picture

7 steps

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  1. Unplug the car first, so the charger isn't charging.

  2. Press the charger's test button, if it has one. Its light should change and it should switch itself off.

  3. Press reset, or follow the steps in its manual or app. The ready light should come back.

  4. Look along the cable from the wall to the plug for cuts, cracks, flat spots or anything showing through.

  5. Look into the plug's end for bent pins, dirt or dark marks, and check its latch clicks.

  6. Coil the cable loosely on its holder, off the floor, where the car can't drive over it.

  7. A cut cable, a scorched plug, or a charger that won't trip or won't reset: stop using it and ask Handyman for an electrician.

What you need

  • The charger's manual or its maker's app
  • A dry cloth

Call a pro if

  • The cable is cut, cracked or crushed
  • The plug's end is scorched or its pins are bent
  • The charger won't trip on test, or won't reset
  • The charger or its plug gets hot

Handyman says: Don't use it. I'll find an electrician.

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