Delphi level 1 charger from Solar

[myersman77]

Hello I have a Delphi level 1 charger, it came with the car from the used lot. I think it's pretty standard and meant for the BMW i3, but can get more specific model number if necessary.
I have essentially the same setup as this for solar
In the video he plugs in his charger and is able to charge the i3.
However when I plug my Delphi charger in my system, it lights up with a "Power fault".
What power spec is not being met with this charger? Maybe I need to get a different charger but I need to know the power requirements.
I also set the i3 to the lowest charging rate.
Any insight is appreciated!

 

[eNate]

If you're receiving a fault light at the go, before even connecting the vehicle, then it's likely an improper ground if not insufficient or unstable voltage.

 

[myersman77]

If you're receiving a fault light at the go, before even connecting the vehicle, then it's likely an improper ground if not insufficient or unstable voltage.

Ah yeah ground. So this Solar inverter is fully off grid, I do have a ground wire going from circuit to the inverter, but then that doesn't really go anywhere.
I was thinking that really isn't complete. I saw another install, and they said as it's an "off grid situation" that they jump the ground wire straight over and connect it to the neutral line. I was hesitant to do that. But I suppose that makes sense, I'm just not entirely sure on why...

 

[myersman77]

Ok I tried jumping the ground to neutral wire, but the charger is still not working and giving the "power fault" light...

 

[mojo]

Does the Delphi unit work when used normally (i.e. just on normal utility mains)? They are known to be generally a bit unreliable.

 

[myersman77]

Does the Delphi unit work when used normally (i.e. just on normal utility mains)? They are known to be generally a bit unreliable.

Yes it does work on my house outlet, it's my main and only charger at the moment.

 

[eNate]

Ok I tried jumping the ground to neutral wire, but the charger is still not working and giving the "power fault" light...

I haven't experimented with this myself so am just repeating internet lore, but some EVSEs may incorporate false ground or bootleg ground detection. As I understand it, this involves the equipment applying a test voltage across neutral and ground and looking for some threshold resistance level. I take that to mean that 0 ohms (ground wire tied to neutral near the equipment) would indicate somebody is cheating and cause the test to fail, and some higher level of resistance wouldn't raise any red flags and pass the test.

Although I'm curious, I wouldn't encourage you to go throwing resistors across this connection, unless maybe only as a controlled test. Ultimately you should have a grounding rod to tie off to, but I imagine with your PV setup and a stand-alone earth ground you're going to see the same error. I'm sure a qualified electrician can explain a safe way to accomplish this, and I'm certain a proper earth ground is part of the "safe" solution.