I recently saw a Damien Maguire video where he shared with us that he gave up on his Model 3 PCS charger/dc-dc converter unit and I would like to know if he just had a lemon or if they are more hype than grit
I do already own a Tesla Model 3 PCS combo unit but am currently still using a 1st gen Chevy Volt charger and dc-dc converter and was thinking of switching to the PCS simply because of the all-in-one form factor
so I would love to hear how many people are actually running these in their cars, and not just got it working on a work bench, how long have you been using it, any problems/issues? and would you recommend them to others?
Plug-in charging (as per the Wiki)
AC onboard charger:
7.6 kW at 32 A (SR)
11.5 kW at 48 A (LR)
DC:
170 kW (SR)
250 kW (LR)[3]
"I don't need to understand how it works, I just need to understand how to make it work!" ~ EV Greg
I have a PCS sort of running in my car, and to make a long story short, I'm looking for alternatives.
Like Damien, I had a bad isolation chip, and in repairing that I damaged the rest of the board. I picked up a second PCS which is running, but the charge power won't exceed 2kW, and the DC-DC doesn't always kick on.
I think one of the biggest issues with the PCS is the same issue with any emulation control solution on a Tesla product - Tesla changes shit so often, that there are a bunch of different versions of the PCS out there, running different firmwares, and making adjustments to the controller for each is a pain.
The PCS is great in concept, but clearly from Damien's experience, it is very sensitive to inputs, and from my experience it can be quite finicky.
I also think the secondary problem is that there are so few used in conversions right now, that there is not the support base for solving various issues.
All that to say, I think there is potential for the PCS, but it's not without issue.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.
1940 Chevrolet w/ Tesla LDU - "Shocking Chevy" - Completed 2023 Hot Rod Drag Week
It's unfortunate to hear about this, I have a PCS and Damien's control board and was planning on digging into charging this winter, still may try it but may need to consider other options
Building: 1964 International Scout 80. LS600H transmission with zombieinverter, B250e battery pack
Same, have a PCS that is working well on the bench and edging closer to installing it. It works neatly for me so will continue testing and monitoring for now
I would say this - the viability of the PCS long term will depend on how many people are using it. It think there may be solutions to the various issues, but it is difficult to troubleshoot when very few members of the forum have gone through the process of integrating it into a car and using it.
It will likely be a couple months before I get to troubleshoot mine, as the motor is currently out of my car, but I do have a plan and some options that could be informative.
The combined charging and DC-DC converter is really a strong suit of this unit, both in terms of space and HV wiring simplicity. Plus it should be able to deliver decent power, which is nice when it works.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.
1940 Chevrolet w/ Tesla LDU - "Shocking Chevy" - Completed 2023 Hot Rod Drag Week
Hi, I just picked the last PCS topic hoping for a little help. I test bench a PCS with Damiens controller, all I could get to work is the dcdc, charging over 14v (tryed to set at 13v but still charges at 14v). Anyway, the charger is in iddle, or off state, with 12v on input1.
Oh, and no input type setting, just manual.
I am using a granny cable/charger wich does nothing when I connect it. No errors, just not triggers to start charging. Have i done something wrong? I have some screenshots:
