Start with the screens, not the fuse box. Check the vehicle’s charge limit and schedule, confirm the connector is fully seated, complete charger authorisation, and read both fault messages. Try one controlled restart only when the manuals allow it. Stop for heat, damage, repeated trips or high-voltage warnings.
Is the car waiting for a schedule?
A connected EV may be behaving correctly while it waits for a programmed time. Check both vehicle and wallbox schedules. Two timers can conflict: each expects the other device to be ready during a different window.
Temporarily select immediate charging through the normal control to test the connection. Do not delete a working tariff schedule until you record it. Also check whether the battery has already reached its charge limit.
Some vehicles pause to condition or balance the battery. Use the displayed message rather than assuming every delay is a fault.
Is the connector fully inserted and locked?
Stop the session, unlock the vehicle if required, remove the connector and inspect it without touching contacts. Clear only loose external debris as the manual permits. Reinsert it straight and fully without forcing it.
Cable weight or a tight bend can pull on the latch. Support the cable and remove strain. Do not hold the plug in place throughout an energised session as a workaround.
If the connector, inlet or cable is cracked, burnt, wet internally or unusually hot, stop. Do not test it in another car.
Did public-charger authorisation complete?
The station may be waiting for a card tap, app command, payment page or Plug & Charge credential. Read the display and app state. A bank pre-authorisation is not always proof that the charging session itself started.
Confirm that you selected the correct connector number. Close any previous session that remains active. At a multi-connector unit, the app label and physical plug must match.
If ad hoc payment fails, use the operator’s official alternative or support channel. Do not scan a QR label that appears altered or enter payment details on an unfamiliar domain.
Is the charger available and powered?
Look for an out-of-service notice, fault light or site-wide outage. A public app can lag behind the physical station. At home, check only user-operable controls named in the wallbox instructions.
A single permitted power cycle may clear a communication error. Record fault codes first and follow the stated wait time. Repeated resets can erase useful evidence or re-energise a dangerous fault.
Stop after a repeated protective trip
Do not keep resetting a breaker or RCD, fit a larger protective device or bypass safety equipment. A qualified electrician or service technician must find the cause.
Could load management be pausing the session?
A home energy manager may reduce charging when the building is using its available supply. Some systems pause entirely below the car’s supported minimum current and restart when capacity returns.
Check whether a cooker, heat pump, water heater or second EV coincides with the pause. The wallbox app or controller may show an allocation rather than a fault.
Do not raise the site limit merely to test faster charging. The commissioned limit protects the supply. Ask the installer to review persistent or unexplained pauses.
How can you isolate the car, cable or charger?
Use known compatible equipment in normal operation. Try the car at another reliable charger. If safe and authorised, try another compatible cable at the original socketed station. A second compatible vehicle can help test a private charger.
Change one item at a time and save the outcome. Do not create adapter chains or exceed cable and connector ratings. DC cables are fixed to the station, so operator diagnostics are usually the next step there.
Even a successful comparison does not authorise repair. It only tells a trained technician where to investigate.
When should you stop troubleshooting?
Stop immediately for smoke, arcing, a burning smell, visible damage, liquid inside a connector, exposed conductors or a high-voltage warning. Move away and follow emergency guidance when there is an immediate hazard.
Stop routine attempts after a repeated electrical trip, persistent red fault or connector that will not latch. Contact the station operator, roadside assistance, vehicle service or the wallbox installer as appropriate.
Provide the charger ID, vehicle model, time, state of charge, error text and steps already tried. A precise report shortens the diagnosis and avoids unsafe repetition.
What is the fastest safe checklist?
Read the car. Read the charger. Check limit and schedule. Reconnect once. Complete authorisation. Confirm site power and load allocation. Try one known compatible alternative if safe. Then stop and escalate.
Most charging failures are less dramatic than they feel at the roadside. A fixed sequence turns frustration into useful evidence without turning the driver into an electrician.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my EV say connected but not charging?
A schedule, charge limit, delayed tariff window or site authorisation may be holding the session. Check the car and charger messages before reconnecting. If both show ready but no energy flows, follow the model-specific troubleshooting instructions or contact the operator.
Should I keep resetting the breaker when an EV charger trips?
No. A repeated trip indicates a fault or overload that needs investigation. Stop using the equipment and follow its instructions. Do not increase breaker size, bypass protection or repeatedly re-energise a circuit to force charging to continue.
How can I tell whether the car or charger is faulty?
Testing the car on another known compatible charger and another compatible car on the original charger can narrow the fault, if both tests are safe and permitted. Save error codes first. A qualified technician still needs to diagnose persistent electrical or hardware faults.
