Do's, Don'ts, and Charging Care
A user-friendly safety and operation checklist for day-to-day charging. This page turns the Solterra user manual and service guide into a practical reference you can follow before connecting, while charging, and before calling support. Trained technicians will also find the bench rules for firmware programming near the end.
Operating Snapshot
These are the everyday limits and charge-order rules that matter most in the field.
| Area | Requirement | Practical Note |
|---|---|---|
| AC supply | 150 Vac to 270 Vac L-N | Single phase L+N+E | 50 Hz | 16A max | Use a healthy, properly earthed socket sized for the charger current. |
| Environment | -30°C to 65°C | 5% to 95% RH | below 2000 m altitude | Full output is available up to 45°C ambient, then output reduces until 65°C. |
| Charge order | Connect DC to vehicle first, then AC to the socket, then switch on | At end of charge, switch off AC first, then remove the DC connector. |
| Ventilation | Minimum 10 cm clearance on all sides | Never cover the vents or insert objects into them. |
| Who may operate | Adults who have read the user manual and this checklist | Children and persons with reduced capability may use it only under supervision or instruction from a Solterra-designated expert. |
What You Should Do
These practices reduce nuisance faults, protect the battery, and help the charger deliver full performance.
Before Charging
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Use only the charger specified by the OEM or dealer for the battery chemistry and pack voltage in the vehicle.
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Inspect the AC plug, DC connector, and both cables before every charge. Stop if anything is cracked, frayed, bent, corroded, or heat-marked.
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Use a properly earthed socket with healthy grounding and separated neutral and earth conductors. The socket and its wiring must meet the local electrical code and be sized for 16A.
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Keep the plug, socket, and connector pins clean, straight, and dry before connecting.
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If you have an implanted medical device such as a pacemaker or defibrillator, check with the device manufacturer before operating the charger.
During Charging
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Keep the charger well ventilated with clear airflow around the fins and vents.
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Watch for normal states: red flashing during bulk charge, green steady when charge is complete.
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If ambient temperature is above 45°C, expect reduced output current. This is normal thermal derating.
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Keep children and untrained persons away from the charger while it is connected. Children must never play with, clean, or operate it.
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If there is smoke, unusual sound, burning smell, or a repeated critical fault, disconnect AC immediately.
Storage And Care
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Unplug the charger once the charge is complete or when it will not be used for an extended period.
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Store the charger in a dry, clean place when not in use.
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Unplug the charger before cleaning.
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Clean vents with a dry cloth, dry brush, or gentle compressed air every 3 to 6 months. Never use water or chemicals.
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Lift and carry the charger by its body, not by the AC or DC cables.
When To Escalate
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After 3 correct restart attempts with AC off for 30 seconds between attempts, stop and contact support.
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If a relay fault or internal fault appears, remove the charger from service immediately.
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If activation fails after 3 correct attempts, have the battery professionally assessed.
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If repeated thermal faults occur in good ventilation and normal ambient conditions, contact service.
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Report transport damage within 5 working days of receiving the charger so it stays inside warranty coverage.
What You Should Never Do
These are the actions most likely to create safety risk, charger damage, or warranty exclusion.
Electrical Don'ts
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Do not open, disassemble, repair, tamper with, or modify the charger. It is not user-serviceable, and internal capacitors can stay charged after AC is removed.
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Do not use a damaged cable, bent plug, cracked enclosure, or a charger that fails to operate normally.
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Do not use unearthed adapters or defeat the protective earth connection. The charger is a Class-I appliance.
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Do not touch uninsulated parts of the AC or DC connectors, or the battery terminals, while the charger is connected.
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Do not use private generators or unstable AC sources for charging.
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Do not use an extension cord to power the charger unless it is correctly rated and within the allowed length.
Battery Don'ts
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Do not connect the wrong charger profile or wrong charger voltage to the battery.
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Do not charge frozen or non-rechargeable batteries.
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Do not continue charging a pack that smells strongly, vents gas, or shows obvious battery-side damage.
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Do not keep retrying activation on a battery that has already failed 3 correct wake-up attempts.
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Do not connect the DC output to an open circuit and then apply AC. The activation pulse fires live voltage with no load, so seat the connector in the vehicle inlet first.
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Do not guess polarity during Activation Mode. Reverse-polarity damage is excluded from warranty.
Handling Don'ts
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Do not pull the charger by the cord. Always grasp the plug when disconnecting.
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Do not twist, drag, tangle, crush, sharply bend, or step on the cables.
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Do not lift the charger using the input or output cable.
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Do not force the connector, fold the cable sharply, or poke metallic objects into any connector.
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Do not touch the output terminals with fingers, wires, tools, or needles.
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Do not drop, puncture, or apply strong force or impact to the charger, its handle, or its plug.
Environment Don'ts
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Do not expose live parts or connectors to rain, water spray, or continuous water flow.
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Do not spray any liquid onto the charger handle or the AC plug, and never submerge them.
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Do not install or operate the charger near flammable, explosive, harsh, or combustible materials, chemicals, or vapours.
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Do not place the cord or the charger near heating elements or heaters.
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Do not cover the charger vents with clothes, books, packaging, or any other material.
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Do not insert sharp or foreign objects into the vents. This can cause fire or electric shock.
Know The Limits Of Non-CAN Chargers
Non-communication chargers have no data link to the battery protection board, so the manual lists two risks the charger cannot control.
Service Bench: Programming Do's And Don'ts
For trained OEM and service technicians flashing charger firmware. These are the headline rules from Engineering Work Instruction Programming-001 and the programming guide. Read the full CAN Firmware Flashing Do's and Don'ts before the first unit of the shift, and follow the Digital Charger Programming Guide for the step-by-step procedure.
Programming Bench Do's
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Follow work instruction Programming-001 and use only the current Solterra DownloadTool V2.07.03 package. Superseded packages are archived and are not published.
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Check the wiring with a multimeter before power ON: CANH to CANH, CANL to CANL, and about 60 Ω across the bus with the 120 Ω terminators fitted.
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Connect the charger's earth (PE) wire, wear an ESD wrist strap, and use a rear USB port or a powered hub that supplies at least 1000 mA.
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Set every field first and keep the AC switch within reach, then click Update and switch AC ON within 2 seconds.
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Keep AC mains disconnected throughout the UART / TTL flow. The charger UART header is 3.3V only.
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Record the serial number, firmware file, tool version, and pass / fail result for every unit.
Programming Bench Don'ts
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Do not touch, move, or re-plug the CAN or USB cable, switch AC OFF, or let the PC sleep while the progress bar is moving. A break here destroys the firmware.
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Do not keep clicking Update on a stuck Handshaking... screen. Switch AC OFF, wait at least 45 seconds, and find the cause first.
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Do not attempt a CAN upgrade on a charger that has no working CAN firmware. Use the TTL path for virgin or bricked units.
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Do not use a 5V USB-TTL adapter. 5V on the 3.3V UART header damages the MCU.
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Do not use J-Flash V8.00 or newer, or any unofficial host tool. Newer J-Flash builds can clear the read protection and erase the MCU.
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Do not retry after a write that stopped before Completed. Tag the unit suspected bricked, quarantine it, and hand it to R&D or repair.
Warranty-Sensitive Actions
The following actions are specifically called out in the manual and service guide as high-risk or excluded situations.
- Opening the charger or allowing unauthorised service work.
- Artificially cut, modified, or damaged cables, plugs, and connectors.
- Damage to the shell or circuit board caused by the user or operator.
- A torn or damaged seal, barcode, or label.
- Surge damage or misuse of the AC supply.
- Reverse polarity connection during Activation Mode.
- Using the wrong charger or wrong charging profile for the battery.
- Transport damage that is not reported within 5 working days of receipt.
Next Support Steps
Keep moving between the support guides below to narrow the issue faster.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Pick a symptom and follow the correct field checks before escalating to service.
LED Fault Codes
Review Solterra LED fault codes, match blink patterns, and use the interactive simulator and reference table.
Activation / Wakeup Function
See how Solterra chargers wake deeply discharged batteries and what risks apply during activation.