196Driving and operatingDC (direct current) charging
Check the charging station DC
vehicle plug for compatibility with the
DC charge port on this vehicle. When
recharging at a DC fast charge
station, the power cable connected to the vehicle must be less than
10 metres in length.
Follow the steps listed on the
charging station to perform a DC
vehicle charge.
If for any reason DC charging does not begin or is interrupted, check the
DC charge station display for
messages. Unplug to restart the DC
charge process.
Start charging 1. Make sure the vehicle is parked.
2. Push the rearward edge of the charge port door and release to
open the door.
In cold weather conditions, ice
may form around the charge port
door. The charge port door may
not open on the first attempt.
Remove ice from the area andrepeat attempt to open the charge port door.
3. Open the DC dust cover. Plug in the DC vehicle plug into the DC
charge port on the vehicle. Make
sure that the DC vehicle plug is
fully connected to the DC charge
port. If it is not properly seated
then the charge may not occur.
Proper plug connection can be
checked by information on the
Driver Information Centre.
4. Follow the steps listed on the charging station to start charging.
The electric parking brake will
automatically apply once the
charge process has been started.
5. Once charging, the DC vehicle plug will be locked to the DC
charge port and cannot be
disconnected while charging is
active.
6. Verify that the charging status indicator illuminates on top of the
instrument panel and a horn chirp occurs. Charging status 3 204.Caution
Do not attempt to disconnect the
DC vehicle plug while charging is
active. This action may damage vehicle or charging station
hardware.
Stop charging
Controls on the charging station can
be used to stop the charge process at any time. Or press and hold 5 on the
radio remote control. This will also unlock the vehicle plug.
To stop the charge when inside the
vehicle, you may use the Stop button
on the Charging screen.
Programmable charging 3 197.
Driving and operating197There is also an available mobile app
with several charging functions.
Smartphone remote function 3 26.Automatic power supply cut-off
When the vehicle no longer needs to
use power from the charging station,
the charging process will be stopped. Use the radio remote control to unlock
the DC vehicle plug.
Energy can still be consumed from
the charging station when the
vehicle’s displays and indicators
show that the high voltage battery is
fully charged. This is to ensure the
high voltage battery is in optimal
temperature operating range to
maximise vehicle range.
Programmable charging 3 197.
End charging
1. Wait until the charging process has been fully stopped, the
vehicle plug is unlocked and the
charging status indicator is solid
green or off.
2. Unplug the DC vehicle plug from the DC charge port on the vehicle
and close the dust cover.
3. Close the charge port door by pressing firmly in the centre to
latch properly.
4. Manually disengage the electric parking brake before driving the
vehicle.
5. To start another DC charge, remove the DC vehicle plug and
reconnect.
Programmable charging
Programmable charge modes To view the current charge mode
status in the Infotainment display,
touch Energy and then Charging.
The charge start and charge
complete time estimations are also displayed on the screen. These
estimations are most accurate when
the vehicle is plugged in and in
moderate temperature conditions.
Also, to get an accurate time
estimate, the vehicle uses an internal clock for programmable charging, notthe clock in the instrument panel.Charge mode selection
Touch Energy and then Charging and
select the desired charging mode.Immediate
The vehicle starts charging as soon
as it is connected to an electrical outlet.
Select the Charge limit , see below.
Departure
The vehicle estimates the charging start time considering the
programmed departure time for the
current day of the week. Charging
begins at the start time and is
198Driving and operatingcomplete by the departure time only if
sufficient time is allowed after the
charge cord is plugged in.
Select the Priority charging to On or
Off (Priority charging will immediately
charge the vehicle to a predefined
level).Departure time entry
The departure charge mode allows
for the departure time to be entered to match your personal schedule.
1. With Departure charge mode
selected, touch Edit.
2. The current programmed
departure time is displayed on the
tab with the day of the week.
Select the tab for the day of the
week that needs to be edited.
3. Touch + or − to change the hours
and minutes.
4. Touch o or n to change AM or
PM .
5. Touch q to exit the screen.
Note
● Charging begins at the start time and is completed by departure
time only if sufficient time is
allowed after the charge cord is
plugged in.
● The vehicle uses an internal clock for programmable
charging, not the clock in the Info display.Charging mode error
If a charging problem has occurred,
the error message is displayed. In this
case, please try restarting the vehicle or contact a workshop.
Charge limit selection
Driving and operating2013.Touch + or − to change the month
and day for the start of Winter.
4. Touch q to exit the screen.Electric rate schedule editing
Electric rate information from the
utility company for the charging
location is required.
1. Touch Edit electric rate schedule
from the Electric rate Schedule
screen and select the desired
schedule.
2. Touch Edit in the lower right
corner of the screen to edit the
electric rate schedule.
Both weekday and weekend
schedules must be set. The rate
schedule only applies for a
24-hour period, starting at 12 AM
and ending at 12 AM. There can
be five rate changes for each day; not all must be used.
3. Touch Set next to the row to be
edited.
4. Select Peak, Mid-peak , or Off-
peak . Use + or - to enter the time,
and o or n to change AM or
PM.
The finish times must be
consecutive. If a finish time does not follow a start time, an error
message displays.
5. Touch OK.
Priority charging
The priority charging feature will work
when the Departure charge mode is
selected. This feature is designed to ensure that the high voltage battery
pack has a minimal amount of energy prior to delaying a charge. Uponcompletion of priority charging the
vehicle will return to normal
programmable charging operation.
The feature can be enabled or
disabled by selecting On or Off from
the Charge mode screen when the
Departure charge mode is selected.
When enabled, priority charging will
only prevent programmable charging
while the high voltage battery is
recharged from a depleted state to a
level allowing 40% of the driving
range.
Temporary charge mode override
and cancel
To temporarily override a delayed
charge event, unplug the charge cord
from the charge port and then plug it
back in within five seconds. A single
audible chirp will sound and charging
will begin immediately.
202Driving and operatingTo cancel a temporary override,
unplug the charge cord, wait for
ten seconds, and then plug the
charge cord back in. A double audible
chirp will sound and charging will be
delayed.
Temporary override of a delayed
charge mode
Programmed delayed charge modes
can be temporarily overridden to an
immediate charge mode for one
charge cycle. Also, the next planned
departure time can be temporarily
overridden for one charge cycle. In
addition to the in-vehicle overrides via the programmable charging screens,
there are other ways to temporarily
override a delayed charge mode.
Programmed charging override
3 203.
The Temporary override provides the
ability to set temporary charge items
for the next charge cycle.
Touch the Temporary override tab on
the Charging screen.
Select:
● Immediate : Charge immediately
at plug in.
● Temporary Departure : Set the
temporary departure time.
● Off: Cancel temporary charge
mode.
To override or cancel an active
charging cycle, touch Stop on the
charging screen.
Location based charging
With Location-based charging
enabled, the Charge mode and
Charge limit preference are saved
and set back to the customer’s
preference every time the vehicle is
returned to the saved Home location.
When the vehicle is not at the saved
Home location, then the vehicle will
default to the lower limit of Charge
limit preference and the Charge
mode will be set to Immediate.
When Location-based charging is
On and the vehicle is away from the
saved Home location, then the
selection for the charge mode will be
disabled and the selection will be
greyed out.
After 90 days, a notification will
display and the Charge limit
preference will need to be reset for
the next 90 days. Important
information about portable electric
vehicle charging 3 205.
When the GPS location is not
available, dashes will be displayed
and location based charging will be
disabled until the GPS is restored.
To use location based charging, a
Home location must first be stored.
Driving and operating203To store a Home location:
1. From the Energy home screen,
touch Energy settings .
2. Touch Location-based charging .
3. Touch Set home location v .
4. Touch OK.
5. Touch On to enable Location-
based charging .
To change the stored Home location:
1. Touch Update Home Location v
on the Location-based charging
screen.
2. Touch Update, then OK to set the
new home location.
● Touch Cancel to make no
changes.
● Touch Remove to clear the
location and turn location
based charging off.Charging interrupted or
overridden pop-up
The Charging override / interruption
occurred pop-up will appear if any of
the following conditions occur:
● The charging settings have been
modified via OnStar through the
website or the mobile app. For
example, the departure time
tables, the rate tables, or the
charge mode were updated using
the customer website (available
in select regions).
● There was an unintended loss of AC power during the plug-in
charge event. For example, there was a power outage or the
charge cord was unplugged from the wall.Programmable charging disabled
When the programmable charging
system is disabled, the Unable to
charge screen will be displayed.
Programmed charging override
To temporarily override a delayed charge event, unplug the charge cord from the charge port and then plug it
back in within five seconds. A single
horn chirp will sound and charging will begin immediately.
208Driving and operatingNote
By choosing a reduced charge level,
the charging time is increased.
Charge limit selection can be made
using the Charge limit preference
screen on the Info display. Charge limit selection 3 197.
Grounding instructions This product must be grounded. If thisproduct should malfunction or break
down, grounding provides a path of
least resistance for electric current to
reduce the risk of electric shock. This
product is equipped with a cord that
has an equipment grounding
conductor and a grounding plug. The plug must be plugged into an
appropriate outlet that is properly
installed and grounded in accordance with all local codes and ordinances.9 Warning
Improper connection of the charge
cord ground may cause electrical
shock. Check with a qualified
electrician if there is doubt as to
whether the charge circuit is
properly grounded. Do not modify
the plug provided with the product.
If it will not fit the electrical outlet,
have a proper electrical outlet
installed by a qualified electrician.
Charge cord mounting
instructions
Choose an appropriate, solid location for mounting the charge cord. The
appropriate height for mounting the
charge cord is 91 cm from the floor.
Space the holes 18.7 cm apart.
Install the mounting screws leaving
the head of the screws 5 mm from the
surface.
Securely mount the charge cord on to
the screws.
Connect the wall plug to the electrical
outlet.
Connect the vehicle plug to the
charge port.
Electrical requirementsCaution
Do not use portable or stationary
backup generating equipment to charge the vehicle. This may
cause damage to the vehicle's
charging system. Only charge the
vehicle from utility supplied power.
Charge limit selection 3 197.
Reduced limit mode allows a non-
dedicated circuit to be used but
increases the charging time.
This vehicle is capable of being
charged with standard vehicle
charging equipment complying with
one or more of the following
standards:
● SAE J1772
● SAE J2847–2
● IEC 61851-1
● IEC 61851-22
● IEC 61851-23
● IEC 61851-24
● IEC 62196-1
Vehicle care217Continued driving is possible but
have the brake lining replaced as
soon as possible.
Once new brake linings are installed,
do not brake unnecessarily hard for
the first few journeys.
Brake fluid9 Warning
Brake fluid is poisonous and
corrosive. Avoid contact with eyes,
skin, fabrics and painted surfaces.
When the vehicle has not been
running for at least 1 minute, the
maximum fluid level is at the top of the reservoir body. When the vehicle is
running, the brake fluid level must be
between the MIN and MAX marks.
If fluid level is below MIN seek the
assistance of a workshop.
After work is done on the brake
hydraulic system, make sure the oil
level is in the proper operating range
between the MIN and MAX marks when the vehicle is running. Only use
high-performance brake fluid
approved for the vehicle. Consult a
workshop.
Brake fluid 3 244.
Vehicle battery9 Danger
Only a trained service technician
with the proper knowledge and
tools may inspect, test or replace
the high voltage battery.
Seek the assistance of a
workshop if the high voltage
battery needs service.
This vehicle has a high voltage
battery and a standard 12-volt vehicle battery.
If the vehicle is involved in a crash, the
sensing system may shut down the
high voltage system. If this occurs,
the high voltage battery will be
disconnected and the vehicle will not start.
A service message will be displayed
in the Driver Information Centre.
Before the vehicle can be operated
again, it must be serviced at a
workshop.
Airbag system 3 46.
A vehicle cover, which can reduce
sun loading on the vehicle and
improve high voltage battery life, is
available from your Opel Ampera-e
Service Partner.
The Opel Ampera-e authorised
repairer has information on how to
recycle the high voltage battery.