I need a new cord part# 0306-01135 GEM4 2008. It is the cord that goes to the external outlet from the charger. The ground prong broke off. It still charges without the ground prong but I am afraid I am damaging the charger.
Unless your car gets hit by lightning, the missing ground plug should not be an issue. If you go down to your local ace hardware or Walmart you can purchase a replacement end for about 5 bucks and just install it on the existing cord. If installing it is an issue for you, I’m sure if you offer the guy at ace a few bucks, he will do it for you.
The prong inside the recessed/covered plug you stick extension cord into to charge rhe cart is not a showstopper, but its also not replaceable. That plug is from Marico. Its a shore power connection for a small boat. It has screw lugs under the rubber cover where the cord comes out.
The cord that goes from it to charger is an IEC 1831 female to stripped wire. Its a computer power cord without the wall plug end.
He said that the cord was the issue, not the receptical on the car… Or did I misread it? In any event, it’s an easy fix…
Correct I just need to know where to get a cord that will fit.
Kind Regards,
Captain Dennis M Cole, retired
Phone: 760-845-8062
Email: dcoleone@gmail.com
7750 West 4th Street #339
Reno, NV 89523
Well if you are intent on a new one, I would suggest your local gem car dealer. Mine was made by Chrysler, but I think your 08 might be a Polaris or… I’m not sure who owns it now. Hopefully one of the others will chime in and be more help… Good lick
I gave you answers for both parts. You figure it out
I Sent you a thank you. But it came back to me because thank you was to short. So thank you again.
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I noted on my 09 car the housing and flap/door were separate from the plug/cord assembly. The plug was just a molded piece that looked much like this(pic/link below). A couple of screws came in from the housing and held the molded plug in place. I thought it was a bit crude, but I guess it worked.
I used keywords like “NEMA 5-15P to IEC320 hospital grade”
Note that you should get the 14ga(minimum. If you troll around a bit you might find the same sort of cord in 12ga (which would be better). It also comes in black, but if you order the clear molded plug, a truly resourceful cadet could figure out how to make it light up when plugged in and active.
As convenient as it may be for the average household, if you ask me (which nobody did), these things are a weak point in the charge system that could use an upgrade. The next step up would be to bail from the normal extension cord NEMA 5-15p thing. This cord/connection really should be a construction grade or marine twist lock 20/25A connectior.
I believe my 2008 has an OEM charge inlet port on it. It too has a separate spring loaded cover but the flange is 2 1/2" in diameter with a D shaped hole and the “plug” part is also round but specially made with a tab which locked into a little flap on the flange tube.
Mine also has the broken ground lug but the pins are rather worn and even a good socket on the extension cord doesn’t give a good connection and the charger will sometime tap out. Besides the plug gets quite warm.
Figuring out a replacement and if I go into CAD and design a 2 part ring to fit the typical non-round pug end. But that round one you posted looks promising but no specs on the OD.
After many years of seeing this issue, I am about ready to move on from this abused plug assembly. I get that it was convenient, but there is no real need to keep it that way. I already have a dedicated heavy duty cord set aside for charging, Why not put a better suited connector on the end?
I’m thinking at something a bit more robust and rated for more current/duty cycle. The marine world has some promise with their 30a twist lock stuff, or go towards the EV charge connections?
Cost may be a big factor for some of this.
the stock plugs were Marinco marine plugs
Another reason for the straight pin plugs is an extra safety level of ■■■■■ proofing as they break away when the vehicle moves instead of staying attached and dragging the cord and possibly causing damage and an electrical safety hazard when it tears out on one end, Not everything has drive lockouts while charging. I’ve seen some torn up electrical boxes from knuckleheads driving off / pulling away with twist locks still attached,
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That’s the one with the rubber boot and the screw terminals that move a compression plate so you use bare wire ends (kind of like putting together a twist lock cord end). Seems I bought that exact one 7 years ago for one of my gems. LOL It was that same one on my 2002 longback and 2010 eL.
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I’d bet if I looked back I probably purchased the same for my 2002. That rubber plug/cover is part of the gasket and is removable and if the threaded part is 1 7/8" OD and the flange OD is 2 1/2" then I should be able to put the OEM spring loaded cover unit on, cut the current power cable and wire to the back of this thing.
Unlike the 2002 where the charge inlet is near the backseat floor so the power cable lays on the floor and doesn’t yank downward much, the 2008 charge inlet is on the front hood so nothing keeps the cable from hanking downward. In my earlier pic you can see the ground is broken off and the 2 blades are bent downward.
IIRC both my '02 and '10 came with ground pins broken off. My '10 eL had the hood plug too, what a PITA. If I had kept the vehicle I was going to relocate the connector to the drivers side of the “box” that the front bench rode on, about the same place as where it was on the 02 truck. My plan was to just abandon the spring cover leaving it on the hood and just use the rubber cover that comes with the new plug, it seals better than the flip cover ever could.
The Leviton Weather Guard and Hubbell equivalent are way better quality than the Marinco, but IIRC, most have flat rectangular mounting plates, they don’t flex around the curves on a GEM. And they cost way more.
There is also Appleton, but that’s mostly hazardous environment (flammable / explosive) components and the cost is even higher. Appleton components are very hard to break, but you may be in for more than a socket, you may have to make a custom cord with one end using their connectors. Probably cost around $400-500 for just those two parts.
Perhaps it might be worth starting a discussion as to why these plugs are failing?
It arrived this morning and fits the round spring loaded cover perfectly. I’ll just cut the original cable, expose some wire and it’ll be good as new but for the faded plastic cover and unrecognizable GEM sticker.
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I would think the ground pin dismemberment on these Marinco plugs is a combination of the weight of the extension cords hanging down straining the ground pin along with less robust design of the plug. Not to mention that the cords probably get yanked out violently at times.
A lighter duty version of something similar to the spring / retractor system used to suspend forklift charging cables would probably cut down on the breakage. I guess if you have a dedicated spot where the GEM is parked you could just mount a retractable extension reel above the area and pull the cord down. But good cable retractor reels are expensive, and cheap ones aren’t good. Maybe toss the cable over a joyce or beam in the garage if you charge indoors.
Or a better quality plug, but what else (or brand) can be used instead for a bulkhead mount connector that has a semi-flexible housing and fits the lower cost price range? Hubbell makes great stuff, but it’s 5x the price of Marinco. IMO Leviton is a notch or two below Hubbell, but it’s not much cheaper.
Or 3 pin twist lock on the gem and a short adapter (like 12") that goes to the standard edison plug that way you still keep the break-away safety.
/shrug.
Grounding is just for the worthless and weak anyway…
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Having a 3 pin twist lock pigtail would be a good solution. The OEM had the pins in a hard rubber end so that was prone to the pins wiggling and with the ground being the longest pin it was the one that gives out. The Marinco unit has the pins embedded in hard plastic so either it’ll last a good long time or it’ll break quickly.
The 3 pin locking pigtail is one step away from installing a J1772 connector but still hella cheaper.