Here's a brief guide on how to troubleshoot when charging doesn't begin.
1. Ensure the device is correctly installed and connected
First, check the charger lights. Ensure the device is connected and the front panel LEDs are lit up in white.
Ensure the VOOL logo on the controller is lit up in green.
Ensure that the internet connection is strong and stable. A weak WiFi signal can prevent the charger and LMC from communicating, leading to an interrupted charging experience.
If you experience a weak WiFi signal at LMC, consider using an external antenna.
Ensure the proper connection of the small wire on the charger controller lid. Without it, the charger statuses will not appear on the VOOL platform, preventing charging from initiating.
Moreover, charging will not be successful if the device is offline and the user cannot use the mobile app or RFID card for authentication.
Verify the LMC indicator LED.
2. Ensure the devices are properly configured
Please double-check the charger and LMC configuration on the VOOL Portal app.vool.com.
Examine the charger and LMC configuration, then apply the appropriate settings based on the type of installation (CAN connection, LAN connection, standalone mode, etc.). Reapply auto-configuration.
Please double-check the OCPP source for the charger to ensure its accuracy.
If the charger is expected to start charging immediately without authorization, double-check the “Auto-start” setting.
Running the charger on outdated firmware leads to charging issues. Perform the firmware update when it’s not the latest.
The charger is in the "Suspended by EV" status.
Make sure the EV doesn't have any custom charging schedules set on the EV site.
Check if the EV is connected to any third-party app that controls the charging.
The charger is in the "Suspended by EVSE/Charger" status.
Verify the device configuration and reapply auto-configuration.
Ensure the LMC and charger are properly connected (you can check this on app.vool.com under the Site Overview page).
Check the charger’s firmware version and update it if necessary.
Review the load management settings.
Ensure to double-check the LMC's current activity and confirm that the household is not running out of amps.
Ensure that both the LMC and charger are linked to an open & accessible WiFi network to facilitate seamless communication between the devices. Devices confined within isolated "Guest" networks may encounter charging complications.
Power cycle the devices in case the connection between the charger and LMC is lost.
3. Verify the charging mode and smart charging settings applied by the end customer in the VOOL mobile app.
Ensure to check the smart charging settings. Charging might not be possible if the smart charging settings are configured such that the market price is higher than the user-defined "Max kWh price" value.
Although a smart charging schedule was calculated, the EV didn't accept any power. Therefore, check for limitations and errors on the EV side.
4. Is it the car or the charger? One quick test
"Suspended by EV" means the vehicle is declining or limiting the charge. Besides schedules and third-party apps, check the car's own charging current limit and state of charge. Unplugging and re-plugging the cable resets the car's onboard charger and often clears it.
"Suspended by EVSE/Charger" is on the charger side — most often less than 6 A per phase is available for the session, or the charger is not receiving instructions from its LMC.
In the portal, compare the offered current with the requested current for the session: if current is being offered but the requested value reads close to 0 A, the vehicle is refusing it — the charger is working as intended.
5. If a restart always fixes it
A restart clearing the problem is useful information, not a solution. It usually means the device is getting stuck rather than being misconfigured — and there are two specific cases worth knowing.
Restart the LMC first, then the charger
When the charger and the LMC have lost each other, restarting the LMC is what re-establishes the link in most cases. Restarting only the charger often changes nothing. Give the LMC a minute to come back and re-appear on the site overview before testing a session.
Power-cycling: wait one to two minutes before switching back on
This matters more than it sounds. Some parts of the charger keep their own backup power for a while after the supply is cut, so flipping the breaker off and straight back on does not actually reset them.
If a power cycle "didn't work", it is very often because it was too quick. Switch the charger off, wait at least one to two minutes — longer is better — then switch it back on. If the first attempt doesn't help, it is worth repeating with a longer wait.
One fault with a recognisable fingerprint
There is a known firmware fault, seen on charger bundles 1.9.16 and 1.9.22, where the charger's clock component gets stuck and the controller ends up in a reset loop. It is worth checking for because all three of these appear together:
The charger is beeping constantly.
It flips between Unavailable and Available in the portal, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.
The front panel firmware version is missing — shown as v0.0.0 or blank in the device details.
If you see all three, this is that fault. The recovery is the slow power cycle described above. The lasting fix is a firmware update, so once the charger is back, update it to the latest bundle from the charger's page in the VOOL Portal.
If only one or two of the three are present, this is not the fault and something else is going on — work back through the sections above.
Tell us if you're restarting regularly
Needing a restart from the fuse box before every charge is not normal and it is not something you should have to live with. Send us the charger serial number, the LMC serial number, roughly how often you have to do it, and whether the app shows an error when it happens. That is usually enough for us to find the cause in the logs.