What Do Flashing Red And Green Lights Mean On A Tesla Charger?

Tesla is undoubtedly one of the most popular electric vehicle companies out there, as made evident by its more than 40% share in the US EV market, according to CarEdge. The company has some of the best electric vehicles, like the Tesla Cybertruck Range Extender, which not only has an impressive range of 445 miles but also comes with some really cool features like rear-wheel steering, a self-cleaning front-facing camera, and more.

Similar to gas-powered vehicles that need to be refueled regularly, Tesla vehicles must be charged regularly. Usually, charging a Tesla is a straightforward process; you simply need to open the charge port door of your Tesla and plug in the charging connector to start the charging process. As you plug in the connector, the charger will start showing a light indicating the charging status.

You'll see a blinking green light when the charging process has started. The blinking frequency will automatically slow down as your vehicle is about to reach full charge. Depending on the type of charging station you're using, your Tesla will take a few hours to fully charge. When the charging is complete, you'll see a solid green light. This is the complete journey of charging a Tesla on a normal day. 

However, there may be times when the Tesla charger displays a red light instead of green. This is definitely not the light you would want to see, as it indicates there is a fault in the charging process that needs to be addressed before you can charge your vehicle again.

Whenever you see a red light in your Tesla charger, the very first thing you should do is check if your vehicle touchscreen is displaying any fault message. You may see a message like, "Charging equipment not ready." It could also be possible that the touchscreen will not display any error message. In either case, use the touchscreen to turn the vehicle off and on, and then try charging it again.

There may also be situations where you'll see a blinking red color in your Tesla charger. Interestingly, the number of blinks represents different problems. If the red light blinks once, it indicates an electrical issue. You should unplug the charger and plug it back in again to fix the problem. Two blinking red lights also indicate an electrical fault. However, this specifically indicates that your power outlet isn't properly grounded. You should make the necessary change to your powered outlet or use a different outlet to charge your Tesla.

Three red flashes mean there's an issue with the relay or the contactor. The problem will usually go away by simply re-plugging the charger. But if it continues, you should get the relay or the faulty contractor changed. The Tesla charger will flash four red lights when there is a voltage problem. You should get your power outlet checked by an electrician to ensure that it is safe to charge your vehicle.

You should check the adapter for any wear and tear if you see the charger flashing five red lights, while six red flashes point towards a pilot fault. You can fix it by simply unplugging the charger from the vehicle and then plugging it back in again. Lastly, seven red flashes indicate that you need to update your Tesla.

There may also be situations when the red light flashes along with the green light, which indicates a variety of temperature issues. If the green light is solid and you see one red flash, then it's an indication that you need to charge your vehicle in a cooler area. Two red flashes along with a solid green light indicate a high temperature in the input plug that connects to the connector. Consider unplugging the connector from both the vehicle and the wall and plugging it back in again properly. Seeing three red flashes with a solid green light is a sign of high temperature in the connector controller. In this case, reconnect the charger again or consider charging your vehicle in a cooler area.

Four red flashes along with a solid green light in your Tesla charger mean that the temperature of the wall plug is quite high. Contact an electrician to get your power outlet checked and ensure that it is safe for charging your vehicle. You'll see five red light flashes along with a solid green light when there's an issue with the adapter. In this situation, ensure that the adapter is properly connected. Note that the charging current is reduced automatically in all the above scenarios for safety.

Sometimes you'll see the charger flashing one red light while the others are all green. This occurs when you're charging your vehicle in a hotter area. Consider moving to a comparatively low-temperature area to eliminate the issue. Lastly, five red flashes while indicators are green point towards an adapter issue. Replugging the charger will solve the problem. However, if it continues, you should contact Tesla, not only in this particular case but also in all the above scenarios, if the problem continues even after applying their respective solutions.