Charge plug or socket gets hot

During charging, the plug or the socket on the bike or battery becomes hot, the plastic changes colour, or there is a smell of hot plastic. A plug and socket should be warm at most. Heat at a connector almost always means a poor contact: a loose, worn, dirty, corroded or bent pin. A poor contact has resistance, and the charging current turns that resistance into heat. The heat makes the contact worse, so it gets hotter each time. Ather lists melting plastic or plug as a warning sign. This is a fire risk.

Is it safe to ride?

Do not charge with this plug or socket again until it is checked. Riding is possible if the bike works and shows no warning, but the charging fault must be fixed before the next charge.

Quick checks first

• Unplug at the wall first, then from the bike.
• Look for brown, black or melted plastic on plug and socket.
• Is the plug loose in the socket?
• Was the plug fully pushed in?
• Is there dirt, sand or water in the socket?

Diagnose it step by step

1Is there melted plastic, brown or black marks, or a burnt smell?

• Yes: stop using that plug and socket. The charger plug and the bike socket both need replacing by the dealer or workshop, because a burnt contact damages its partner. Do not clean it and carry on.
• No: go to step 2.

2. Was the plug only part-way in, or is the socket dirty or wet? Inspect the charge port and plug.

• Yes: clean, dry, push fully home. Charge for 10 to 15 minutes and feel again. Still hot: go to step 3.
• No: go to step 3.

3Does the plug feel loose or wobble in the socket?

• Yes: worn contacts. Replace the worn part (plug, socket or both) at the workshop.
• No: go to step 4.

4Is the heat at the wall plug or the mains lead, not the bike end?

• Yes: the wall socket or extension lead may be worn or overloaded. Use a different, good wall socket with nothing else plugged in; do not use coiled extension reels.
• No: go to step 5.

5. Is the charger the correct, approved model for this bike? Check the charger and cable.

• No: a wrong charger can push more current than the connector is made for. Use only the approved charger (Ather).
• Yes: dealer or workshop. The socket wiring inside the bike may have a poor crimp. See Diagnose a charging fault.

What happens if you keep charging: the contact gets worse each time until the plastic melts, which can start a fire. London Fire Brigade advises stopping use and unplugging at once when you see warning signs.

Causes, most likely first