Battery issues

[Vetts47]

I’ve got a 2015 SV with only 75k kilometres on it. Everything SEEMS to be okay with my battery but I do get the feeling I’m not really getting the range indicated after fully charging it. Then I read this article https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/leaf-nissan-owners-legal-action-battery-service-1.7148537 and I’m wondering if it is time to upgrade to a different brand. Reliability is EVERYTHING for us as it’s our only car and we live on an island. So I’m wondering what experiences other LEAF owners of my vintage are having and if LeafSpy is giving me a truly accurate account of my battery health….which is currently at 88.81%. Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[deborah621]

The 88.81% battery health you see on your display is a rough estimate based on the number of bars displayed. However, for a more accurate assessment, consider using LeafSpy. LeafSpy is an app that connects to your LEAF’s computer system via an OBD-II dongle. It provides detailed information about your battery’s performance, including state of health (SoH) and other metrics.

 

[Dooglas]

The OP is evidently using LeafSpy in indicating their SOH reading, which is excellent for a 2015 LEAF BTW. It sounds more like the OP is questioning whether the dashboard estimation of range is accurate. The answer to that, of course, is the estimate for how far you can travel on a a particular charge is only an approximation and will vary a fair amount due to driving conditions, weather, route followed, your own driving habits, and use of heat or AC. There is a reason most refer to that function as the guess-o-meter. As far as battery reliability (the subject of the cited article), while most of us have received good service there are certainly unhappy stories. In the OP's case, the battery is now out of warranty, so warranty service is not even an issue any longer, and battery condition sounds good based on the LeafSpy reading. As the vehicle is apparently continuing to give good service, my advice would be to continue to enjoy it and reap the benefits of their investment.

 

[Tourboi]

#DefundCBC's story notes two Canadians and someone in Ireland. Clearly there was a malfunction in a few vehicles, but not common. You take your chances with used vehicles. Don't be concerned about anything out of that fictional outlet. Agree with Dooglas, put your faith in LeafSpy, monitor, and enjoy!! I've got a 2017 still reporting 100% from the dash (getting 225km summer drive on the guess-o-meter for full charge), but I drive easy.

 

[Vetts47]

The OP is evidently using LeafSpy in indicating their SOH reading, which is excellent for a 2015 LEAF BTW. It sounds more like the OP is questioning whether the dashboard estimation of range is accurate. The answer to that, of course, is the estimate for how far you can travel on a a particular charge is only an approximation and will vary a fair amount due to driving conditions, weather, route followed, your own driving habits, and use of heat or AC. There is a reason most refer to that function as the guess-o-meter. As far as battery reliability (the subject of the cited article), while most of us have received good service there are certainly unhappy stories. In the OP's case, the battery is now out of warranty, so warranty service is not even an issue any longer, and battery condition sounds good based on the LeafSpy reading. As the vehicle is apparently continuing to give good service, my advice would be to continue to enjoy it and reap the benefits of their investment.

Thanks for the reply. I am indeed using LeafSpy and will continue to monitor battery health via that tool. I'll drive this LEAF until it becomes unreliable ... hopefully NOT by leaving me at the side of the road on the mainland! What I'm really interested in knowing is what is/are the best LeafSpy metrics to watch to really know how my traction battery is doing. Is it simply the SOH? Can anyone point me to a reference that really addresses this specific question fully? I've watched a number of videos about how to interpret LeafSpy metrics but none of them have addressed this question in any depth.

 

[cornbinder89]

I just watch the SOC % on the dash, and keep an eye on how far I go, watch for decreasing travel miles for the same SOC. Goes down in the cold and up in the moderate temps.
If you are worried about being stranded, the SOC% will give you plenty of warning that you are getting low, much better than the GOM which is all over the map depending on many things.