Capacity Loss on 2011-2012 LEAFs

[TonyWilliams]

When I go back to pick up my Leaf I will ask if 5 bars is covered under original warranty. Thanks!

Could you please take a picture of your dash? If you don't know how to post it here, you can email it to me:

[email protected]

 

[ChinaDad]

Otherwise ECO is too sluggish for me.

I hear ya.

I was of the same opinion when I got my LEAF. Hated ECO. Started using ECO on decel like you are doing, in the end the switching back and forth between ECO and D got tiresome, by which time I'd learned how to get 'full power' from ECO. It's easy, you just mash down on the accelerator if you need the power Old ICE habits of small accelerator pedal movements will give-way to using a much larger range of pedal motion in ECO and you'll not miss Drive. Just give it some time and you'll make the adjustment just fine, in fact you'll learn to appreciate the greater precision available in ECO vs D.

I mostly drive when ECO. I used D when entering the interstate or climbing steep hill. ECO works great in my opinion.

 

[ChinaDad]

I live in Tennessee ...About 3 to 4 weeks ago my capacity bars went from 10 to 6. My range has declined about 20 miles from just a few weeks ago. I am very unhappy.

To date my local Nissan dealer still has not heard about the supposed new battery warranty and seems unwilling to call Nissan corporate.

You need to find a better dealer to service the vehicle.
Any competent dealer service department that had a vehicle that quickly lost from 10 capacity bars down to 6 capacity bars should have been on the phone to Nissan corporate immediately to confirm which battery test(s) should be performed.
You don't say where in Tennessee you are located.
Mountain View Nissan in Chattanooga service department is great.
In Nashville there are 11 Nissan dealers in the general area, plenty to choose from there, and someone in the Nashville area can probably provide a good recommendation. Nearly 400 LEAFs in Nashville.
If you're at 6 capacity bars, something is definitely wrong and should be covered by the original warranty.
Find a good service department. You don't have to get the vehicle serviced where you bought it.

Also this dealer said they had no loaners even though the Nissan warranty statement says a certified dealer should supply loaner cars for up to 36K miles. Of course hasn't been a problem for me since I can walk across the street.

 

[JPWhite]

You need to find a better dealer to service the vehicle.
Any competent dealer service department that had a vehicle that quickly lost from 10 capacity bars down to 6 capacity bars should have been on the phone to Nissan corporate immediately to confirm which battery test(s) should be performed.

Given that the first lost capacity bar was reported this year in Nashville, makes a two bar loss (in the foothills of the smokies) very unusual. This is definitely an outlier vehicle. 6 lost bars is most certainly a fault. Surprised Nissan corporate aren't calling the dealer, I would have expected the car to have 'called home' well before now.

Wonder if the OP is talking about capacity bars or temp bars. 6 temp bars in the 80's is normal.

 

[RegGuheert]

I When I go back to pick up my Leaf I will ask if 5 bars is covered under original warranty. Thanks!

It is not the number of bars that you should be asking about. Capacity loss is only excluded if it is gradual. Since you lost a massive amount of capacity all at once, your battery should be fully covered.

Since each module contains parallel cells connected in series with two more parallel cells, I would guess that one of the four cells in one of the modules has failed. Nissan should address this problem immediately! No need for any future warranty.

 

[JPWhite]

When I go back to pick up my Leaf I will ask if 5 bars is covered under original warranty.

Technically there is NO capacity warranty in the original warranty. In theory you could lose all 12 bars and the original warranty may not apply if the car still accelerates well.

This vehicle is the exact use case where the new warranty provides peace of mind to LEAF owners. You should be able to obtain satisfaction. U might be without the vehicle for a few weeks while they fix it, per the letter from Nissan to owners regarding the new warranty.

 

[RegGuheert]

Technically there is NO capacity warranty in the original warranty. In theory you could lose all 12 bars and the original warranty may not apply if the car still accelerates well.

That is simply not true. Capacity loss is covered by the original warranty as long as it is not gradual.

 

[surfingslovak]

Technically there is NO capacity warranty in the original warranty. In theory you could lose all 12 bars and the original warranty may not apply if the car still accelerates well.

That is simply not true. Capacity loss is covered by the original warranty as long as it is not gradual.

Yes, agreed. That said, there were lengthy discussions about the semantics of the word "gradual". I'm not disputing the workmanship warranty, but the way it was worded originally leaves some room for interpretation. Perhaps this particular dealer is not very well versed with LEAFs. There were several instances, where Nissan asked the dealer to call a vehicle in for module replacement. This was presumably possible courtesy of remote diagnostics via CarWings. Wouldn't this latest case of rapid capacity drop be a good candidate for this service model?

 

[RegGuheert]

Yes, agreed. That said, there were lengthy discussions about the semantics of the word "gradual". I'm not disputing the workmanship warranty, but the way it was worded originally leaves some room for interpretation.

Under no circumstances could I imagine skipping capacity bars 9, 8 and 7 as being considered "gradual". In my opinion, gradual would mean losing no more than one capacity bar at a time and each capacity bar would have to dwell for a certain time (measured in weeks, at an absolute minimum) before Nissan could try to claim the loss was gradual.

In other words, I don't think this is a matter of "splitting hairs".

 

[TimLee]

Also this dealer said they had no loaners even though the Nissan warranty statement says a certified dealer should supply loaner cars for up to 36K miles. Of course hasn't been a problem for me since I can walk across the street.

Need to be sure you're talking about the capacity bars on the far right.
New would have been 12, all the time.
When did it drop to 11, mileage and months of service?
When did it drop to 10, mileage and months of service?
Or did you buy it used, with only 10 capacity bars? If so, mileage and how many months of service from the manufacture date which is on a sticker at the driver's door? I think it just gives month and year, but data from the Nissan order system show that my LEAF was manufactured the day before the tsunami.
Similar mileage / months of service info needed for when the capacity bars dropped to only 6.
Also, has the vehicle had the first and /or second annual 12 months of service battery test that is done free of charge? What did the cryptic report show for each?
I know Oak Ridge Nissan is convenient being across the street from your work.
But there are three other Nissan dealers within 20 miles of your work.
Surely one of the three has to be able to provide better response on this issue than what you've gotten from Oak Ridge Nissan?
That has to be a lot more important than location convenience.

 

[JPWhite]

Technically there is NO capacity warranty in the original warranty. In theory you could lose all 12 bars and the original warranty may not apply if the car still accelerates well.

That is simply not true. Capacity loss is covered by the original warranty as long as it is not gradual.

Yes, agreed. That said, there were lengthy discussions about the semantics of the word "gradual".

Indeed gradual is a very ambiguous word open to many valid interpretations none of which may coincide

It came down to faith that Nissan would be 'reasonable' in interpreting the wording. One would hope this specific vehicle would be covered by the original warranty, however the dealer in question reportedly isn't encouraging/supportive of their customer.

Now we have the new warranty, this specific ambiguity is eliminated.

The 6 bar loser should receive warranty service without questions asked.

 

[mwalsh]

I wouldn't be surprised if it will be required to install it at a dealer according to the replacement battery warranty terms, with that add at least $1k for the labor at dealership rates.

I remember the service documentation only calling for a few hours to R&R a LEAF battery pack. 2-3 hours, if memory serves. If that recollection is correct, anything more than $300-400 for labor would be a complete rip-off, IMHO.

 

[ChinaDad]

Also this dealer said they had no loaners even though the Nissan warranty statement says a certified dealer should supply loaner cars for up to 36K miles. Of course hasn't been a problem for me since I can walk across the street.

Need to be sure you're talking about the capacity bars on the far right.
New would have been 12, all the time.
When did it drop to 11, mileage and months of service?
When did it drop to 10, mileage and months of service?
Or did you buy it used, with only 10 capacity bars? If so, mileage and how many months of service from the manufacture date which is on a sticker at the driver's door? I think it just gives month and year, but data from the Nissan order system show that my LEAF was manufactured the day before the tsunami.
Similar mileage / months of service info needed for when the capacity bars dropped to only 6.
Also, has the vehicle had the first and /or second annual 12 months of service battery test that is done free of charge? What did the cryptic report show for each?
I know Oak Ridge Nissan is convenient being across the street from your work.
But there are three other Nissan dealers within 20 miles of your work.
Surely one of the three has to be able to provide better response on this issue than what you've gotten from Oak Ridge Nissan?
That has to be a lot more important than location convenience.

Thanks Tim. I am hopeful the software update fixed it. I charging now. I will send a photo of dashboard if it doesn't. Thanks.

Mike

 

[LEAFfan]

You need to find a better dealer to service the vehicle.
Any competent dealer service department that had a vehicle that quickly lost from 10 capacity bars down to 6 capacity bars should have been on the phone to Nissan corporate immediately to confirm which battery test(s) should be performed.

Given that the first lost capacity bar was reported this year in Nashville, makes a two bar loss (in the foothills of the smokies) very unusual. This is definitely an outlier vehicle. 6 lost bars is most certainly a fault. Surprised Nissan corporate aren't calling the dealer, I would have expected the car to have 'called home' well before now.

Wonder if the OP is talking about capacity bars or temp bars. 6 temp bars in the 80's is normal.

I believe that's why Tony requested a photo. The OP may be confused which bars are which.

 

[Valdemar]

I wouldn't be surprised if it will be required to install it at a dealer according to the replacement battery warranty terms, with that add at least $1k for the labor at dealership rates.

I remember the service documentation only calling for a few hours to R&R a LEAF battery pack. 2-3 hours, if memory serves. If that recollection is correct, anything more than $300-400 for labor would be a complete rip-off, IMHO.

Rip-off is what dealers do best. I've been sold parts at above list prices on several occasions, which brings a question of how much dealers will want to add on top of their battery cost before selling it to us. Who knows. While most OEM parts can be purchased online close to their wholesale price the traction battery is likely not going to be one of them.

 

[ChinaDad]

Well, I have 12 bars back. I cannot figure out how to attach a photo, really wish I could. My battery is still not charging to the full extent as it did just 6 weeks ago. It charged (using 100% charge) to show 85 miles available in D mode (94 miles in ECO). This could be even worse for me because if my capacity bars stay above 9 there is no special warranty. I have lost between 15 to 20 miles in range!

Do you think there is something else wrong?

Mike

 

[TonyWilliams]

Well, I have 12 bars back. I cannot figure out how to attach a photo, really wish I could. My battery is still not charging to the full extent as it did just 6 weeks ago. It charged (using 100% charge) to show 85 miles available in D mode (94 miles in ECO). This could be even worse for me because if my capacity bars stay above 9 there is no special warranty. I have lost between 15 to 20 miles in range!

Do you think there is something else wrong?

Mike

I think what's wrong is that you aren't describing the situation accurately.

PLEASE TAKE A PICTURE OF THE DASH NOW.

That way, we can stop trying to guess what you mean.

 

[surfingslovak]

Mike could you please upload to Flickr, PhotoBucket, Picasa or any of the many free photo sharing sites. Then include a link in your post here.

 

[ChinaDad]

Well, I have 12 bars back. I cannot figure out how to attach a photo, really wish I could. My battery is still not charging to the full extent as it did just 6 weeks ago. It charged (using 100% charge) to show 85 miles available in D mode (94 miles in ECO). This could be even worse for me because if my capacity bars stay above 9 there is no special warranty. I have lost between 15 to 20 miles in range!

Do you think there is something else wrong?

Mike

I think what's wrong is that you aren't describing the situation accurately.

PLEASE TAKE A PICTURE OF THE DASH NOW.

That way, we can stop trying to guess what you mean.

How do I post the photo?

 

[cwerdna]

^^^
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2456&hilit=photos" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or mail it to Tony per http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=302047#p302047" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.