Success with long term storage

[downeykp]

Just returned from two months in Hawaii last night Sat. 8/18/2012. Leaf was parked in garage on June 14th with 45 miles. I set up charging timer to charge for 10 minutes a week. Upon return last night it had 65 miles on GOM. It started right up like it would normally do. Everything worked fine. I would get a text once a week after the ten minute charge was finished.
The only problem was not being able to get info through Leaf app. after a week or two.

 

[TomT]

The Telematics shuts down after 14 days.

The only problem was not being able to get info through Leaf app. after a week or two.

 

[thankyouOB]

what is the advantage over charging to 50% and just leaving it alone and NOT plugged in?

 

[ebill3]

what is the advantage over charging to 50% and just leaving it alone and NOT plugged in?

The advantage is that the 12 volt battery gets a periodic charge. Otherwise, it could well go TU.

 

[EVDRIVER]

Just charge the car to 50% put a 12V battery tender on the battery and be done with it. Then there is no constant cycling of the car to charge the 12V and the pack. I would not leave my car plugged in for that long.

 

[redLEAF]

Just charge the car to 50% put a 12V battery tender on the battery and be done with it. Then there is no constant cycling of the car to charge the 12V and the pack. I would not leave my car plugged in for that long.

Wouldn't the solar panel (SL only) charge the 12V if you left the car outside (not in a carport or covered parking but OUTSIDE) keep it charged up just as well? The only experience we've had is over a week's time, charged at 80% and lost one bar, was not plugged in. I use a battery tender for winter storage of our Miata so could use it for the LEAF as it would be stored inside but what's the timing for how long a trip ... I know that one of our ICE cars has a 3 week limit that you should disconnect the battery or put a battery tender on it so the 12V doesn't go flat ...

 

[EVDRIVER]

I would not rely on the solar panel for a long trip.

 

[TomT]

Actually, it would not. When the car is not plugged in, the inverter comes on every 5 days to top up the 12 volt battery. I left mine for a month that way and it was fine. In that time I only lost one bar of charge and the 12 volt battery was nice and healthy when I returned.

what is the advantage over charging to 50% and just leaving it alone and NOT plugged in?

The advantage is that the 12 volt battery gets a periodic charge. Otherwise, it could well go TU.

 

[leafmealone]

Went on a cross-country RV trip for 82 days and left the Leaf in the garage (Costa Mesa) unplugged with 52 on the GOM. Returned with 47 and no issues (other than having to send the Carwings login again from the car).

 

[DavidV]

Same. Parked the car for four months with no issues (other than rodent damage - see my thread in troubleshooting)

-- DavidV

 

[youngr3]

I have reported in another thread my experience at storage last winter for 4 months. At that time I started at 3 bars, charged 10 min. per week at 220 volts. After slightly over three months it was over 6 bars. I will be doing that again this winter and will be charging 10 min. per week at 110 volts. This should only slightly above what is necessary to maintain voltage. The other advantage is that one does get a weekly report on state of charge.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

what is the advantage over charging to 50% and just leaving it alone and NOT plugged in?

not worrying about "events" like power outages, flakiness of the EVSE, etc.

there is frequently several ways to effectively get things done but almost never two ways that are equal

what the OP did was effective as the results prove but not the best method. he took a risk and was lucky. granted the risk imm was small but still larger than simply leaving it sitting at 50% SOC unplugged