turtle at 6% SOC

[specialgreen]

I parked overnight with 21% SOC; then drove this morning to a L2 charger. Got the Low Battery popup message at 14% (which is normal). A block before I got to the charger, I got a turtle with "drive power reduced" popup message. But the battery meter still showed 6%.

In the past, at about 5%, the battery indicator changes to "---", but I don't get the turtle.

 

[Dala]

Cold weather and cell imbalance will do this. Leafspy screenshot at low SOC will tell the true story here.

 

[jjeff]

Cold weather and cell imbalance will do this. Leafspy screenshot at low SOC will tell the true story here.

+1
It's been quite cold in MN lately(0F or colder in mornings) and at those temps the battery discharge curve isn't as linear as when warmer.
OP if you didn't, charging fully to 100% and waiting until all the lights go out is a good way to balance the pack, always charging to 80% or disconnecting the EVSE before all the lights go out isn't good all the time(but most of the time).

 

[powersurge]

I parked overnight with 21% SOC; then drove this morning to a L2 charger. Got the Low Battery popup message at 14% (which is normal). A block before I got to the charger, I got a turtle with "drive power reduced" popup message. But the battery meter still showed 6%.

In the past, at about 5%, the battery indicator changes to "---", but I don't get the turtle.

Sorry to say.... You are not treating your car well.

You should not parking your car at 20% and driving it to turtle, especially on a regular basis. You state that you know at what level "turtle" goes on...

You should know that at 20% charge, you really only have about 8-10 miles before the battery craps out on you..

Be good to your car battery..

 

[BrockWI]

Yes it's the cold, the one and only time I truly ran the car flat, it was -25F (-32C) outside and the car had been outside all day. I had 30% to get home, in summer a 10% trip and in "regular" winter maybe 20%. Well that day, even running no heat I got within 1/4 mile from home, very light on the throttle and driving very slow, I didn't make it. So when it is really cold like that the battery is not happy. Also sitting outside it must have used the battery heater as well becasue I had lost about 5% just sitting in the lot all day.

But I would agree, try not to leave it that low, especially when it is really cold, even a 120vac plug it will offset the battery heaters and help out overnight.

 

[gncndad]

(It would be nice if y'all would add the the year and model of your cars to your posts...)

 

[specialgreen]

You state that you know at what level "turtle" goes on...

Well, I know when turtle does not go on (at 6%). Only saw turtle once before, and that was two years ago at 65% during a freak cold snap (like -23F).

I probably don't balance my pack enough: the departure timer is set for 9:30am, and preheat set for 7:30am, so that when I depart at 7:15, the car is warm and about 90% charged. Maybe I should charge to 100% on Sundays or something.

 

[powersurge]

You state that you know at what level "turtle" goes on...

Well, I know when turtle does not go on (at 6%). Only saw turtle once before, and that was two years ago at 65% during a freak cold snap (like -23F).

I probably don't balance my pack enough: the departure timer is set for 9:30am, and preheat set for 7:30am, so that when I depart at 7:15, the car is warm and about 90% charged. Maybe I should charge to 100% on Sundays or something.

Yes, if you are going to immediately drive to work to let's say... 100% to 75-80%, you should definitively charge to 100%. Even if you drive from 100% to 85%, you are good. Then the return trip will bring you to 65%, and you can leave it until the morning charge again...

 

[Lothsahn]

You state that you know at what level "turtle" goes on...

Well, I know when turtle does not go on (at 6%). Only saw turtle once before, and that was two years ago at 65% during a freak cold snap (like -23F).

I probably don't balance my pack enough: the departure timer is set for 9:30am, and preheat set for 7:30am, so that when I depart at 7:15, the car is warm and about 90% charged. Maybe I should charge to 100% on Sundays or something.

Yes, if you are going to immediately drive to work to let's say... 100% to 75-80%, you should definitively charge to 100%. Even if you drive from 100% to 85%, you are good. Then the return trip will bring you to 65%, and you can leave it until the morning charge again...

I don't know that this is good advice. You'd be much better off doing 80-45 than 100-65. Lithium battery cycling is much harder on the battery at the top end and bottom end. Cycling between 80-45 is pretty much near ideal for Lithium chemistries.

That said, the Leaf doesn't let you stop charging at a specific percent, so it's rather annoying to do and not worth your time. But technically speaking, this advice is harder on the battery.

Also, there's no problems charging consistently to 80%. I do this 3/4 of the year, basically never charging to 100%. My pack is well balanced.
The BMS will balance the cells at all states of charge, so people who say you have to charge to 100% for balancing are incorrect.

In general, if you can avoid charging to 100% and it still meets your range needs, that's good. However, if you're finding the car at 6% or storing the car at 6%, you'd likely be better off charging to "100%" (really around 95%) so that the car ends the trip at 20%, especially if you won't be able to start charging right away.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Agreed with the above.

 

[powersurge]

Well, you may want to only use 80% of the battery...

But I have been doing this for 5 years and 65K miles, and still have 12 bars, and 91% SOH.

I have seen charts about the deterioration of the battery at different charge levels... It all depends on HOW LONG you keep the battery at that level.

I charge it up to 100% and start driving within one hour. That will not hurt any battery..

I refuse to baby a car and tolerate not using it at its full potential for fear of "maybe" making it last longer.

 

[Gospelman]

That said, the Leaf doesn't let you stop charging at a specific percent, so it's rather annoying to do and not worth your time. But technically speaking, this advice is harder on the battery.
On my 2014 Acenta (dunno what the equivalent is in the USA) the drivers' handbook specifically recommends charging to 80% capacity for battery longevity and this can be set on the "infotainment screen". In practice it gives 79% at end of charge.

 

[LeftieBiker]

That said, the Leaf doesn't let you stop charging at a specific percent, so it's rather annoying to do and not worth your time. But technically speaking, this advice is harder on the battery.
On my 2014 Acenta (dunno what the equivalent is in the USA) the drivers' handbook specifically recommends charging to 80% capacity for battery longevity and this can be set on the "infotainment screen". In practice it gives 79% at end of charge.

While the 80% charge limit option was retained in Europe for a while, it was deleted in North America after 2013.