Charger wiring harness with a dead wire

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Bigboler

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2012
Messages
50
Location
Vancouver BC
My 2012 Leaf wouldn't charge, so sent it off to a Nissan dealer for a diagnosis, I figured a bad on board charger as that's the codes that Leaf Spy was showing. Got the call today, the negative wire in the wiring harness from the J1772 port to the charger in the back is no longer connected front to rear. Technician checked out the wire run and can't see a obvious burnt spot.

Nissan is quoting $2000 to fix it, and the part is showing 4 weeks out. I am considering getting a harness from a auto wrecker, or just running a wire from front to back and splicing it to the two connectors at ether end.

Anybody have any suggestions
 
I found that same part and diagram and I was going to post that link and diagram here, if I guessed the right part :)

This listing might help you, as it includes a photo of the actual part:

http://www.autopart24.no/item/D_0133_460233/

It looks like it might be just a straight run as the two connectors at each look the same. If the pinout at each end is identical, it would be easy enough to check continuity and figure out which one is the problem. If only one has a continuity issue, perhaps it's just oxidation or a bent pin. It seems unlikely that the cable would fail, unless rodents have been chewing it and it someone got damaged in the under carriage (in which case, maybe you can figure out where it runs and look for physical damage.

Seems like a lot of money for a cable, when perhaps you can just fix it...
 
Noticed you are in Vancouver. I would phone around some of the auto recyclers/wreckers in the Lower Mainland to see if any have Leafs or Leaf parts as you'll likely get the cable quicker and cheaper.
 
Thanks for the ideas and especially the picture, I have applied to Nissan customer relations for relief will find out in a couple of days. The part is available in the US, and 4 week back order in Canada (I think Nissan needs some communication's help). I can get it from a wrecker, as long as I purchase a charger to go with it ?, for 500 US.

If I don't get relief from Nissan I will drag it home and connect some jumper cables from the front to the rear and see if that overcomes the lack of continuity in the AC line to the charger, if that works I will just replace the single dead wire, for about 20 bucks and see if I can convince my wife that I now have 2 grand to spent on tools :D
 
Bigboler said:
My 2012 Leaf wouldn't charge, so sent it off to a Nissan dealer for a diagnosis, I figured a bad on board charger as that's the codes that Leaf Spy was showing. Got the call today, the negative wire in the wiring harness from the J1772 port to the charger in the back is no longer connected front to rear. Technician checked out the wire run and can't see a obvious burnt spot.

Nissan is quoting $2000 to fix it, and the part is showing 4 weeks out. I am considering getting a harness from a auto wrecker, or just running a wire from front to back and splicing it to the two connectors at ether end.

Anybody have any suggestions

Not sure what they mean by "the negative wire". Doesn't sound like AC. Who the hell checks continuity by only looking for a "burnt spot"?
 
While I brought the car home, put it up on jacks and checked the cable from the charge port to the on board charger, no problems. Good thing I paid 128 bucks an hour for a professional to find the problem for me.

Back to square one, I hooked everything back up and am getting the Codes below, I am going to talk to the tech tomorrow, but it looks like the charger to me. So I am going to get a used one in the US and hope that is the problem.

B29C1 236C Charger EVSE VC-98
P3173 00C0 EV/HEV On Board Charger Sys EVC-236
 
These tech manuals might help:

http://www.nicoclub.com/manuals/Leaf/2012%20Leaf/

Specificly:

http://www.nicoclub.com/manuals/Leaf/2012%20Leaf/vc.pdf (search for B29C1)

http://www.nicoclub.com/manuals/Leaf/2012%20Leaf/evc.pdf (search for P3173)

Best of luck, hopefully it won't cost you a small fortune to fix.
 
Ok, opened up the charger tonight and when I opened it I smelt the magic white smoke had been released, there is a blown diode, on the power board D211. Now I have to figure out the value for the diode, anybody have any ideas. Of course this may not be the only problem, but its worth giving it a try to replace. See below for board images

http://imageshack.com/a/img924/3037/vj9wDl.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/4954/fpbBQX.jpg
 
It's likely the same diode discussed here:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=24560&hilit=diode

Watch the YouTube video, which explains how to diagnose it.

If that's the same diode, people have been fixing the problem by installing an external diode into their EVSE.

Having said that, I wonder if you could instead install the diode into this device:

https://emotorwerks.com/products/charging-stations/juiceplug

That way, you could take it with you so you can still use public L2 EVSEs
 
This thread gives step by step instructions on how to install the diode at the charging port, which seems like a better solution:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=24696
 
Bummer. Unless you have a friend who repairs electronic CBs or know of a good repair shop, you'll probably have to buy a new charger unit.

A new charger is over $1300 US:

https://www.nissanpartsdeal.com/parts/nissan-charger-asmy~296a0-3na8a.html

Or this listing on eBay.ca:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Genuine-Nissan-Leaf-Battery-Charger-296A0-3NA8A/192312203439?hash=item2cc6b358af:g:rY4AAOSwg9dZwtOI&vxp=mtr

Or you might get lucky and find a used one at a local wrecker...
 
Actually, that eBay listing says the part is in Olympia, WA. Probably not worth the effort, but you could drive down there to purchase and install it to avoid duty charges and brokerage at the border.
 
alozzy said:
Actually, that eBay listing says the part is in Olympia, WA. Probably not worth the effort, but you could drive down there to purchase and install it to avoid duty charges and brokerage at the border.
That would be a neat trick without being able to charge the car...
 
Sorry, figured you had a CHADEMO DCQC option, easy to forget that not everyone has that. Perhaps that burnt diode would prevent DCQC too, hard to say.
 
There is a used charger at a auto wrecker in Tacoma WA, $500 US. I installed a new diode tonight but checked what looks like is the main fuse and its not showing continuity, so off to the electronics store for a fuse tomorrow. With the main fuse gone it makes me wonder what would make it blow, my EVSE is a kit from the OpenEV store. I have contacted them to see if the EVSE would cause this problem.
 
My existing charger is toast, I was unable to repair it with electronic parts. I have picked up a used one from the states, will install tomorrow.
 
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