HOW HARD IS IT TO DIY BATTERY SWAP

So is it doable to swap batteries (say you find a used one from a salvage or a rebuilt one). Anyone has done it???? Does it need Nissan to turn it on or reconfigure it. Can you put a 30KW/Hr in for a 24?

WHY? I am pondering the long term ownership of my used 2015 LEAF SV... I love it, but it is a second car. It cost me $200 in tabs and that much or more in insurance. I am at about 80-85 mile range. That is fine if it stays there. I would love to have it for a long time, 10 or more years. However the battery is going to not make it I fear. I am at 11 bars out of 12. I figure this is a good time to sell? May be weight until all the TAX subsides dry up? I really don't "need it". like the luxury however. The other option is keep it and hope for the best.... and then sell it with a low capacity battery or repair it... THUS the DIY question.

30KW/Hr makes no sense. The correct units are kWh. Nissan does not provide any official path to put a 30 kWh pack in a 24 kWh car.

You can read posts by Cor at http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=21997. Remember, you are dealing with deadly high voltages and a pack that weighs 606 lbs per the '15 Leaf emergency response (first responder's) guide.

A pack is also paired to the car, so you'll need to get it either paired or I think get the BMS (inside the pack) moved over: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=21997&p=500684&hilit=mph#p500684.

Or, to put it another way: if you have to ask how hard it is, the job is too hard to attempt.

LeftieBiker said:

Or, to put it another way: if you have to ask how hard it is, the job is too hard to attempt.

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I have not been on this board long but seeing it is not useful...

LeftieBiker, your comment is irrelevant. Asking questions does not disqualify one from doing the work, Looking for someone who has done it before. Have you done it before? If no, I was not addressing you. Looking for quantitative instructions resource, e.g., there are X bolts, you have to do ABC first, than, be sure to do this.... etc.

Leftibiker, I get it, you no abilities or useful information, but I can work on cars, motorcycles and airplanes (built full sized aircraft), and electronics. I have full garage and tools and electronics bench, with 35 years of experience working on cars (engine, trans, suspension, electrical...). Leave the DIY to people who can.

Does anyone have some experience want to give me the gouge on DIY battery swaps or instructions on line. Thanks

I'm sure there are plenty of vid's on youtube if you search around or mid-way through the second page of the thread below you can find some info.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=26760

gmcjetpilot said:

Does anyone have some experience want to give me the gouge on DIY battery swaps or instructions on line. Thanks

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cwerdna gave it to you. Cor is the user who seems to have done the most work on this, and HAS swapped packs and cells. Find those threads.

gmcjetpilot said:

Leftibiker, I get it, you no abilities or useful information

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When asking for help it's best to secure that ****.

Nubo said:

gmcjetpilot said:

Leftibiker, I get it, you no abilities or useful information

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When asking for help it's best to secure that ****.

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Secure your ****... Don't appreciate the pile on. Please stop harassing me and instigating. I received friendly, polite, useful DETAILED helpful information elsewhere. You have a problem, PM me, but don't stink my thread up. This could be a great thread with DIY info. Thank you. Have a nice day.

Nubo said:

gmcjetpilot said:

Does anyone have some experience want to give me the gouge on DIY battery swaps or instructions on line. Thanks

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cwerdna gave it to you. Cor is the user who seems to have done the most work on this, and HAS swapped packs and cells. Find those threads.

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As far as cwerdna (different thread which is weird you mention it), he did have good info for me, but I researched it fuhrer. Found the detail needed for my battery swap plans. I also found a late model used pack with full capacity that will drop in (with controller swap). See it was that easy. Thanks.

Keep in mind if you swap the controller you must also swap the wiring harness. The wiring changes between model years, and using a controller with a different wiring harness can fry the BMS, which puts you in a really bad spot.

The best plan is usually to just swap the cells, not swap the BMS.

OP's hubris mixed with ignorance are a setup for a frying experience.

gmcjetpilot said:

You have a problem, PM me, but don't stink my thread up.

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You're right. Sorry for the tone. Good luck on your project.

SageBrush said:

OP's hubris mixed with ignorance are a setup for a frying experience.

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Maybe, but I've done my part. Ezekiel 33:6

Nubo said:

You're right. Sorry for the tone. Good luck on your project.

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Honestly, I don't think you needed to apologize. If you want help from a community, coming in with an abrasive attitude won't help you get it, and it's quite reasonable to point that out.

I am in agreement with the original poster... He wanted to talk to someone who has dropped a battery....

There are people that spend too much time and effort responding to every post, and adding corrections to what other people say... (I will bust if I keep on reading corrections to "KWH" or "EVSE")... My feeling... They earn whatever backlash they get...

I, like Mr. Pilot, would also like to hear from anyone who has dropped their battery or made changes in their batteries... This is going to be a very important topic in the future, because the horizon does not look good for aftermarket battery changes. We leaf owners will probably become like those who continued to fix their old tube stereos, finding creative ways to keep our cars going...

So let's stay together and share our experiences...

Lothsahn said:

Nubo said:

You're right. Sorry for the tone. Good luck on your project.

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Honestly, I don't think you needed to apologize. If you want help from a community, coming in with an abrasive attitude won't help you get it, and it's quite reasonable to point that out.

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But by taking an unreasonably harsh tone, whatever case I had to make, had its credibility evaporate. "think before sending" is a lesson I learned many years ago but still sometimes forget.

This is a good case of perceived "tone" being a problem on the Internet. If the OP had put just a little more effort into the original question (including proofreading it), making it clear that he has mechanical expertise and was seriously considering the job but lacked Leaf experience, I and others would have taken the question more seriously. I might have done so anyway, but I wasn't in a great mood that day, and the post looked to me like yet another case of "Drive-by phone drivel." Next time I feel that way I'll just ignore it and wait to see if there is substance I didn't see initially.

Here is a recent snippet from OP asking for help how to end charging at a particular SoC

My Clipper Creek Charger is 20 AMP or 220 x 20 = 4.4 KWh (estimate). I have the 6.6 KWh charger.

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'nuff said ?

This thread is a mess.

But OP, I have dropped and opened my 2015 battery. my thread was linked already in this thread.

If you have the high voltage gloves (and training), it is very easy to work on. I recommend taking a course on electrical safety.

Mechanically, the work is way easier than working on a combustion engine. There is almost no parts. I have worked on many turbocharged ICEs, and this EV is way easier than that.

Please stay safe when tinkering. 400VDC can kill.

powersurge said:

responding to every post, and adding corrections to what other people say... (I will bust if I keep on reading corrections to "KWH" or "EVSE")... My feeling... They earn whatever backlash they get...

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SageBrush said:

Here is a recent snippet from OP asking for help how to end charging at a particular SoC

My Clipper Creek Charger is 20 AMP or 220 x 20 = 4.4 KWh (estimate). I have the 6.6 KWh charger.

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'nuff said ?

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When someone wants to do something that involves deadly voltages, it doesn't inspire much confidence if they cannot even get fundamental units relating to electricity (e.g. power vs. energy) correct, multiple times. If I hired an electrician for a job and found they couldn't get this stuff right, I'd fire them and find another.