Buying a used Leaf

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minidanas

New member
Joined
Feb 24, 2017
Messages
3
Hi everyone,

I am about to buy a used Leaf, and have several questions. I have ordered the konnwei dongle. It's not here yet. Wikipedia article, and Nissan seem to give incomplete and confusing answers. I also read some threads, but there seems to be duplicate terms for many things. So, here comes:

1 can I know if a car has the 6.6kw charging just by looking at the dashboard, or do I have to use leafspy?

2. I see that the smaller socket in the front is the 120/240V charger, and the bigger one is DC or chademo inlet, So if I have the DC inlet, does that mean this car is DC-charge capable? It said that the DC charging was optional on S trim.

3. also, what kind of charger is the one on the side (where normally the gas door is)?

4. are all models 2013 and later equipped with front and rear heated seats?

5. what does the home charging station that costs $2000 do extra? It looks like a convenient safe design with a pole, but seems like it does the same 240V/6.6kw charging.

Greatly appreciate all response.
 
minidanas said:
Hi everyone,

I am about to buy a used Leaf, and have several questions. I have ordered the konnwei dongle. It's not here yet. Wikipedia article, and Nissan seem to give incomplete and confusing answers. I also read some threads, but there seems to be duplicate terms for many things. So, here comes:

1 can I know if a car has the 6.6kw charging just by looking at the dashboard, or do I have to use leafspy?

2. I see that the smaller socket in the front is the 120/240V charger, and the bigger one is DC or chademo inlet, So if I have the DC inlet, does that mean this car is DC-charge capable? It said that the DC charging was optional on S trim.

3. also, what kind of charger is the one on the side (where normally the gas door is)?

4. are all models 2013 and later equipped with front and rear heated seats?

5. what does the home charging station that costs $2000 do extra? It looks like a convenient safe design with a pole, but seems like it does the same 240V/6.6kw charging.

Greatly appreciate all response.
1. You might be able to tell from the dashboard what power the car's onboard charger is capable of. Cycle the center-console display around to where it reports the "how long will it take to charge" estimates; my 2016 gives two 240V charging time estimates: one for 3kW and one for 6, and hopefully a car with only a 3.3kW charger wouldn't give that 6kW estimate. I don't remember how my 2012SL (which only had a 3.3kW charger) behaved in that regard.

2. Yes. You wouldn't see the larger socket if the car weren't capable of DC fast charging.

3, Trick question? There is no "gas door" on a LEAF. If you're looking at a pre-2013 model year LEAF and seeing the boxy intrusion into the rear cargo area, then, yes; that's where the on-board charger module is. And if that's what you're looking at, it's a 3.3kW unit.

4. I don't know for sure, but think so.

5. $2K is either an incredibly low price for a DCQC station, or an exorbitant one for a L2 EVSE. It would be very unusual for anyone to really need their own fast charger, and if you did, I'd be leery of one so inexpensive this early in the EV era. A DC fast charger has direct access to the car's battery, and if it messes up, can do a lot of damage.

Hunt around for "used LEAF buying guides"; there was a really good article with photos a year or so ago, but I couldn't immediatley dig it up just now.
 
4. The heated seats were standard from 2012 through 2014, IIRC, but I believe the rear heated seats were dropped for 2015, at least on the S and SV models. Look for a switch for the rear seat heaters on the side of the passenger side seat back that faces the driver's seat. (Someone please verify that - I have rear seat heaters but have never used them.)

Also, if a Leaf S has a DC charging port, it also has the faster onboard charger. They are both parts of the same option package.
 
1. If it's a 2013 S and it has the QC port, then it also has the 6.6kw charger

4. Pretty sure that heated seats are standard feature on all 2013s and newer

5. The home charger you are referring to is called an EVSE. You don't have to spend $2000 though. Plenty of options under $1000 for 6.6 kw charging, and less than $300 for 240V charging @ 16A (3.84 kw).
 
Thank you for the response.

Now I clearly understand answers to 1, 2, and 4. Regarding the question 3 about gas door socket, I am not sure. I thought I had seen something in one of the threads. Not important, anyway.

Regarding the question 5, I read about this home charging station that is a permanent installation that costs a lot of money but is eligible for tax credits so ends up costing maybe $1000 or less. So it can't be a DC charging, and therefore probably a 240V 6.6kW station. What's the benefit of having a $1000 upright station to charge my car if I can do exactly the same with a cable?
 
Home charging stations are more convenient, and can charge the car at up to the full 27.5 amps it can use. They do not, however, have to cost a lot. Clipper Creek has them starting at $400, with a 3 year warranty.

4. Pretty sure that heated seats are standard feature on all 2013s and newer

Not the rear seats. See my response above.
 
Leftie is correct on what he's said :)
Also no need to get a pedestal EVSE to get the tax credit, any new EVSE is eligible for the credit and I believe it's a percentage so while you might get a bigger amount back on a $2k EVSE, you'll also end up spending more. I'm personally fond of portable EVSEs but for some wall mount(or even pedestal) might be a better option. My GE is a wall mount EVSE but I've installed a pigtail plug on it and it just sits on a shelf so if I wanted I could carry it around in the back of my Leaf, albeit bulkier than more portable EVSEs like the CC Leftie mentioned.
A local store to me has had a pedestal EVSE on sale for 6+ months, I think they said it was originally $2k+(it has 2 J1772 cables) and it's big and heavy. They are asking I believe $799 for it but no one is biting, I personally have no interest in something so big, have no idea where it came from and looks basically new. If I got it I'd probably go for the rebate but then I'm not really interested in something so commercial.
 
Some late production 2011s have cold weather package with heated seats, steering wheel, and outside mirrors along with battery heater. All 2012s have cold weather package complete with front and rear heated seats. I believe all 2013 and later models have heated steering wheel, front seats, and mirrors along with battery heater. My 2015 SL included heated rear seats as a standard feature, but I think the rear seat heaters became optional extras on some lower trim models starting in 2014 or 2015. Note that above comments are based upon USA specification cars.
 
Keep in mind the Federal EVSE tax credit expired at the end of last year. States may still offer their own credits, but the Federal one is history (and I suspect it's not coming back).
 
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