New members? Guess that;s me! "New" to me 2013 RED Nissan Leaf!

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JohnKuthe

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2017
Messages
119
Hello! Just picked up my new to me 2013 Red Nissan Leaf:

17436079_1320962404630903_3445142761720095325_o.jpg


and I THINK she's charging! I have to get outlets in the garage. There is 110VAC to the garage now just no easy plug in places. And I want to get 220VAC run to the garage and have three charging stations installed for the three garage spaces we have.

John Kuthe...
 
Welcome to the Forum, John. You might want to put your general location in your sig line; it will help other members to respond to any questions you may have.
 
Thanks! Yeah I just created my basic account to see the forums well. I'll try and fill in more useful data about myself.

John Kuthe...
 
JohnKuthe said:
I THINK she's charging! I have to get outlets in the garage.
It's charging when one of the blue lights is flashing (except for the pre-heat/pre-cool light or 12 volt charging indication light by itself). Also, the green plug light in the dash will flash in unison w/the flashing blue light. Also, the 3 lights serve as a progress indicator in thirds. Consult your manual.

It may not be a good idea to run w/an extension cord like that. Be sure to monitor temps at the outlet side and both ends of the extension cord. If it get hot or you smell something burning, STOP!

Also, hope you don't have Zinsco or Federal Pacific panels or aluminum wire.
 
JohnKuthe said:
... And I want to get 220VAC run to the garage and have three charging stations installed for the three garage spaces we have.
Or it would be much cheaper(if you only have one or two EVs) to simply install 240v outlets in each garage and then use a portable EVSE, or two if you had 2 EVs you needed to charge at the same time.
Also I second the recommendation to NOT use an extension cord for a EVSE, for sure not a 16 gauge orange one that it looks like you might have from your photo. If you must use and extension cord it's best to use 12 gauge minimum or even 10 gauge if you have it. While a 16 gauge orange extension cord might say 12a and your OEM Leaf EVSE draws 12a, the Leaf draw is continuous and for continuous use things must be de-rated to 80% of capacity, therefor if a extension cord says it can handle 12a short term use, it would be ~9.5a continuous and therefor overheat when used with a EVSE for long term (more than 3hrs) use. A 14 gauge Extension Cord(15a short term use) would de-rate down to ~12a which while technically within the range of your 12a EVSE, it's still a bit close for comfort.
 
Evoforce said:
Welcome! It is a nice looker. It sounds like you plan to have more than one electric.

No, not for me. This house is shared student living, just across the street from the University of Missouri Saint Louis! Great location, literal walking distance not only to that university but also to a Metrolink station too! Plus buses!

Electric IS the future of personal transportation, and I am gonna be a tangible part of that!! Gotta have the charging capability to attract others to go all electric!

John Kuthe...
 
cwerdna said:
JohnKuthe said:
I THINK she's charging! I have to get outlets in the garage.
It's charging when one of the blue lights is flashing (except for the pre-heat/pre-cool light or 12 volt charging indication light by itself). Also, the green plug light in the dash will flash in unison w/the flashing blue light. Also, the 3 lights serve as a progress indicator in thirds. Consult your manual.

It may not be a good idea to run w/an extension cord like that. Be sure to monitor temps at the outlet side and both ends of the extension cord. If it get hot or you smell something burning, STOP!

Also, hope you don't have Zinsco or Federal Pacific panels or aluminum wire.

I'm not doing something right then. Or my equipment is malfunctioning. I'll figure it out. I'm on the steepest part of the learning curve right now, and have little time for the next few days to mess with it.

John Kuthe...
 
jjeff said:
JohnKuthe said:
... And I want to get 220VAC run to the garage and have three charging stations installed for the three garage spaces we have.
Or it would be much cheaper(if you only have one or two EVs) to simply install 240v outlets in each garage and then use a portable EVSE, or two if you had 2 EVs you needed to charge at the same time.
Also I second the recommendation to NOT use an extension cord for a EVSE, for sure not a 16 gauge orange one that it looks like you might have from your photo. If you must use and extension cord it's best to use 12 gauge minimum or even 10 gauge if you have it. While a 16 gauge orange extension cord might say 12a and your OEM Leaf EVSE draws 12a, the Leaf draw is continuous and for continuous use things must be de-rated to 80% of capacity, therefor if a extension cord says it can handle 12a short term use, it would be ~9.5a continuous and therefor overheat when used with a EVSE for long term (more than 3hrs) use. A 14 gauge Extension Cord(15a short term use) would de-rate down to ~12a which while technically within the range of your 12a EVSE, it's still a bit close for comfort.

I have a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering so I'm quite familiar with electricity/ loads, etc. More capacity always beasts less, this I know!

John Kuthe...
 
Many have had problems with the car not charging because they used a poorly grounded outlet. To debug, try another outlet or an outlet in another house.

Another possible issue is that you have the charge timer turned on. This is explained in the manuals.

Once you figure out your power problem, please read this:

I'm very safety conscious. Please be aware that charging a Leaf from 120V means that you are running 12A through the power cord of the EVSE for many hours continuously and are probably not watching it. Worn extension cords and worn outlets will heat up in these cases. It is good practice to run the EVSE for 10 minutes, then check for heat in any of the plugs, sockets, and wire ends. You can detect temperature problems with your hand, but for a more analytical answer, you can buy a $30 non-contact thermometer from Harbor Freight or ebay.

The UL specification for EV charging has a maximum cable length. This seems like a backwards way to stop people from using extension cords. You CAN use an extension cord, but make sure the outlet and wire are in good condition, and get at least 12 gage wire, 10 gage even better, to avoid heat problems.

Enjoy your Leaf!

Bob
 
Bob said:
Many have had problems with the car not charging because they used a poorly grounded outlet. To debug, try another outlet or an outlet in another house.
...Bob

Problem was no ground! Got a good ground: problem FIXED! Leaf trickle charging!! All night and maybe tomorrow too just to see how much I can charge it!

John Kuthe...
 
JohnKuthe said:
Bob said:
Many have had problems with the car not charging because they used a poorly grounded outlet. To debug, try another outlet or an outlet in another house.
...Bob

Problem was no ground! Got a good ground: problem FIXED! Leaf trickle charging!! All night and maybe tomorrow too just to see how much I can charge it!

John Kuthe...

And now learning has occurred!! Left (facing vehicle) dash light solid on and middle light blinking = charging. Middle and left lights solid and third light blinking = FULL! :)

Now for that licensing/paperwork/money! Next week!

John Kuthe...
 
And now learning has occurred!! Left (facing vehicle) dash light solid on and middle light blinking = charging. Middle and left lights solid and third light blinking = FULL! :)

When the pack is about to stop charging you may see all three lights lit solid, for a minute or three. It's just the pack equalizing cells, and is normal.
 
LeftieBiker said:
And now learning has occurred!! Left (facing vehicle) dash light solid on and middle light blinking = charging. Middle and left lights solid and third light blinking = FULL! :)

When the pack is about to stop charging you may see all three lights lit solid, for a minute or three. It's just the pack equalizing cells, and is normal.

I disconnected the charger with the two solid and the right one (facing the car) blinking.

Just got off the phone with a local electrician contractor to come out next Third and scope/estimate the job of getting 240VAC run to my garage! :) Guess I should order a 240VAC charging cable for my Leaf! Any recommendations?

John Kuthe...
 
I have this sneaking suspicion history will record the happiest EV owners were the ones who picked them up for $5k and ran them into the ground.
 
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