2011 Leaf not charging

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murthyu

New member
Joined
Jan 21, 2018
Messages
1
Some background:

My 12v battery had completely died for about 2 months - i jumpstarted it with a portable charger and drove it around for 10 miles or so.

Came home and tried to charge my driving battery - but the car refuses to charge. And shortly after that, I noticed that the 12v battery had died again. I had just got this battery (12v) replaced about a year ago. I guess i will need to get a new battery but trying to see if I can save $100 on get another battery again.

Someone suggested leaving the car running overnight - but i am afraid i will drain the main driving battery. Any thoughts?

Question for you folks - is the driving battery somehow related to the 12v battery? Seems odd, but i thought i would check with you folks first.

Thanks a ton
 
Obviously your 12v battery is shot (doesn't matter if it's 1 yr old or 10 years old); replace the 12v battery.
You will not "drain" the main battery pack charging the 12v, but that's not the problem.
Dead 12v battery = no start/charge/telematics/etc
 
This post is really not one for anyone to diagnose, because there are so many variables.. This is something for the OWNER to determine.... The original poster does not sound mechanical, and should just take it to Nissan. Wishful mechanic people can also do the following.....

MY OPINION
Any car owner NEEDS TO OWN a plug in battery charger. You cannot just have the car take care of all the charging. Batteries will always discharge at times, and need to be topped off to 100% charge. Another MUST HAVE is a voltage meter/ tester.

PLAN A

First, the owner needs to establish that the battery is fully charged and strong...

(1) That requires a plug-in battery charger and a "load test".
(2) If the battery passes the load test, then keep the battery and go to step 4.
(3) If load test is bad, get a new, good battery and go to step 2.
(4) With the battery connected, start the car and connect a VOLTAGE METER... Voltage should be around 13.5-14.5 volts. Then try turning on your headlights and check the voltage again. Voltage should still be the same. Then add heat or A/C, voltage should be the same. If voltages check out, go to step 6.
(5) If voltage is lower, then go to Nissan because there is a problem with the charging system.
(6) You have confirmed battery is good, and charging system is good. For a week, on a daily basis, 1) check the battery voltage (with the car off - Voltage should be 12.2-12.6 at rest. 2) with car on, voltage should be in the 14 volt range. If voltages are low at this point, then you have a parasitic draw on your battery when the car is off, or a car charging system problem. Then take it to Nissan.

PLAN B -
If you don't want to be bothered with PLAN A, then stop trying to guess what is wrong and take it to Nissan, who knows the car and its electrical system..
 
The LEAF (and many other modern cars) run lower float voltages on their 12-volt batteries than cars manufactured in the 1990's or earlier. 12.9 to 13.1 volts at the battery terminals (measured with an accurate meter) is normal unless battery temperature is cold. Voltage will be higher (up to 14.5 volts) if temperature is low and/or battery is discharged enough to be absorbing higher charging current.

It is clear to me from the original post that the 12-volt battery is bad. I have had conventional 12-volt batteries fail on cars driven daily in as little as 6 months before replacing them with high-quality AGM batteries which last several years in my climate.
 
GerryAZ said:
The LEAF (and many other modern cars) run lower float voltages on their 12-volt batteries than cars manufactured in the 1990's or earlier. 12.9 to 13.1 volts at the battery terminals (measured with an accurate meter) is normal unless battery temperature is cold. Voltage will be higher (up to 14.5 volts) if temperature is low and/or battery is discharged enough to be absorbing higher charging current.

It is clear to me from the original post that the 12-volt battery is bad. I have had conventional 12-volt batteries fail on cars driven daily in as little as 6 months before replacing them with high-quality AGM batteries which last several years in my climate.

Yes, GerryAZ, I agree completely with your post. I have a full-time digital voltage meter installed on my dashboard. When I use the Headlights and heat, a/c, the voltage goes up to about 14.2-14.3 volts. When I drive normally, with no accessories, the system voltage is about 12.8-12.9 volts.

I think, however, that people too often downplay the Leaf's charging system when the problem is really a bad 12v battery. I have my Leaf (since new) for almost 3.5 years, and have ALWAYS had a fully charged healthy original battery. So I think the Leaf has a great charging system.
 
murthyu said:
Some background:

My 12v battery had completely died for about 2 months - i jumpstarted it with a portable charger and drove it around for 10 miles or so.

Came home and tried to charge my driving battery - but the car refuses to charge. And shortly after that, I noticed that the 12v battery had died again. I had just got this battery (12v) replaced about a year ago. I guess i will need to get a new battery but trying to see if I can save $100 on get another battery again.

Someone suggested leaving the car running overnight - but i am afraid i will drain the main driving battery. Any thoughts?

Question for you folks - is the driving battery somehow related to the 12v battery? Seems odd, but i thought i would check with you folks first.

Thanks a ton
Umm, if you bought the battery a year or so ago, it should still be under warranty, just take it back to where you purchased it.
 
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