Anybody with 2011 or 2012 interested in upgrade to new battery?

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Cor said:
Kris1 said:
Also interested to hear your thoughts on swapping the new double thickness ( https://www.dropbox.com/s/qt88me809t3w5w2/1.25kwh.jpg?dl=0) modules into a G1 battery case.
Hi Kris,
Aha! so that is how the new 30kWh modules look like!
They appear to be a drop-in replacement for a pair of 24kWh modules, so I see no issues -

Mechanically, there will be no special issues.

The problem will be the VERY different discharge curves between the 24 and 30 kWh chemistries.
 
RNM said:
Cor said:
Hi Kris,
Aha! so that is how the new 30kWh modules look like!
They appear to be a drop-in replacement for a pair of 24kWh modules, so I see no issues -
Mechanically, there will be no special issues.
The problem will be the VERY different discharge curves between the 24 and 30 kWh chemistries.
The chemistries are the same, just a difference in capacity.
As long as you do not mix 24 and 30 kWh modules in the same pack, I see no problem.
The 30kWh modules will simply discharge longer before the voltage drops to minimum,
so they can deliver current for a longer period due to increased capacity.
The BMS (LBC) will learn how to deal with that, just like it learns how to deal with the degraded capacity of a used pack.
After some time a used 30kWh pack will look like a new 24kWh pack, after all.
So no, I do not expect that there is any issue with swapping *all* modules from 24 to 30kWh and maintaining the same BMS.
This is not much different than the swap from worn (degraded) modules to new 24 kWh modules and I have done that swap several times, the BMS will immediately recognised that the battery takes longer to discharge and charge, because it goes by the cell voltages and after a little while (couple weeks) it has adjusted the estimated Ah capacity and the estimated range.
 
Discharge curve = tension vs DoD (not Ah). They're are different.

Don't take my word for it, test them yourself.

And if they are different, it's a different chemistry.
 
Hi,

I am the owner of a Nissan Leaf 2011.
My battery don't have the cold weather package.

I can have a 2015 battery from a scap yard
This battery have the cold weather package (and I need it)

Can I install it in my 2011 Nissan Leaf ?

Thank's
 
Bern101 said:
My battery don't have the cold weather package.
I can have a 2015 battery from a scap yard
This battery have the cold weather package (and I need it)
Can I install it in my 2011 Nissan Leaf ?
Hi Bern,
The battery modules you can remove from the 2015 battery (you will need to cut open the shell as it is glued shut) and remove the modules, then also open the 2011 shell (which is bolted, so much easier to open), remove the old modules and replace the 3 sub-packs with the new modules, but you *have to* also move the wiring from the old to the new modules so that you can use the old BMS (which is paired with the car).
The cold weather package (the white plastic covers on top of the modules) cannot work in your 2011 for 2 reasons:
- the car does not have the wiring and contactor to power the heaters
- the 2011 battery shell does not have the connector (or even the opening) to connect the heaters to.

In theory it is really simple to make the heaters work even without all the provisions in the car, when you are making changes in the battery box anyway, but it requires that you find some space for:
1) termerature sensor (thermostat type)
2) high voltage relay
Instead of connecting the heaters to the (absent) 3rd connector, you hook it up to the *output* of the main contactors (the back side of the large high voltage plug) and you insert the extra high voltage relay in one of these two extra wires. (NOTE that high voltage relays can be polarized, so you need to check in which wire / in which direction you best insert it and it needs to be connected on the "car" side of the contactors, not the battery side so the heater cannot run the battery flat when the car if off!)

The 12V power for the extra high voltage relay's coil is taken from one of the two main contactor relay coil power wires, one wire run through the thermostat so the extra relay coil can only receive power and close to power the heaters when the temperature is low enough to make the thermostat close.

Hope this helps,
Cor.
 
BTW, if you need a low current high voltage relay then I have some pre-charge contactors from the Leaf pack that would be ideal for this, but you can harvest this from the 2015 contactor box as well.
 
Hi Cor,

THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

It's very very informative for me.

I just do not know if I have the courage and knowledge to make this replacement myself, and I am located to far from you to ask you to do it for me.

Did you read this article (link below) They said that a 2015 battery could be fit in a 2011-2012 with an "separate installation kit "

http://insideevs.com/breaking-nissan-prices-leaf-battery-replacement-5499-new-packs-heat-durable/

Thank's
 
You need more than just the adapter, Nissan also accounts for whether or not the '11 has the cold weather package and builds replacement packs accordingly. On top of that, you need a special programming card and expensive Nissan Consult diagnosis software to program the battery pack to the car.

This is really the Achilles heel of used LEAFs with worn out batteries. If you could easily retrofit a nearly new pack from a wrecked LEAF at half the cost of Nissan's current retail cost to replace the pack ($5500-6500), the resale value of the LEAF would be a better.

You simply can not justify spending $6k to replace the battery in an old LEAF when you can buy a much newer one with a better pack for $8-9k.
 
drees said:
You need more than just the adapter, Nissan also accounts for whether or not the '11 has the cold weather package and builds replacement packs accordingly. On top of that, you need a special programming card and expensive Nissan Consult diagnosis software to program the battery pack to the car.

This is really the Achilles heel of used LEAFs with worn out batteries. If you could easily retrofit a nearly new pack from a wrecked LEAF at half the cost of Nissan's current retail cost to replace the pack ($5500-6500), the resale value of the LEAF would be a better.

You simply can not justify spending $6k to replace the battery in an old LEAF when you can buy a much newer one with a better pack for $8-9k.


I don't want to spend $6K to replace my battery. I have found a 2015 battery (with Cold Weather Package) with only 5000 miles on it for $2500

My idea was to put this battery in my 2011 Leaf, because I have a lost of capacity and don't have the cold weather package, because where I live in the winter there is between 20-30 days I can not use my car because it is too cold.

COR explain to me how to make the switch, but it is a big job (switching cells instead of swiching battery pack) and I was looking for an easier way to do that.
 
Bern101 said:
explain to me how to make the switch, but it is a big job (switching cells instead of swiching battery pack) and I was looking for an easier way to do that.

Explained in video
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj4UgKZEKcPGGhogHEq9pNw
 
Hi guys,

this is what I mean by different discharge curves:

24kWh, after LBW, 3.76 V average cell voltage
file.php



30 kWh, at a little below half battery, 3.73 V average cell voltage
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qcjar1mftsoq15g/IMG_0078.PNG?dl=1


What this means is that, if we put 30 kWh modules and keep the 24 kWh BMS, the car will show Low Battery Warning, LBW (with all the xmas tree flashing...) but the battery will still have half battery worth of energy in.

The car range will the same as a 30 kWh? Yes
Will the percentage on the dash be useful? No.
Will the GOM be better? No, on the contrary.
 
That's grim news. The extra capacity is no good if you can't access it. Looks like a lot of the 30kwh cell capacity could exist below the turtle mode threshold voltage of a 2012 BMS?
 
Kris1 said:
That's grim news. The extra capacity is no good if you can't access it. Looks like a lot of the 30kwh cell capacity could exist below the turtle mode threshold voltage of a 2012 BMS?

You CAN access it.
But the car will show LBW (with all the xmas tree flashing...) while driving with the 2nd half battery...
 
RNM said:
Kris1 said:
That's grim news. The extra capacity is no good if you can't access it. Looks like a lot of the 30kwh cell capacity could exist below the turtle mode threshold voltage of a 2012 BMS?

You CAN access it.
But the car will show LBW (with all the xmas tree flashing...) while driving with the 2nd half battery...

Huh? The contactor opens based on lowest cell voltage, if the 30kWh pack discharges lower you will stop pretty soon after hitting LVBW. Or the assumption the curve stays flat longer and the turtle/contactor thresholds are the same?
 
Both cells have aprox. same max and min voltage, the difference is the discharge curve
 
RNM said:
Kris1 said:
That's grim news. The extra capacity is no good if you can't access it. Looks like a lot of the 30kwh cell capacity could exist below the turtle mode threshold voltage of a 2012 BMS?

You CAN access it.
But the car will show LBW (with all the xmas tree flashing...) while driving with the 2nd half battery...
And that's what LEAF Spy is for. No worries.
 
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