Question: How to Deactivate Charger Door Lock

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SageBrush

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Messages
7,959
Location
NM
Hi all,

I find that I routinely forget to bring my Fob with me when I go out to the car to plug in my EVSE at home. Is there a way to just press on the charger door and have it pop open, rather than use the button in the car ?
 
2011 and 2012 had a cable release with the lever inside the car. I think 2013 and later are like my 2015 which has an electric release using either the key fob or the button inside the car. Therefore, you need the fob if the doors are locked.
 
I solved that problem by always carrying the Fob in my pocket. Another option is to press the button to pop the charger door open when you exit the vehicle.
 
baustin said:
Another option is to press the button to pop the charger door open when you exit the vehicle.

^ ^ ^ This is what I do every night when I pull in the garage (and know I'm going to charge).
I don't like the 2013+ way because they're "electronic" (my 2011 doesn't have that), but I definitely don't want someone to be able to just walk by and pop open the charge plug cover.
 
Stanton said:
I definitely don't want someone to be able to just walk by and pop open the charge plug cover.
Why not ? I can only think of vandalism, and in that case:

1. There are simpler ways to damage a car
2. With any luck the car will fry the turkey
 
SageBrush said:
Stanton said:
I definitely don't want someone to be able to just walk by and pop open the charge plug cover.
Why not ? I can only think of vandalism, and in that case:

1. There are simpler ways to damage a car
2. With any luck the car will fry the turkey

No one has figured out how to steal "gas" from these yet??? :lol:

Lots of ICE cars don't have locked fuel ports. TBH, it hasn't bothered me that it locks.
 
I'd love to have a charge door release built right into the J-1772 handle a la Tesla, and I've even thought of getting and gutting an extra key-fob to do just that. The downside is it would only work the door of the car the key fob was paired with, and I'd get spoiled having that feature at home, but not in public charge stations.

The other thought I've had is wiring a microswitch into the charge door so that pressing the door in would be the same as pressing the Charge Door Release button inside. Aside from engineering something weather tight and reliable, the other challenge to solve would be not activating it when closing the charge door.

In the end, it's easier to just be mindful of opening the charge bay door when needed. At least we can do so from the key fob, where as I recall the earlier LEAFs did not have that ability due to a manual release cable.
 
SageBrush said:
Stanton said:
I definitely don't want someone to be able to just walk by and pop open the charge plug cover.
Why not ? I can only think of vandalism, and in that case:

1. There are simpler ways to damage a car
2. With any luck the car will fry the turkey
Agree, also as mentioned there are lots of cars that lack a locking fuel door and in that case they could actually steal something, no way to really siphon electrons out of my J1772 jack ;)
 
jjeff said:
SageBrush said:
Stanton said:
I definitely don't want someone to be able to just walk by and pop open the charge plug cover.
Why not ? I can only think of vandalism, and in that case:

1. There are simpler ways to damage a car
2. With any luck the car will fry the turkey
Agree, also as mentioned there are lots of cars that lack a locking fuel door and in that case they could actually steal something, no way to really siphon electrons out of my J1772 jack ;)

I can imagine some thieves are as thick as a plank & would try to get into the front charging flap causing damage thinking it was the fuel cap :roll:

On I.C.E. cars over here with anti siphon equipment fitted they just puncture the fuel tank from underneath using cat litter trays to catch the petrol. :cry: so not only have you lost the expensive fuel you also need a new fuel tank. :twisted:
 
When warranty on my vehicle runs out I might add push-button microswitch beneath the the door.
So if I push the door slightly* harder it touches the microswitch and activates the locking mechanism.
Though I always push the release button if I exit the vehicle. Even at destination where I do not charge :lol:

If microswitch doesn't work I will glue a magnet to J1772 plug and a sensor beneath the plastic bumper.


*note that charging door is springy even if it is closed. Seals push it up against latch.
 
arnis said:
When warranty on my vehicle runs out I might add push-button microswitch beneath the the door.
So if I push the door slightly* harder it touches the microswitch and activates the locking mechanism.

If you base the microswitch on the electronics in the key fob (which requires you to HOLD to unlatch), you could do Press to latch / Press & hold to unlatch.

Post photos if you proceed...
 
OMG. Nissan put in a fob controlled lock release on the car and people are still unhappy.

Now they are looking for ways to DISABLE the high tech feature.... What about opening the door from INSIDE your house??

You cant please people If you gave them free cash, someone would complain that they didn't like the color green....
 
powersurge said:
OMG. Nissan put in a fob controlled lock release on the car and people are still unhappy.
This LEAF behavior is just a nit so far as I am concerned but I admit to not seeing any advantage in requiring the fob for charger port access.
 
SageBrush said:
powersurge said:
OMG. Nissan put in a fob controlled lock release on the car and people are still unhappy.
This LEAF behavior is just a nit so far as I am concerned but I admit to not seeing any advantage in requiring the fob for charger port access.
+1
And I'd trade the button on the FOB for a non locking charge port in a NY minute :D
I just see no need to lock the door and I don't carry the FOB in my pocket when just walking around the house, when I might just decide I want to plug my Leaf in. No it's not the end of the world and it wouldn't have kept me from purchasing my Leaf, but it's a "nit" regardless :)
 
powersurge said:
OMG. Nissan put in a fob controlled lock release on the car and people are still unhappy.

Well, Leaf comes with comfort access functionality. That means you don't have to use the fob to open the central lock nor
have to stick the key in the ignition hole and turn. Though they forgot comfort access functionality on the 6th door.
Philosophically, this is a scam. You promise a comfort access but actually limiting one function. On purpose.
It could be acceptable for an ICE vehicle where refill door is used once a week. But not on EV, where fuel filler door is used more
often than passenger door, rear doors and rear hatch all combined.
My 2001 BMW has a fuel filler door that locks with central lock. If car is unlocked, the fuel filler is just open, like a regular car door.
You touch it and it pops. You turn the cap and it opens. No-brainer. If doors are locked the fuel filler door is locked. The end.
How hard can it be? For 7 f*cking years Nissan does it wrong :lol:
 
arnis said:
When warranty on my vehicle runs out I might add push-button microswitch beneath the the door.
So if I push the door slightly* harder it touches the microswitch and activates the locking mechanism.
Though I always push the release button if I exit the vehicle. Even at destination where I do not charge :lol:
I think its important to remember the fact that this "door" goes up in the front of the vehicle and therefore you don't want it to be set up in such a way that if you hit a bump at 70 mph a release might trip and allow the door to pop open. I'm not sure the hinges will hold up against that type of wind and that door will sure do some nifty damage the the car when it breaks off likely striking the windshield etc.

There's a good reason the release is disabled when the car is in ready mode, I recommend you don't bypass that
 
They will be fine. Drag area is small. And it will not get up anyway.
2011-12 Leafs had mechanical pull tab. Those work while driving.
Also it is near impossible to trip microswitch with a bump on the road.
 
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