Blown Traction Battery Relay

[WiredForStereo]

Yesterday morning, my Leaf quit working. Pushing the start button, almost every error light comes on and the center of the readout shows a battery symbol and a message that says "Stop Vehicle."

I can hear a small *dng* sound from under the car, as if the relay is trying to engage but cannot. Sounds kinda like a siezed refrigeration compressor thermal switch tripping, if you know what that sounds like. It also won't charge, and I have tried rebooting by unplugging the 12v battery.

Any thoughts?

At this point, I am realizing that buying a Leaf has been a huge mistake and though I very much like driving the car, it's now worth 1/6 what we paid for it 3.5 years ago and worth less than half what we still owe on the loan. Between this and the experience at the dealership, I have vowed never to buy a Nissan again. But that's a separate issue. Right now, my car doesn't move.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

First thought is your 12v is bad. Check that first. It's a frequent cause of problems.

 

[WiredForStereo]

You are correct. Voltage reads 4.20 volts.

 

[arnis]

Find a battery that fits and is cheap. Don't waste money on OEM label.
You have old gen Leaf that constantly overcharges 12V battery (and boils some water out).
If possible, annually check for water level in the cells and add distilled water if necessary.