eyedrop
Active member
Just got this thing today. I am just so thrilled!
Its a 2015 Leaf S with QC package and holographic kick plates. Also included the EVSE, owners manual, tire repair kit, Nissan emergency road kit, and first aid kit. Also included some sort of thick silver bar with threads on it, and a loop at the other end. Is this for towing?
I picked it up in Mesa AZ, drove it to Anthem AZ. (40 miles hwy). Had 53% battery there, so I plugged it into a Blink L2 charger.
The Blink station acted like it was charging my car and counting the time etc.. But I noticed the lights on the dash were not blinking. The middle light stayed solid. I figured the charger must be broken, so I tried to use the one next to it. But the car wouldn't start! It had power, but I could not get the green car icon and start driving. So with the help of this forum, I disconnected the 12V positive battery terminal for 5 minutes and let the car "reset" itself. Viola! The car was moving again.
So I parked at next one, only to find the touchscreen wasn't working. But there was a sticker on it with a phone number. Customer service was very helpful. I gave them my CC info (im not a member) and they were able to start the station remotely. When I plugged it in, the car made a beep and started blinking lights on the dash! I knew it was going to take a couple hours at least, so I got something to eat, went on a nice run, walked around aimlessly, browsed the internet, etc...
It would have been nice to know what the battery % was during charging. I know people use their cell phone app to view the charge status. But my car is a base model with no navigation or carwings, so I dont believe I can do that. I wanted to turn the car on while charging. to see a status or indicator of charge % it is currently at. But, I was afraid it might hurt the car, or stop the charge. So I relied on the 3 blinking lights on the dash. I sat there wondering how long it would be... Is there a way to check the current charge % while the car is charging?
I left Anthem at 100% and proceeded to go home to Prescott Valley. It was 64 miles, 4000ft elevation gain, 5-10MPH winds, and 85F. I kept the car in eco mode and set cruise control for 58 MPH the whole way. I used no climate control other than the fan (no AC). I arrived home with 18% battery remaining. The low battery warning kicked in right when I entered the driveway! Overall, I was very impressed. I thought it would be a close one, but it managed just fine. My normal everyday routine is only between 5-40 miles round trip, with atleast 30 or 40% city, so I know this car will be perfect, and Ill have no worries about range. If I need to go a long distance, Ill use my ICE. But even then, atleast I know this EV can do it, provided you have access to working charging stations and have the time to wait around...
Blink did charge me $11 for the charging. I spent more on charging then I would have on gas to get home! I understand they need to make money, but its a little on the high side.
I know plugging into my house will be far cheaper than the blink or gasoline. But I have to keep in mind that charging with one of these commercial EV stations will cost me just as much, if not more than gas! I have noticed some are free though, specifically at libraries and other "public" locations.
Driving impressions: Nice and quiet, good 0-40 acceleration. A little slow when flooring it at highway speeds. Not a good handling car. Lots of body roll, heavy understeer and pushes in the corners. Suspension comfort is good, nice smooth ride. Tight interior, very little squeaks or rattles. Controls are simple and easy to get used to. The sound quality of the stereo sucks. Bloated one note midbass that bleeds into the midrange, treble drops off too early. Just dark and muddy sounding with no detail. To be fair, 90% of car stereos I hear are just as bad. They are usually way too bass heavy... Its impossible to get a nice flat sound with the stock EQ. Ill have to mess with the parametric EQ on my phone.
Is it possible to install the premium Bose system from a leaf into the S? I noticed there are empty speaker housings/grills in the trunk area, presumably used for the bose system. Does the premium navigation stereo have built in DSP that the Bose needs to operate properly? WIll the speakers bolt right in place of the base model?
And Im well aware that the Bose system is nothing special, and I can get much better using aftermarket stuff. BUT, im kinda an OEM guy, and dont like Frankenstein builds and other custom stuff. Its just too tacky...