Buying a 2013 -- A few question

[qwerty11]

Over the last year I've started seriously looking at Leafs. I've been doing my homework through this forum. I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel here, so if there is a post I've missed answering my questions, please point me to it. Thanks!

This is what I have learned:
* I want a 2013 SV/SL instead of a 2011/2012 due to the hopeful reduced battery degradation, 6.6kW charging, and the QC port.
* I should send my EVSE off to EVSE Upgrade to allow me to charge at 4.8kW from the 240 receptacle in my garage.
* I should purchase an ORDII reader and Leaf Spy to do a battery check pre-purchase.
* I should look at the Car Fax to make sure the car isn't from super hot locations.

These are my unknowns that I could use some help with:
* I believe the car new fully charged should have around 100% SOC and 280 GIDs. What would be the expected values for a 2013 with 10k, 20k, and 30k miles?
* What additional pre-purchase checks should I do that are different for the Leaf versus a car with an ICE?
* Can 2013s be labeled with the "B0133 NO EV BATT CAPACITY WARRANTY" code? If so, how do I check?
* I will be trailering the car from the purchase city to my home. Any advice for transporting the Leaf on a trailer (tie down points, etc.).
* Am I missing anything?

 

[rexki]

Not sure where you live from your un-viewable profile - Chicago Area here you need the battery warmer system (2015) to protect if temp drops 5 F or lower (IMHO). Not sure if 2014 or 2013 have this feature.

Your location will decide. Range is limited more than most people will claim in really cold weather especially if you have more than a 10 min one way commute so you don't freeze to death when its -10 F outside. All numbers below are Eco mode and max 4 dots of acceleration. 3 being average.

Full charge and heater running will give you a max range of 39.5 at 0 F - 24kw *.90 safety factor * 1.83 miles/kwh

Full charge and heater moderate running (1 min front window defrost every 4 min - seat and steering wheel heater on) will give you a max range of 62.0 at 10 F - 24kw *.90 safety factor * 2.87 miles/kwh

Full charge, plugged in 15 min preheat, and heater rarely running (1 min front window defrost every 8 min - seat and steering wheel heater on) will give you a max range of 64.8 at 20 F - 24kw *.90 safety factor * 3.0 miles/kwh

Big jump seems to occur at 28 F - range above same preheat and min heater is - 3.6-4.0 = 78 - 86 miles.

Don't forget that the LED lights on the SL will give you a small slice of valuable winter range - estimates? are 1-3 miles per charge if dusk to dawn driving is prevalent. (50 watts total versus 55 watts per traditional fixture - Savings would be approx 170 watts per hour - 2.1 GIDs, 1 GID takes you down the road .136 miles at worse winter conditions and .344 best spring fall conditions).

 

[GerryAZ]

You are looking at 2013 SL or SV so either will have a heat pump which makes heating much more efficient in moderate temperatures. All 2012 and later LEAFs have the battery heater (only protects battery, does not improve cold weather range), heated seats, heated steering wheel, etc. so you should be OK even in colder climates. There were some problems with resistance heaters and A/C refrigerant lines on 2013s so try to test the A/C and heat. It can be hard to test the resistance heater because the heat pump will come on if temperatures are moderate. If 2013s are like 2015s, the preheating while plugged in uses the resistance heater so you might be able to set the preheat temperature as high as possible, set a climate control timer for a few minutes in the future, shut the car down, plug in, and see if the heater delivers hot air. 2013s and later are not covered by the class action lawsuit, but they do have a battery capacity warranty for 5 years/60k miles in addition to the 8-year/100k mile battery defect warranty. Nissan is clear in the owner manual that the annual battery inspections are required to keep these warranties intact so it would be good to check service records and confirm warranty coverage with Nissan.

Gerry

 

[dgpcolorado]

...These are my unknowns that I could use some help with:
* I believe the car new fully charged should have around 100% SOC and 280 GIDs. What would be the expected values for a 2013 with 10k, 20k, and 30k miles?

Battery degradation is related to heat and time, with mileage being only a small factor (due to cycles of charging). Measuring GIDs at a full charge is a good proxy for battery condition. Even better would be to measure Amp•hours (Ahr) of battery capacity. A new 2013 LEAF likely started with about 66.25 Ahr or perhaps a bit more.

* What additional pre-purchase checks should I do that are different for the Leaf versus a car with an ICE?

The heater check suggested by GerryAZ is a good one. You might want to make sure the car's systems, such as cruise control, heated seats and steering wheel, and the like, work properly. There have been some reports of used cars being sold without the expensive SD card that runs the nav system. So, make sure that works. And make sure you get a working portable EVSE, usually stored in a little "backpack" case in the trunk.

* Can 2013s be labeled with the "B0133 NO EV BATT CAPACITY WARRANTY" code? If so, how do I check?

No. Don't worry about it.

* I will be trailering the car from the purchase city to my home. Any advice for transporting the Leaf on a trailer (tie down points, etc.).

When I used car transport, the car was flatbedded using straps that tied down the tires. That is probably the best way. I tried to use a tow dolly but the wheel fenders hit the LEAF doors on tight turns, so I'd be cautious going that route. Flatbed is best. FWIW.

* Am I missing anything?

I think that you have a pretty good handle on the issues. Do make sure the LEAF range is appropriate for your needs, climate, and charging infrastructure.

 

[ishiyakazuo]

Over the last year I've started seriously looking at Leafs. I've been doing my homework through this forum. I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel here, so if there is a post I've missed answering my questions, please point me to it. Thanks!

This is what I have learned:
* I want a 2013 SV/SL instead of a 2011/2012 due to the hopeful reduced battery degradation, 6.6kW charging, and the QC port.

Even 2011/2012 models have the QC port. 6.6kW charging and the heat pump are the main reasons to look at a 2013.

* I should send my EVSE off to EVSE Upgrade to allow me to charge at 4.8kW from the 240 receptacle in my garage.

That's one possibility, and it really depends on your usage. Personally, even though my EVSE is plugged into a 240V receptacle, I wouldn't want to unplug it to take it with me each day in case of emergency. I like having two separate EVSEs, and cheap EVSEs are starting to hit the market. The real question is whether or not you see yourself plugging in anywhere but your house, and if those places will have 240V receptacles. If you will and they do, then the answer is EVSEUpgrade. If you won't or they don't, then I'd say getting a dedicated 30A 240V EVSE makes good sense to me.

* I should purchase an ORDII reader and Leaf Spy to do a battery check pre-purchase.
* I should look at the Car Fax to make sure the car isn't from super hot locations.

To me, this is an either-or (and I'd prefer the Leaf Spy results). If the CarFax (or, if you're looking at a lot of them, I strongly recommend AutoCheck over CarFax) says it's from a northern state, then it's highly likely that battery degradation is going to be not a big deal, but the Leaf Spy results will tell you exactly so you can compare apples to apples.

These are my unknowns that I could use some help with:
* I believe the car new fully charged should have around 100% SOC and 280 GIDs. What would be the expected values for a 2013 with 10k, 20k, and 30k miles?

You mean SOH (State of Health), not SOC (State of Charge). Make sure you check the right one when you look at Leaf Spy. (Sorry, I don't have expected values on '13s to add to this.)

 

[jpadc]

I will be trailering the car from the purchase city to my home. Any advice for transporting the Leaf on a trailer (tie down points, etc.).

When I used car transport, the car was flatbedded using straps that tied down the tires. That is probably the best way. I tried to use a tow dolly but the wheel fenders hit the LEAF doors on tight turns, so I'd be cautious going that route. Flatbed is best. FWIW.

Are you towing yourself or having a transport company do that? FWIW, I towed mine from Iowa City to Indy through Wisconsin (don't ask) using a u-haul tow dolly without problems. Their tow dolly is plenty wide enough for the car to not have to worry about fenders hitting doors on tight turns, it has good loading ramps and does not tip the car too far backwards. One-way rental on the dolly is cheap and most places will do all the hook-up and car loading for you and most (but not all) of their people have loaded 100's of cars on their equipment.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Are you towing yourself or having a transport company do that? FWIW, I towed mine from Iowa City to Indy through Wisconsin (don't ask) using a u-haul tow dolly without problems. Their tow dolly is plenty wide enough for the car to not have to worry about fenders hitting doors on tight turns, it has good loading ramps and does not tip the car too far backwards. One-way rental on the dolly is cheap and most places will do all the hook-up and car loading for you and most (but not all) of their people have loaded 100's of cars on their equipment.

I purchased a tow dolly. U-haul wouldn't rent one to me because the LEAF was too heavy for my Jeep Cherokee, in their computer's judgment (to my ire). So I ended up using commercial car transport.

If one has a tow vehicle that U-haul approves of and the tow dollies are wide enough, as you say, that's a good way to go. The LEAF is a pretty big, heavy car.

 

[jpadc]

I purchased a tow dolly. U-haul wouldn't rent one to me because the LEAF was too heavy for my Jeep Cherokee, in their computer's judgment (to my ire). So I ended up using commercial car transport.

Its all about braking capacity with them... I always found it funny that they would not rent me a 5 X 12 trailer for my Blazer with a class III hitch but a 5 X 8 trailer for my Prius with a class I hitch was fine by them.

 

[vwDavid]

my bought used Canadian Leaf in Vancouver (temperate) with 20k miles (32k km) has 260 gids at 100% SOC, around 59.9 Ah showing around 91% SOH.

hope that helps.

-David