Capacity Loss on 2011-2012 LEAFs

[dhanson865]

I would recommend the Simvalley one for $18 from Amazon that you can modify (four screws) and have it switchable between the two Cans. Turbo3 said he will start working on the EV Can mid June.

Can you be more specific?

Simvalley sells 77 elm327 bluetooth adapters on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st?keywords=elm327+bluetooth&qid=1370026980&rh=n%3A15684181%2Ck%3Aelm327+bluetooth%2Cp_6%3AA3V4X6R6ARGKRK&sort=price" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[JPWhite]

I would recommend the Simvalley one for $18 from Amazon that you can modify (four screws) and have it switchable between the two Cans. Turbo3 said he will start working on the EV Can mid June.

Can you be more specific?

Simvalley sells 77 elm327 bluetooth adapters on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st?keywords=elm327+bluetooth&qid=1370026980&rh=n%3A15684181%2Ck%3Aelm327+bluetooth%2Cp_6%3AA3V4X6R6ARGKRK&sort=price" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Application Wiki has details

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/wiki/index.php?title=Leaf_Battery_Application

 

[Stoaty]

I would recommend the Simvalley one for $18 from Amazon that you can modify (four screws) and have it switchable between the two Cans. Turbo3 said he will start working on the EV Can mid June.

Can you be more specific?

Simvalley sells 77 elm327 bluetooth adapters on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st?keywords=elm327+bluetooth&qid=1370026980&rh=n%3A15684181%2Ck%3Aelm327+bluetooth%2Cp_6%3AA3V4X6R6ARGKRK&sort=price" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I assume LEAFfan is talking about the Vgate, which can be purchased from Simvalley on Amazon or other suppliers:

http://www.amazon.com/Vgate-ELM327-Bluetooth-Scanner-ANDROID/dp/B00AAOOQJC/ref=sr_1_1?m=A3V4X6R6ARGKRK&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1370031084&sr=1-1&keywords=vgate" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[jhm614]

First bar lost today.
24,931 miles
23 months in-service


_________________
Silver SL -
A/V Charger
DELIVERY: 6/24/11

Nice! I think that is awesome for a metroplex car. I am down 3 bars (but I've got 40k miles, too.)

 

[KJD]

It would be great if you could add your latest numbers on the survey, that way it's part of the data set and not just a post in the forum.

To submit a first survey report, use this page:

http://www.pluginamerica.org/surveys/batteries/leaf/survey.php

For folks who have submitted a report previously, use the update form:

http://www.pluginamerica.org/surveys/batteries/leaf/update.php

 

[Pipcecil]

Just wanted to update everyone on my loss from Turbo's android app. I am at 39k with almost 2 years of ownership (mid June is the 2 year mark). Turbo's app reported 73% capacity remaining. That is in line with my 2 bar loss and indicating I will loose the third here pretty soon. Range is now mid to low 60's and sometimes high 50's to VLBW.

 

[Weatherman]

I concede defeat.

Maintain a low, average state of charge? Check.
Only charge to 80% or less? Check.
Only charge during the morning when it's "cool"? Check.
Park car outside at night to keep "cool"? Check.
Park car near trees so it gets shade in the afternoon? Check.

All completely worthless.

Lost first capacity bar this morning at only 8,260 miles and 11 months.

 

[JPWhite]

All completely worthless.

Sorry you lost a bar so soon into ownership. I wouldn't say your precautions are worthless, I imagine you would have lost earlier had you not babied the battery. At this rate you should be a benefactor of the capacity warranty, small consolation I know but at least its there.

JP

 

[TomT]

And why, barring a major change in battery chemistry and/or a TMS, Nissan has lost me as a customer...

I concede defeat.
All completely worthless.
Lost first capacity bar this morning at only 8,260 miles and 11 months.

 

[Weatherman]

Fortunately, I only have 25 months left on my lease. As long as I can go 45 miles on a 100% charge and not reach LBW, I'll be ok (not happy, but ok). If it starts getting close to that, it will time to retire the LEAF and go get a Volt, even if the LEAF still has a few months left on the lease.

 

[Stoaty]

Maintain a low, average state of charge? Check.
Only charge to 80% or less? Check.
Only charge during the morning when it's "cool"? Check.
Park car outside at night to keep "cool"? Check.
Park car near trees so it gets shade in the afternoon? Check.

Lost first capacity bar this morning at only 8,260 miles and 11 months.

Your Leaf is doing even worse than the Battery Aging Model suggests for your area (around 88-89% capacity remaining)... what a bummer!

 

[TomT]

I now hit LBW far more frequently than I used to. I could slow down even further to lengthen the range but, frankly, at this point I'm inclined to just drive it in to the ground until the lease is up as I'm not convinced it will make much difference anyway! Plus, maybe I could try out that battery warranty that we are still waiting for! :lol:

As long as I can go 45 miles on a 100% charge and not reach LBW, I'll be ok (not happy, but ok).

 

[dgpcolorado]

I now hit LBW far more frequently than I used to. I could slow down even further to lengthen the range but, frankly, at this point I'm inclined to just drive it in to the ground until the lease is up as I'm not convinced it will make much difference anyway! Plus, maybe I could try out that battery warranty that we are still waiting for! :lol:

Do you really expect to lose four bars in So. Cal in three years? Palm Springs I could understand, but the San Fernando Valley?

 

[JPWhite]

Fortunately, I only have 25 months left on my lease. As long as I can go 45 miles on a 100% charge and not reach LBW, I'll be ok (not happy, but ok). If it starts getting close to that, it will time to retire the LEAF and go get a Volt, even if the LEAF still has a few months left on the lease.

If it gets that bad, you should be able to get a reconditioned pack under the capacity warranty, assuming Nissan come through on that promise. Which btw I think they will, just not on our schedule, but theirs

 

[keydiver]

I concede defeat. Lost first capacity bar this morning at only 8,260 miles and 11 months.

Wow! You're not very far south of me, and at almost 17,000 miles in 18 months I still haven't lost the first bar. But, the Leaf Battery App says I'm at ~87%, so it WILL happen soon. Does this make the second person in South Florida to lose a bar on their 2012?

 

[Weatherman]

I believe I'm the third person, so far, to mention something. This suggests there are many, many others who either don't notice, or don't choose to post their results.

There are only two things I can think of that would cause my battery capacity gauge to drop a bar so early:

1) A vast majority of my miles (80% or more) are freeway-speed miles (commuting to and from work at 55 to 65 mph). I spend very little time on city streets. So, for a given set of miles, I go through an above average number of charge cycles. I'm guessing the battery gets a little warmer when discharging at freeway speeds than city street speeds, also.

2) The gauges on my car are wonky, and the capacity really isn't down that much. Quite a while ago I put stickers over the GOM readout. I was getting huge variations on the miles-to-go estimates for my commute, far greater than could be accounted for by wind, speed or the minor variations in temperatures we have down here.

 

[JPWhite]

I believe I'm the third person, so far, to mention something. This suggests there are many, many others who either don't notice, or don't choose to post their results.

There are only two things I can think of that would cause my battery capacity gauge to drop a bar so early:

1) A vast majority of my miles (80% or more) are freeway-speed miles (commuting to and from work at 55 to 65 mph). I spend very little time on city streets. So, for a given set of miles, I go through an above average number of charge cycles. I'm guessing the battery gets a little warmer when discharging at freeway speeds than city street speeds, also.

2) The gauges on my car are wonky, and the capacity really isn't down that much. Quite a while ago I put stickers over the GOM readout. I was getting huge variations on the miles-to-go estimates for my commute, far greater than could be accounted for by wind, speed or the minor variations in temperatures we have down here.

Call Nissan and get a case #, your car maybe an outlier which may warrant extra attention from Nissan.

I recommend you use the LEAF Battery app. You can experiment with freeway commuting and using the side roads instead. In my experience it doesn't make much difference. YMMV. I use the side roads because I need to squeeze as much range as I can.

I do believe the gauges are messed up in all 2011/12 LEAF cars, Nissan suggested instrumentation as part of the problem with the Arizona degradation debacle. Unless they *fix* the instrumentation it's a worthless discussion as to how much is real and how much is instrumentation, when the turtle lights up you'r done regardless of the true state of the battery.

The Arizona range tests last year didn't establish true battery degradation levels, but they DID measure actual driving range degradation, which is all that matters at the end of the day.

 

[TomT]

Four years in my case...

If you had asked me the question a year ago, I'd have said no. Now ... I'm not so sure!

Do you really expect to lose four bars in So. Cal in three years? Palm Springs I could understand, but the San Fernando Valley?

 

[ttweed]

Our 2011 Sl-e lost the first capacity bar this morning at 31,953 miles and 26 months in service. We live in a very cool micro-climate next to the ocean, which is a large heatsink moderating the temps. For the first year and a half we charged to 80% most of the time, and to 100% only occasionally, and never fast-charged. Over the last 6 months, as range dropped, we began charging to 100% more often, but still less than half the time (maybe 3 days a week), and used mid-day opportunity charging more (but still no DCFC/L3 charging at all). The car is always garaged at night, and ambient temp has been in the 60F range lately, so I was surprised to see it lose a bar now instead of during the heat of the summer, but so it goes....

TT

 

[TO91362]

After 21 months of ownership, we have lost our first capacity bar. We still love the car, but are a little disappointed and as another person mentioned, not sure we could recommend this vehicle to others-I believe the loss of capacity within 2 years will be a huge turn off for many.

Our usage: I drive from Thousand Oaks to Northridge every weekday about a 55 mile RT commute. Charge 100% after midnight at home, and if available will charge again to 80% at work. With the capacity loss, I will change my usual route to work(will take the 101 instead of 118. 101 has fewer hills but takes longer to get to work.) to save some capacity in case the chargers are unavailable at work. I'll be satisfied as long as I can continue to commute to work on one charge(since charging at work is not always guaranteed).

When my husband called Nissan for a case number, they asked him to bring the car to the dealer for a battery check. He will do that sometime this week. Will report back if anything interesting is said as a result of that check up.

vin: 08237
purchase date: 9/2011
Mileage: 23,600
Date of 1st bar loss: 5/28/2013
Case: 11315828