Embarrassed myself with rented Nissan eleaf

[myths]

Hi

As title suggests I embarrassed myself with new eleaf. I have not been driving much and now I got this rented car for an hour.

First I couldn't find the handbreak there was neither a manual leg one nor an automatic leaver one in this car.

So I imagined that this might be a newer version where they have automatic one. I could put my car on reverse R and it went back but as soon as I moved it to D it stopped on me. I could not move it I tired with B same result.

I applied accelerators and it kind of dragged the vehicle as if the hand breaks are applied. And somehow I froze couldn't do much so decided to give it up. And all of a sudden could see a red exclamation mark on dashboard. And that's when I gave up and left the car back locked it and returned it.

For love of God can some kind soul please explain what happened here. Why I couldn't go ahead with D . And what does that red exclamation mean have I somehow managed to damage the car and await a big bill from rented car company.

Cheers

 

[LeftieBiker]

Welcome. You probably rented a Leaf with the electric parking brake. The release for that is a sort of toggle button located between the seats, near the shifter. I thought that those released automatically if the car was shifted into D, but guess not...

As for the red exclamation point: that indicates a serious, but not necessarily permanent error. It illuminates to get your attention, but there is usually a second warning light that identifies the problem more specifically.

 

[Toby]

Was there nobody at the rental outfit who could show you some EV basics? The guy who parked the car with the brake on?

 

[Learjet]

I guess that little book in the glove box is to hard to open? Go to the index... look up Parking Brake...turn to page... :shock:

 

[myths]

Welcome. You probably rented a Leaf with the electric parking brake. The release for that is a sort of toggle button located between the seats, near the shifter. I thought that those released automatically if the car was shifted into D, but guess not...

As for the red exclamation point: that indicates a serious, but not necessarily permanent error. It illuminates to get your attention, but there is usually a second warning light that identifies the problem more specifically.

Thanks for the reply. Yes I was aware of the fact that these have parking brakes. Either as a footbreak variant or the one with P toggle option. And believe me for some weird reason none were present in this model. So I assumed it is some new version which automatically applies it.

I could also reverse back normally and I carefully checked for Park indicator too and there was none. So I was not sure what's happening with D and B.

Thanks for replying on exclamation. I believe but I could be wrong this appeared only after my futile attempts to drive forward. Pressing of acceleration dragged the car forward a bit similar to one where you apply handbreak and try to move car ahead.

This was my first electric vehicle and I was just not sure . And I was doing this in parking lot with assumption that people are staring at me so instead of taking pics and all. I just froze managed to drag the vehicle back to parking area and leave in dismay.

 

[myths]

Was there nobody at the rental outfit who could show you some EV basics? The guy who parked the car with the brake on?

This is one in London where these cars are randomly parked in car parking bays and you operate them with your mobile. So no one to actually guide you. I have booked normal gas or petrol onese before Covid. But now they have just replaced them with EV

 

[myths]

I guess that little book in the glove box is to hard to open? Go to the index... look up Parking Brake...turn to page... :shock:

All the manuals and other information is pssed on to you via the mobile message unfortunately. In glove box there is just a pin pad with keys and club card for charging

The manuals were generic saying that parking breaks could be either with foot or toggle. Neither my eyes could locate.

But you might be right there should be something specific on this model which I just couldn't find in the car at that moment .

I am planning to book same version and check click pics and all

 

[Flyct]

I guess that little book in the glove box is to hard to open? Go to the index... look up Parking Brake...turn to page... :shock:

The OP was probably confused and overwhelmed. The rental company should have spent some time going over the basics.

After owning Leafs since 2015 we were T-boned in November 2020 in our 2019 Leaf at the time. The car was totalled. We were hit directly on the the passenger door. All airbags went off, my wife was moaning horribly and the dog was shaking like I've never seen before.

I could not get the car to stop and it was rolling slowly in a busy intersection. I believe my foot was on the floor rather than the brake pedal in the confusion. I managed to do a U-Turn and considered putting the car into a light pole to get it to stop rolling. I managed to get it up a ramp into a drug store parking lot and it finally stopped rolling due to the incline.

IN THE CONFUSION I COULD NOT REMEMBER WHERE THE E-BRAKE WAS. Stuff happens when you are confused.

 

[DougWantsALeaf]

Which rental firms have Leafs out of curiosity?

 

[myths]

I guess that little book in the glove box is to hard to open? Go to the index... look up Parking Brake...turn to page... :shock:

The OP was probably confused and overwhelmed. The rental company should have spent some time going over the basics.

After owning Leafs since 2015 we were T-boned in November 2020 in our 2019 Leaf at the time. The car was totalled. We were hit directly on the the passenger door. All airbags went off, my wife was moaning horribly and the dog was shaking like I've never seen before.

I could not get the car to stop and it was rolling slowly in a busy intersection. I believe my foot was on the floor rather than the brake pedal in the confusion. I managed to do a U-Turn and considered putting the car into a light pole to get it to stop rolling. I managed to get it up a ramp into a drug store parking lot and it finally stopped rolling due to the incline.

IN THE CONFUSION I COULD NOT REMEMBER WHERE THE E-BRAKE WAS. Stuff happens when you are confused.

I was confused but still was in rather silent parking spot. There were some eyes looking at me I believe trying to figure out what I am doing.

But believe me I literally crawled down to search the parking footbreak but couldn't find one. And toggle switch was absent too

 

[myths]

Which rental firms have Leafs out of curiosity?

These are the ones in UK. They are mobile operated club member vehicles. So not exactly traditional rental place. You get the membership and then go to parking lots where they are parked. And then you just unlock your vehicle and drive. Good for few hours. Previously they used to have gas or petrol vehicles. Now they are replaced by EV.

 

[Learjet]

check out this link for info...is this it? https://www.zipcar.com/en-gb/blog/v...e Nissan Leaf has a,you park (picture below).

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYAInnwpbqM

"The Nissan Leaf 2022 uses an electronic parking brake (EPB) system instead of a traditional handbrake. Here are the steps to use the EPB:

To engage the EPB, press the switch with the "P" (park) symbol on it. The EPB will engage, and the "P" symbol will light up on the dashboard.
To release the EPB, press the brake pedal with your foot and then press the switch with the "P" symbol again. The EPB will release, and the symbol will turn off."

 

[Driver8]

I don't think this problem is necessarily specific to EVs in general or the Leaf specifically.
Many newer cars seem to all have newer start up procedures that are more confusing than they need to be.

 

[myths]

check out this link for info...is this it? https://www.zipcar.com/en-gb/blog/v...e Nissan Leaf has a,you park (picture below).

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYAInnwpbqM

"The Nissan Leaf 2022 uses an electronic parking brake (EPB) system instead of a traditional handbrake. Here are the steps to use the EPB:

To engage the EPB, press the switch with the "P" (park) symbol on it. The EPB will engage, and the "P" symbol will light up on the dashboard.
To release the EPB, press the brake pedal with your foot and then press the switch with the "P" symbol again. The EPB will release, and the symbol will turn off."

Thanks . I did go through the same video and the car club gave me step by step instructions. But believe me when I say none of these options were present on this vehicle. Anyways some one on the other forums pointed out that how he got a vehicle with broken and missing footbreak from same company. So I am assuming I was given same vehicle.

 

[Learjet]

That makes sense, brake lever must have been broken off.