Heating Coil Not Working

[amygrowley]

We have had our Leaf for about a month and are still learning about its features. Unfortunately a few days ago, the heating coil seems to have malfunctioned and the car no longer produces heat, although the fan works properly and the climate control turns on/off.

Just doing one last check to see if there is any possible "operator error" that could have caused this malfunction. Seeing what others know before we turn to the dealer for a mechanical solution.

Any ideas?

 

[planet4ever]

A number of people have had this problem. Take it to your dealer. Unfortunately, based on reports here they will probably have to order parts, so talk them into giving you a loaner.

Ray

 

[amygrowley]

Thanks, Ray, for the quick response. It's what I was afraid of, but was hoping that maybe there was some little switch somewhere that we had hit. Long shot, but worth a try...

 

[ihatethisplace]

Unfortunately this is a very common problem. Take it to your dealer and demand a loaner that is equal to your LEAF. Don't make the mistake I did and settle for a junk Versa.

Be prepared to wait. Research your states lemon laws as well.

I think the one question all of us who have had this problem should ask is WHEN will this problem happen again? I mean, if they're fixing it with the exact same part that failed originally, and this has been happening since the first models were released, it seems its a matter of when, not if, it will fail again after repair.

 

[thankyouOB]

i thought my heat didnt work, and went to the dealer a year ago during my first winter.
turns out i wasnt using the auto setting properly, setting the temp high enough and waiting long enough for the car to heat up.
it takes 3-5 miles or five minutes of driving, in my experience.
alternatively, you can test it by using the remote climate start.
apologies if you have already been through this.

 

[Stoaty]

Unfortunately this is a very common problem. Take it to your dealer and demand a loaner that is equal to your LEAF. Don't make the mistake I did and settle for a junk Versa.

Why would you call this a very common problem? I have seen a few reports on the forum, but we aren't talking 10%, 5%, or even 1% (by my guess, anyway). Do you have data or other information (like the dealer saying we get them in here with this problem several times a month) to back this up? Unfortunately, if it happens to you (and you have to wait forever for a fix), it really doesn't matter to you how common it is.

 

[DaveEV]

Why would you call this a very common problem? I have seen a few reports on the forum, but we aren't talking 10%, 5%, or even 1% (by my guess, anyway).

Aside from Carwings flakiness, capacity loss, or range issues, the heater failing to work is definitely up there in terms of commonly reported problems. I'd call it common.

 

[DesertDenizen]

Add me to the list. I rarely use the heater so I have not bothered to bring it to the dealer.

 

[cra]

Everyone experiencing this should contact the dealer immediately. That is the best way to get Nissan to take it seriously. There are reports of people waiting for weeks on parts that Nissan are manufacturing themselves, and that simply isn't good enough!

If only a few people report the problem the may think it's no big problem, but for people in colder areas this is a big deal, both for comfort and safety.

In Norway, a number of users has experienced this problem after using the timer to start the heater while not being connected to external power.

Others have not had the problem, and there is some information gathering going on in a norwegian forum at the moment, comparing firmware versions etc to see if there is any connection. Most Leafers are now refraining from pre-heating when not charging, in fear of having their car in the shop for several weeks. Needless to say, Nissan has said nothing about the matter. :?

 

[garygid]

Good for everyone to test the heater in their car.
Better to test the heater before delivery of the car.

If you can still use the car without the heater, then there
should be no valid reason for your car to sit unused at the
dealer while waiting for parts.

The dealer should be able to reassemble the car sufficient
for safe operation, and let you bring it back in when the part arrives.

Probably best to "open a case" with Nissan LEAF Customer Service
and call daily and escalate the case if parts are unreasonably delayed.

Perhaps, the "squeaky wheel" will get the part?

Do you really want the dealer to charge it to 100% and leave
it parked in the sun all day, and then have battery capacity
issues, or maybe 12v battery failure?

 

[ksnogas2112]

just throwing this out there .... isn't this the first winter with ALL 2012 production models having the 'winter weather package'? There are certainly what I would call an unusual number of reported incidents of this than I would expect.

On a side note mine's working fine. Battery temp has been at 4 bars almost exclusively for the last 30 days so i've been using a lot of heat.

 

[DarkStar]

I preheat every morning (pre-programmed) and it works like a champ. Last night in particular, I needed to make a quick errand so I drove the car in regular Drive (instead of Eco) so that it would heat up a lot quicker. The heater almost pulled 6 kWh to get up to temp!

 

[Stanton]

Others have not had the problem, and there is some information gathering going on in a norwegian forum at the moment, comparing firmware versions etc to see if there is any connection. Most Leafers are now refraining from pre-heating when not charging, in fear of having their car in the shop for several weeks. Needless to say, Nissan has said nothing about the matter. :?

This is the first I've read there may be a specific issue with "pre-heating when not charging"; if so, it's good to know (although still needs to be addressed). I only pre-heat in the mornings when connected, so I guess I haven't hit this scenario yet (and guess I need to avoid it).

 

[midelectric]

The dealer just called to confirm that my 2012 with less than 1000 miles needs a new PTC heater and that they are back-ordered. They were going to check around to see what the lead time might be and give me a call later.

 

[Stoaty]

The dealer just called to confirm that my 2012 with less than 1000 miles needs a new PTC heater and that they are back-ordered. They were going to check around to see what the lead time might be and give me a call later.

I wonder if they are "back-ordered" because Nissan had to redesign the part or get a different supplier due to quality control issues.

 

[LeafLeafLeaf]

I discovered my heater was not working when I first turned it on. Dealer basically took the car apart...6 weeks later and lots of calling, it was fixed. They showed me invoice. Costed Nissan close to $5,000 for repair and parts. Junction box and PTC. Got crappy Versa for 6 weeks. Nissan sent me a check for the inconveniences.

 

[midelectric]

I discovered my heater was not working when I first turned it on. Dealer basically took the car apart...6 weeks later and lots of calling, it was fixed. They showed me invoice. Costed Nissan close to $5,000 for repair and parts. Junction box and PTC. Got crappy Versa for 6 weeks. Nissan sent me a check for the inconveniences.

LeafLeafLeaf, when did this occur? Reading through some threads it seems the PTC is on perpetual back-order but eventually show up, if only weeks later.

 

[LeafLeafLeaf]

My serial is in early 20000's. I discovered it in October when I first turned heater on. Never checked if heater was working before. Parts had to be shipped from Japan, waited forever. * The service mgr said heater failure is common.

 

[lindell26]

Add me to the list, on day 13 heater stopped working. Dealer put me in a stripped down Rogue SV, so slightly better than a Versa. I sure hope it's not a 6 week wait.

-Lindell

 

[midelectric]

I talked to LEAF customer service this morning and they said a new shipment of parts from Japan is due this coming week. Customs and distribution take a while and the job itself is about 2 days labor so I'm guessing it will be about 3 weeks before I'm back in my car. He was pretty familiar with the problem and said it was happening to a lot of 2012s. I have an Altima as a loaner, after the Leaf it feels like driving a tractor. They do have a LEAF in their rental fleet and since this adventure looks like it will be a while I'm going to request a swap.

I hope these replacements are of better quality. Did the 2011s use a different system?