Hi there! New Leaf SV, a few questions

[goaliepride]

Hi there! I just bought a new 2013 Leaf SV this week and I have a few questions I haven't found by lurking/searching the forum I was hoping someone had insight into.

a) My commute is 19 miles, when I start my leaf (80% charge in place) I see it estimates I can go 71 miles. I get to work with a 47 mile range estimate. It took off 24 miles of range estimate when I drove about 19. My current average is 4 Kwh, which as I understand isn't too unusual. So my questions are: 1) Does the range estimate take into account my driving efficiency averages? 2) Does it tend to over-estimate? 3) I find it weird 75 isn't the range estimate given the advertized range, given 80% is the suggestion to not prematurely age a battery. (I'm getting a bluetooth ODBII dongle to try with my phone, so this should help me more accurately estimate in future).

b) I currently rent an old house with only 120v. I have a 220v at work (blink station). I'd like to put in a 220v at my rental by getting my landlord to do it it. Anyone have success/tips for this? I was thinking I'd find the most utilitarian plug style and request she put it in for perhaps power tools/something, then do the EVSE upgrade and buy an adapter.

c) My leaf when riding over little road bumps (like ripples in the black top sort of bumps) takes them kind of rough, by which I mean it feels "bouncy" rather than smooth (my reference is a low to the ground old saturn SC2, which felt a lot of road. A 2004 Corolla also feels smoother). Is there any way to fix this OTHER than putting in a new suspension such as in the Blitz Coilover post on the mod forum? That seems a bit extreme, but the bounciness does annoy me.

d) Is there a better solution for bypassing the "while driving" lockout of some options like navigation changes, other than the one at carkitcompany for $175?

Thanks all!

 

[Boourns]

a) The GOM (guess-o-meter) uses your most recent efficiency to give you an estimate of your remaining range. Therefore it's not all that reliable in giving you an idea of what you can expect in the future, as your driving style and conditions might change. If you drove down the side of a mountain in B+Eco mode it would probably say you had about 200 miles of range. Then if you drove back up hooning the hell out of it with the heater on you'd hit turtle mode in about 25.

As far as the advertised range, many people here think that Nissan and its dealers are doing a real disservice by continuing to tout a 100-mile, real-world range when in facts it's closer to 75. Your planned purchase of the ODBII is about the best thing you can do to get a reliable range estimate. Also look for Tony Williams' range chart: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=101293" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

b) I think you should ask for a 240V dryer outlet. That is probably the most versatile. If your landlord pays for it, renew your lease immediately because you have the best landlord ever.

c) I haven't experienced this, so maybe take the car into the dealer to have it checked. The Leaf doesn't have the most responsive handling, so it just may be a matter of getting used to how it drives.

d) Not sure about this one.

 

[Klayfish]

I've had my LEAF 2 months now and have quickly learned to ignore the GOM. I use the number of bars and the % of battery life left to help me figure out how much further I can go. The GOM is a decent "ballpark" figure, but not accurate, as it'll change based on your driving style.

It is a bit odd that the LEAFs handling isn't sporty at all, but it does feel a bit stiff over small bumps in the road. I've noticed that too. It doesn't really bother me, but I do feel it.

 

[Wennfred]

Check your tire pressure, might be a little too high, I noticed the same roughness in the ride when I inflated to 44 PSI from the 36 PSI that they require. Im due for new rear tires and will go with Nokian Entyres, will see if that makes a difference in the handling at around 40 PSI.

Fred

 

[goaliepride]

I got a bluetooth dongle and leafspy, so thanks and I'll try ignoring the GOM.

My tire PSIs are 32.75, 33.5, 34.25, 35.25. Drunk tire inflator? =). I'll try to even it out and all, but I guess tire pressure being too high isn't my issue (40+, etc.)

Glad to hear I'm not the only one to notice the odd bumpy ride.

I'll report back in if I figure it out!

 

[KJD]

b) I currently rent an old house with only 120v. I have a 220v at work (blink station). I'd like to put in a 220v at my rental by getting my landlord to do it it. Anyone have success/tips for this? I was thinking I'd find the most utilitarian plug style and request she put it in for perhaps power tools/something, then do the EVSE upgrade and buy an adapter.

You can make a 220 circuit (really 240 volts) from a couple of 110 outlets. See Quick 220 systems
http://www.quick220.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[toiday]

The estimate is base on the way you drive so it may get more accurate as you drive longer.

About the 220v charger, you can't just plug into any 220v outlets. The 20amp chargers required a 30amp circuit breaker and the 30amp chargers required a 40amp charger. The cost of getting a new outlet for this is also vary and depend on your circuit breaker. Can it handle the additional load and does it have room for two more breakers? The best way would be to negotiate with your landlord. If he's not willing to pay for it then ofter to split the cost with him.

 

[toiday]

b) I currently rent an old house with only 120v. I have a 220v at work (blink station). I'd like to put in a 220v at my rental by getting my landlord to do it it. Anyone have success/tips for this? I was thinking I'd find the most utilitarian plug style and request she put it in for perhaps power tools/something, then do the EVSE upgrade and buy an adapter.

You can make a 220 circuit (really 240 volts) from a couple of 110 outlets. See Quick 220 systems
http://www.quick220.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's not just the voltage, it's the amperage as well. There are 20amp chargers and 30amp chargers. These numbers are based on 220v. If you're converting 110v to 220v than the amperage become double on the 110v outlet. Most 110v outlet can only handle 15 or 20amp. That will cause your breaker to trip, if you're lucky, or your wire to melt.

 

[Nubo]

The estimate is base on the way you drive so it may get more accurate as you drive longer.

About the 220v charger, you can't just plug into any 220v outlets. The 20amp chargers required a 30amp circuit breaker and the 30amp chargers required a 40amp charger. The cost of getting a new outlet for this is also vary and depend on your circuit breaker. Can it handle the additional load and does it have room for two more breakers? The best way would be to negotiate with your landlord. If he's not willing to pay for it then ofter to split the cost with him.

There are also 16-amp EVSEs which only require a 20-amp circuit.

 

[TomT]

Actually, it is based on how you drove over the last relatively small period of time and distance... Thus, it will not get any more accurate over a much longer period...

The estimate is base on the way you drive so it may get more accurate as you drive longer.

 

[Nubo]

My tire PSIs are 32.75, 33.5, 34.25, 35.25. Drunk tire inflator? =). I'll try to even it out and all, but I guess tire pressure being too high isn't my issue (40+, etc.)

Glad to hear I'm not the only one to notice the odd bumpy ride.

I'll report back in if I figure it out!

Under-inflation can also cause a jouncy/wallowy ride. In any new car (or even just new tires), I spend time adjusting pressures, usually in 2PSI increments and over a few weeks dial-in my preference. Sometimes the OEM recommendation is spot-on. But for LEAF I ended up at 44 psi. The car is really pretty heavy for the tires it has, particularly the Ecopias have very soft and compliant sidewalls.

 

[planet4ever]

It's not just the voltage, it's the amperage as well. There are 20amp chargers and 30amp chargers. These numbers are based on 220v. If you're converting 110v to 220v than the amperage become double on the 110v outlet. Most 110v outlet can only handle 15 or 20amp. That will cause your breaker to trip, if you're lucky, or your wire to melt.

You are a newbie, so perhaps we can forgive you, but there is a HUGE amount of misinformation in that post. There are no 20A chargers for the LEAF, but there are a couple of 20A EVSEs. No one in the US has 110v and 220v; it's all 120v and 240v. Converting 120v to 240v with the Quick220 does not double the amperage on the 120v outlet, instead it uses two separate outlets, and the technique only works when the outlets are on different circuits. Nothing you plug into a 120v outlet should be able to cause the wire to melt if it has a breaker properly rated for the wire size.

Ray