How To Tow Very Dead 2012 Leaf?

[lavaleaf]

My 2012 Leaf stopped charging in 2020. The symptom was it stopped charging after being plugged in for 2 minutes, and drained the 12 volt in the process. I recharged the 12 volt, but it drained every time I tried to charge the car. It was diagnosed with a "shorted cell internally within the HV battery pack. Necessary to replace HV battery pack." The Nissan shop gave me DTCs of P31E7 and P0AA6 for the EV/HEV. Then they told me the new battery pack would cost $17,000 so "I might as well get a new Leaf." I did not believe the car should be scrapped, and wanted to try to get it fixed but due to it being the middle of covid, and living on an island with only untrained, unreliable, and untrustworthy Nissan dealers/mechanics to turn to, it sat in my garage for the last four years. I am now ready to give up on it and have it towed away. But it is deader than dead. Can someone please outline what I need to do to remove it? It is parked nose in, in a tight spot, at the end of a long narrow driveway. It needs to be backed out to the street, where a tow truck can take over.

I have tried charging the 12 volt (which was new four years ago) to see if I can even get it to turn on, but it won't charge. I am taking the battery to Napa today to see if their charger will work. I would prefer to not buy a new 12 volt for a car that will be junked. I do have another Leaf, with a good 12 volt, which I can try if the old 12 volt won't charge, but if it is needed to tow the car, then I will still have to buy a new one.

I appreciate any help with this. Thank you.

 

[cornbinder89]

No, not needed, should just pull it up on a ramp truck.
There are ways to release the parking brake, look in the "RAG" (Roadside assistance guide) put out by Nissan.
The tow well on a tow dolly, but if you are junking it, the tow driver can drag it out to the street.. Best if you can get it to power up enough to go into neutral, then drag it.

 

[lavaleaf]

No, not needed, should just pull it up on a ramp truck.
There are ways to release the parking brake, look in the "RAG" (Roadside assistance guide) put out by Nissan.
The tow well on a tow dolly, but if you are junking it, the tow driver can drag it out to the street.. Best if you can get it to power up enough to go into neutral, then drag it.

Thanks for the response. I read about releasing the parking brake - does that refer to the emergency brake, or to simply being in Park mode? Do I need to get the car in neutral in order to push it down the driveway? If I can't get it in neutral but I mechanically release the parking brake can I push it to the street, and can the truck use a tow dolly? Do I need to request a special tow truck (such as a flatbed)? The driveway is narrow, too narrow for a tow truck, and no turn around. So the car will have to be pushed/backed down the driveway to the tow truck.

Thanks again.

 

[cornbinder89]

If you have the parking brake off and a charged 12 volt hooked up, you should be able to get it into neutral and push/roll it down the driveway.

 

[nlspace]

and make sure the brakes are functional before rolling down to the bottom of the inclined driveway

 

[lavaleaf]

and make sure the brakes are functional before rolling down to the bottom of the inclined driveway

Lol, yes. It’s luckily not an incline. Just a flag lot with tight space.

 

[Zero Emissions]

My 2012 Leaf stopped charging in 2020. The symptom was it stopped charging after being plugged in for 2 minutes, and drained the 12 volt in the process. I recharged the 12 volt, but it drained every time I tried to charge the car. It was diagnosed with a "shorted cell internally within the HV battery pack. Necessary to replace HV battery pack." The Nissan shop gave me DTCs of P31E7 and P0AA6 for the EV/HEV. Then they told me the new battery pack would cost $17,000 so "I might as well get a new Leaf." I did not believe the car should be scrapped, and wanted to try to get it fixed but due to it being the middle of covid, and living on an island with only untrained, unreliable, and untrustworthy Nissan dealers/mechanics to turn to, it sat in my garage for the last four years. I am now ready to give up on it and have it towed away. But it is deader than dead. Can someone please outline what I need to do to remove it? It is parked nose in, in a tight spot, at the end of a long narrow driveway. It needs to be backed out to the street, where a tow truck can take over.

I have tried charging the 12 volt (which was new four years ago) to see if I can even get it to turn on, but it won't charge. I am taking the battery to Napa today to see if their charger will work. I would prefer to not buy a new 12 volt for a car that will be junked. I do have another Leaf, with a good 12 volt, which I can try if the old 12 volt won't charge, but if it is needed to tow the car, then I will still have to buy a new one.

I appreciate any help with this. Thank you.

The Gooder news is them batteries dont cost 17 grand these days! A very good company that rebuilds them and even upgrades them is Green Tech Auto. The refurbs are 3995. And they come with a warranty. Call them and they can send the battery to you direct or to whomever you have to install it or they can recommend a local place to do the work with in range of you. labor is under a grand being it takes the gooder part of a day. If your on an island that's a perfect place (Jimmy Buffett would concur) for a LEAF and really where you going to buy a EV with a new battery that will last 10 years at a cost of 500 per year ($5000.00 divided by 10 years = $500.00 per year) for the replacement battery, you'd pay 3 or 4 times that just for fuel alone each year with an ICE vehicle! Plus there's pretty much no other maintenance costs on a LEAF! You win... you can't beat that deal even with a big stick!

 

[lavaleaf]

The Gooder news is them batteries dont cost 17 grand these days! A very good company that rebuilds them and even upgrades them is Green Tech Auto. The refurbs are 3995. And they come with a warranty. Call them and they can send the battery to you direct or to whomever you have to install it or they can recommend a local place to do the work with in range of you. labor is under a grand being it takes the gooder part of a day. If your on an island that's a perfect place (Jimmy Buffett would concur) for a LEAF and really where you going to buy a EV with a new battery that will last 10 years at a cost of 500 per year ($5000.00 divided by 10 years = $500.00 per year) for the replacement battery, you'd pay 3 or 4 times that just for fuel alone each year with an ICE vehicle! Plus there's pretty much no other maintenance costs on a LEAF! You win... you can't beat that deal even with a big stick!

Thank you, I will look into this. The shipping to Hawaii might make this not doable. I am also not aware of anybody, but the Nissan dealer mechanics who will work on electric vehicles, and I doubt they would work with a battery not from them. But I will find out if the company has any more knowledge.

 

[lavaleaf]

Update: NAPA was able to charge the 12-volt (took 4 days), and the car turned on. I was able to put it in neutral, and with help was able to push it.

(Just for kicks, I did try plugging in the main battery, but after two minutes it stopped charging and in the process drained the battery below 12 volts. Just like before.)

Next challenge is finding someone who accepts junked EVs in Hawaii. Two hours of phonecalls to towing companies and salvage yards resulted in everyone saying no EVs accepted.

RE: Green Tek Auto - They don't have a shop that they work with in Hawaii and had no local recommendations. Also, they only ship the larger 40 kwh battery to Hawaii, which costs $7,000. They said the smaller battery loses charge by the time it arrives, so they don't send it. Since that price, plus shipping and install, is much more than we want to spend for a car we will only turn around to sell, and withoutr an experienced mechanic, it was not a good option. I encouraged them to consider opening a branch here. It would do very well.

Thanks for the help -

 

[ACDCPhilip]

Try selling it as " Spares or repair " on something like eBay.

I'm pretty sure you will find someone who will be willing to part with a few $$ & come & take it away.

 

[atikovi]

Next challenge is finding someone who accepts junked EVs in Hawaii. Two hours of phonecalls to towing companies and salvage yards resulted in everyone saying no EVs accepted.

Remove the Leaf emblems and tell them its a Nissan Versa. The tow truck driver they send out to pick it up wont know any better. Or push it out on to the street and let the city tow it as abandoned. Take the tags off of course and probably the vin plate and decals.

 

[Zero Emissions]

At this point since you have shot your horse for a broken leg maybe you can place an ad on your local Craigslist or Market place in the general section as well as the auto section: Free 24KW EV battery perfect for solar storage use! In California they pay big bucks for old LEAF batteries for solar storage they work perfect for that just put in your ad the battery comes with a large yard art piece in the shape of a Nissan LEAF automobile also includes free air in the tires and a gallon of blinker fluid. Hey also if you have the roller cargo cover... Mine is missing so I'd pay a few bucks for one.

 

[lavaleaf]

Final Update: The local Kidney Foundation accepts non-running EVs, so they came and got it. To my amazement, after 4 years of sitting parked, there was enough juice in the battery to actually drive it down the driveway onto the truck.

To the person who commented that I shot the horse for a broken leg - I see your perspective, and would truly have liked to do otherwise. It is not a decision that sits well in me. But. Financially, I am unable to put the money into the car to see if it can be fixed, and I am positive I could not then sell it for what it cost to fix. I no longer have the ability to park it in my carport until my situation changes. Hawaii is a bit different from the mainland, and as compared to someplace like California, there are fewer people interested in taking on an old electric car for parts.

I did put a note in the car that I believed it was salvageable, and my hope is that whoever ends up with it will see its value.

Thanks for all the feedback, it has been helpful.