New here

[Jerrymander]

Hi,
I have a '20. 65,000 miles so far. Primarily interested in diy maintenance.. brakes, etc. Since I'm at year 5 with it, just did brake flush and put new ecopia tires on it... Next is to change the fluid in the reduction gear box. and I think I recall a radiator in it?!? If so, time for a coolant flush. It says online that the battery is air cooled, so what is the radiator for? ... and, I'll poke around here to learn more about common issues with the car.

 

[danelo]

Welcome to the forum. Looks of good information here.

I think the part that you think is a radiator is an AC condenser.

 

[Jerrymander]

Maybe... It would need fans, too. I'll get a closer look. maybe it cools the gear box thingie... I'm new to EVs, but not ICE car stuff.

 

[DougWantsALeaf]

Welcome

 

[marshallinwash]

Hi,
I have a '20. 65,000 miles so far. Primarily interested in diy maintenance.. brakes, etc. Since I'm at year 5 with it, just did brake flush and put new ecopia tires on it... Next is to change the fluid in the reduction gear box. and I think I recall a radiator in it?!? If so, time for a coolant flush. It says online that the battery is air cooled, so what is the radiator for? ... and, I'll poke around here to learn more about common issues with the car.

It likely keeps the inverter and motor cool and provides coolant to the cabin heater.

There is no recommended coolant change until you hit 15 years or 120,000 miles.

 

[Jerrymander]

It likely keeps the inverter and motor cool and provides coolant to the cabin heater.

There is no recommended coolant change until you hit 15 years or 120,000 miles.

I saw a hose going to the case that contains all that stuff. 15 years seems like a long time!! I'll double check the book. Funny thing.... I was at the dealer and asked for the coolant for the Leaf, and they were like "Coolant for a Leaf?!? Whaaaaa?".. but yea, its there. Thanks fer the info.

 

[aqn]

From the 2011 Nisan LEAF Service Manual, page HCO-7 (2000 LEAF may or may not be the same; I'd guess that it'd be the same):

High Voltage Cooling System INFOID:0000000006917761
• High voltage cooling system is a system which cools high voltage components below:
- Traction motor
- Traction motor inverter
- DC/DC-J/B
- On board charger
• Coolant is circulated by electric water pump, which is controlled by VCM (vehicle control module).

The other "coolant" loop is for the heater, page HA-28:
Heater Fluid Flow
• The flow of heater fluid passes through the heater pump, PTC element heater, and heater core and then
returns to the heater pump.

 

[aqn]

Your car's maintenance document should have specifications for replacing coolants. For my 2011:
The recommended service interval of the factory-fill coolant
is 125,000 miles (200,000 km) or 15 years, whichever comes first.
There's no mention of replacing the heater's coolant/fluid.

 

[marshallinwash]

Your car's maintenance document should have specifications for replacing coolants. For my 2011:
The recommended service interval of the factory-fill coolant
is 125,000 miles (200,000 km) or 15 years, whichever comes first.
There's no mention of replacing the heater's coolant/fluid.

It wouldn't make any sense to run two separate coolant systems. If nothing else, two separate coolant systems wouldn't be able to take advantage of the heat generated by the electronics in the DC to AC converter.

In my 2022 leaf, there is only one coolant reservoir. So there is no way I could have two separate coolant systems.

So there may be two loops, but there is just one coolant to change.

 

[aqn]

It wouldn't make any sense to run two separate coolant systems. If nothing else, two separate coolant systems wouldn't be able to take advantage of the heat generated by the electronics in the DC to AC converter.

In my 2022 leaf, there is only one coolant reservoir. So there is no way I could have two separate coolant systems.

So there may be two loops, but there is just one coolant to change.

You're right. The service manual shows one circuit with two water pumps, one coolant reservoir (front driver's side), and one degas tank (passenger side towards firewall), page HCO-23. Page HCO-8 also shows the two pumps in series with each other and the paragraph (HCO-6):

"The cooling path has two electric water pumps. VCM (Vehicle Control
Module) controls coolant flow, according to water temperature
and vehicle speed. And when one of the two electric water pumps
has a breakdown, the other electric water pump is enhanced and
used to make up for the deficiency in coolant flow."

The high voltage cooling system cools the traction motor, traction motor inverter, DC/DC-J/B (what's "J/B"???), and on board charger (HCO-7). The heater pump drivers coolant through the PTC heater and then the heater core (HA-28).

 

[garyacrowellsr]

You're right. The service manual shows one circuit with two water pumps, one coolant reservoir (front driver's side), and one degas tank (passenger side towards firewall), page HCO-23. Page HCO-8 also shows the two pumps in series with each other and the paragraph (HCO-6):

"The cooling path has two electric water pumps. VCM (Vehicle Control
Module) controls coolant flow, according to water temperature
and vehicle speed. And when one of the two electric water pumps
has a breakdown, the other electric water pump is enhanced and
used to make up for the deficiency in coolant flow."

The high voltage cooling system cools the traction motor, traction motor inverter, DC/DC-J/B (what's "J/B"???), and on board charger (HCO-7). The heater pump drivers coolant through the PTC heater and then the heater core (HA-28).

I think they went to a single pump sometime after 2012. But when one pump failed in my 2012, it was just a caution light and I was able to drive it for the week or so it took to get a new pump.

 

[marshallinwash]

You're right. The service manual shows one circuit with two water pumps, one coolant reservoir (front driver's side), and one degas tank (passenger side towards firewall), page HCO-23. Page HCO-8 also shows the two pumps in series with each other and the paragraph (HCO-6):

"The cooling path has two electric water pumps. VCM (Vehicle Control
Module) controls coolant flow, according to water temperature
and vehicle speed. And when one of the two electric water pumps
has a breakdown, the other electric water pump is enhanced and
used to make up for the deficiency in coolant flow."

The high voltage cooling system cools the traction motor, traction motor inverter, DC/DC-J/B (what's "J/B"???), and on board charger (HCO-7). The heater pump drivers coolant through the PTC heater and then the heater core (HA-28).

JB stands for Junction Block. It distributes the high voltage power from the traction battery to the various components that use high voltage.

 

[Jerrymander]

I'm lovin all this discussion! ...why I'm here.