I have a strong distaste for all of the beeps and bops that compliance requirements have forced the Leaf's designers to impose upon us, so I decided to silence my Japanese import 2018 ZE1.
What follows is my documentation of the steps needed to achieve the same goal on the same car by someone else. It is essentially all of the information I wanted to find when I started the project, collated and together in one place to try and help others.
For those who insist on asserting how much they like their own beeps and bops, or how dangerous it is to disable them, I acknowledge that you have your own opinions - but I don't share them.
There are no less than 5 sound generators in the ZE1, as follows:
VSP module (external forwards whine, backing chime and charge start beeps plus internal power-on welcome chimes)
Intelligent Key Warning Buzzer (lock/unlock keyfob confirmation)
Instrument Cluster (fake indicator ticks, door-open warning beeps, internal reversing notification beeps and other system warning beeps)
Driver-assistance radar braking system warning buzzer
Intelligent Electric Braking System warnin buzzer
The first (the VSP) is easily disabled using LeafSpy Pro software. This is the best approach as you can disable all of the sounds it produces without causing any error indicators on the instrument cluster. If you simply disconnect the speaker or the entire VSP module, the instrument cluster will begin showing a 'VSP OFF' error sybpol within 1-2 seconds (indicating that the VSP module sends out a regular 'all is well, no-op' type CAN packet to the cluster).
The seconds noise maker, the Intelligent Key Warning Buzzer, is a module that is very easily accessed from within the engine bay and can be disconnected in about 10 seconds. Disconnecting the module causes no errors to be displayed and internally the module is simply a peizo buzzer with a driver circuit. See photos. Note that American market Leafs apparently have the option of disabling this by holding down the keyfob button for 2 seconds, however in Japanese (right-hand drive) models like mine, the software running in the vehicle's BCM doesn't support that feature (I've tried it on both 2017 model year AZE0 and 2018 model year AZE1).
Next we have the Instrument Cluster which needs to be removed from the vehicle for removal of the internal peizo buzzer. I tried filling it with hot glue first, but it was still quite effective so in the end it had to go. The photos show disassembly of the dash to get to the cluster (basically start closest to the door and start pulling at plastic and it eventually all comes off). There are 3 screws to remove the cluster then 2 multi-pin plugs to disconnect from the back.
Once it's on the workbench, a large hot iron can be used to load up new solder against the SMD pads of the peizo buzzer and eventually with some persistence and heat the buzzer will lift one side at a time.
Higher resolution photos available at mac.geek.nz/mynissanleaf/silencing
Removing the buzzer from the board causes no error messages or DTCs and no other mods are needed.
It is worth noting that I disconnected my cluster without disconnecting the 12V battery first and that might be why, but it tripped a DTC on almost every single module in the Leaf. I just used Leafspy to clear them all afterwards but I wonder if maybe that wouldn't have happened if I'd disconnected the 12V first.
I decided to retain the driver-assist radar warning buzzer and the intelligent electric braking system warning buzzers in place because they seldom sound, if ever, and therefore are not such a nuisance. I mean who could possibly think that having a persistent non-cancellable annoying loud beep noise going all the time while you sit with the vehicle in ACC mode listening to the radio while it fast-charges was a good idea probably spends too much time working in a cubicle and not actually driving I reckon (rant over!).
I hope these steps help others silence their Leafs too
What follows is my documentation of the steps needed to achieve the same goal on the same car by someone else. It is essentially all of the information I wanted to find when I started the project, collated and together in one place to try and help others.
For those who insist on asserting how much they like their own beeps and bops, or how dangerous it is to disable them, I acknowledge that you have your own opinions - but I don't share them.
There are no less than 5 sound generators in the ZE1, as follows:
VSP module (external forwards whine, backing chime and charge start beeps plus internal power-on welcome chimes)
Intelligent Key Warning Buzzer (lock/unlock keyfob confirmation)
Instrument Cluster (fake indicator ticks, door-open warning beeps, internal reversing notification beeps and other system warning beeps)
Driver-assistance radar braking system warning buzzer
Intelligent Electric Braking System warnin buzzer
The first (the VSP) is easily disabled using LeafSpy Pro software. This is the best approach as you can disable all of the sounds it produces without causing any error indicators on the instrument cluster. If you simply disconnect the speaker or the entire VSP module, the instrument cluster will begin showing a 'VSP OFF' error sybpol within 1-2 seconds (indicating that the VSP module sends out a regular 'all is well, no-op' type CAN packet to the cluster).
The seconds noise maker, the Intelligent Key Warning Buzzer, is a module that is very easily accessed from within the engine bay and can be disconnected in about 10 seconds. Disconnecting the module causes no errors to be displayed and internally the module is simply a peizo buzzer with a driver circuit. See photos. Note that American market Leafs apparently have the option of disabling this by holding down the keyfob button for 2 seconds, however in Japanese (right-hand drive) models like mine, the software running in the vehicle's BCM doesn't support that feature (I've tried it on both 2017 model year AZE0 and 2018 model year AZE1).
Next we have the Instrument Cluster which needs to be removed from the vehicle for removal of the internal peizo buzzer. I tried filling it with hot glue first, but it was still quite effective so in the end it had to go. The photos show disassembly of the dash to get to the cluster (basically start closest to the door and start pulling at plastic and it eventually all comes off). There are 3 screws to remove the cluster then 2 multi-pin plugs to disconnect from the back.
Once it's on the workbench, a large hot iron can be used to load up new solder against the SMD pads of the peizo buzzer and eventually with some persistence and heat the buzzer will lift one side at a time.
Higher resolution photos available at mac.geek.nz/mynissanleaf/silencing
Removing the buzzer from the board causes no error messages or DTCs and no other mods are needed.
It is worth noting that I disconnected my cluster without disconnecting the 12V battery first and that might be why, but it tripped a DTC on almost every single module in the Leaf. I just used Leafspy to clear them all afterwards but I wonder if maybe that wouldn't have happened if I'd disconnected the 12V first.
I decided to retain the driver-assist radar warning buzzer and the intelligent electric braking system warning buzzers in place because they seldom sound, if ever, and therefore are not such a nuisance. I mean who could possibly think that having a persistent non-cancellable annoying loud beep noise going all the time while you sit with the vehicle in ACC mode listening to the radio while it fast-charges was a good idea probably spends too much time working in a cubicle and not actually driving I reckon (rant over!).
I hope these steps help others silence their Leafs too
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