Yesterday I loss my 3rd bar @ 26 k miles..

[mark1313]

So today I went to Nissan and told them I just loss my 3rd bar and I reminded them again that I loss 2 bars last summer in June.. The Nissan employee in charged of Leafs told me to bring the Leaf in to get it fixed when I lose the 4th bar..
So what Im hoping is that I can go most of the summer before I lose the 4th bar, the end of August would be perfect, that gives me the entire winter with a fresh pack ...

Has anyone here loss the 4th bar yet and had the pack replaced ?

 

[garygid]

It is unlikely that you would get a fresh (new) battery pack,
I suspect.

They might replace the lowest capacity couple of modules, perhaps
with other used modules, just enough to get the 4th bar back?

Or, perhaps just "recalibrate" your "faulty" capacity meter?

Have you asked Nissan to explain what they might do?

 

[ksnogas2112]

Mark,
I think Gary is absolutely correct. Definitely let us all know what they do regarding the 'new' capacity warranty and I'm sorry it's happening to you.

 

[KJD]

So today I went to Nissan and told them I just loss my 3rd bar

Who exactly did you talk to Nissan corporate or the Nissan dealer ?

 

[TomT]

Yes, unfortunately I don't have much faith in Nissan doing anything more than what is absolutely necessary to satisfy the letter of their so-called capacity warranty...

It is unlikely that you would get a fresh (new) battery pack,
I suspect.

They might replace the lowest capacity couple of modules, perhaps
with other used modules, just enough to get the 4th bar back?

Or, perhaps just "recalibrate" your "faulty" capacity meter?

 

[evnow]

They might replace the lowest capacity couple of modules, perhaps
with other used modules, just enough to get the 4th bar back?

I don't think so. When they do a repair they don't want to customer to come back with the same problem in a year or so. It costs Nissan less to replace with a nearly fresh battery once - than nearly used up one every year.

 

[smkettner]

^^^^

+1

I think Nissan would install what it takes to make 5yr 60,000. If the vehicle has about half that remaining Nissan may as well put in a new battery. Otherwise Nissan will be putting a refurb in every 6 to 12 months. If 4 mo 4000 miles remaining then you get the refurb.

 

[TonyWilliams]

I honestly think they will just put in new packs. They don't have a supply of refurbished packs and having a dealership mechanic replace a bunch of individual modules might prove costly, too.

As used packs roll in for refurbishment, yes, I believe they will stop offering new packs.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

I honestly think they will just put in new packs. They don't have a supply of refurbished packs and having a dealership mechanic replace a bunch of individual modules might prove costly, too.

As used packs roll in for refurbishment, yes, I believe they will stop offering new packs.

So the moral of the story there is you want to be the first to fail.

I heard on a yahoo message board all those spent batteries will fill the landfills with toxic waste :lol:

 

[Goodtohave]

I honestly think they will just put in new packs. They don't have a supply of refurbished packs and having a dealership mechanic replace a bunch of individual modules might prove costly, too.

As used packs roll in for refurbishment, yes, I believe they will stop offering new packs.

So the moral of the story there is you want to be the first to fail.

I heard on a yahoo message board all those spent batteries will fill the landfills with toxic waste :lol:

Right next to the kittens and puppies.

(I am guessing by the smile you are being as sarcastic as me)

 

[DaveEV]

So what Im hoping is that I can go most of the summer before I lose the 4th bar, the end of August would be perfect, that gives me the entire winter with a fresh pack ...

Well, even if you lose the 4th bar before the end of August, as long as you still have sufficient range it'd be in your best interest to wait anyway, unless you plan on losing another 4 bars before 5 years is up.

 

[TomT]

Also, you may not get a "fresh pack." All they have to do within the warranty - at least as far as we know at this point - is to give you a pack that gets you back up above the warranty threshold, not 12 capacity bars...

So what Im hoping is that I can go most of the summer before I lose the 4th bar, the end of August would be perfect, that gives me the entire winter with a fresh pack ...

Well, even if you lose the 4th bar before the end of August, as long as you still have sufficient range it'd be in your best interest to wait anyway, unless you plan on losing another 4 bars before 5 years is up.

 

[RePo]

Business logic makes me think these warranty claims will be serviced on the battery module level. Why would they manufacture an entire 600 pound battery, and ship it and install it when they just need a few individual modules from the production line to ship to site and spend a few hours to install?

 

[abasile]

Business logic makes me think these warranty claims will be serviced on the battery module level. Why would they manufacture an entire 600 pound battery, and ship it and install it when they just need a few individual modules from the production line to ship to site and spend a few hours to install?

If all of the modules in a degraded pack have capacity loss, then simply swapping out a few modules might not be sufficient to re-attain the warranty capacity threshold.

 

[surfingslovak]

Business logic makes me think these warranty claims will be serviced on the battery module level. Why would they manufacture an entire 600 pound battery, and ship it and install it when they just need a few individual modules from the production line to ship to site and spend a few hours to install?

Yes, that would make sense. However, note that the approach might not work if most, if not all, of the modules have degraded significantly. Depending on the condition of the pack, the process might have to be repeated periodically. It's conditional on the ability of local dealerships and repair stations to identify and replace weak modules.

If all of the modules in a degraded pack have capacity loss, then simply swapping out a few modules might not be sufficient to re-attain the warranty capacity threshold.

Yes, exactly. I typed my answer before I saw your comment.

 

[EricH]

I heard on a yahoo message board all those spent batteries will fill the landfills with toxic waste :lol:

Actually, utilities and others (probably solar-panel contractors) are waiting with open arms for batteries too "spent" for efficient vehicle use. Utilities need large-scale battery farms to balance intermittent generation sources (solar, wind), while a solar contractor could take a large solar array and a few old Leaf battery packs and, even at 50% capacity, use enough of them in your backyard to completely "island" yourself from the utility.

So Nissan's business model may well be to take apart old Leaf packs, test the modules at a regional facility, wholesale the "worse" modules to these secondary markets, and use the "better" modules to make warranty-replacement packs.

 

[kubel]

Actually, utilities and others (probably solar-panel contractors) are waiting with open arms for batteries too "spent" for efficient vehicle use. Utilities need large-scale battery farms to balance intermittent generation sources (solar, wind), while a solar contractor could take a large solar array and a few old Leaf battery packs and, even at 50% capacity, use enough of them in your backyard to completely "island" yourself from the utility.

I'm not even a green person, but the prospect of self-sufficiency by having my own solar/wind feeding into a battery bank with utility power serving only as an auxiliary source is extremely appealing to me for some odd and unexplainable reason. Think about it- why exactly should we be so reliant upon centralized power generation when we have other options available to us.

I can't wait for someone to get their hands on a few old cells just to create a proof of concept. I think decentralization will be the trend going forward.

 

[Goodtohave]

I would be happy to keep one in my basement as a battery backup . I have a generator and a UPS but a Leaf battery would be amazing.

Even at 50% capacity

 

[mark1313]

Im sorry I used the wording (Battery-Pack) and should of used the word (module or modules) I thought the battery was made up of different packs that were put inside a battery-case

I would expect that when I bring the Leaf in after the loss of the 4th bar, that they will replace the modules, hopefully more then one.. :?

Im still not sure what information they get from a battery check ..This is the 2nd time I loss a bar a week after a battery check..

 

[ksnogas2112]

I've never really understood how a Leaf battery pack is useful for utility companies as a method of maintaining supply. Wouldn't the entire 20k list of current USA Leaf's be insufficient for this task?