Is it possible to adjust transition from regen to friction brake (lurch during an otherwise smooth stop with 2011 Leaf)

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brycenesbitt

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I have a 2011 Leaf, and more and more, I can detect the switch from regeneration to friction braking.

This leaf only sees city duty, due to a worn out battery at 37000 miles. I normally coast in neutral between lights, then switch to ECO/B mode, then as needed apply the brakes. This is all smooth. But at some point near 4-5 mph there's a grab, which I interpret as the friction brakes kicking in.

Is there a way for a qualified mechanic to adjust the switchover point, and make the braking smooth again?
 
brycenesbitt said:
IBut at some point near 4-5 mph there's a grab, which I interpret as the friction brakes kicking in.

Is there a way for a qualified mechanic to adjust the switchover point, and make the braking smooth again?
Click to expand...

Your LEAF might benefit from re-calibrating the brake control unit. Bring the vehicle to a stop, and hold the brake pedal all the way to the floor, and keep it there for a full 30 seconds. You may find your braking smoother after that.
 
2011 did not have B mode, just D and ECO. The "recalibration" that Nubo suggested may help. There were also a couple other brake "recalibration" procedures that the early adopters discovered, but it has been too long since the 2011 was totaled so I cannot remember them (but I remember that they did improve the issue you describe). Try searching the forum.
 
Stole from another thread, but it works for me, I do this about once a month.

Grabby at high or low speeds? There's a (temporary?) fix if it happens at low, which is: Turn off traction control, inch forward, hold and press down the brakes FULLY for about 30 seconds. That's it. Mine used to be super grabby on/off style at low speeds, but now they're normal.
Click to expand...
 
So I did that.
Now as I come to a stop, when the car surges forward slightly at the transition point.
So rather than grabby, it's loosey. Kinda disturbing, but at least it is short.
 
Yes it does that at first, then slowly will go back to the grabby point. Just making sure you not at 92%'ish percent full (or more) at the same time? If so you loose a lot of the regen braking then I notice more of that missing point in the center of the brake pedal.
 
My 2012 has gotten worse each year mainly in cold weather. I had not seen the post so I have not tried the hold brake trick. But I just put new rotors on and new brake fluid. Pads were still at 70% so I left them on. 54000 mile on the car.
Stops smooth as soft ice cream. figure that one out....

my car does not have any update. has never been to the dealer since new
 
69800 said:
My 2012 has gotten worse each year mainly in cold weather. I had not seen the post so I have not tried the hold brake trick. But I just put new rotors on and new brake fluid. Pads were still at 70% so I left them on. 54000 mile on the car.
Stops smooth as soft ice cream. figure that one out....

my car does not have any update. has never been to the dealer since new
Click to expand...

Just speculating but perhaps procedure followed to purge/bleed the brakes might have served as a recalibration event.

I'm curious, why were the rotors no longer serviceable?
 
Yep, adds up to me. Traditional hydraulic brakes also get more difficult to modulate by human foot as the rotors get out of spec.
EV, ICE, Amtrak passenger car... rotors go bad.
 
BrockWI said:
Stole from another thread, but it works for me, I do this about once a month.

Grabby at high or low speeds? There's a (temporary?) fix if it happens at low, which is: Turn off traction control, inch forward, hold and press down the brakes FULLY for about 30 seconds. That's it. Mine used to be super grabby on/off style at low speeds, but now they're normal.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...


Our 2012 has had this issue for years as well and this trick cures it for a while.

What seems to bring the bad behavior back is when the traction control kicks in while traveling over bumpy surfaces where one wheel will leave the road surface and spin separate from the other tire, such as when going over a pothole, manhole cover or in particular for me, this one set of railroad tracks. Traction control events due to simple slippage as on ice or snow do not seem to cause this braking issue.
 
LeftieBiker said:
Valdemar said:
Wasn't there a TSB about it and a corresponding ECU update?
Click to expand...



Yes, but it may have been for the 2013+ cars. I don't remember for sure.
Click to expand...

I had it applied on 2011 and it brought an improvement, but it is not a complete cure. My brakes are grabby every now and then up to this day.
https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=10239
 
I've had exactly the same problem since I bought my leaf 2 years ago, a problem that the dealership mechanics always denied :evil: So I decided to take the brakes apart myself and have a look. What I found was locked up brake pads owing to fact that the showroom mechanics don't actually service the brakes, they 'check' them, meaning they only look at the wear of the pads and discs. So my advise would be to get a proper service done on your brakes, either by yourself, or by a trusted local mechanic, because the dealership service is a rip off.
 
Periodically, my 2012 will start "lurching" during braking - especially when just enough braking is applied to maximize regen. At times, the final "stop" of braking also grabbed excessively - only during the final few feet of stopping. The U1511 0108 and U1232 0108 both had been thrown.

Anecdotally;
I tried the "put the brake to floor for 30 seconds" technique and it did seem to help the "grab" at stopping, but no affect on the surge/lurge at speed. I then measured the settled 12 volt system voltage at 12.4 volts - very low for a FLA battery - so definitely in need of an external recharge. Over last weekend, I set up 2, 2 amp chargers and let them charge. I finished with a 15 amp (40 year old) charger for a day. The result is NO SURGE, NO LURCH - yet. No "grab" either. At first sign of any return surge, I'll measure the settled voltage again, and recharge again. We'll see :mrgreen:
 
I have never heard about a "brake recalibration" It is not an electrical or computer thing....

I am concerned that you switch from drive to neutral every block... There is no need to play with the transmission like that.

If you have a 2012, you should have the brake fluid changed an make sure that the front and rear rotors are smooth and not pitted or scratched.

If there is a lot of scraping on the rotor, you could put on new ones, but that will be $300-400.

I say tolerate that your car is getting old.... Like you...
 
Not wanting to start a "lurch" war, but I've had years of Chevy Suburban bad/warped rotors and know exactly how that "cycle" feels - at essentially every braking event above certain speeds. The regen/braking "lurch" of my Leaf is very different and distinctive as it cycles at much less frequency than a warped rotor. Again, it's anecdotal, but twice I've been able to completely eliminate the "lurch" by charging up the 12 volt system - and totally eliminates the problem - for a while!

How that regen "lurch" is generated - no idea :mrgreen:
 

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