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mikerancourt

New member
Joined
Jan 26, 2021
Messages
3
Hi. My family got our 2012 Leaf in 2015. It's got 92k miles now, and the battery is showing 7 bars (I've always assumed the battery had been replaced by the time we got the car, but we bought it from a specialty dealer who didn't know for sure).
We live in San Diego, CA. It's nice.
I have no experience working on EVs (though I did guess right on the first try when the 12v battery died and the car needed a jump), and most of my experience with electrical work is in experimenting with solar using cheap or free components. But I've ruined a few batteries, so....
Virtually every bit of experience I have working on motor vehicles is with diesels running waste vegetable oil, but the Leaf has been our daily driver since we got it.
I started looking at this forum because I am thinking about replacing the battery or--more likely--swapping out the cells. I don't anticipate finding a good deal on an upgrade to 30kwh (or more), but it would be cool to get a healthier 24kwh pack. There's a junkyard nearby that lists a battery from a 2013 for what seems like a reasonable price, but I am not ready to go for it right now. Swapping cells seems like a fine enough idea since it wouldn't require any adapters or whatnot (I don't hate adapters, but if something can be done just as well I without buying anything new or sending anything to the landfill, then I prefer it, even if the labor is greater). I don't have any questions here. This is just my introduction.
Hi.
Mike
 
mikerancourt said:
Swapping cells seems like a fine enough idea ...

But does require you or someone to have the proper tools, training and experience to handle lethal high voltage DC safely. If you want to do this, do it correctly.

2013 cells are unlikely to be in much better shape than your car's cells, unless the 2013 was from a cooler climate.
 
Swapping cells seems like a fine enough idea since it wouldn't require any adapters or whatnot

Swapping cells is actually much more difficult and potentially dangerous...

Have a look at these YouTube channels, if you want some insights into what involved with battery pack replacements:

https://youtube.com/channel/UCc3g-KhOBoicgOrB4KkMeew

https://youtube.com/user/James0852

https://youtube.com/channel/UC_KZxCbxmKqObdMqsNZfZXA
 
I think the 2011-2012 to 2013+ battery swap issues have been solved. You can find write-ups on how it is done but I think that folks who will sell you the CAN bus adapter you will need can also supply the necessary plug adapters. You might need to get the matching plugs from the donor car and then splice the wires but I thought there was a source for the plugs and someone has already created a short adapter cable. Best to check though before diving into the job. And +1 on swapping the whole pack as a unit. The trouble to update the plugs is tiny compared to the work required for a full cell and BMS swap.
 
Thanks for your responses. I'm back and forth on whether a whole battery swap is worth it or a cells swap is worth it. It does seem like I could really mess up a cell swap. :?
Mike
 
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