Capacity Loss on 2011-2012 LEAFs

[phxsmiley]

My Leaf officially lost a capacity bar today, after less than 10 months of ownership and 13,745 miles. I charged to 80% and noticed one bar missing this morning. I usually charge to 80%, but at 100% 1-2 times per week. I've quick-charged about 8 times since I've owned the car. The car is garaged and charged at night with an end timer ending shortly before I go to work. During the day, the car is almost always outside in a parking lot. My average efficiency over the last several weeks has been 4.4 mi/kwh

Just in case you don't know, losing capacity will not affect your efficiency/m/kW h. You could be down to 85% or even 70% battery capacity and the effect on your efficiency is nil.

I know the efficiency is not related to the capactiy, I was just reporting that as a measure that the car hasn't been driven hard.

[EdmondLeaf]

Did you had temp bar 7, if so how often and for how long?

[phxsmiley]

Did you had temp bar 7, if so how often and for how long?

It starts out the day at 6 bars, but goes to 7 bars during the day, for the past couple of weeks.

[EdmondLeaf]

so we may say that during summer car stay at bar 7 for 16h?

[phxsmiley]

so we may say that during summer car stay at bar 7 for 16h?

Not sure about that. I don't seem to get 7 bars until sometime in the afternoon, but it lasts until after midnight. Probably more like 12 hours. My garage is hot until late at night, but I have a box fan trying to pull in some outside air. Hopefully, it's cooled down to 6 bars by the time charging starts. At morning, it's always been back to 6 bars.

[surfingslovak]

I finally built my SOC kit and measured after 100% charge. I got 227. I ran the climate control using CW for 30 mins and it went to 229. This level of degradation maybe consistent for Phx. I normally charge to 80%. What is odd is that I still have all my capacity bars.

Yes, but it sounds like you are right on the edge of losing the first capacity bar.

At 228 I had all 12, next 100% charge after losing the top bar was 225 so yeah, any day now.

Would it be fair to say that the threshold was 225 Gids for the first capacity bar on a full charge, and 208 Gids for the second capacity bar?

[shrink]

My Leaf officially lost a capacity bar today, after less than 10 months of ownership and 13,745 miles. I charged to 80% and noticed one bar missing this morning. I usually charge to 80%, but at 100% 1-2 times per week. I've quick-charged about 8 times since I've owned the car. The car is garaged and charged at night with an end timer ending shortly before I go to work. During the day, the car is almost always outside in a parking lot. My average efficiency over the last several weeks has been 4.4 mi/kwh

Damn. Our cars are very close in age. I took mine home on 8/6/2011, VIN is 6188, and mileage is 10,145. Still have all 12, but a month ago LEAFfan's scan gauge read an 85.7% after a 100% charge.

It's about 11:15pm local time and I think today's high was about 110 degrees. Temp bar on my garaged LEAF is currently at 6. In the evenings, there are usually 7 temperature bars.

[EdmondLeaf]

problem is that bar 6 have no much value because it covers range from 74 till 98. IMO you are perfectly fine if you close to 74 but not really if you in 98 zone. Just installed my battery temp measurement system to see what is really going on.
If this is of any value switch back from temp bar 6 to 5 is at 72.3F

[shrink]

By contrast with the Volt:

http://www.hybridcars.com/news/gm-tweak ... 46843.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

While GM has milked an incremental gain in energy density, it also reports “tests have revealed less battery degradation,” not that there were known problems before.

We have a LEAF and a Volt. Love both cars, but we are admitedly concerned about the LEAF, especially since we bought instead of leasing. Good to hear the owners in more temperate climates like CA and WA seem to be doing okay in terms of capacity, but seems like us desert-dwellers are hurting.

Any Tucson LEAF owners out there? Just wondering if any of you are losing capacity bars. Is it usually about 8-10 degrees cooler there in the summer?

[TomT]

It appears that GM is going to have the last laugh when it comes to batteries and battery thermal management... I wonder if Nissan wishes they had changed their mind on no management for the Leaf at this point...

Leasing just continues to look better and better. I wonder where my battery will be at the end of the four years...

While GM has milked an incremental gain in energy density, it also reports “tests have revealed less battery degradation,” not that there were known problems before.