Typical battery degradation or ???

[dmbshn41]

I have a 2013 S, 38k miles. I only charge to 80%, and rarely (2-3 times a year) charge to 100%. In November 2018, I lost my first bar on range. However, I’ve charged to 100% twice since then needing the range, and the car charges up the 12th bar. It will show a 12th bar of charge, but not a 12th bar of charge of potential range.

Anyone ever see this before? Car drives as it always has, range and charge is normal.

[LeftieBiker]

I have a 2013 S, 38k miles. I only charge to 80%, and rarely (2-3 times a year) charge to 100%. In November 2018, I lost my first bar on range. However, I’ve charged to 100% twice since then needing the range, and the car charges up the 12th bar. It will show a 12th bar of charge, but not a 12th bar of charge of potential range.

Anyone ever see this before? Car drives as it always has, range and charge is normal.

This is perfectly normal. A degraded battery still charges to 12 charge bars - it's just the tiny capacity bars next to them that drop in number. You are actually lucky: I'm guessing that your car was built later in 2013. If it had been built before April of 2013, you would likely have lost three or more capacity bars by now - more in a hot climate. The more hardy later chemistry will continue to degrade slowly, but you should know that the 12th bar is equal to 15% of charge, while the others fall after about half that amount is lost, so the other bars will last about half as long. We consider 12 bars kept for 5 years to be very good for a Leaf...

Looking at your location, I'm assuming that it gets cold there at night, even in Summer, and that, along with charging to 80%, is what has helped your battery last this well.

[WetEV]

https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?nv2840

[goldbrick]

Thanks for the link! That is a cool site although one should probably add a degree or so to the averages since they are 1970-2000 only.

[SageBrush]

I have a 2013 S, 38k miles. I only charge to 80%, and rarely (2-3 times a year) charge to 100%. In November 2018, I lost my first bar on range. However, I’ve charged to 100% twice since then needing the range, and the car charges up the 12th bar. It will show a 12th bar of charge, but not a 12th bar of charge of potential range.

Anyone ever see this before? Car drives as it always has, range and charge is normal.

A big box full is 100% full
A small box full is 100% full

[dmbshn41]

Thanks to all for the replies and info. I bought car used with 20k miles in Ohio before moving west eventually. 2/3 of the miles I’ve logged are from Nevada.

Northern Nevada can be much like Midwest weather, minus the constant precipitation.

[LeftieBiker]

Try to keep the pack from getting hot (more than 6 temp bars on the dash gauge) and see that it cools off outside at night if it does. That should ensure continued slow degradation.

[like2bike]

If it had been built before April of 2013, you would likely have lost three or more capacity bars by now - more in a hot climate.

My January 2013 build LEAF S still has 10 bars at 62308 miles. Leaf Spy shows 47.81 AHr, SOH=73.1%, Hx=65.13%. I suppose I did better than average by babying the battery. The only abusive thing I did was repeated QC on road trips in August a few times. On the last road trip I think I stopped looking at the battery temps because it was just causing anxiety and never caused power reduction.

My question is when the 3rd bar will drop. I know someone had the bar drop AHr points worked out but I can't kind it now.