Coolant Level for Charging

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95eagle

Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2013
Messages
20
Location
Maryland
Have been unable to find an answer to this question. Thought I would post it here for an answer.

Will the On Board Charger come on if coolant level is very low or no coolant at all when car is connected to an EVSE?
 
Why does it matter? I wouldn't want to run low on coolant as other stuff like the motor is cooled by that loop, besides the OBC. If there's not enough, add some but also one should look into the source of the leak and fix that.
 
What year is your LEAF? prior to 2013 they had 2 cooling loops, as the OBC was located behind the rear seats.
 
LeftieBiker said:
Good question. My guess is that it's coolant temperature that might trigger a charging shutdown, not coolant level. I do not know if I am correct.

Seems right, the service manual suggest the PDM will throw a fault if over temperature but doesn't mention coolant level except as a cause of the over-temperature. I have no idea how long it would take to go over-temp with a bone-dry system. I'd imagine it wouldn't present as a total failure to initiate charge, but that's a guess.
 
cwerdna said:
Why does it matter? I wouldn't want to run low on coolant as other stuff like the motor is cooled by that loop, besides the OBC. If there's not enough, add some but also one should look into the source of the leak and fix that.

Matters because the On Board Charger shuts off after plugging in EVSE. Coolant has leaked out the bottom of the car. A 2012. In process of repairing leak.
 
Well I would not drive the car if the coolant level is low.... Fix it first before you drive. Also, a bit of a leak does not mean that the coolant is low..
 
powersurge said:
Well I would not drive the car if the coolant level is low.... Fix it first before you drive. Also, a bit of a leak does not mean that the coolant is low..

I would not and do not drive it until repaired. For one thing, I cannot charge it up. In the process of repairing it. The coolant is definitely low. It runs onto the ground as fast as one can pour it in the coolant tank.

Still begs the question, is this the cause of the On Board Charger shutdown? If Charger starts working after coolant leak repair, we will have the answer.
 
Progress. Found source of leak. A quarter inch hole in the so called degas tank. Anyone know what the term degas refers to?
 
LeftieBiker said:
95eagle said:
Progress. Found source of leak. A quarter inch hole in the so called degas tank. Anyone know what the term degas refers to?


Just a guess, but it may refer to the air that gets mixed into the coolant by the pumps.

Hmmmmmm!!! I thought there was not supposed to be any air in the coolant system?
 
95eagle said:
Progress. Found source of leak. A quarter inch hole in the so called degas tank. Anyone know what the term degas refers to?

https://patents.google.com/patent/US5329889A/en
 
If the coolant system is pressurized like an ICE vehicle I suppose some air could be drawn back in as it cools. Or maybe there are hot spots that vaporize tiny amounts of coolant? Or something else. Maybe someone from SAE engineering will chime in with the answer.
 
Nubo said:
95eagle said:
Progress. Found source of leak. A quarter inch hole in the so called degas tank. Anyone know what the term degas refers to?

https://patents.google.com/patent/US5329889A/en


From the above link:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In certain automobiles manufactured by various auto companies, the cooling system used for the engine is of the so called "closed" type wherein a plastic degas tank is provided that is physically separated from the radiator and is closed by a pressure cap of a type normally located on the radiator. The degas tank is operated under internal pressure of about 15 PSI gage and is connected to the engine and the radiator so that the coolant circulates through the degas tank. One purpose for the degas tank is to allow entrained air and gasses in the coolant to be separated from the coolant as the coolant flows through the degas tank. In order to allow the air and gasses to escape into the degas tank, it is normal to provide the degas tank with a number of chambers or compartments which are connected in series through windows or openings formed in the ribs separating adjacent chambers so as to allow the coolant to flow between the chambers
 
I had a first-year Renault Alliance, and after some time I noticed the coolant temperature would start to fluctuate. It got worse and worse until I eventually stumbled upon "bleeding" air from the coolant to put things back to normal. After that I periodically bled air from the system by loosening a hose at the top of the radiator; eventually I put in a brass fitting to make the chore easier. Years later when I had to go for emissions testing, the mechanic was surprised to see an Alliance still running, and with that many miles on it. He said they mostly died from overheating "something about air in the system" :lol:
 
LeftieBiker said:
95eagle said:
Progress. Found source of leak. A quarter inch hole in the so called degas tank. Anyone know what the term degas refers to?


Just a guess, but it may refer to the air that gets mixed into the coolant by the pumps.

The degas tank basically removes the air/gas (i.e., de-gas) from the coolant liquid. This gas needs to be removed because it reduces the performance of the coolant liquid. A lot of different engine cooling systems use the same approach.
 
LeftieBiker said:
At any rate, it seems to be just another name for a familiar part: the coolant reservoir.

There's an important distinction. An overflow reservoir is only connected to the system when the pressure cap opens, and doesn't perform a degas function (unless inadvertently during an overflow event). A de-gas tank is part of the pressurized system. This is why the plastic is so much thicker.
 
If when you plug it in with a charger and the indicator light flashs once then shuts off, there is a good likelihood you may have a burnt out on board charger. Especially if your coolant is low or leaking. Just replaced mine today in a 2012 leaf.
 
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