Production years battery compatibility with 2011 model

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zialeaf

Active member
Joined
Sep 25, 2019
Messages
26
I own a 2011 LEAF with about 50,000 miles on it. The battery is quite diminished. System shows as 7 bars, but this does not seem accurate based on actual use. It takes forever to charge, and regen braking works very poorly now (battery just cant absorb current the way it used to). I have to be very careful and can only expect about 30 miles on a good day. The current condition of the battery is entirely my fault. I have been very hard on this car. For over a year it endured very deep discharges twice daily 5 days a week, many fast charges and a lot of WOT driving. I knew this would take its toll on the battery, but I am now looking at options to replace it. I love the car and have no intention of ever getting rid of it.

One option I'm exploring is buying a salvage vehicle with a young battery as a donor, provided the price is right.

What I need to know is what model years of LEAF have a battery that is fully compatible with my 2011 model? For example, can I R&R my battery with one from as late as a 2016?

TIA,

Steve in New Mexico
 
You are right to not want a 2011 - 3/2013 pack. There is an adapter kit for the later 24kwh packs, but it seems to be hard to acquire. I'm sure you will get more good info on this here. You should know that it has been claimed here that new replacement packs are now 30kwh units, so there should be an adapter for those as well, if true.*

* I'd really appreciate a link to the topic in which this is claimed. I'm getting inquiries about it elsewhere.
 
These may help:
https://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=567474#p567474
https://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=567482#p567482

I too am curious about the claim that Leftie mentions. Would want some proof of that.

A 7 bar car should have more than 30 miles of range unless driven like a maniac. OP would be served by using Leaf Spy since the GOM sucks and the '11 and '12 Leafs don't have a % state of charge display. Instrumentation in pre-'13 Leafs causes unnecessary range anxiety.
 
Thanks for the recommendation to use Leafspy. I'll acquire this right away.

I've read elsewhere on this site that a company in Quebec is installing 40 kWhr packs in older LEAFs like mine but they need to add an intermediary BMS device to "translate" the new readings to the car's original software. If I can get this device and install it myself, I'll start looking for a salvage LEAF with a fresh 40 kWhr battery.

I'm sure it's here on this site somewhere, but can someone provide a list showing the LEAF's battery progression by model year? What years had the 24 kWhr, the 40 kWhr and the newest 62 kWhr?

Much thanks!

Steve
 
cwerdna said:
These may help:
https://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=567474#p567474
https://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=567482#p567482

I too am curious about the claim that Leftie mentions. Would want some proof of that.

A 7 bar car should have more than 30 miles of range unless driven like a maniac. OP would be served by using Leaf Spy since the GOM sucks and the '11 and '12 Leafs don't have a % state of charge display. Instrumentation in pre-'13 Leafs causes unnecessary range anxiety.


Thanks, but those aren't it. Someone claimed to have had a new pack installed recently, and that it was a 30kwh pack because they haven't made the 24kwh for several years now. It was either a separate topic or came at the end of an existing topic.
 
LeftieBiker said:
Thanks, but those aren't it. Someone claimed to have had a new pack installed recently, and that it was a 30kwh pack because they haven't made the 24kwh for several years now. It was either a separate topic or came at the end of an existing topic.
Yes. I also recall seeing some claims along those lines of what you said but (off the top of my head) I also don't know where the post is.
 
zialeaf said:
I'm sure it's here on this site somewhere, but can someone provide a list showing the LEAF's battery progression by model year? What years had the 24 kWhr, the 40 kWhr and the newest 62 kWhr?
These are US model years not production years.
'11 to '15, '16 S: 24 kWh
'16 SV and SL, '16 "S 30" from near the end of the '16 model year (https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1106593_nissan-leaf-s-quietly-gets-30-kwh-battery-upgrade-higher-price): 30 kWh
All '17: 30 kWh
'18 and '19: 40 kWh
'19 Leaf Plus: 62 kWh
 
cwerdna said:
zialeaf said:
I'm sure it's here on this site somewhere, but can someone provide a list showing the LEAF's battery progression by model year? What years had the 24 kWhr, the 40 kWhr and the newest 62 kWhr?
These are US model years not production years.
'11 to '15, '16 S: 24 kWh
'16 SV and SL, '16 "S 30" from near the end of the '16 model year (https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1106593_nissan-leaf-s-quietly-gets-30-kwh-battery-upgrade-higher-price): 30 kWh
All '17: 30 kWh
'18 and '19: 40 kWh
'19 Leaf Plus: 62 kWh


Just a reminder: you do NOT want a used pack made before April of 2013. You may even want to play it safe and get one made after April of 2013, as there may be one or three April builds out there with the old, poor, battery chemistry. If you can verify no more than one capacity bar lost, though, April is ok.
 
I see lots of 2011 and 2012 packs. Yeah you don't want those.
Seems 2015 batteries available on a fairly regular basis now.
40kwh batteries are very hard to find, I have only seen 1 and it was more than what I paid for my leaf.
 
zialeaf said:
I own a 2011 LEAF with about 50,000 miles on it. The battery is quite diminished. System shows as 7 bars, but this does not seem accurate based on actual use. It takes forever to charge, and regen braking works very poorly now (battery just cant absorb current the way it used to). I have to be very careful and can only expect about 30 miles on a good day. The current condition of the battery is entirely my fault. I have been very hard on this car. For over a year it endured very deep discharges twice daily 5 days a week, many fast charges and a lot of WOT driving. I knew this would take its toll on the battery, but I am now looking at options to replace it. I love the car and have no intention of ever getting rid of it.
Wow, I’m surprised you didn’t qualify for a factory replacement battery at the 5-year mark.

Additional odd datapoint: my 2012 SL gets 35 miles from 100% to LBW. No abusive driving (I’m 73, come on), 80% charges for most of its early years, only 4 QC’s and the rest all L2 at home, and a current odometer reading of 13,522 total miles. But wait, there’s more. I have 9 capacity bars showing. Total crapfest for a $40k vehicle.
 
cwerdna said:
zialeaf said:
I'm sure it's here on this site somewhere, but can someone provide a list showing the LEAF's battery progression by model year? What years had the 24 kWhr, the 40 kWhr and the newest 62 kWhr?
These are US model years not production years.
'11 to '15, '16 S: 24 kWh
'16 SV and SL, '16 "S 30" from near the end of the '16 model year (https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1106593_nissan-leaf-s-quietly-gets-30-kwh-battery-upgrade-higher-price): 30 kWh
All '17: 30 kWh
'18 and '19: 40 kWh
'19 Leaf Plus: 62 kWh

Good point on the distinction between US model years and production years!

Much thanks for this list. Key to shopping for a salvaged LEAF and/or used battery.

Steve
 
LeftieBiker said:
cwerdna said:
zialeaf said:
I'm sure it's here on this site somewhere, but can someone provide a list showing the LEAF's battery progression by model year? What years had the 24 kWhr, the 40 kWhr and the newest 62 kWhr?
These are US model years not production years.
'11 to '15, '16 S: 24 kWh
'16 SV and SL, '16 "S 30" from near the end of the '16 model year (https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1106593_nissan-leaf-s-quietly-gets-30-kwh-battery-upgrade-higher-price): 30 kWh
All '17: 30 kWh
'18 and '19: 40 kWh
'19 Leaf Plus: 62 kWh


Just a reminder: you do NOT want a used pack made before April of 2013. You may even want to play it safe and get one made after April of 2013, as there may be one or three April builds out there with the old, poor, battery chemistry. If you can verify no more than one capacity bar lost, though, April is ok.

This is very good to know. Much thanks!

Steve
 
SalisburySam said:
zialeaf said:
I own a 2011 LEAF with about 50,000 miles on it. The battery is quite diminished. System shows as 7 bars, but this does not seem accurate based on actual use. It takes forever to charge, and regen braking works very poorly now (battery just cant absorb current the way it used to). I have to be very careful and can only expect about 30 miles on a good day. The current condition of the battery is entirely my fault. I have been very hard on this car. For over a year it endured very deep discharges twice daily 5 days a week, many fast charges and a lot of WOT driving. I knew this would take its toll on the battery, but I am now looking at options to replace it. I love the car and have no intention of ever getting rid of it.
Wow, I’m surprised you didn’t qualify for a factory replacement battery at the 5-year mark.

Additional odd datapoint: my 2012 SL gets 35 miles from 100% to LBW. No abusive driving (I’m 73, come on), 80% charges for most of its early years, only 4 QC’s and the rest all L2 at home, and a current odometer reading of 13,522 total miles. But wait, there’s more. I have 9 capacity bars showing. Total crapfest for a $40k vehicle.

I tried, but Nissan held to their requirement for 6 capacity bars to be eligible for a warranty battery replacement.

This is actually my second LEAF. I was one of the first to get the LEAF when my wife and I lived in Seattle. We then moved to the Bay Area and had to rent for a year and had nowhere to park and charge the LEAF, so I sold it. Then we bought a house that could accommodate owning a LEAF again, so I bought a second one. I wonder if I told Nissan of my early adoption and advocacy for this car if they would sell me a new battery for less than the ridiculous sums they are now demanding. I remember quite clearly when we bought our first LEAF that Nissan was consistent in promising that a new battery at year 7 would cost $5500.

Sound like we are in the same boat. Under all but the most mild driving and optimal weather conditions, I can't expect anything more than 30 miles. That's doing regen braking at every opportunity and keeping it in "eco" mode. Yet the car shows 7 battery capacity bars!

Steve
 
LeftieBiker said:
I tried, but Nissan held to their requirement for 6 capacity bars to be eligible for a warranty battery replacement.


I hope that you mean "8 capacity bars."

My discussions with Nissan at the time were that replacing the entire battery under warranty required that it be at 6 bars or lower within the first 5 years from the date of manufacture.
 
zialeaf said:
My discussions with Nissan at the time were that replacing the entire battery under warranty required that it be at 6 bars or lower within the first 5 years from the date of manufacture.
Wrong! It needs to be 8 bars or less within 5 years/60K on 24 kWh Leafs: https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13192. Doesn't matter now since you're out of warranty, unless there's documented proof at a Nissan dealer or Nissan corporate themselves that you hit 8 bars in time.

Manuals for '13 to '16 Leafs have the above verbiage and conditions in their warranty booklets. For 30+ kWh Leafs, the capacity warranty is for 8 years/100K miles and their warranty booklets mention this.

It is also NOT based upon manufacture date. It is based upon original in-service date.

Yes, $5499 was at https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=17168 but the price quietly got raised a few years ago. :(
 
cwerdna said:
zialeaf said:
My discussions with Nissan at the time were that replacing the entire battery under warranty required that it be at 6 bars or lower within the first 5 years from the date of manufacture.
Wrong! It needs to be 8 bars or less within 5 years/60K on 24 kWh Leafs: https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13192. Doesn't matter now since you're out of warranty, unless there's documented proof at a Nissan dealer or Nissan corporate themselves that you hit 8 bars in time.

Manuals for '13 to '16 Leafs have the above verbiage and conditions in their warranty booklets. For 30+ kWh Leafs, the capacity warranty is for 8 years/100K miles and their warranty booklets mention this.

It is also NOT based upon manufacture date. It is based upon original in-service date.

Yes, $5499 was at https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=17168 but the price quietly got raised a few years ago. :(

That's very discouraging to hear. I had at least a couple of conversations with Nissan in mid-2016, a month or so before the 5 years was up on my car, and I am quite sure they were telling me that my car would only be eligible for a warranty battery replacement if my capacity meter was at 6 bars or less. I went back in my emails (not with Nissan, unfortunately) to find other communications that mentioned this situation to verify these details and was able to confirm them. So, Nissan was either lying to me or the folks I talked to were incompetent.

Yeah, not happy that Nissan is asking $7K or so for a replacement battery.
 
If you can confirm that your car dropped to 8 bars while under the 5 yr/60k mile capacity warranty, and if you have a service receipt from the same period, then you have a strong case. If not, I suggest BBB arbitration - that has worked in the past. If Nissan told you 6 bars, they were flat out lying.
 
zialeaf said:
That's very discouraging to hear. I had at least a couple of conversations with Nissan in mid-2016, a month or so before the 5 years was up on my car, and I am quite sure they were telling me that my car would only be eligible for a warranty battery replacement if my capacity meter was at 6 bars or less. I went back in my emails (not with Nissan, unfortunately) to find other communications that mentioned this situation to verify these details and was able to confirm them. So, Nissan was either lying to me or the folks I talked to were incompetent.
When you say "Nissan" in this context, are you talking about the EV help line or someone at Nissan corporate or a Nissan dealer?

In many (most?) parts of the US, automakers can't own dealers due to state franchise laws. So "Nissan" in the context of dealer critter is just that, a dealer critter. Google for tesla franchise laws.

It would be even better if you had one of the useless to the customer battery reports showing 8 bars if taken before your capacity warranty expired.
 
Oh crap. I must apologize. I've been talking about just the white bars, not the total including the two red bars below the white bars. So, based on this realization, my car's capacity gauge was 9 bars in mid 2016, because it had (and still does) have 7 white bars and 2 red bars for 9 total. That's why I was saying Nissan was telling me 6 bars was needed for warranty replacement: 6 WHITE bars, that is.

That said, the real world range then and now is really poor. Under optimal conditions, the guess-oh-meter never goes about 55 miles or so when the car is fully charged, and this figure will drop precipitously if there is any hill climbing or anything beyond 95 year old granny on Sunday type driving. The real world driving range is around 25 miles, at which point the guess-oh-meter will be in single digits with the "low battery" warning imminent. And regen braking/deceleration is never goes above 2 dots on the energy meter, usually only 1 dot towards the charging side of the meter.

There is clearly something compromised with this battery!

I just bought the OBD bluetooth dongle widget and will download leafspy and run it on my Google Nexus phone to get more insight as to what's going on with this battery. Maybe I have a marginal cell or two that's holding the rest of the capacity hostage.
 
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