Checking battery health without LeafSPY

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Kjell

New member
Joined
Jan 8, 2022
Messages
2
Hi folks,

We're looking at buying a 2015 Leaf. Our OBDII reader hasn't arrived yet, so we can't use LeafSPY.
CarFAX states the car has only ever been in the PNW, so I'm inclined to believe it's 12 bars. We'd be buying from a Ford dealership - and the salesperson already told us they don't know much of anything about Leafs. We did a test drive. 4 Celsius outside = 39 f. We drove for 25% of the battery charge (starting at 83% ending at 57%) around town and on some country roads (fairly flat, some hills); went 20km (=12.4 miles). We were on Eco mode for almost all of it, had moderate heat on inside, and drove mostly in D (very little B).

Is this a healthy battery? When we asked for their diagnostics on the battery health, he eventually found someone from their service department with an OBDII reader and gave us these screenshots. Can anyone help me make heads or tails of this?

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If the car is a Leaf S, then the range is what I'd expect with the heat on - and with the S, just turning the heat On means a significant loss of range. If it's an SV or SL with the heat pump, then it's ok, but not especially great. As for the printout: believe it or not, this may be the first one of those that we've seen here - thanks! There are two cells that are a little lower than the average of the rest, but this could well be because the pack hasn't been fully charged and allowed to balance, lately. Have you read my used Leaf buying guide? I'll link it here shortly. Welcome to the forum.

https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=26662&p=538030 (Used Leaf buying guide)
 
Does the dash display have all 12 small bars on the right side? The cell balance looks good to me (15 mV between minimum and maximum). As LeftieBiker mentioned, the SV and SL models have heat pumps so they would use less energy than an S model for heating during a test drive at the temperature you noted. What model you are looking at.
 
You need 3 numbers for a battery health test drive:

A. SoC drop -- in your case, 25% (0.25)
B. Distance driven -- in your case, 12 miles
C. miles/kWh for the test drive, obtained by re-setting the trip meter. Let's call it 3 miles/kWh for this example

Then the usable kWh from 100% to 0% SoC is:
(B/C)/A

This example works out to
(12/3) = 4 kwh consumed over 25% SoC
4/0.25 = 16 kWh battery capacity

Note:
The miles/kWh meter is not all that accurate. It's best use is to confirm the bar reading. '12 bars' is in the 18.5 - 22 kWh range
 
To put this another way: if you live in an area that sees real Winter temps (below freezing regularly), then the Leaf S should be considered only if your range needs are modest, as in no more than 30-40 miles. Ironically, in Frigid temps (15F and lower) the advantage of the heat pump in the SV and SL models pretty much vanishes, but since most Winter temps in most places these days are more like 20-45F, the heat pump is a big advantage most of the time. On the test drive that you took, a heat pump-equipped Leaf would lose no more range when you turned the heat on than it would if you had turned the A/C on in 80 degree weather: maybe 3 miles or 5-10%. The S would lose more like 20-25%, despite the weather being only somewhat cold. So unless you are happy enough with the heated seats and steering wheel on, but the cabin heater off, you might want to reconsider getting an S.
 
Sounds like you are in the PNW, so like LeftieBiker said, I would recommend you shop for an SV as the heat pump is ideal for our moderate winters. Even assuming you don't need the range now, project out a few years and the heat pump will be even more important for extending winter range.

Also, I would recommend you look for an SV with the charge package if you also intend to keep the car 5 or more years. I currently have 10 capacity bars on my 2013 SV with charge package. In two or three years from now, I expect DC fast charging will make the car still useful for moderate distance trips. Without it, having a winter range of less than 40 miles would mean that the car no longer would meet my needs.
 
Thank you all for sharing your knowledge!
It's an S, with the quick charge package. We have mild winters, and moderate range needs, so are going the budget friendly route. We're accustomed to commuting by bike, so even the S feels luxurious :)
 
At least you have the faster 6.6kw onboard charger that comes with the Charge Package. Just remember that the heated seats and steering wheel cost you virtually nothing in range, while the cabin heater uses about as much power as the drivetrain in colder weather. Preheating the car before you leave in Winter can really help a lot. Anyway, I'll attach the Tips & Tricks guide for efficient driving.

https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=23297&p=482154
 
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