2012 Will Charge ChaDeMo but not J-1772

[LarryKaplan]

I am not a DIY guy, so I'm off to my local Nissan dealer on Monday, but thought I'd put this out anyway in case anybody has had a similar problem:

2012 SV with 11 bars on a 30kWh refurbished aftermarket battery; always trickle charge, runs like a top.

My L1 (J1772) charger seems to be FU -- it did not charge on the timer overnight and when I tried to charge it this morning, it would start charging and then shut off after a few seconds. And the EV Warning System light is on.

I drove it to a local commercial charging spot and tried their L2 -- same thing. Then I tried the ChaDeMo and it worked fine, and the EV Warning System light went off. Charged the car full up, but the L1 charge at home still doesn't work when I tried it again, and the EV Warning System light is back on.

I'm guessing it's anything from a software glitch to a bad connector to the onboard charger being kaput (listing the options in order of financial pain!).

 

[LeftieBiker]

This is likely a known issue, involving a blown diode in the charger. There is a simple, cheap fix, but the dealer will want to replace the onboard charger, to the tune of HELL NO dollars.

 

[alozzy]

If it's the diode issue, a very inexpensive repair is possible which involves installing a new inline diode on the pilot wire feeding the pilot pin on the J1772 charging port.

Watch this video to confirm the diode failure, noting that it's not necessarily required to remove the onboard charger:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R4dGg8nIUs

 

[alozzy]

This is the thread for the inline diode repair:

https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=24696

No Nissan dealership would do this repair, so you would have to try an independent shop if you don't feel confident doing it yourself...

 

[nlspace]

...
when I tried to charge it this morning, it would start charging and then shut off after a few seconds. And the EV Warning System light is on.

The EV Warning System light is an indication that there is a fault and a stored DTC to help identify and fix it.

The fact that the session started charging indicates that you don't have the infamous "diode" problem. That diode is in the communication circuit between the EVSE and the OBC, and if it were failed then the session would not have started.

Your issue sounds like a problem in the AC input section which includes a couple of fuses, lightning surge suppressors, AC input capacitors, 3 ceramic pre-charge resistors, an AC relay, an EMI filter with coils, resistor and AC capacitors. That big dark blue capacitor at the top center has failed many more times than anything else. Damage in any of these is easy to spot, but it is not so easy to inspect in a laef--the OBC is behind the rear seat. But a repair can be done with the OBC in the car.

 

[LarryKaplan]

Thanks everyone. I've seen that video and it makes sense. BUT, try finding a reliable knowledgeable mechanic who could make that repair. Even the guy in the video is very clear that you MUST know about electronics and electronic components before you try it. And that assumes that it's a diode -- you have to know the system to be able to diagnose the problem. That's why I'm off to a Nissan dealer tomorrow -- not the 2 nearest ones, but one a bit further away because they are really into Leaf's and have worked on my car before for a reasonable price.

This is a lot like when I got my Prius in 2001. NOBODY knew anything about them except for Toyota dealers, so that's where I took the car for years. Yes, maybe I overpaid from time to time, but I knew they knew what they were doing. Today of course, a lot of local shops can work on hybrids, and in a few years you will be able to say the same for BEV's. But except for a few high profile shops like EVRides, there are very few independent shops that can be relied upon. For now, I need to be able to take the car in and get it fixed ASAP. Cheaper is not always better.

 

[alozzy]

Just an FYI, so you'll be prepared for the repair costs...

Nissan will charge you close to $2000 just for the new charger and likely $800 - $1000 for installation.

A shop like this one:

https://www.electricavesilverlake.com/

Specializes in EVs. From an earlier post of yours, it looks like you live in LA.

They should definitely be able to troubleshoot the charging issue and do the inline diode if applicable. Just print out the PDF I referenced and give that to them.

 

[LarryKaplan]

Bad news. Got nailed for a new OBC. $2K. Have to bite the bullet and pay for it because I’m not schlepping all over town to find it elsewhere or for some unicorn to fix it. I asked about a trade in for a new Leaf and was told there is a month plus waiting list.

Electric Avenue is close to me. Despite the name, he pretty much sticks to hybrids. I’ve never seen a Leaf in his shop. So I just called and he sounded pretty uncertain about a fix. When I told him what Nissan wanted, he said to go with them!

Everyone loves to trash the dealership but there is often a reason they are expensive—they know exactly what they’re doing.

 

[cwerdna]

Ask to have the bad OBC back. It might be of some value to someone who can fix it.

Re: Leaf waiting lists, just got off the phone with sales droid in Seaside, CA who I’ve been in touch with. He said they got 4 Leafs this month and they all got pre-sold. They basically didn’t make it to the lot for others who weren’t on their list. I’ve been in touch with a few due to my Bolt buyback limbo situation. If my Bolt gets bought back, I will need a replacement car since I have no other car.

As for your last statement, I don’t believe Nissan has any official dealer repair procedure other than to replace the multi-kilo buck part vs a much cheaper and less wasteful method.

 

[LeftieBiker]

As for your last statement, I don’t believe Nissan has any official dealer repair procedure other than to replace the multi-kilo buck part vs a much cheaper and less wasteful method.

This is SOP for virtually all dealerships, for all brands of cars. They replace assemblies, not bad parts - at least not unless the part is sitting there more or less by itself, easily accessed. And even then...we had a Volvo 240 that stopped engaging its overdrive. The dealership wanted $3k to replace the transmission. The thing was, the O/D engagement solenoid sits right on top of the transmission on those cars, outside of it. No need to even remove the transmission to replace the solenoid, which was the cause of the O/D staying off. It was a $100 repair at an independent mechanic.

 

[LarryKaplan]

Very true about dealerships being conservative and replacing the whole kit and kaboodle. My dad was an independent auto mechanic (1940-1980) and he hated replacing parts rather than the full assemblies because the was a greater chance of the repair "coming back." Replacing a part may be cheaper and less wasteful, but they have to take the time to figure out which part, and they will bill you for the hours. They would rather just replace the whole thing and be done with it.

Again, if there were more independent mechanics who knew how to work on these cars, it would be different. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I called a shop here in LA that says it specializes in EV's, but they really just work on hybrids, and he couldn't help me much. Like my experience in the early 2000's with the first generation Prius, nobody knows much about them aside from the factory-trained dealer mechanics. So I am sorta stuck.