Capacity Loss on 2011-2012 LEAFs

[Valdemar]

Here is an idea, sign up for Uber, make some cash, get a new battery, win-win!

 

[Evoforce]

I am one of those - hoping - but worried that Nissan will find a "loophole" when the SHTF over the next 1-2 years. My 2012 with 9 bars and 26,000 miles has been in the Houston,TX area it's entire life - with 19 months left on the warrantee. I'm going to do my best to eliminate the last bar by driving it every chance I get - with all benefits of saving $$s and having fun. Going to spend the time it takes to make well planned highway trips and use the quick charge as much as possible - for convenience as much as anything......Time will tell.

I don't think you have much to sweat about at 9 bars and 19 months in Texas. Unless Nissan changes it's business practice...

 

[Marktm]

I don't think you have much to sweat about at 9 bars and 19 months in Texas. Unless Nissan changes it's business practice...

Definitely the main worry. As Nissan stockpiles more "bad" batteries, the cheap way out is to contract a rebuild company and begin replacing with sub-par "refurbished".

 

[Evoforce]

I don't think you have much to sweat about at 9 bars and 19 months in Texas. Unless Nissan changes it's business practice...

Definitely the main worry. As Nissan stockpiles more "bad" batteries, the cheap way out is to contract a rebuild company and begin replacing with sub-par "refurbished".

That's a main reason that I didn't wait until this summer to have mine replaced. Of course, the short range was another... And yes, new or refurbished they only have to outlast 12 months/12,000 miles. Think about the poor car owners of 2013 or newer who don't have the new replacement warranty that the (Legal Class Owners) of 11-12's have.

 

[dhanson865]

I don't think you have much to sweat about at 9 bars and 19 months in Texas. Unless Nissan changes it's business practice...

Definitely the main worry. As Nissan stockpiles more "bad" batteries, the cheap way out is to contract a rebuild company and begin replacing with sub-par "refurbished".

those rebuild packs will go to the home storage market where the reduced capacity isn't an issue. Hang them on a wall in the garage tied to some solar PV and bobs your uncle. Way cheaper than trying to fix them up for car use again.

 

[Stanton]

^ ^ ^ This!

 

[Evoforce]

I don't think you have much to sweat about at 9 bars and 19 months in Texas. Unless Nissan changes it's business practice...

Definitely the main worry. As Nissan stockpiles more "bad" batteries, the cheap way out is to contract a rebuild company and begin replacing with sub-par "refurbished".

those rebuild packs will go to the home storage market where the reduced capacity isn't an issue. Hang them on a wall in the garage tied to some solar PV and bobs your uncle. Way cheaper than trying to fix them up for car use again.

I had heard rumors that that they were going to use them in other than automotive applications.

 

[hillzofvalp]

Here is an idea, sign up for Uber, make some cash, get a new battery, win-win!

Thanks for the invitation for me to refer all of you to Lyft, which is a better company than Uber which you should all use instead. All referral proceeds go towards my new battery, as well as yours. Just use my code, and drive safe https://www.lyft.com/drivers/EVAN695621

NEWS:

I have 10 miles left. A dealer agreed to accept the car and start a work order for level 2 service, and when I arrive I will have 3 miles left. They will document the mileage. The car will sit there (near a DCQC) or driven by technician to see if the bar will drop. Per numerous recommendations from consumer affairs and ev support line, it would be helpful to "DCQC". :twisted: which I will take full advantage of under Nissan's direct supervision. Hopefully, I can leave it there for up to a couple months... As long as I don't take it off the property, the original mileage 59997 or whatever will be the service mileage, even if they take it over.

I knew there was a way. Tired of this bureaucratic nonsense.. "goodwill" assistant to them is for those who can say they've bought more than 1 car and had tons of service. Pathetic. How about the guy who incessantly calls and has had spent many hours communicating with various divisions of nissan trying to basically save Nissan money (in the end). Can he get assistance? $1?

 

[RegGuheert]

I have 10 miles left. A dealer agreed to accept the car and start a work order for level 2 service, and when I arrive I will have 3 miles left. They will document the mileage.

Good luck with that. Hopefully Nissan will honor the warranty since any mileage over 60,000 will be on the dealer.

 

[dgpcolorado]

...I'm even further down than you at 46.5 Ah, < 200 GIDs @ 100% and 164 GIDs @ 80% and have until June 10th. It's highly unlikely for me to lose the 4th bar in time as well, even with the 80-85F temps this week (pack is nice and warm at 25C or so, much "better" for capacity loss than the 18C it was seeing a week ago). More likely it will happen after summer or about 4 months too late unless we have a scorcher of a spring.

Capacity loss is getting to the point where it's significantly limiting usability of the car and there aren't any or enough L2 stations near locations where I often on longer trips to minimize the risk of getting stuck with having to QC on the way home at high expense. My most common longer drive is around 50 miles - it used to be easy, but now that trip takes me under LBW with careful driving. Once that 4th bar drops it will be nearly impossible to make that trip without driving below the speed limit and significantly slower than the flow of traffic. I'll just drive the Prius.

Your area is just a bit too mild, El Cajon might have been hot enough from what I remember. Perhaps you need to drive over to Anza-Borrego and leave your car there for awhile (not that it would get you there)!

FWIW, the trade-in quote I got for my 2012 LEAF, 33k miles, 84% and in excellent condition, was $6750 (pretty much dead-on the blue book price). It has been an interesting journey...

 

[Marktm]

those rebuild packs will go to the home storage market where the reduced capacity isn't an issue. Hang them on a wall in the garage tied to some solar PV and bobs your uncle. Way cheaper than trying to fix them up for car use again.

Sort of "PowerWallbyLeaf". I hope so. I hope this application will also spawn a matching high voltage MPPT solar charge controller.

 

[Wennfred]

2011 Nissan Leaf ... Today with 49100 miles and a AHR of 41.6, it dropped to 40.6 and the 4th capacity bar went with it. Warranty expires in 1 month. Will call 1-800-NO-GAS-EV on Monday to start the process.
The Leaf has been in San Diego California since it left Japan.

Will keep a running blog here on everything that needs to be done. The only issue I have is whether to take the Leaf to Chula Vista or Poway. I know Poway Nissan have replaced 4 traction battery packs, I don't think Chula Vista has done any.

For those interested, 177 GIDs with 8 capacity bars.


Fred

 

[LeftieBiker]

Congratulations!

 

[arnis]

Is it true that Leaf is mostly in ambient temperature between 50F-77F?
This is very interesting result because if it is true then battery is constantly in the same temperature range.
Did you charge to 80% or 100% during those 5 years?

 

[cwerdna]

Congratulations!

Indeed!

What were the SOH and Hx readings?

 

[RegGuheert]

Congratulations on beating the warranty clock, Wennfred!

1st CB at 26300, 2nd CB 34274 3rd CB 43000 miles

2011 Nissan Leaf ... Today with 49100 miles and a AHR of 41.6, it dropped to 40.6 and the 4th capacity bar went with it.

CB1 to CB2: 7974 miles
CB2 to CB3: 8726 miles
CB3 to CB4: 6100 miles
Assuming you maintained a fairly constant 10,000 miles-per-year driving rate over the life of the car, it seems that even in the mild San Diego climate the seasonality affects the loss of bars. This last bar "endured" nearly an entire summer while CB2 to CB3 and CB1 to CB2 each saw about half of an entire summer.

 

[smkettner]

I don't think Chula Vista has done any.

I can't imagine any Nissan dealer has not done a battery swap yet.

 

[essaunders]

I can't imagine any Nissan dealer has not done a battery swap yet.

I'd be very surprised if my NH dealer has. They still seem a bit befuddled by the annual battery check.

 

[RonDawg]

I can't imagine any Nissan dealer has not done a battery swap yet.

Not all Nissan dealers are Leaf-certified, and a few that were at the Leaf's launch no longer are. I would also imagine that ones in say, Phoenix, would have been more likely to have done a swap than one in say, Seattle.

 

[RonDawg]

Congratulations!

Indeed!

I can't think of any other car where people actually celebrate the failure of a major component within the warranty period :lol: