constant beeping when getting out.

[TimLee]

I received the Leaf Wednesday evening, and while salesman was demonstrating vehicle features, experienced the beeping, and it is the same as the Altima.
The push button system does not like having the door open when it is shut down.
Not sure why Nissan designed it that way, but that's the way it is.
Don't have much experience yet with key fob recognition in the Leaf.
But I suspect it will be similar to the Altima.
It can be a little wierd in the Altima, with the vehicle occasionally failing to recognize the key fob even with it inserted into the charging port.
But that's usually after the vehicle has been either started or turned on into auxiliary 1 or auxiliary 2 position.
Keep in mind that with key fob push button start systems that it is important to turn them off.
With the Altima, once you start it, it will run until shut down, even without the key fob present.
I think the Leaf is the same way, make sure it is off and locked before you walk away.

 

[garygid]

Does leaving the headlights in "automatic" mode (I do not), leaving Climate Control ON, or leaving the Audio System ON cause any "beeping" warning, ...
or any long-term parking/battery problems?

 

[planet4ever]

Don't have much experience yet with key fob recognition in the Leaf.
But I suspect it will be similar to the Altima.
It can be a little wierd in the Altima, with the vehicle occasionally failing to recognize the key fob even with it inserted into the charging port.

Actually, (a) it isn't a charging port, and (b) the LEAF doesn't have one. The slot you find in most cars which use intelligent keys is just a place to get the fob close enough to read what I assume is an RFID tag if its battery is discharged. When that happens you need to replace the fob's battery to avoid the inconvenience. The LEAF does have the same feature, but no slot. You hold the fob against the power button to get it recognized.

Ray

 

[TimLee]

The slot you find in most cars which use intelligent keys is just a place to get the fob close enough to read what I assume is an RFID tag if its battery is discharged.
Ray

Thanks for the info Ray.
Dealer said it was an inductive charging port, and quick internet search indicates multiple dealers have stated the same thing.
But the Altima manual clearly states that it doesn't charge the fob battery.

 

[Coffee_Slurry]

It doesn't charge the battery. It powers the Fob directly (inductive), providing just enough of a capacitor charge for the Fob to interact with the transceiver.

There is no separate RFID for this behavior.. just near-field RF power.

You can take the battery out of your Fob if you want to play with it this way.


I still can't see the upside to the continuous urgent beeps if you open the door before powering off. I think it also lights a yellow triangle on the dash.

 

[TimLee]

It doesn't charge the battery. It powers the Fob directly (inductive), providing just enough of a capacitor charge for the Fob to interact with the transceiver.

There is no separate RFID for this behavior.. just near-field RF power.

You can take the battery out of your Fob if you want to play with it this way.


I still can't see the upside to the continuous urgent beeps if you open the door before powering off. I think it also lights a yellow triangle on the dash.

Thanks GroundLoop.
So on the Altima, is slightly better to keep the fob in the slot, because the inductive power is powering the fob reducing battery drain (although pretty minimal power use by the fob while driving, most of the power use is when pushing buttons on it to unlock / lock doors, etc.)
I agree with you, I don't understand the rationale on the Altima or the Leaf for alerts when the car is shut down with the door open.
Why alert a non-issue?

 

[Coffee_Slurry]

So on the Altima, is slightly better to keep the fob in the slot, because the inductive power is powering the fob reducing battery drain (although pretty minimal power use by the fob while driving, most of the power use is when pushing buttons on it to unlock / lock doors, etc.)

That's really splitting hairs. The batteries in the Toyota fob of similar design are going on three years of daily use without any replacement.

Indeed, putting the fob in the slot completely defeats the key convenience of keyless ignition: LEAVING them in your pocket or purse. That's worth a new $3 lithium cell every few years.

Besides, most of the drain is probably while you are NOT driving.. when the fob is quietly listening for the car to be nearby.

I agree with you, I don't understand the rationale on the Altima or the Leaf for alerts when the car is shut down with the door open.
Why alert a non-issue?

It's weird.. I can't figure it out either. Maybe a holdover from leaving the headlights on? I really don't know. It feels like a bug, but apparently they've been doing it this way for a while now on multiple cars, so it must be intentional.

 

[adric22]

Keep in mind that with key fob push button start systems that it is important to turn them off.
With the Altima, once you start it, it will run until shut down, even without the key fob present.
I think the Leaf is the same way, make sure it is off and locked before you walk away.

I discovered this a few days ago. I went out during lunch to show the car to a co-worker and somehow left the car on. I was surprised when I returned 4 hours later that the car was still on. Since i had a Prius previously, it also used a smart key but it would start to go bonkers if the key left the inside of the car for more than a second or two. I also noticed that it dropped my state of charge down by about 7 miles by leaving it on for that period.

 

[hill]

Don't have much experience yet with key fob recognition in the Leaf.
But I suspect it will be similar to the Altima.
It can be a little wierd in the Altima, with the vehicle occasionally failing to recognize the key fob even with it inserted into the charging port.

Actually, (a) it isn't a charging port, and (b) the LEAF doesn't have one. The slot you find in most cars which use intelligent keys is just a place to get the fob close enough to read what I assume is an RFID tag if its battery is discharged. When that happens you need to replace the fob's battery to avoid the inconvenience. The LEAF does have the same feature, but no slot. You hold the fob against the power button to get it recognized.

Ray

I was going to say . . . . . . . . there's a slot? ok now I'm back on the same page.

 

[FalconFour]

It's a bug in the firmware of the keyless ignition. Easy to replicate right in front of a salesman at the dealer lot. Any model year or trim Leaf does the same thing. Highly irritating, and an obvious bug as it serves no warning purpose.

1) leave car ON
2) open driver door
3) turn car OFF
4) receive endless beeps
5) press driver door sensor switch (same one that turns the inside lights on/off with the door)
6) beeping stops with one chime acting like you just got in the car

My theory is that there is still a traditonal "key" based ignition module that gets controlled by a key emulator in the keyless system, so when the car is On, it has a "key" in the ignition. So when you have the door open and turn the car off, it thinks there's a key still in it. This is the ding to say "hey stupid, take your key out", and that doesn't get cleared unless the door is closed.

Super annoying this has lasted several model years, but also perplexing that this thread goes 3 pages without a solid diagnosis. One of the first things I noticed when I got my Leaf some months back... Even demonstrated the bug at the dealer on a new stock model and nothing came of it but a shrug and a clueless look (the usual). Nissan quality control!

 

[TimLee]

...
Super annoying this has lasted several model years, but also perplexing that this thread goes 3 pages without a solid diagnosis. One of the first things I noticed when I got my Leaf some months back... Even demonstrated the bug at the dealer on a new stock model and nothing came of it but a shrug and a clueless look (the usual). Nissan quality control!

But as we discussed in 2011, it is an overall Nissan problem with how they did keyless entry.

Their software is assuming that if you opened the door before turning it off, there must be a problem.

All Nissans do this.
Mind boggingly stupid programming.

 

[FalconFour]

All Nissans do this.
Mind boggingly stupid programming.

LOL, yes! This is practically the exact reply I was Googling around to find. I get the beep-beep crap a lot - like when I check the line when I park - and I end up saying "shutthef***up, shutthef***up, shutthef***up" in time with the beeps as I reach back and silence the beep with the door switch. Super annoying, but really one of the only bugs I've found with the firmware - #2 most annoying bug with #1 being not running the cooling fan while charging.

 

[yontyont]

Door open and the beeping is making you crazy; easy fix but YOU MUST MAKE SURE YOU
KNOW CAR IS "O F F" WHEN YOU LEAVE IT> On door jam remove star screw holding rubber
push button housing ... this button tells car door is open. Buy 3 inch (7.6 cm) Mending Plates
at HD or L's. Trim (shorten) plate so you have a piece with one screw hole and separation (hack saw)
happens at screw hole above. Fit star screw through hole and have top portion of plate over button.
Push plate in over button as you tighten screw. All done. Beep all gone. Can be done in less than 3 minutes.

 

[TimLee]

Door open and the beeping is making you crazy; easy fix but YOU MUST MAKE SURE YOU
KNOW CAR IS "O F F" WHEN YOU LEAVE IT> ...

As one of several people that have failed to put the LEAF in Park or turn it OFF before starting to get out, zero noise electric vehicles have this as an inherent risky human performance error.

I recommend strongly against disabling the door closed switch and the beeps.

 

[yontyont]

Tim is one of the people who should not do this. We are all human and prone to error
but many of us can keep this propensity very low. I find the beep most intrusive to me
and the solution is simple and works and may be reversed in what is literally a moment.

If you are conscious in a state that you are aware of every moment it works. I do this by
association. If I am leaving the car I place it in park. Having driven many automatics in many years of driving
the association has become ritualistic. When I drove sticks, the "hand brake" was the same automatic
act on exciting.

 

[TimLee]

If you are conscious in a state that you are aware of every moment it works. I do this by
association. ...

Good luck with the perfection of NEVER making a human performance error.

In 40 years of driving I NEVER made the error in an ICE, either automatic or manual.

But quite a few people have reported the error in electric vehicles.

 

[bowthom]

Hello,
As I recall, my Leaf did not behave this way until one of the updates was performed. It's in the documentation somewhere.

 

[Econne11]

It's your NAV system. Go to Map and kill the destination and the beeping will stop. Cheers!