I loss another battery capacity bar

[DaveEV]

Battery chemistry is totally different on the Prius. All Prius family members others than the PiP are using NiMH and have been the whole time.

Not to mention that you can lose 50% capacity on the Prius battery and still get along without issue or any significant reduction in MPG as long as the pack stays balanced... The Prius pack really only fails when one or more cells really goes bad.

 

[Stanton]

Something else I need to bring up is the warranty on the battery-pack,we payed a extended warranty of $3500 and I specificly ask if this would cover the battery-pack and she said yes..
Im thinking I should of recorded the discusion of the warranty information..I think I read some-where the extended warranty does not cover the batter-pack..

You paid WHAT for an extended warranty?! There were several threads early on in the forum documenting extended warranty prices <$1000 (mine was around $800). And yes, you are correct: the extended warranty was NOT specifically for the battery pack, but for the REST of the car; I bought the extended warranty just to bring everything else up to "par" with the battery pack (and the fact that I didn't think anyone but Nissan would have the expertise to work on this car for several years--let alone get the parts).

 

[smkettner]

Something else I need to bring up is the warranty on the battery-pack,we payed a extended warranty of $3500 and I specificly ask if this would cover the battery-pack and she said yes..
Im thinking I should of recorded the discusion of the warranty information..I think I read some-where the extended warranty does not cover the batter-pack..

Time to bust out the actual warranty paperwork and read it.

 

[navidad]

Have you checked if the autonomy is reduced with the lost of bars?

 

[redLEAF]

Sorry but did not do an exhaustive search on this within the threads but as we've had a number of days in Chicago at 99 to 100+ in a row with today hopefully being the last for awhile (although my attached garage never shows anything close; perhaps 80 at most) what's the battery temperature # of bars showing for the folks in AZ and other SW states? I mean I think perhaps once I've seen mine go the 7 bars and only briefly but even earlier in the week when we hit 102 with a heat index of 110 and the car was in total sun all day it never went over 6 bars on the battery temp scale?? I'm assuming it will need very long heat exposure but was just curious -- our heat wave will finally break tomorrow (with a high of 90) and then the next several days be around 80 so I'm assuming our nights will go much lower and perhaps the fact that my garage never gets at extremes that's why we don't see this --- yes, my range has slipped slightly using the A/C but nowhere near as much as during the real cold temps. The other factor which is really a side benefit, is that when I pull the LEAF in the garage after a trip it doesn't heat up the garage anywhere near as much as an ICE (no hot exhaust, etc.) so that also helps keep things cool there as well. Still feel bad for you folks as would have thought hot weather testing would have shown that this could have been a problem, hopefully this will level out but who knows ...

EDIT: hit 7 bars on the battery temp 'gauge' on the way home ... air temp 103, heat index 110, will see if this drops overnight while charging, revised forecast for a high of 98 but then 'only' 83 on Sunday and cooler temps all week

 

[SierraQ]

I never looked more forward to owning a car like the Leaf in my life..But if they had told me I was going to lose 20% battery capacity with-in the first 13 months of ownership, I would of waited a few more years to buy a E-car ...

Me too! If I had a shorter commute I would not care but as it stands I went in knowing that 80% would just barely get me there and the expectation that I would have 80-100% for at least five years. It's been about 10 months and I've noticed that 100% now feels like 80% and I am starting to get the 9 bars on 80% charge.

Unfortunately there are other factors like the speed of the commute has gone up (therefore less range) and unfortunately I have not been recording the daily data like I probably should have been doing so I don't know how much of this is perceived loss vs. real loss. I need a GID meter!

 

[kubel]

The extended warranty is a rip off, and no, it does not cover the pack.

Just curious- if you electrical taped over the capacity bars from day one, do you think you would have noticed a major hit to range and been as discouraged as you are now?

 

[ecoobsessive]

Just curious- if you electrical taped over the capacity bars from day one, do you think you would have noticed a major hit to range and been as discouraged as you are now?

It's hard to tell because of the recent software update which significantly changed range estimates on the GOM- I didn't get the update until May. But many others have documented decrease in range.

 

[smkettner]

I find the GOM to be fairly accurate after my May 2012 updates and battery check.
Took a bit to get used to it and it is way better.

 

[mark13]

The reason Im worried about battery capacity loss is because I loss 2 bars in 45 days..I see the difference when I 100% charge on certain days..
The temp. bars reach 7 when I drive my 60 mile work trips doing the day..I now look for shade when I park the car doing the day..

My avg in the Prius was 58 MPG...The Leaf 6.0 M/KWH ...

 

[leafme]

Although I've read of more than one person whose first symptom is getting 9 bars on an 80% charge. At first it is once in awhile, but then it gets more frequent. A few weeks of that consistently and then they lose the 12th capacity bar...

Gulp ! I'm seeing 9 bars to 80% almost consistently now (been 2 weeks). 14k mi and 18 months of use since our 1-4-11 purchase date. I run about 37 mi/day, charge 6 days per week. 65 mph to work (and folks are riding my butt and scowling at me) and about 72-73 mph home (that's the San Diego freeways for you). 95% of my 500 or so charges have been to 80% with the other 5% to 100% (when I need to make a 60 mi run). As we all know, this 'lectrc car business is 'spensive to own/operate on average (but the LEAF sure is a nice ride - 'specially with the boomers we added in the back pounding out some Voodoo Lounge and Bridges to Babylon tunes). So far, makes it all worth it.

Malcolm

 

[JRP3]

I think Ill look at driving the Prius doing the summer next year and the Leaf doing the winter..

Eventually if the LEAF keeps dropping battery capacity it won't be able to deliver it's maximum power, and I think Nissan does guarantee that the pack can put out a certain amount of power. You might be better off just driving your pack into the ground in the heat and forcing Nissan to give you a replacement at some point. If you avoid driving the car you may just extend the pack life past the warranty period.

 

[edatoakrun]

Although I've read of more than one person whose first symptom is getting 9 bars on an 80% charge. At first it is once in awhile, but then it gets more frequent. A few weeks of that consistently and then they lose the 12th capacity bar...

Gulp ! I'm seeing 9 bars to 80% almost consistently now (been 2 weeks). 14k mi and 18 months of use since our 1-4-11 purchase date. I run about 37 mi/day, charge 6 days per week. 65 mph to work (and folks are riding my butt and scowling at me) and about 72-73 mph home (that's the San Diego freeways for you). 95% of my 500 or so charges have been to 80% with the other 5% to 100% (when I need to make a 60 mi run). As we all know, this 'lectrc car business is 'spensive to own/operate on average (but the LEAF sure is a nice ride - 'specially with the boomers we added in the back pounding out some Voodoo Lounge and Bridges to Babylon tunes). So far, makes it all worth it.

Malcolm

Could you please report your LEAFs "climate" history? How often (if ever) do you see 7 bars on the battery temp gauge, and
what are the typical ambient temperatures where your LEAF is parked and driven?

It is looking like long-term exposure to higher temperatures may have a greater effect, than the other use factors, in bar losses.

 

[Deleted member 3147]

Although I've read of more than one person whose first symptom is getting 9 bars on an 80% charge. At first it is once in awhile, but then it gets more frequent. A few weeks of that consistently and then they lose the 12th capacity bar...

Gulp ! I'm seeing 9 bars to 80% almost consistently now (been 2 weeks). 14k mi and 18 months of use since our 1-4-11 purchase date. I run about 37 mi/day, charge 6 days per week. 65 mph to work (and folks are riding my butt and scowling at me) and about 72-73 mph home (that's the San Diego freeways for you). 95% of my 500 or so charges have been to 80% with the other 5% to 100% (when I need to make a 60 mi run). As we all know, this 'lectrc car business is 'spensive to own/operate on average (but the LEAF sure is a nice ride - 'specially with the boomers we added in the back pounding out some Voodoo Lounge and Bridges to Babylon tunes). So far, makes it all worth it.

Malcolm

Could you please report your LEAFs "climate" history? How often (if ever) do you see 7 bars on the battery temp gauge, and
what are the typical ambient temperatures where your LEAF is parked and driven?

It is looking like long-term exposure to higher temperatures may have a greater effect, than the other use factors, in bar losses.

Malcolm's sidebar says San Diego! That's about as mild a climate you can get! Someone get that man a Gidmeter, stat!

 

[edatoakrun]

"DoxyLover"]
Malcolm's sidebar says San Diego! That's about as mild a climate you can get! ...

If he has an inland commute?

 

[TomT]

I started to see 9 bars on 80% from time to time about four weeks ago after a year and half and 20,000 miles... It seems to be happening more often these days. My Gid meter was stolen so I can't give any hard numbers at the moment but I'm poised waiting for the first tick to go away... This would be most interesting as my car has been subjected to what would be considered a fairly mild climate only (garaged at home and at night in the milder Granada Hills foothills area of the SFV, and parked outdoors in the cooler Santa Monica area during the work day)... It has only had one QC in its lifetime and 95% of the time is charged to 80 percent... I typically arrive home with about 2 bars so I am not pushing the battery particularly hard (my round-trip commute is about 47 miles but there are substantial elevation changes and it is mostly freeway which I typically drive at around 62-63 mph on the non-congested sections)... I did try a few 100% charges in case equalization was an issue but it appears to have made no difference.

I'm on a four year/15K lease so I am not particularly concerned but it is interesting nonetheless.

Although I've read of more than one person whose first symptom is getting 9 bars on an 80% charge. At first it is once in awhile, but then it gets more frequent. A few weeks of that consistently and then they lose the 12th capacity bar...

 

[thankyouOB]

gid thingee stolen?
from the car?

wow, who would take it?

 

[TomT]

I wrote it up here on another thread a while back but basically, they smashed the driver's side window and grabbed it from it's perch forward of the cup holders. Clearly they though that it was something that it is not. My insurance covered the window replacement but did not, of course, cover the Gid Meter...

gid thingee stolen?
from the car?wow, who would take it?

 

[Volusiano]

Eventually if the LEAF keeps dropping battery capacity it won't be able to deliver it's maximum power, and I think Nissan does guarantee that the pack can put out a certain amount of power. You might be better off just driving your pack into the ground in the heat and forcing Nissan to give you a replacement at some point. If you avoid driving the car you may just extend the pack life past the warranty period.

Good logic, but I'm not so sure that there's a correlation between lower capacity and lower battery power. That's why Nissan is willing to warranty batter power output but is not willing to warranty capacity.

Does anybody have hard evidence that loss of capacity will eventually cause loss of power?

 

[HXGuy]

I'm thinking that there probably won't be any loss of power no matter how much less capacity the battery has really. I mean when your charge is down to 20%, the car still drives the same, right (same amount of power)?