Just bought a 2012 - hit 8 bars today -wait out the warranty?

[Reddy]

I am in a situation where I can live even with a 20 mile range if I had to. It isn't that bad yet though, so as others have suggested, I am going to wait out the hot Florida summer, at least, and see what happens later in the year. As such too, I'm starting to close in on the 60,000 miles limit to the warranty, so I'll have to do something within the next 6000 miles or so.

Way to go! Knowledge is everything. Don't push your luck and get it replaced by 59,500 mi just in case.

As a side note, I brought the 8-bar LEAF in for the battery check last year. While the settlement was in effect. I got the full 5 Stars with absolutely no comment either from me nor the dealership about any warranty. He asked how I liked the car, and I said it was great, but it did seem like the range was down a bit. He didn't say anything, and I drove away.

I don't even know how to respond. Incredulous is a word that comes to mind.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

If that 30 mile range isn't at freeway speeds, or up big hills, you may actually have a 7 bar car.

I have a 7-bar-car, and might be able to add some data.

As an 8-bar-car I did an "inadvertent range test," which means I got lost a bit along the way, and went 52 miles before it was just going to hit LBW.

Today, I did a 70 mile round-trip excursion. OK, with ten minutes of 120V charge after 10 miles, and then a QC after 41 miles or so. The GOM indicated 15 miles left (so no LBW, in ECO mode), but when plugging into the QC, it indicated 42% remaining charge. So I could have gone a fair bit further than the 41 miles, but yes, it would have been sweating every extra mile. I drive extremely steady, not ever wanting to speed up or slow down, and usually able to keep a top speed of 48 mph. Today I even tried to keep it down to 45 mph as I knew it was going to be close. When it had 8 bars I maintained 52 mph, so yes, I am slowing down to try to save the range. Of course, running the A/C, or really even the radio, is forbidden. Many people have observed, as I have, that as the capacity diminishes the GOM shifts more and more of the remaining capacity downward and under LBW.

As far as LeafSpy, I am wanting to get the real program, and will at some point, (and mainly because the real program will show tire pressures too), but for now I'm still using the free version. I'm using it with an Android Tablet, which even if somebody had to buy one should be pretty reasonable on ebay. The free LeafSpy version shows you the Ahr and % charge remaining. I have 36.06 ah and the HX just went to 54% today for people who want to compare. It seems to be dropping by about 0.03 ah / day, or about 1 ah / month. I bought this OBDII adapter: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012BZN96S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00 and I bought this extension for the OBDII port, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EECXAY8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s02 and they both seem to be working fine.

I bought the 2011 LEAF new in Florida in 3/2012, so I have until 2017 to claim the warranty. I am included in the settlement though, and legally qualify for a brand new battery. However, even if it was just the replacement to 9 bars warranty, given Nissan's actions, and the difficulty of putting together a 9-bar pack, the work and significant labor charges to change it, and just having it drop to 8-bars after a few weeks, I'd gamble that Nissan would continue to replace with a new pack. The only way I could see that changing is if there was a battery shortage due to some unforeseen disaster.

I am in a situation where I can live even with a 20 mile range if I had to. It isn't that bad yet though, so as others have suggested, I am going to wait out the hot Florida summer, at least, and see what happens later in the year. As such too, I'm starting to close in on the 60,000 miles limit to the warranty, so I'll have to do something within the next 6000 miles or so.

As a side note, I brought the 8-bar LEAF in for the battery check last year. While the settlement was in effect. I got the full 5 Stars with absolutely no comment either from me nor the dealership about any warranty. He asked how I liked the car, and I said it was great, but it did seem like the range was down a bit. He didn't say anything, and I drove away.

sounds like your main concern should be the 5 year time limit

 

[ceshell]

Well, I did I it. Much as I wanted to wait out the summer, everyone's advice about enjoying the car now was solid. I grew tired of keeping my eyes glued to the SOC bars in order to convince myself that I could make each trip, so I ordered my battery on April 15 and they just installed it last week! You were right: the peace of mind is worth it, and the regen works like it's never worked before. I much prefer driving the car at the capacity it was meant to have (for as long as this lasts). Not to mention the laugh I get when I look at the GOM in the morning and see "105." (I know it's BS but it's still fun to see.)

Strangely enough, after installing the battery the dealer messed up my charging timer, which says it's on -- even the app says the car isn't charging until the time has arrived -- yet the car IS charging prior to the set time; the orange EVSE "charging" light is on and if you refresh the app each hour you can watch the SOC go up...even though the app itself says "not charging" ??!! Also the 12v charge light on the dash now goes on EVERY time I turn the car off, and I can hear that charging noise. Has anyone heard of this; should I post this in the troubleshooting forum?

 

[GerryAZ]

You could try disconnecting the 12-volt battery for a few minutes to see if that clears your charging and timer behavior. If not, make the dealer fix it. You should get a lot of use from the new lizard battery. The battery in my 2015 is doing much better in the heat than the original and replacement (original chemistry from Japan) batteries in my 2011.

Gerry

 

[jjeff]

Well, I did I it. Much as I wanted to wait out the summer, everyone's advice about enjoying the car now was solid. I grew tired of keeping my eyes glued to the SOC bars in order to convince myself that I could make each trip, so I ordered my battery on April 15 and they just installed it last week! You were right: the peace of mind is worth it, and the regen works like it's never worked before.....

So your saying after getting the new battery your '12 Leaf now has better regen? Interesting, my '12(lacking just 2 bars) has basically non existent regen Even when the SOC is below 50% when I let off on the gas I basically have no engine breaking, it's probably my biggest issue with my '12 SL compared to my '13 S which has wonderful regen and engine breaking. I kind of attributed the lack of regen to the year of the vehicle and not the fact that it's missing 2 bars. Did you ever have much regen on your Leaf or did you slowly lose it? I purchased my '12 used lacking the 2 bars so I have no idea if it lost regen or never really had it....I doubt I'll make the free battery replacement but if replacing the battery would gain my regen and the price of batteries continues to drop it just might be worth it to replace the pack at some point when the range becomes too low for practical use.

 

[DaveEV]

This thread talks about regen.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=14807

tl;dr; The P3227 update cut regen by a lot. As you lose capacity you lose even more regen. But the time you get to 4 bars down you have minimal regen left.

I wonder how this affects EPA efficiency ratings, Nissan never adjusted them after P3227 and certainly tested a new vehicle.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

This thread talks about regen.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?t=14807

tl;dr; The P3227 update cut regen by a lot. As you lose capacity you lose even more regen. But the time you get to 4 bars down you have minimal regen left.

I wonder how this affects EPA efficiency ratings, Nissan never adjusted them after P3227 and certainly tested a new vehicle.

Steve Marsh (the 150,000 mile LEAFer) has 5 CPs gone and regen as well. He says that taking his foot off the accelerator the car feels just like its in neutral

 

[ceshell]

So your saying after getting the new battery your '12 Leaf now has better regen? Interesting, my '12(lacking just 2 bars) has basically non existent regen Even when the SOC is below 50% when I let off on the gas I basically have no engine breaking, it's probably my biggest issue with my '12 SL compared to my '13 S which has wonderful regen and engine breaking. I kind of attributed the lack of regen to the year of the vehicle and not the fact that it's missing 2 bars. Did you ever have much regen on your Leaf or did you slowly lose it? I purchased my '12 used lacking the 2 bars so I have no idea if it lost regen or never really had it....I doubt I'll make the free battery replacement but if replacing the battery would gain my regen and the price of batteries continues to drop it just might be worth it to replace the pack at some point when the range becomes too low for practical use.

I bought my car at 10 bars, and it dropped to 9 within 2 days and dropped again to 8 a month later, so I can only speak for the regen of my 8-bar car since I wasn't in tune with regen right away. At 8 bars, I did have some regen but only when I was creeping in traffic and never more than 3 dots. I didn't even notice it when braking, it was so minimal. Now when braking from a decent speed, I get 5 dots of regen, and I get 5 dots while engine braking as well when coming down from a fair speed. I haven't paid close enough attention to learn how much true "mileage" I've been gaining, but I'm satisfied that the performance in general is improved.

 

[GerryAZ]

I lost regeneration on my 2011 long before the P3227 software update was issued. The loss of regeneration is directly related to loss of battery capacity (actually it is probably a function of the increase in internal resistance as the battery degrades). The P3227 software update was applied after the original battery dropped to 8 capacity bars and there was no change to regeneration. Regeneration was like new after the battery was replaced and was starting to drop off in cold weather as the replacement battery degraded (11 capacity bars when car was totaled). The 2015 has much more aggressive regeneration even after almost 16 months and 23,000 miles than the 2011 had when new (or with its new battery).

Gerry

 

[GenericUser]

Question about the new battery warranty: Once the battery is replaced, does the warranty continue with the new battery for another 5 years. Or is the 5 year term a one time thing?

Thanks.

 

[DaveEV]

One year thing. Even if you pay for a new pack, you don't get a new full warranty.

 

[Evoforce]

One year thing. Even if you pay for a new pack, you don't get a new full warranty.

My understanding is that if you get a free warranty replacement it is one year or the original 5 year in service date whichever is longer. But... I was told if you PAID for a new one it was 5 year warranty. There is also an option for leasing one for $100 per month. Was I given wrong information on the PURCHASE of a traction battery?

 

[cwerdna]

One year thing. Even if you pay for a new pack, you don't get a new full warranty.

My understanding is that if you get a free warranty replacement it is one year or the original 5 year in service date whichever is longer. But... I was told if you PAID for a new one it was 5 year warranty. There is also an option for leasing one for $100 per month. Was I given wrong information on the PURCHASE of a traction battery?

AFAIK, the battery leasing option (http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13331) died on the vine due to the huge amount of negative feedback. Nissan went silent for a year and then came back w/a purchase program: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17168.

 

[Evoforce]

One year thing. Even if you pay for a new pack, you don't get a new full warranty.

My understanding is that if you get a free warranty replacement it is one year or the original 5 year in service date whichever is longer. But... I was told if you PAID for a new one it was 5 year warranty. There is also an option for leasing one for $100 per month. Was I given wrong information on the PURCHASE of a traction battery?

AFAIK, the battery leasing option (http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13331) died on the vine due to the huge amount of negative feedback. Nissan went silent for a year and then came back w/a purchase program: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17168.

No, The lease option was recently being offered to a fellow leaf owner here in AZ. He is a member of the Phoenix Electric Auto Association that I am also a member of.

 

[cwerdna]

My understanding is that if you get a free warranty replacement it is one year or the original 5 year in service date whichever is longer. But... I was told if you PAID for a new one it was 5 year warranty. There is also an option for leasing one for $100 per month. Was I given wrong information on the PURCHASE of a traction battery?

AFAIK, the battery leasing option (http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13331) died on the vine due to the huge amount of negative feedback. Nissan went silent for a year and then came back w/a purchase program: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17168.

No, It was recently being offered to a fellow leaf owner here in AZ. He is a member of the Phoenix Electric Auto Association that I am also a member of.

Interesting... you sure it was a lease and not just financing on a purchase? If so, this will be the first (or amongst the first) I've heard of someone doing this in the US.

 

[Evoforce]

He said that it also allowed him to upgrade to the latest technology and in addition to that if he was not able to go the distance needed over time, that they would just swap it out for him as needed. I thought the lease option in the US was dead too until I spoke with him. I didn't want to have anything to do with leasing one myself at the time, but now that I see that the lizard probably isn't much better, it appears to be a better deal for us in hot climates. I need to find out just what decision he did make.

 

[cwerdna]

He said that it also allowed him to upgrade to the latest technology and in addition to that if he was not able to go the distance needed over time, that they would swap it just out for him as needed. I thought the lease option in the US was dead too until I spoke with him. I didn't want to have anything to do with leasing one myself at the time, but now that I see that the lizard probably isn't much better, it appears to be a better deal for us in hot climates. I need to find out just what decision he did make.

The leasing option is strange because what if you stop paying? Are you left with a car w/no battery and thus has minimal resale value?

If you sold it and it continued to have a $100/mo obligation to the next owner, that could make it rather unattractive (thus low resale value), as well. What if you want to buy out battery? How much would that be?

 

[DaveEV]

One year thing. Even if you pay for a new pack, you don't get a new full warranty.

My understanding is that if you get a free warranty replacement it is one year or the original 5 year in service date whichever is longer. But... I was told if you PAID for a new one it was 5 year warranty.

I would love to be wrong about the paid pack, I am possibly wrong!

 

[Evoforce]

He said that it also allowed him to upgrade to the latest technology and in addition to that if he was not able to go the distance needed over time, that they would swap it just out for him as needed. I thought the lease option in the US was dead too until I spoke with him. I didn't want to have anything to do with leasing one myself at the time, but now that I see that the lizard probably isn't much better, it appears to be a better deal for us in hot climates. I need to find out just what decision he did make.

The leasing option is strange because what if you stop paying? Are you left with a car w/no battery and thus has minimal resale value?

If you sold it and it continued to have a $100/mo obligation to the next owner, that could make it rather unattractive (thus low resale value), as well. What if you want to buy out battery? How much would that be?

I wonder how they are handling it outside of the US also. That would give us a clue. But you are right that it could complicate a normal situation. I do think I remember something in the cobwebs about a signed agreement with the Nissan and the lending institution with some notation on the title. Maybe Nissan could repossess. It may be very similar to the finance your battery option.

 

[TimLee]

...
No, The lease option was recently being offered to a fellow leaf owner here in AZ. He is a member of the Phoenix Electric Auto Association that I am also a member of.

Could be correct.

But the other thread on battery replacement stated NMAC would finance up to $5,500 on battery purchase.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=22319#p466557

That worked out to $100 payment per month and I think it was five year term.
They were going to have to pay the $1,500 for installation.

But it is possible NMAC did move forward on pack leasing.