Leaf dead after two week vacation

[amtoro]

The best option would be to charge the traction pack to 80% or full and let it sit. The pack will charge the accessory battery every 5 days to compensate for the energy lost due to electronics use.

According to the manual, when in storage, the traction pack should be charged every 3 months at least; the only load on it is the charging of the accessory battery and it's own self-discharge. After all, that is how they travel on the ships.

 

[ebill3]

After my 2 week trip to Japan with LEAF unplugged, the charge was still at 100% when I got back.

Green with envy on the number of L3 chargers throughout the Tokyo-Yokohama area where I was.

Also saw a LEAF taxi in Oppama and was told a few more are operating around Yokohama station (where, BTW, Nissan's Global HQ is located.)

Yeah, After reading this thread so far, perhaps charging to either 80% or 100% and just leaving the car *unplugged* probably sounds like the best thing for do. I may have a 6 week overseas trip next year and I am also interested to know what's the best option...

50% is a much better choice.

Bill

 

[TonyWilliams]

I didn't think that telematics would be a problem though, and I'm wondering if the 12V battery should be disconnected to make sure that it cannot be drained.

Just put the 12 volt dinosaur battery on a trickle charger. They are super cheap, and plug in the wall just like anything else.

I keep the AGM batteries in my motorcycles on perpetual charge for their long life... about $20-$100 for the charger at any motorcycle shop.

http://www.yuasabatteries.com/chargers.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.yuasabatteries.com/motor_battery.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"One not-so-nice feature of lead acid batteries is that they discharge all by themselves even if not used. A general rule of thumb is a one percent per day rate of self-discharge. This rate increases at high temperatures and decreases at cold temperatures. Don’t forget that your <LEAF>, with a clock, stereo, and CB radio?, is never completely turned off. Each of those devices has a "keep alive memory" to preserve your radio pre-sets and time, and those memories draw about 20 milliamps, or .020 amps. This will suck about one half amp hour from your battery daily at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This draw, combined with the self-discharge rate, will have your battery 50 percent discharged in two weeks if the bike is left unattended...."

 

[DaveEV]

I've always heard that the Battery Tender 12v chargers are the best for maintaining 12v lead acid batteries as they are micro processor controlled. Looks like they have a solar powered one now, too.

 

[smkettner]

No particular reason but I am inclined to set the timer to charge once a week for an hour to 80% starting at 50% or even less.

 

[marcustcohn]

I took delivery of my Leaf on June 30th but since then I have been away and it has just been sitting in the garage. It showed 92% charged on June 30th and as of today (58 days later) Carwings still says 92% charged. Not plugged in and no timers set.

Marc

 

[Lopton]

I just got back from a week vacation and my range-o-meter went from 52 miles to 51 miles. Same charge indicated.
-Matt

 

[dgpcolorado]

The mention upthread of Carwings needing AT&T to work has me wondering if it can be turned off. Can Carwings be disabled (or not enabled)? There certainly is no cell reception in my concrete and steel garage and I don't think there is AT&T cell service in my rural area anyway.

 

[ericsf]

I also went away for a bit more than 2 weeks in August and had to leave my LEAF home alone for the first time . I charged to 80% (as recommended for long time storage - altough I've read that 2 weeks is not a long time for battery storage) and left the car unplugged in the garage should something weird happen with PG&E while I was gone.

I remotely checked the status a couple of times with the iPhone App just to notice it wasn't changing - no discharge. The day before my return (exactly 15 days into my trip) I tried to check on the car and this time I couldn't get it to work. We all know how reliable Carwings servers are so I waited a couple of hours to retry but still got nothing. The error message said something like "Communication error with the vehicule".

So I switched to the web portal and noticed that the error message was a bit more verbose. I can't remember exactly all the words but it said that the Carwings connection is disabled after 14 days of not driving the car. When I got home a day later my LEAF was exactly where I left it - the tank was still 80% full and there was still gas in the carburetor. It started on the first kick - no need for priming it. Got to love electricity.

 

[highcountryrider]

<snip>...there was still gas in the carburetor. It started on the first kick - no need for priming it. Got to love electricity.

:lol:

 

[TonyWilliams]

the tank was still 80% full and there was still gas in the carburetor. It started on the first kick - no need for priming it. Got to love electricity.

What about backfires? Did any oil leak out on the ground while you were gone? I guess that gas didn't go stale, either?

Inquiring minds....

 

[ericsf]

I guess that gas didn't go stale, either?

PG&E only serves premium electrons (98 spin).

 

[Deleted member 1295]

The mention upthread of Carwings needing AT&T to work has me wondering if it can be turned off. Can Carwings be disabled (or not enabled)? There certainly is no cell reception in my concrete and steel garage and I don't think there is AT&T cell service in my rural area anyway.

I was wondering the same thing since cell coverage is at best marginal. My thought was that if I clear the Carwings name and password in the car, it wouldn't bother connecting since there is no account to connect to, but I'm not sure.

And for my next vacation I'll also leave it unplugged, since it sounds like it will charge the 12V a little that way.

 

[mark]

I'm thinking another cause is problem with the charging cycle process (and the power required for everything not just telematics). After 12 days or so of starting to charge, then having the car needing no charge, (or as "amtoro" noted perhaps a 5 min charge) the 12v battery is drained.

I had nearly the exact same problem, on vacation for two weeks. Left my Leaf plugged in, why not? I received "starting to charge" email notifications every day when my charging timer kicked off. After the 12th day, no email. Tried contacting the car through the iPhone app. No response. After returning, car was dead. Called service, they jumped the car to move it out of my long driveway. After the jump, everything looked ok, car was charged. I drove it around to charge the 12v before shutting off.

My lesson learned, don't leave the Leaf plugged in for a long period of time. I may have had charged it to 100%, that might be another variable. But I don't remember, back to the beginning of my vacation...

Note: my leaf was parked outside in the sun, the solar panel didn't keep my 12v alive.

- mark

I might have found a possible explanation... Maybe....

The manual says in EV-4, that the 12v battery is charged when necessary if the power button in in Ready to drive position; however, when the car is OFF, the 12v battery gets charged for 5 minutes every 5 days.

Now, the timer resets to 5 days with no charging if either the car is placed in Ready for more than 5 minutes or when the Li-ion battery receives charge for more than 5 minutes.

My guess is that the on board charger was topping-up the battery every day, or few days, but then that reset the charging schedule for the 12v battery and it never received charge from the DC/DC converted while the telematics and sensors drained it.

 

[keydiver]

Just put the 12 volt dinosaur battery on a trickle charger. They are super cheap, and plug in the wall just like anything else.

Harbor Freight runs a special on their trickle charger fairly often, only $4.99 with coupon! I use one on my wife's 3000GT that just sits in the garage gathering dust. :?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Just put the 12 volt dinosaur battery on a trickle charger. They are super cheap, and plug in the wall just like anything else.

Harbor Freight runs a special on their trickle charger fairly often, only $4.99 with coupon! I use one on my wife's 3000GT that just sits in the garage gathering dust. :?

Harbor Freight is running a tool sale right now. i just bought a portable 12 volt heater i plan to use for defrost/warmth this winter. regular price $19.99 sale price $8.99

to warm to really test it right now, but for $9 if it does nt work...it $9 which is less than half the money i pay for gas in the Prius weekly

 

[pstroud]

What is the recommended procedure for leaving a car while on vacation - plugged? unplugged?

 

[TomT]

Unplugged.

What is the recommended procedure for leaving a car while on vacation - plugged? unplugged?

 

[amtoro]

Well charged, at least 50%, and unplugged

 

[garygid]

Even MORE important, all turned OFF.