Leaf Spy and Leaf Spy Pro

[Turbo3]

LeafSpy will be adding support for the new Bluetooth 4.0 LE (low energy) OBDII adapters. The two that will be supported for both iOS and Android are the LELink at <34 ma and the PLX Kiwi 3 at <20 ma idle current.

The Kiwi 3 label lists 0.2 watts active and 0.05 watts sleep but I have not seen it sleep after several hours on the bench with 12 volts applied and no CAN attached so no CAN activity. I will be asking PLX under what conditions the Kiwi 3 enters sleep mode.

These also require no pairing or port number to setup so are much easier to use.

The current iOS release supports the LELink but not the Kiwi as I just got that working two days ago. Android updates will add support for both.

 

[dhanson865]

There is a much larger drain if the Android device with Leaf Spy running is left in the car--it keeps the CAN bus active which keeps control modules in the car powered and probably prevents the automatic charging of the 12-volt battery (every 5 days while parked with 2011 and 2012 models and as necessary with later models).

Gerry

I'm not seeing that issue with my OBDII in my 2012 SL. I haven't unplugged it since spring 2015.

and if the car powers down I have to trigger a charging timer or power the car on or leafspy doesn't connect.

So apparently mine powers off automatically and quickly, like I can have leafspy running and watch it cut off.

Or are you saying it pulls power even though it won't communicate with leafspy?

 

[TimLee]

... Or are you saying it pulls power even though it won't communicate with leafspy?

Yes, that is my understanding for the older Bluetooth OBDII devices.

But, depending on your driving frequency 12V may survive a while.

I used Bluetooth OBDII and did not unplug or do maintainer charging for more than a year.

But it did not do that second 12V battery much good.
Died with a bad cell at the 2 1/2 year mark.

 

[GerryAZ]

There is a much larger drain if the Android device with Leaf Spy running is left in the car--it keeps the CAN bus active which keeps control modules in the car powered and probably prevents the automatic charging of the 12-volt battery (every 5 days while parked with 2011 and 2012 models and as necessary with later models).

Gerry

I'm not seeing that issue with my OBDII in my 2012 SL. I haven't unplugged it since spring 2015.

and if the car powers down I have to trigger a charging timer or power the car on or leafspy doesn't connect.

So apparently mine powers off automatically and quickly, like I can have leafspy running and watch it cut off.

Or are you saying it pulls power even though it won't communicate with leafspy?

Obviously, I don't have the 2011 any more so I cannot test it with the 2011, but my Kyocera Event stays connected to the 2015 after the car is shut down (I'm reasonably sure it was the same on the 2011) and keeps updating. I believe keeping the CAN bus active greatly increases the power drawn from the 12-volt battery although I have not yet tried to measure it. I leave the ELM unit plugged in to the OBDII port all the time if I am driving the Leaf every day, but I am careful to unplug it when I park for extended time.

Gerry

 

[powersurge]

I do not understand the reason to keep the leafspy program and module on all the time. It is a diagnostic device that really only needs to be used occasionally. Leaving it on all the time is like someone keeping their blood pressure machine on all the time?? Who cares about intermittent and constant readings? Sounds like a person needing all this info doesn't have enough to do in life?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I do not understand the reason to keep the leafspy program and module on all the time. It is a diagnostic device that really only needs to be used occasionally. Leaving it on all the time is like someone keeping their blood pressure machine on all the time?? Who cares about intermittent and constant readings? Sounds like a person needing all this info doesn't have enough to do in life?

agreed. I turn on LEAF Spy every morning to record my battery stats then shut it off. It also allows me to go 3-4 days between cellphone charge ups (the phone stays on all the time) I also turn it on for those "under 10 GIDs" drives to monitor my progress but that is usually during the last 15-20 minutes of the drive

 

[dhanson865]

I do not understand the reason to keep the leafspy program and module on all the time. It is a diagnostic device that really only needs to be used occasionally. Leaving it on all the time is like someone keeping their blood pressure machine on all the time?? Who cares about intermittent and constant readings? Sounds like a person needing all this info doesn't have enough to do in life?

Sounds like you have a 2013 or newer.

Those of us with a 2011 or 2012 need leafspy on all the time so that we have access to SOC% and a more reliable estimate of range remaining than the GOM.

That just isn't as important on a newer leaf with SOC% on the dash.

 

[lorenfb]

I do not understand the reason to keep the leafspy program and module on all the time. It is a diagnostic device that really only needs to be used occasionally. Leaving it on all the time is like someone keeping their blood pressure machine on all the time?? Who cares about intermittent and constant readings? Sounds like a person needing all this info doesn't have enough to do in life?

Sounds like you have a 2013 or newer.

Those of us with a 2011 or 2012 need leafspy on all the time so that we have access to SOC% and a more reliable estimate of range remaining than the GOM.

That just isn't as important on a newer leaf with SOC% on the dash.

Even with newer Leafs. or for that matter any BEV, one needs an indication of what the actual remaining Ahrs
are, e.g. like a fuel gauge in your ICEV. Having to totally rely on a GOM (coasting range distortion) further
increases range anxiety. Being able to estimate remaining range based on remaining Ahrs becomes very helpful.
As an example, my range estimate at about 45 MPH on level terrain is about 2 miles per remaining Ahr with the
assumption of a minimum of 15 Ahrs remaining. Using this approach, in my view, is more reliable than using
just the SOC or GOM data from the Leaf. Obviously the precision of the remaining range is of less concern
the shorter one's trip is and more use of SOC or the GOM can be made without having range anxiety.

 

[GerryAZ]

With no spare and all of the debris on the roads in Phoenix, I run Leaf Spy all the time to get as much warning as possible when something happens to a tire. If Nissan provided the 4 pressures on the dash like my 2004 SUV, I might use Leaf Spy just periodically to monitor capacity.

Gerry

 

[TimLee]

... I run Leaf Spy all the time to get as much warning as possible when something happens to a tire.

I run LEAF Spy Pro all the time for that reason and also having an accurate miles range I can trust.

The LEAF built in low tire pressure warning doesn't come on till a fairly low pressure, something like 25 psig.

I want to know when they get below 36 psig, as Nissan's 36 psig recommendation is too low for the vehicle and tire.
I keep mine in 40 to 44 psig range.

 

[dhanson865]

... I run Leaf Spy all the time to get as much warning as possible when something happens to a tire.

I run LEAF Spy Pro all the time for that reason and also having an accurate miles range I can trust.

The LEAF built in low tire pressure warning doesn't come on till a fairly low pressure, something like 25 psig.

I want to know when they get below 36 psig, as Nissan's 36 psig recommendation is too low for the vehicle and tire.
I keep mine in 40 to 44 psig range.

With my current tires the max PSI is 51. I set the warning in leafspy to 49.

When I get my next set of tires I'll likely end up with 44 max psi again and have to lower that a chunk.

It sure does save me the effort of picking up a gauge and twisting caps and such. I know exactly when one of my tires goes under my desired set point. And I don't bother to do anything about it until leafspy makes it obvious that its time. Of course I still look at leafspy every day but it's no effort to tap once to see tire pressure and tap again to see battery temps.

 

[CRBAman]

Leaf spy pro shows 'outdoor' temperature in F, even if C choosed

 

[patrick0101]

At my work, we have charging stations. One of them is acting weird. If a Leaf is plugged in, the charging session won't start. If a Volt plugs in, it works fine. After plugging my Leaf into this station, there was error light in the car.

Is there any way to read the diagnostic code(s) with Leaf Spy Pro to see the error code?

p.s. We have reported the problem and the EVSE-provider is coming out to fix it.

 

[Turbo3]

At my work, we have charging stations. One of them is acting weird. If a Leaf is plugged in, the charging session won't start. If a Volt plugs in, it works fine. After plugging my Leaf into this station, there was error light in the car.

Is there any way to read the diagnostic code(s) with Leaf Spy Pro to see the error code?

p.s. We have reported the problem and the EVSE-provider is coming out to fix it.

Go into Settings and enable the Service screen. Using the Service screen you can then read and clear DTCs.

 

[patrick0101]

Thanks Turbo3! I looked and missed it. Now I see it.

 

[Turbo3]

Leaf spy pro shows 'outdoor' temperature in F, even if C choosed

The next version of LeafSpy Pro will add the option to convert the outside temperature if it is not in the correct units.

The outside temperature units on the CAN BUS can be either C or F depending on how your Leaf was manufactured. There is no way for LeafSpy to know which units are used so this option allows the user to apply a conversion if what is displayed is not correct.

 

[garsh]

Small bug:

In settings, in the Tire Pressure section, the "Enable Tire Remapping" selection & associated "Swap *" selections are all greyed out when "Enable Tire Remapping" has been selected. It appears that you can still select & unselect them as desired. But they shouldn't start off greyed out like that.

Small request:

When Leaf Spy is used to successfully reprogram the TPMS sensors, could we automatically unset the "Enable Tire Remapping" settings? I still had this setting on from the last time I rotated my summer tires, but then I reprogrammed the TPMS for my snow tires and forgot to unset that setting.

 

[Turbo3]

Small bug:

In settings, in the Tire Pressure section, the "Enable Tire Remapping" selection & associated "Swap *" selections are all greyed out when "Enable Tire Remapping" has been selected. It appears that you can still select & unselect them as desired. But they shouldn't start off greyed out like that.

Small request:

When Leaf Spy is used to successfully reprogram the TPMS sensors, could we automatically unset the "Enable Tire Remapping" settings? I still had this setting on from the last time I rotated my summer tires, but then I reprogrammed the TPMS for my snow tires and forgot to unset that setting.

That should not be happening as the default on entering Settings is for all the Tire Remap checkboxes to be unchecked. Are you running a non-stock version of Android? Anything else different about your setup?

Was this just a one time event or can you repeat it?

Are you saying if you go to Settings and "Enable Tire Remapping" and then exit and reenter Settings "Enable Tire Remapping" is still checked?

 

[garsh]

Are you saying if you go to Settings and "Enable Tire Remapping" and then exit and reenter Settings "Enable Tire Remapping" is still checked?

I just now tried to reproduce it. Go into settings. Select "Enable Tire Remapping". Then select "Swap Rear Left/Right". Exit settings.

Re-enter settings. "Enable Tire Remapping" itself is not checked. The options under that setting are greyed out. "Swap Rear Left/Right" is selected.

Is this the desired behavior? It seems counter-intuitive to keep the sub-option while unselecting the main option.

 

[Turbo3]

Are you saying if you go to Settings and "Enable Tire Remapping" and then exit and reenter Settings "Enable Tire Remapping" is still checked?

I just now tried to reproduce it. Go into settings. Select "Enable Tire Remapping". Then select "Swap Rear Left/Right". Exit settings.

Re-enter settings. "Enable Tire Remapping" itself is not checked. The options under that setting are greyed out. "Swap Rear Left/Right" is selected.

Is this the desired behavior? It seems counter-intuitive to keep the sub-option while unselecting the main option.

The sub-options are grayed out. They are still shown so you have some idea what "Tire Remapping" does if you were to check it and enable the sub-options.