Long Vacation - Advisable to be plugged in all the while?

[EVDRIVER]

Alternately to disconnecting the 12 volt battery, you can put the 12 volt on a battery tender (plugged in to 120v). Of course, leave the J1772 unplugged with the traction battery at mid range energy level.

That way you won't lose any settings like the clock and won't need a wrench. Battery tenders are $10-$50.

Buy a proper one, that does not have to mean expensive, some don't do the job properly.

 

[Ingineer]

Thanks to all for the answers.

Because I am a newbie here, I still have a bunch of questions. I have been looking at the different threads and am still a little puzzled.

1. Why is it bad to leave the car plugged in, when it is on a timer that is set to only one day of the week?
2. Is it just bad for the 12v battery? or is it bad in general?
3. If the timer is set, say, to come on at Sunday for an end time of 5am, for a target of 80%; and I leave town on the prev Saturday.
It then it turns-on on Sunday morning, there is nothing to do, so the charging stops. One week later, it comes on, presumably there is a little
charging to do to get back to 80%. And so on for the next three weeks or so, until I am back. In the meantime, for the other days of the week,
being plugged in is effectively like being unplugged. (Except for lightning surges etc).

Could someone explain why is this bad, and what is it bad for?

-M

If you will simply take the time to search, you will find these answers. I know I have explained it more than once now, and I'm not about to do it again. As it is, this thread is very redundant.

-Phil

 

[Ingineer]

I have enough experience with this issue to say, bottom-line:

If you want to take care of your Leaf, and have the maximum life from it and both it's batteries, simply disconnect the 12v battery or use a decent battery tender when gone for much over a week.

NEVER leave it on J1772 charge, regardless of settings, you will be doing much more harm no matter how you slice it.

-Phil

 

[thankyouOB]

thanks for your advice and patience, Phil.
I plan to get a butterfly nut this weekend.

 

[Marsmew]

Thanks you Phil, your replies help.
Please be patient, this is useful for the new of us, that is we why ask so many times.

I want to buy new battery tender.
Can you write exact procedure on how to connect tender? Where to connect red wire, where to connect black?

 

[KJD]

Thanks you Phil, your replies help.
Please be patient, this is useful for the new of us, that is we why ask so many times.
I want to buy new battery tender.
Can you write exact procedure on how to connect tender? Where to connect red wire, where to connect black?

You should connect the red wire to the battery positive (+) and the black wire some where else. As described here.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6707&start=17" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[TomT]

Maybe it is time to resurrect the battery wing-nut thread from way back in early 2011 that came about because of the AC software bug!

The above would argue that many people in fact need to disconnect their 12V batteries when they go on vacation but don't do it. Maybe a short description of how the 12V battery is properly disconnected (see Phil's previous post) and why this is a very reasonable thing to do should be added to the wiki.

 

[lukati]

Maybe it is time to resurrect the battery wing-nut thread from way back in early 2011!

The above would argue that many people in fact need to disconnect their 12V batteries when they go on vacation but don't do it. Maybe a short description of how the 12V battery is properly disconnected (see Phil's previous post) and why this is a very reasonable thing to do should be added to the wiki.

I think a simple description on the wiki battery page would do the job nicely (plus a link to a source). Then new owners could be referred to the wiki pages (or may even find the information on their own). I tried to modify the wiki, but, unlike Wikipedia, one needs to be among the chosen few to modify a wiki entry on this site.

edit: Just noticed the log-in feature on the wiki. I will modify the wiki over the weekend. -> done

 

[KJD]

Maybe it is time to resurrect the battery wing-nut thread from way back in early 2011!

The above would argue that many people in fact need to disconnect their 12V batteries when they go on vacation but don't do it. Maybe a short description of how the 12V battery is properly disconnected (see Phil's previous post) and why this is a very reasonable thing to do should be added to the wiki.

You mean this one?
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=3231" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I like it.

 

[x10guy]

...
If you will simply take the time to search, you will find these answers. I know I have explained it more than once now, and I'm not about to do it again. As it is, this thread is very redundant.

-Phil

Sounds like Phil needs to stop hanging out in the New Members and Newbie thread . We just drive all the experienced Leafers absolutely batty. But eventually, some day we'll get it.

 

[thankyouOB]

...
If you will simply take the time to search, you will find these answers. I know I have explained it more than once now, and I'm not about to do it again. As it is, this thread is very redundant.

-Phil

Sounds like Phil needs to stop hanging out in the New Members and Newbie thread . We just drive all the experienced Leafers absolutely batty. But eventually, some day we'll get it.

yea, why is he dawdling around and not crankin out those evse upgrades, and where the hell is the leafscan?
as GRA says, under promise and over deliver.

)snark(

 

[QueenBee]

I simply replaced the fixed metric nut with a wing-nut that's easily removable without tools:
-Phil

My local dealer pulls out one of the fuses from under the under the hood fuse box when they have LEAFs parked for a while to avoid the 12 volt problem. It might get the majority of the parasitic loads but I wonder how much remains.

 

[thankyouOB]

can someone recommend which one would be best?
the manual IDs two fuse boxes, one inside one in the engine cavity but says nothing about the array or which is what.

 

[Ingineer]

My local dealer pulls out one of the fuses from under the under the hood fuse box when they have LEAFs parked for a while to avoid the 12 volt problem. It might get the majority of the parasitic loads but I wonder how much remains.

Find out which fuse if you can. I'll do some tests at some point and figure out if I can determine this, and what the loads are.

-Phil

 

[thankyouOB]

by the way, does anyone have a diagram of the fuse boxes with indicators for which fuse runs which instruments?
i dont see it in the manuals.

 

[LillieBeagle]

Hi, I'm new to the site and barely needs a suggestion on this. I'm planning to have a vacation for at least a month and would like to ask if this would be okay to just leave it as it is.

 

[Ingineer]

Hi, I'm new to the site and barely needs a suggestion on this. I'm planning to have a vacation for at least a month and would like to ask if this would be okay to just leave it as it is.

I recommend getting the main battery charge to around 5 to 9 bars, then park (hopefully inside) and disconnect the negative terminal of the 12v battery under the hood. You only need a wrench.

When you return, simply reconnect the terminal and your Leaf will power up and drive off with only a few % loss of charge. (You will have to reset your clock on the dash)

If you leave it plugged in, you will destroy your 12v battery.

-Phil

 

[surfingslovak]

If you leave it plugged in, you will destroy your 12v battery.

Yes, that's the key takeaway, and Phil is likely the best-informed source on this forum. Here is a more consumer-oriented write-up on this, but it's likely less accurate: How to store your LEAF when going on vacation

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

While I like the disconnecting the neg terminal idea, easy enough for most of us, it's not an ideal solution going forward, aiming at mainstream adoption. Perhaps Nissan could build in a long term storage disconnect switch.

For the MYs 10,11,& 12, where the cars spent long times unplugged in shipping and getting delivered, maybe that contributed to reports of battery failure?

I'll have to go read the manual again, but aren't there settings you can select in the nav that shut down the telematic reporting? That might save a little load off the 12v, and make the spoiler panel a little more useful.

 

[planet4ever]

If you leave it plugged in, you will destroy your 12v battery.

-Phil

Phil has stated this with the emphasis it needs. I did just notice that a far weaker statement has finally been added to Page EV-24 of my 2013 Owner's Manual:

If the vehicle will not be used for an extended period of time, charge the Li-ion battery using the long life mode once every 3 months. Do not operate the charging timer repeatedly while the charge connector is connected to the vehicle after the Li-ion battery charging is completed. Doing so may discharge the 12-volt battery.

May discharge?? Make that, "is guaranteed to beat it to death".

Ray