Need Help New Leaf Pre-owned owner

[Slow1]

Current Leaf is a city car, not a cross country cruiser.

The Smart ED is a city car. The Leaf is a 'suburban commuter', as opposed to a cross-country cruiser or even an exurban commuter.

Fair enough - I can go with those definitions. In any case, anyone expecting to travel long distances in the Leaf is in for an adventure and exercise in patience.

 

[flipnotize21]

My end result with some hills, i had to take out my level 1 charger at my relatives house. Mixed driving freeway amd city. Average 3.9-4.0 kw, i was left with 13miles on the GOM 3 bars. Traveld 33 miles with 3 bars left on a full charge. I had a 25mile trip back.

 

[flipnotize21]

:| well guys sad to say as of today March 12, 2015 i lost another bar... im now down to 10 bars... whaaa whaaa

 

[BernieTx]

:| well guys sad to say as of today March 12, 2015 i lost another bar... im now down to 10 bars... whaaa whaaa

Are the newer leaf's (2014/2015) any better than the used leaf's? How long do they go they go before losing a bar?

 

[dgpcolorado]

Are the newer leaf's (2014/2015) any better than the used leaf's? How long do they go they go before losing a bar?

Interesting question. So far as I've seen, no 2014 has lost a capacity bar yet. The 2015s are too new to have lost a bar. Keep an eye out for owners in Phoenix (or Palm Springs, CA). If they manage to go two complete summers without losing a bar I think it is safe to say that the new battery packs are more resistant to high heat than the old ones were.

 

[Slow1]

Are the newer leaf's (2014/2015) any better than the used leaf's? How long do they go they go before losing a bar?

Interesting question. So far as I've seen, no 2014 has lost a capacity bar yet. The 2015s are too new to have lost a bar. Keep an eye out for owners in Phoenix (or Palm Springs, CA). If they manage to go two complete summers without losing a bar I think it is safe to say that the new battery packs are more resistant to high heat than the old ones were.

2013 models may be better than 11/12 as well - I have about 7800 miles on mine now about 15 months from manufacturing (I've driven/owned it for the last 9 months). LeafSpy still reports 22kWh on a full charge just as the first time I saw it, no bars lost. Granted this is a mild climate but still encouraging to me.

 

[LeftieBiker]

My 2013 has just under 11,000 miles on it and I've been driving it for about 21 months. I don't have LeafSpy but it still reads 12 bars and the range hasn't dropped noticeably. The car started to charge to 79% instead of 80% about a year ago, but nothing else has changed.

 

[flipnotize21]

Its nice to hear that all you guys leafs are doing great, i wish mine did btw lost a bar today weather is 90* and TB 6 drove around the area of sherman oaks CA.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Its nice to hear that all you guys leafs are doing great, i wish mine did btw lost a bar today weather is 90* and TB 6 drove around the area of sherman oaks CA.

It would be helpful if you would add a signature that specifies that you have a 2012 LEAF. Otherwise it looks as if you have a 2015 from your "delivery date" and that may lead to confusion.

 

[flipnotize21]

Its nice to hear that all you guys leafs are doing great, i wish mine did btw lost a bar today weather is 90* and TB 6 drove around the area of sherman oaks CA.

It would be helpful if you would add a signature that specifies that you have a 2012 LEAF. Otherwise it looks as if you have a 2015 from your "delivery date" and that may lead to confusion.

Thanks man I just did. =) ohh well I guess ill be waiting for my reader to come in then get leafspy.

 

[flipnotize21]

:roll: well people i still have not recived my obd reader but it did more range test tonight. 61* outside temp charged 80% freeway 63mph avg 4.6 only got 38miles driven till warning low battery. Hmmmmm i am so disappointed

 

[Slow1]

:roll: well people i still have not recived my obd reader but it did more range test tonight. 61* outside temp charged 80% freeway 63mph avg 4.6 only got 38miles driven till warning low battery. Hmmmmm i am so disappointed

Hmm.. having trouble parsing your sentence here. Did you charge to 80%? or is that 80% freeway?

Why stop at low battery warning? That is leaving a lot of power in the cells that you should be able to use.

 

[flipnotize21]

:roll: well people i still have. ot recived my obd reader but it did more range test tonight. 61* outside temp charged 80% freeway 63mph avg 4.6 only got 38miles driven till warning low battery. Hmmmmm i am so disappointed

Hmm.. having trouble parsing your sentence here. Did you charge to 80%? or is that 80% freeway?

Why stop at low battery warning? That is leaving a lot of power in the cells that you should be able to use.

Im sorry thats 80% SOC, your right there is about approx 15miles till turtle mode, i really dont want to risk it when my family is with me. Just wanna know if the numbers are right? a useful but not maxed out 35miles of driving on a 80% SOC.

 

[Slow1]

:roll: well people i still have. ot recived my obd reader but it did more range test tonight. 61* outside temp charged 80% freeway 63mph avg 4.6 only got 38miles driven till warning low battery. Hmmmmm i am so disappointed

Hmm.. having trouble parsing your sentence here. Did you charge to 80%? or is that 80% freeway?

Why stop at low battery warning? That is leaving a lot of power in the cells that you should be able to use.

Im sorry thats 80% SOC, your right there is about approx 15miles till turtle mode, i really dont want to risk it when my family is with me. Just wanna know if the numbers are right? a useful but not maxed out 35miles of driving on a 80% SOC.

Ok - so you start out at 80%, then stop at LBW (about 17%?) so you are using approx 63% of your capacity to get 38 miles (adjust numbers as needed). So extrapolating a full 100%-> empty might be about (38/63*100) 60.3 miles. I can't say if those numbers are "right" but at least you can perhaps use this 60 mile range as a better comparison point.

Once you get leafspy going it will be easier to compare - simply knowing how many kWh are reported at a full charge is a very useful and more objectively easy to compare number.

 

[flipnotize21]

[/quote]

Ok - so you start out at 80%, then stop at LBW (about 17%?) so you are using approx 63% of your capacity to get 38 miles (adjust numbers as needed). So extrapolating a full 100%-> empty might be about (38/63*100) 60.3 miles. I can't say if those numbers are "right" but at least you can perhaps use this 60 mile range as a better comparison point.

Once you get leafspy going it will be easier to compare - simply knowing how many kWh are reported at a full charge is a very useful and more objectively easy to compare number.[/quote]

Thanks, why I do 80% charge is because when your out and about then run low on energy we would do a QC, I wanted to see how far 80% charge would get me without running the car too low for safety, still waiting for amazon on my OBD then get the leafspy. I will update when I receive it.

 

[Slow1]

I wanted to see how far 80% charge would get me without running the car too low for safety

I think this is a key point. "too low for safety" I take to really mean "too low for comfort." As long as you get to your destination without having to walk (or push turtle mode) is likely "safe" but how much buffer you desire on top of that is a matter of comfort with the natural variability of expectations vs reality.

I'm quite happy arriving at a destination with 1kWh remaining (assuming I can charge there). I will, however, be watching close once I get down to less than 3kWh. This functionally means that I'm routinely driving in the LBW range and frequently hit VLBW.

 

[desiv]

So extrapolating a full 100%-> empty might be about (38/63*100) 60.3 miles. I can't say if those numbers are "right" but at least you can perhaps use this 60 mile range as a better comparison point..

And when you realize that some (a lot?) of that was at freeway speeds over 60MPH, that's pretty understandable..

With my 2012, charged to 100% (ish), I tend to get the LBW (which I'm now comfortable with) at-or around 60 miles of range and that's mostly (60%?) highway (below 55ish) speeds and then under that for the rest, not freeway speeds.

Did I also read you've lost a bar? So that's 15% less range than if new..

Throw in some heat/CC, driving style, hills?? etc..?..
I think that range for that speed given 80% charging and not wanting to go below LBW probably makes sense..

flipnotize21, don't fear LBW at all.. It's not like the fuel light coming on in your car...
Now, I've only hit VLBW a very few times, and that one I tend to avoid; that one I consider the low fuel light.. ;-)

desiv

 

[dgpcolorado]

...I'm quite happy arriving at a destination with 1kWh remaining (assuming I can charge there). I will, however, be watching close once I get down to less than 3kWh. This functionally means that I'm routinely driving in the LBW range and frequently hit VLBW.

Exactly the same for me! If I am a few miles from home, VLBW is no big deal. Been there, done that. Many times.

 

[TimLee]

...
flipnotize21, don't fear LBW at all.. It's not like the fuel light coming on in your ICE car...
Now, I've only hit VLBW a very few times, and that one I tend to avoid; that one I consider the low fuel light.. ;-)

desiv

Although what you state is the perspective of some people that drive a LEAF, it is just technically inaccurate.

ICE vehicle low fuel warning lights have become pretty conservative.
Usually comes on when you have less than 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of fuel.
On a gasoline vehicle that is at least 20 miles and could be near 60 miles.

Nissan put Low Battery Warning as close to that as they could half way tolerate with such a low range when full electric vehicle.

In almost all cases when you get LBW on a LEAF, you will have less driving range than when a typical ICE vehicle has the low fuel warning light come on.

To state otherwise is inaccurate.

To tolerate driving to VLBW, where you might be hard pressed to drive eight more miles, as being OK reflects a substantial change in perspective that only the more zealous electric vehicle drivers have come to find acceptable and normal.

 

[desiv]

To state otherwise is inaccurate.

Except, I don't agree that what you say is accurate.. ;-)
At least not based on my experience..

And it's not just range for me as I look at it, but range as a percentage of "full".

desiv