New Owner, Long time lurker

[Skindogg79]

Hey Guys,

New 2014 Leaf SL being delivered to me in a few days (was going to road trip it home but the weather is just too risky this winter and don't want to ruin a Saturday). Long time lurker, but I have posted some questions in the past. Got a few questions now of things that I'm still unsure of.

1. Preheat. Will preheat pull power from the cord if the car is already charged? I don't have off peak rates...I plan on charging whenever I pull in my driveway. By 7AM the next morning, the car will likely be completed charging several hours earlier. So....If I set a preheat timer for 8AM, and I'm plugged into Level 2, will I still come out to 100 or near 100%. How about Level 1? I am going to charger for the first month or two on Level 1. (I know that the preheat power draw is greater than Level 1, but will the Level 1 at least offset some of the power requirements?)


2. What cell network speed does Carwings run on? 2G? The new Infiniti Q50 with a wizbang intouch system uses 2G and folks are worried about what will happen in a few years when the minimum standard of service is 3G and 2G cell systems are turned off.


3. Bluetooth streaming audio. In my G37 (2012), BT Audio only controls Play/Pause and FF/RW. That system debuted in 2010 with the update of the Nav in the G37 Line. The new Q50 has BT Audio but is clearly a next gen, thus you can see tracks displayed on the screen. What is it like in the Leaf?


4. Seems like the most efficent way to run the heater is to use HEAT (NO A/C button - therefore the heat pump is generating the heat) and throttle the fan yourself. Dehumidified Heating (HEAT and A/C Engaged) seems power hungry as now the resistance heater is making heat and the A/C is drying the air. AUTO seems OK assuming you turn the A/C button off, and then let the car throttle the fan (which a high fan setting draws power). Am I on the right track here?


5. Thinking of using Rain X anti fog on the inside windows to help reduce the amount of fogging up thus bolstering my position above.


6. Does anyone drive around in B-MODE a lot VS just using it down hill. The Active E and Mini E (edmunds reviews) seem to indicate that you could drive them with just the gas pedal...meaning as you take your foot of the accelerator, you can slow down almost all with regen. Is B-MODE like this in the city or is it annoying? How does B-MODE work with ECO? Meaning on a scale of 1-3 (1 weak regen, 3 is greatest), is Drive regen a 1, ECO regen a 2? and B-MODE a 3? ECO and B-MODE would still be a 3?


7. How do we like the LED headlights? The projectors in my G37 w/HID are very nice, however the Q50 with full LED Headlights are even better.


That's all I can think of for now, thanks for sticking with this. Can't wait till Monday!

Mike S.

 

[cgaydos]

Hey Guys,

New 2014 Leaf SL being delivered to me in a few days (was going to road trip it home but the weather is just too risky this winter and don't want to ruin a Saturday). Long time lurker, but I have posted some questions in the past. Got a few questions now of things that I'm still unsure of.

1. Preheat. Will preheat pull power from the cord if the car is already charged? I don't have off peak rates...I plan on charging whenever I pull in my driveway. By 7AM the next morning, the car will likely be completed charging several hours earlier. So....If I set a preheat timer for 8AM, and I'm plugged into Level 2, will I still come out to 100 or near 100%. How about Level 1? I am going to charger for the first month or two on Level 1. (I know that the preheat power draw is greater than Level 1, but will the Level 1 at least offset some of the power requirements?)

Some. If you pre-heat on level 1 you'll see some reduction in battery available for driving.

2. What cell network speed does Carwings run on? 2G? The new Infiniti Q50 with a wizbang intouch system uses 2G and folks are worried about what will happen in a few years when the minimum standard of service is 3G and 2G cell systems are turned off.

ATT 2G here in the states. And yes, the concern has been raised and we don't know the planned solution.

Can't really help on the others as I don't use Bluetooth streaming and I don't have the nice heating system or B-mode that is available in 2013 and 2014 model years.

 

[Reddy]

Skindogg, welcome and congratulations (although I was secretly hoping to read about your multi-leg drive after delivery). A couple of things, even though you've already indicated NY, add your approximate location to your profile (it helps people when answering questions). Also, helpful to know approx. RT commute, hills, temps, lease/purchase, etc. As for L1, it does supply minimal heat (1.2 KW), if you commute is shorter than 30 mi RT, you can easily stay with L1 charging (to 100% in winter) and set the CC timer to finish just as you're ready to leave and the car will pull 1.2 KW from the wall, and make up any additional from the battery, leaving you with slightly less than 100% at the time of launch. In the depth of winter (-20 F to +10F) you won't get much benefit from L1 heat. However, if you are parked in a nice insulated garage and it stays above 20 F, it should provide enough. Search my name and "cold" or "L1 L2" and you should get plenty of previous information. Here's one:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=11506#p265550
If you plan on staying with L1 only, then make sure you have a dedicated circuit and a good plug. If you know what you're doing, it's not a problem, but there have been problems (fires or melting with poor quality plugs or wiring). Here are some more links:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=15784&p=352567&hilit=fire#p352567
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13749&start=10#p313748
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=10776&p=247635#p247635
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15872&p=354173&hilit=fire+L1#p354173

 

[Skindogg79]

Thanks for the reply guys.

Reddy, I just added my location, Buffalo, NY I've only seen one or two Leaf's on the road since they came out so I'll be a good steward for the EV movement around these parts.

My commute will be no more than 30 miles a day....so it will be just fine. My G37 is for speed and long hauls hehehe.

Should be running level 2 in about 2 months, need to order the AV unit and have it installed. I'm going to buy a 10 or 12 gauge extension cord and charge with 110 for the time being. Not too worried as spring will be here very soon and temps will be moderating.

I really did want to do the EV road triop from Pittsburg to Buffalo, but there just aren't enough Level 2 chargers. Most of the legs of the trip could be broken down into 50 mile segments but there was one leg from Hermitage, PA to Erie PA that was about 72 miles. High this weekend was going to be 30-35. Just didn't want to try to make 72 miles, at dusk, with little heat. The dealership offered to ship for free after the sale so I said OK.

I have another question now in addition to the ones above. In some youtube videos I've seen, folks appear to be charging and taking videos of the dash display and the range/charge rising. How is that possible? Do people plug in then go back and click ACC or Start? Will the car start charging if you haven't shut off the car?

Mike S.

 

[cgaydos]

I have another question now in addition to the ones above. In some youtube videos I've seen, folks appear to be charging and taking videos of the dash display and the range/charge rising. How is that possible? Do people plug in then go back and click ACC or Start? Will the car start charging if you haven't shut off the car?
Mike S.

If the car is charging can turn it on and see all the displays, run the heater, etc. You just can't drive it.

 

[davidcary]

I stream Bluetooth from an Android phone. The tracks display on the screen when I play music that is on the phone. From Pandora, the tracks display correctly most of the time. When I got the car a year ago, Pandora rarely could send the track names to the car. Pandora must have updated at some point and now it is much better.

I have 2013 SV if it matters.

 

[Skindogg79]

I stream Bluetooth from an Android phone. The tracks display on the screen when I play music that is on the phone. From Pandora, the tracks display correctly most of the time. When I got the car a year ago, Pandora rarely could send the track names to the car. Pandora must have updated at some point and now it is much better.

I have 2013 SV if it matters.

Great, the reason for asking about BT Audio is that it appears that the USB connection is by the shifter, not hidden the armrest as it is in both my G37 and our Altima (turing in for the Leaf). I like leaving an old iPod hooked up but would not do so if it had to be in plain sight by the shifter.

Mike S.

 

[Berlino]

Perhaps it is different in MY11, MY12, and MY14 LEAFs, but in my LEAF pre-heating on 120v is severely restricted.

The heating will not drain the battery, so you cannot overstep the net power from the plug, around 1.15kW. Naturally, this means pre-heating on 120v is quite useless once the temperature drops below the mid 30s. Actually, it can be worse than useless because the incoming energy which might otherwise be charging the battery is wasted futilely blowing cold air through the vents.

This is a major inconvenience for me that I've mentioned in one of the "suggestions for Nissan" threads.


Here is a relevant passage from page 4-22 of the MY13 user's manual:

(image edited to show the page numbering under the relevant paragraph)

 

[cgaydos]

Perhaps it is different in MY11, MY12, and MY14 LEAFs, but in my LEAF pre-heating on 120v is severely restricted.

The heating will not drain the battery, so you cannot overstep the net power from the plug, around 1.15kW. Naturally, this means pre-heating on 120v is quite useless once the temperature drops below the mid 30s. Actually, it can be worse than useless because the incoming energy which might otherwise be charging the battery is wasted futilely blowing cold air through the vents.

This is a major inconvenience for me that I've mentioned in one of the "suggestions for Nissan" threads.

Interesting to know. I'm sure it's the same on MY 2014, as the heaters are the same, but I can say it is not the same on the MY 2011 and MY 2012s. As we know the heating system was completely changed for SV/SL in MY 2013 - and various reports suggest that even the S heater in MY2013 underwent changes to improve efficiency.

 

[Mtown0031]

ok, I'm still learning about my 2014 leaf. In North Carolina we are suffering with an ice storm. I went outside a few hours ago, fired up the leaf, turned the defroster on. In just a few minutes, the windshield was clearing quite well. Temp was 20f outside. It did a real good job in a short time. So far everything that I have done with this car has been impressive. Enjoy.

 

[abasile]

For pre-heating/cooling, my 2011 LEAF will draw from the battery for whatever is needed beyond what the charger supplies.