The official "I got my Leaf" thread

[bobsfreeleaf]

Purchased our 2013 S model Saturday morning in Bethesda MD.
Here's a pic from touring DC the remainder of the day...

She's a perdy one. Nice angle on the photography. Makes it look like a sleeker car. Congrats Jo!

 

[MrIanB]

Purchased our 2013 S model Saturday morning in Bethesda MD.
Here's a pic from touring DC the remainder of the day...

She's a perdy one. Nice angle on the photography. Makes it look like a sleeker car. Congrats Jo!

+1 congrats. I even like the hub caps.

Ian B

 

[bobsfreeleaf]

Now the question on every new Leaf owner's mind: Do I trust the car wash with this car? :?

 

[bronsonb]

If I can drive the car in the rain, I think I trust the car wash...or were you referring to whether or not someone would know how to drive it. Now THAT is a good question. We decided to self-park our leaf at dinner the other night rather than let the valet have it because I wasn't convinced he'd know how to shift it into gear. :lol:

 

[Scribbious]

New Member here. Planning to buy a used 2011 Leaf tomorrow if everything goes as planned.

Perusing through this board over the last few days has helped convince me.

2011 SL, 5,500 miles. Supposedly was a NMAC Executive Car, Florida

Any advice for final negotiations as far as things to look out for or ask about when I take it to the dealer for an inspection?

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

The mileage is probably irrelevant. You might be more concerned the thing has sat around fully charged for the last two years. Does it still show 12 bars?

 

[MrIanB]

New Member here. Planning to buy a used 2011 Leaf tomorrow if everything goes as planned.

Perusing through this board over the last few days has helped convince me.

2011 SL, 5,500 miles. Supposedly was a NMAC Executive Car, Florida

Any advice for final negotiations as far as things to look out for or ask about when I take it to the dealer for an inspection?

Make sure you have 12 bars. Where r u located w the leaf, what is your daily commute round trip? Want to make sure u are not disappointed.

Ian B

 

[bobsfreeleaf]

If I can drive the car in the rain, I think I trust the car wash...or were you referring to whether or not someone would know how to drive it. Now THAT is a good question. We decided to self-park our leaf at dinner the other night rather than let the valet have it because I wasn't convinced he'd know how to shift it into gear. :lol:

Yeah, drive it. I could see them scratching their heads or even launching the thing into the wall or something :shock:

 

[evnow]

2011 SL, 5,500 miles. Supposedly was a NMAC Executive Car, Florida

If you can get hold of a SOC meter, do.

Checkout the auction prices thread for the going wholesale rate.

Don't buy it if you can't get it for a good discount over 2013 Leafs.

 

[firestorm135]

Got my 2012 SL a few weeks ago. I walked into the dealership with the expectation of ordering a 2013 S Model, but they had a 2012 SL ready to go. Offered me a price that was what I expected to pay for the S so I went with it!

Decided that getting the car that day, a larger screen, GPS, Carwings, Alloy wheels, LED headlights, and a solar panel outweighed the benefits of slightly better range, a 6.6 Kw charger, and more trunk space. Hope I don't kick myself in the future!

 

[bobsfreeleaf]

Got my 2012 SL a few weeks ago. I walked into the dealership with the expectation of ordering a 2013 S Model, but they had a 2012 SL ready to go. Offered me a price that was what I expected to pay for the S so I went with it!

Decided that getting the car that day, a larger screen, GPS, Carwings, Alloy wheels, LED headlights, and a solar panel outweighed the benefits of slightly better range, a 6.6 Kw charger, and more trunk space. Hope I don't kick myself in the future!

That's what I call a happy ending :mrgreen: You done good. BTW, I didn't get the 6.6 on my S Plus you would have had to go to the SV for the heater upgrade, which is the only real advance in the 2013 SV and up.

 

[firestorm135]

That's reassuring to hear! I did seem to get this car at the worst possible time; I drove 60 miles from the dealership on the highway at night in 35 degree weather with the windows down (windows were fogging up) in an awful slushy snowstorm, we've been hit with three huge snowstorms since, and couldn't get L2 charging installed until last week.

But driving it from now on will be even sweeter with warmer weather coming!

Since my first two weeks were with L1 charging, 3.3 Kw L2 actually seems blazing fast. Guess it depends what you are used to.

Any complaints with your S?

 

[bobsfreeleaf]

That's reassuring to hear! I did seem to get this car at the worst possible time; I drove 60 miles from the dealership on the highway at night in 35 degree weather with the windows down (windows were fogging up) in an awful slushy snowstorm, we've been hit with three huge snowstorms since, and couldn't get L2 charging installed until last week.

But driving it from now on will be even sweeter with warmer weather coming!

Since my first two weeks were with L1 charging, 3.3 Kw L2 actually seems blazing fast. Guess it depends what you are used to.

Any complaints with your S?

I don't have my L2 charger yet, as I am waiting for the EVSE upgrade (the cheap way out), but I look forward to a 6 hour charge. that's the perfect amount of time, since there is an ultra low SDGE rate that conforms to that amount of time during the wee hours of the night. My daddy used to tell me in the 60's, give a car battery a nice slow charge and she'll treat you right. So, I am going to go on believing that slower is better, anyway. That's just me; i'm goofy .

I had a totally dead vehicle the other day after plugging into a Bilink charging station, that no one can figure out. One tip (thanks Tony) is to keep a cresent wrench in your car. If your car freezes up, don't hesitate to unhook the negative battery cable, count to sixty, then rehook. This will reboot the computer on the car. If Tony had not done this the other day, I might still be sitting at that Blink station. Hopefully, that never happens to you.

I have found the car to be so quiet and comfy (and a little bit bouncy on the fwy) that, at a steady 65, I am starting to doze off on the ride to work. So, what's the opposite of Farfunegen? Fluffersnoozin? :lol: Probably good for my blood pressure, tho. Seriously, it could use a better set of tires. However, that might affect range.

On the brite side, the radio's technology is amazing for a stripped car. XM, full Iphone compatability, blue tooth, Ipod. I can actually program my navigation on the phone, and it plays thru the speakers. Get a call, and it suspends the nav to take the call, then restarts when I hang up. Also plays my Iheart splendidly.

I don't like the cold air duct at my feet. That is just silly on a car WITHOUT a usable heater (thanks again Nissan for stripping out the technology improvement on the S :x .) All in all, fantastic choice. I love driving by the gas stations.

Best wishes. Keep us posted. Bob

 

[dgpcolorado]

That's reassuring to hear! I did seem to get this car at the worst possible time; I drove 60 miles from the dealership on the highway at night in 35 degree weather with the windows down (windows were fogging up) in an awful slushy snowstorm, we've been hit with three huge snowstorms since, and couldn't get L2 charging installed until last week.

But driving it from now on will be even sweeter with warmer weather coming!...

Since you have a 2012 and live in the snowbelt, I will recommend Ingineer's Climate Control unit modification: Climate Control Solution - Gain Control of your Heater!

This will allow you to run the defroster and fan without using the heater. The 2013 model fixed this problem with a "heater-off" button; Ingineer's mod turns the AC button into a heater-off button. If you aren't pushing the range you can use the heater as you wish but if you are at the limits of range in winter being able to keep it off and still defog the windshield is a big deal.


The other thing that is a big help in winter is to preheat while plugged-in in the morning. This can be done by setting one of the CC timers or by using Carwings on a computer or smartphone. Getting into a prewarmed car is a very nice way to start the day. If range isn't limiting you can also preheat the car even when it isn't plugged-in. Preheating while plugged-in works best with L2 charging.

 

[Scribbious]

New Member here. Planning to buy a used 2011 Leaf tomorrow if everything goes as planned.

Perusing through this board over the last few days has helped convince me.

2011 SL, 5,500 miles. Supposedly was a NMAC Executive Car, Florida

Any advice for final negotiations as far as things to look out for or ask about when I take it to the dealer for an inspection?

Make sure you have 12 bars. Where r u located w the leaf, what is your daily commute round trip? Want to make sure u are not disappointed.

Ian B

Thanks for the responses.

I ended up doing the deal. Before doing so, I took it to the local dealership (a 3hour ordeal) to have them check it out. They reported that the battery checked out perfectly. The only problem was a bit of wear and cupping on the front tires and suggested a rotation/alignment.

At full charge, I counted 12 bars.

I'm in Tallahassee, FL (only about 13 of them in the area according to the dealership) and my daily round trip is about 22 miles depending upon route so I'm optimistic that I won't be disappointed. The only issue I've seen so far is that the Telematics history doesn't seem to be uploading but maybe that just takes some time (I've confirmed that the settings are correct).

Compared to the wholesale prices I saw in that thread, I think I got a pretty good deal. I'm not sure yet about the forum rules regarding posting the figures so I'll hold off for now.

 

[dgpcolorado]

...At full charge, I counted 12 bars.

Is that 12 charge bars or 12 capacity bars? You will always get 12 charge bars with a 100% charge even if you have lost one or more capacity bars (the short ones to the right of the charge bars).

I'm in Tallahassee, FL (only about 13 of them in the area according to the dealership) and my daily round trip is about 22 miles depending upon route so I'm optimistic that I won't be disappointed. The only issue I've seen so far is that the Telematics history doesn't seem to be uploading but maybe that just takes some time (I've confirmed that the settings are correct).

Compared to the wholesale prices I saw in that thread, I think I got a pretty good deal. I'm not sure yet about the forum rules regarding posting the figures so I'll hold off for now.

With a commute of that distance you should do fine. Enjoy your LEAF!

 

[Leafboy]

I don't like the cold air duct at my feet. That is just silly on a car WITHOUT a usable heater (thanks again Nissan for stripping out the technology improvement on the S :x .) All in all, fantastic choice. I love driving by the gas stations.

Best wishes. Keep us posted. Bob

If you are talking about cold air coming in on your feet when the climate control is off, press the recirc button and it will stop the intrusion of the cold outside air.

 

[Gmaevie]

Northern Indiana/southwestern lower Michigan, 1 1/2-week-old Leaf....

So my 23-year-old son racked up a few more miles than he expected and found himself 25 miles from home, with give-or-take 25 miles left in the "tank." Public chargers are few and far between in this neck of the woods....

I get all mad that he hadn't planned better and suggest he go to the nearest L2 charger, in Buchannan, MI. He finds it located near the little police station/city hall, gets connected, and the next thing he knows, police and other city workers are coming out to greet him, snapping pictures, saying "nobody has EVER used that before!" and "We need to tell so-and-so it's actually getting used!"

In the 45 minutes he tanked up, there were quite a few stares and pictures taken. I wish he had taken a picture of them too!

So if you find yourself in Buchannan MI, stop by the local Chargepoint and give everyone a thrill!

 

[bronsonb]

Northern Indiana/southwestern lower Michigan, 1 1/2-week-old Leaf....

So my 23-year-old son racked up a few more miles than he expected and found himself 25 miles from home, with give-or-take 25 miles left in the "tank." Public chargers are few and far between in this neck of the woods....

I get all mad that he hadn't planned better and suggest he go to the nearest L2 charger, in Buchannan, MI. He finds it located near the little police station/city hall, gets connected, and the next thing he knows, police and other city workers are coming out to greet him, snapping pictures, saying "nobody has EVER used that before!" and "We need to tell so-and-so it's actually getting used!"

In the 45 minutes he tanked up, there were quite a few stares and pictures taken. I wish he had taken a picture of them too!

So if you find yourself in Buchannan MI, stop by the local Chargepoint and give everyone a thrill!

That's happened to me at our local Whole Foods. Two L2 Chargers...both currently free of charge. I charge there about once a week for an hour so figuring the more use they get the less likely they are to go away. 3 out of 4 times I end up in a discussion about EVs with someone who has never seen the charge stations used.

And more recently on two occasions, I've had to leave a note for a Prius driver (non plug in) who thought the "Hybrid/EV Charging Space" was for them.

Unfortunately, one of the chargers has stopped working, so there's only one space to use at the moment. :roll:

 

[firestorm135]

Since you have a 2012 and live in the snowbelt, I will recommend Ingineer's Climate Control unit modification: Climate Control Solution - Gain Control of your Heater!

This will allow you to run the defroster and fan without using the heater. The 2013 model fixed this problem with a "heater-off" button; Ingineer's mod turns the AC button into a heater-off button. If you aren't pushing the range you can use the heater as you wish but if you are at the limits of range in winter being able to keep it off and still defog the windshield is a big deal.

The other thing that is a big help in winter is to preheat while plugged-in in the morning. This can be done by setting one of the CC timers or by using Carwings on a computer or smartphone. Getting into a prewarmed car is a very nice way to start the day. If range isn't limiting you can also preheat the car even when it isn't plugged-in. Preheating while plugged-in works best with L2 charging.

Thanks for the Climate Control unit modification suggestion, that would save me a ton of battery life. I have been preheating quite a bit and works beautifully with my L2 charger. Didn't work at all with my L1.