Dealers "reset computers" on used Leafs: Does LeafSpy help?

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PaxEmilia

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2015
Messages
12
Location
South Texas
Hi all, Following the advice of several people on this board I got myself an OBD2 dongle and the LeafSpy Pro app before going out used-car-hunting, since it was pointed out that dealers could reset the computers on a used Leaf to make it appear that it has 12 bars of battery capacity on the dash display.

So, I went to CarMax today to look at a 2011 SL. This car has lived in TX its whole working life and has nearly 50K miles on it. There are 12 bars on the dash display. Mighty suspicious, especially considering I could have sworn it had 9 bars in the photos on the CarMax website. So, the salesperson, oops, sorry, "Sales Coordinator" lets me plug in the dongle and we even take it on a second test drive as I tried to get LeafSpy to connect, which I figure out eventually... Long story short (too late, I know,) LeafSpy tells me it's got 65.93 Ahr. It's only 37% charged and has 105 Gids (which go non-linearly with battery depletion, right? so I can't extrapolate to how many Gids it has with 100% charge.) SOH = 100%.

So, my question is, if the computer has been reset, can that affect what LeafSpy reads as well? I'm very skeptical that the battery is in such good condition considering the cars' history.
 
Yeah, being non-sketchy is kind of their thing. But the fact that the pictures of the car on their website showed 9 bars while the car showed 12 bars in person set my alarm bells off, and now I have set my cynicism to full effect.
 
Speaking of, has anyone made up a table of Gids vs. bars? There are several threads with data about the typical AHr range where a bar drop can be expected, but I haven't found something similar for Gids. But I'll keep looking.
 
I don't think that resetting the BMS shows an incorrect (higher) AHr reading. It is a red flag that it has 12 bars now when it apparently, at one time, had 9, but I think the possibility does exist that it maybe dropped to 8 bars since the photos were taken and got a new pack under warranty.

Certainly more due diligence is necessary than might normally be, and I'd consider going to the service department of your local Nissan dealer with the VIN and getting a service history on the car.
 
^ ^ ^ That
The more I think about it, the more I think you might have found a "diamond in the rough"...but you have to get some history.
 
It would be cool if the battery had been replaced, but if that were the case I would think CarMax would be using that as a selling point. The trouble with calling the dealer is I have no idea which dealer. There's no database, I'd have to find the individual dealer that did the service. I've tried a couple local ones & no dice.
 
PaxEmilia said:
It would be cool if the battery had been replaced, but if that were the case I would think CarMax would be using that as a selling point. The trouble with calling the dealer is I have no idea which dealer. There's no database, I'd have to find the individual dealer that did the service. I've tried a couple local ones & no dice.

If you call a dealer to ask if the 3227 update is done they'll tell you to call the Nissan 800# (or at least the local dealer I tried did). When I called the national number they had all the records for the Leaf in the central database.

You could try calling the national number and ask if the battery was replaced. You just need to give them the VIN and they'll look it up.

EV Customer Support Team
Phone: (877) NO GAS EV (or 877-664-2738)

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PaxEmilia said:
It would be cool if the battery had been replaced, but if that were the case I would think CarMax would be using that as a selling point. The trouble with calling the dealer is I have no idea which dealer. There's no database, I'd have to find the individual dealer that did the service. I've tried a couple local ones & no dice.

Of course there's a database. It's called Service History. Every car has one these days, and all dealer provided service (even under warranty) is in it. And I'm not just talking Nissans here. Any dealer should be able to pull a car's history based on VIN number. Now whether a dealer would want to be bothered is another story entirely.
 
If you call a dealer to ask if the 3227 update is done they'll tell you to call the Nissan 800# (or at least the local deal I tried did). When I called the national number they had all the records for the Leaf in the central database.

Thanks for the advice! I called, the guy I talked to could see that the car had been serviced but not what was done. I asked about the 3227 update and he said he didn't see it. So it sounds like a new battery is unlikely.

mwalsh, thanks. I was going by what I was hearing from the dealerships. File Ancira Nissan of San Antonio under: Can't Be Bothered.
 
Stanton said:
^ ^ ^ That
The more I think about it, the more I think you might have found a "diamond in the rough"...but you have to get some history.
Given the premium Carmax charges for cars, I don't think a "diamond in the rough" is an apt analogy, even with a new lizard battery.
 
PaxEmilia said:
It's only 37% charged and has 105 Gids (which go non-linearly with battery depletion, right? so I can't extrapolate to how many Gids it has with 100% charge.) SOH = 100%.

Was it 37% SOC or 37% Gids? Just as a single data point here is a snapshot I just took from mine (42.6Ahr, 65% SOH, 4 bars lost):

Screenshot_2015-10-03-18-48-22.png
 
PaxEmilia said:
Ah, I see my mistake. It's 38%SOC, 37.4% Gids.

Well, it might be a new pack after all as % SOC is close to % Gids. You probably can get a rough idea about % capacity remaining by using this formula: %Gids/%SOC*100, the result should not be affected by a previous BMS reset unlike the AHr reading.
 
so I would call car max and say "I love the car but I need to see if it can do a trip I make once a month" have them charge the car fully the night before . Take the salesman for a 45 mile drive to Austin. See what the kwh are at full charge. there is a fast charger in San marcos. Charge and come back. Then you will know how the battery is have a nice road test too. The other choice is to a Nissan dealer to check the battery and see how it is. It would give you the last battery inspection and give you the history on the car . Make sure the dealer knows what you want , most dealers even in California are lost when it comes to the battery electric cars. SO in writing ask for amp hours in the battery and est. range.
With the deals on new leafs right now you may want to look at new ? good luck
 
Well, I bought it. Got it checked out by a dealer and it's a new battery, replaced last March! I have no idea why CarMax couldn't tell me that, but I'm pretty happy. :mrgreen:

Edit for typo.
 
PaxEmilia said:
Well, I bought it. Got it checked out by a dealer and it's a new battery, replaced last March! I have no idea why CarMax couldn't tell me that, but I'm pretty happy. :mrgreen:

Edit for typo.

Congrats, if it still has 100% SOH after sitting in TX for a year it sounds like you might have gotten a good deal.
 
PaxEmilia said:
Well, I bought it. Got it checked out by a dealer and it's a new battery, replaced last March! I have no idea why CarMax couldn't tell me that, but I'm pretty happy. :mrgreen:

Edit for typo.

Fantastic.
LeafSpy can show the battery serial number.
I don't see that posted very often, but if yours has been replaced, I would expect the serial number to be higher than other folks with the same era LEAF.

Carmax doesn't know or care to check if the pack has been replaced.
Carfax should show a dealer service for the replacement, but I don't know what it would say, specifically.

In LeafSpy, Settings, Enable the Service Screen.
That gives you a fifth screen, temporarily.
Read ECU versions shows the Battery Serial Number near the bottom.
Screenshot that. It isn't logged.
After you do that, the SOH screen 1 will toggle between VIN and Battery Serial Number.
My 2013, built 4/17/2013, has Battery Serial Number 230SM1134F000591
 
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