Advice on buying used Leaf in Tucson, AZ

Some details. I own a home with a garage so can keep the Leaf protected from direct sun (although no A/C in the garage). I know the batteries will still degrade from the heat but at least the garage protection should help slow it down.

I almost never drive more than 30 miles in a day.

I am leaning towards 04/13+ for the improved battery chemistry. I would like the option to turn on the A/C remotely with the smartphone app. Which do I need of S/SL/SV for the remote feature?

Also, any advice on how to buy a used Leaf from a cooler climate without travelling? I see that Carmax does transfers -- perhaps that's a good option? But I don't know how good because its hard to get a lot of info on the car battery without using the smartphone app.

evme said:

I would like the option to turn on the A/C remotely with the smartphone app. Which do I need of S/SL/SV for the remote feature?

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You'd need an SV or SL. S has no telematics and no cellular radio.

If it is an '11 thru '14 that hasn't had http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1107682_nissan-offers-2g-leaf-owners-a-199-3g-upgrade-with-just-24-days-left done yet, you'll need to pay $199 to get the TCU hardware upgraded. The upgrade is free for '15.

I can't speak to your weather, but even 4/2013+ batteries can degrade pretty quickly in Phoenix weather: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=473995#p473995.

It should be noted that a lot of the telematics upgrades have been riddled with glitches. If you want no-hassle remote access to the climate control, I suggest you look for a '15 or '16 SV. The ones with no Premium Package have already dropped quite a bit in resale value, and will drop even more as the '17 models go on clearance.

cwerdna said:

evme said:

I would like the option to turn on the A/C remotely with the smartphone app. Which do I need of S/SL/SV for the remote feature?

Click to expand...

You'd need an SV or SL. S has no telematics and no cellular radio.

If it is an '11 thru '14 that hasn't had http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1107682_nissan-offers-2g-leaf-owners-a-199-3g-upgrade-with-just-24-days-left done yet, you'll need to pay $199 to get the TCU hardware upgraded. The upgrade is free for '15.

I can't speak to your weather, but even 4/2013+ batteries can degrade pretty quickly in Phoenix weather: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=473995#p473995.

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Thanks. Tucson is a bit cooler than Phoenix. We get quite hot, but not the obscene heat that Phoenix gets. I know a couple Leaf owners here in Tucson who have not had significant range loss in 3+ years of ownership. I should check in with them again to see how their battery packs are doing.

LeftieBiker said:

It should be noted that a lot of the telematics upgrades have been riddled with glitches. If you want no-hassle remote access to the climate control, I suggest you look for a '15 or '16 SV. The ones with no Premium Package have already dropped quite a bit in resale value, and will drop even more as the '17 models go on clearance.

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Hmm. But I'm trying to keep the price under $8k. Seems it will be a while before '15-'16 SVs are hitting those prices...

Hmm. But I'm trying to keep the price under $8k. Seems it will be a while before '15-'16 SVs are hitting those prices...

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True enough. in that case I see two good options. First (and preferable) find an SV in which the 3G upgrade has already been done, and its operation can be verified. Second, see if you have a local dealer who has done lots of the upgrades, with an excellent success rate. A lot of the problem seems to be inept dealer techs, although there seem to be some defective upgrade units as well.

To OP, in case you are unaware, the SV/SL have a climate control timer built-in. So, even without a functional TCU, you can still pre cool the Leaf, using the timer, so that the cabin is cool before your commute.

A 2013 SV, built in April 2013 or newer, would fit your price range, although $8K is a bit challenging.

A 2013 SV, built in April 2013 or newer, would fit your price range, although $8K is a bit challenging.

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One without Premium Package should be in that range. Definitely in that range if it has 11 bars.

This one is cheap:

http://m.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=454856105&zip=85701&endYear=2014&pageLayout=list&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&startYear=2013&listingTypes=used&searchRadius=200&mmt=%5BNISSAN%5BLEAF%5BLEAF%7CSV%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D

Probably a cooked battery, but worth finding out.

alozzy said:

To OP, in case you are unaware, the SV/SL have a climate control timer built-in. So, even without a functional TCU, you can still pre cool the Leaf, using the timer, so that the cabin is cool before your commute.

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Good to know, thanks. I don't have a daily commute though, my usage times will be different every day so probably do need the TCU.

Good to know, thanks. I don't have a daily commute though, my usage times will be different every day so probably do need the TCU.

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Even when I know that I'll be leaving for a trip at, say, about 4:30pm, I'm never certain enough of the exact time to want to set the timer. I've never used my climate control timer for that reason. I miss remote access!

Me too, but Nissan has told Canadian dealership to stop doing any TCU upgrades, no explanation given. I suspect it's because the whole thing was poorly planned, even more poorly executed, and they've decided to stop the bleeding rather than making things right.

alozzy said:

Me too, but Nissan has told Canadian dealership to stop doing any TCU upgrades, no explanation given. I suspect it's because the whole thing was poorly planned, even more poorly executed, and they've decided to stop the bleeding rather than making things right.

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Sounds like a reasonable explanation. Judging by 1 or 2 threads on this, it does seem like the above.

I think I found all my posts w/my personal experience on this. See below. I intentionally waited a few months w/the hope that they'd have seen all the probs, know how to troubleshoot them all, have all the kinks worked out. I guess not.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=489376#p489376
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=489590#p489590
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=491430#p491430
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=492766#p492766
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=493278#p493278
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=494729#p494729
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=494796#p494796

I think it's working normally again. No more yellow ! car light but I haven't been using the NissanConnect app much over the last few days. I've wasted a lot more time on this than I'd like, part of it posting here on MNL. But, I figured my experiences might help someone.

Yeah, it's almost a blessing as it means an extra $200 in my pocket and a whole lot less frustration, based on the experience of so many others like yourself.

Wish car manufacturers in general would just provide a generic SIM card slot and Wi-Fi connectivity and leave the rest of it up to the consumer to figure out. Proprietary BS is never good.

alozzy said:

Yeah, it's almost a blessing as it means an extra $200 in my pocket and a whole lot less frustration, based on the experience of so many others like yourself.

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I don't need the functionality THAT badly but it is more convenient. It can help me inform me:
- if someone unplugged my car early and didn't plug it back in
- if it's been charged already (from someone else plugging me in)
- and allows me to remotely trigger the charge to 100% at the desired time.

Where I work now, it takes a few minutes to go out to my car and come back.

But, when it quits working unexpectedly, it's annoying as it may not self-correct and I may have to waste time w/hacks (e.g. pulling 12 volt to see if it helps) or calling Nissan EV support or going to the dealer again (NOT convenient).

The hit a yellow ! car light (if it happens again) is also concerning as I'm unclear if it's TCU related or something else I should get resolved before the 5 year/60K EV system warranty expires.