Heat while plugged in?

I could have sworn I saw a procedure here, somewhere, to get the
heat (not just the fan) to run while the LEAF is plugged in. Can't seem
to find it now. If I'm not hallucinating, could someone point me to it?

Thanks

You can trigger the remote climate control via the web or smartphone while plugged in. Is that what you're talking about?

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I want to do it from the car itself. On rare occasions
I don't leave the LEAF plugged in overnight and want to pre-
warm the cabin without using the battery. I'd like to be able to plug it
in and warm the cabin without going through the iPad or computer.

Plug it in and turn on the heater?

I think that there is a climate control timer in the timers section of the center screen, similar to the charge control timers and in the same area of the software.

highcountryrider said:

I could have sworn I saw a procedure here, somewhere, to get the
heat (not just the fan) to run while the LEAF is plugged in. Can't seem
to find it now. If I'm not hallucinating, could someone point me to it?

Thanks

Click to expand...

I don't know about the 2011 manual, but in the 2012 manual the "Climate Control" timer section starts on page 4-7:

CLIMATE CTRL. TIMER

The air conditioner starts to operate at the time of day and day of the week specified in the settings. This pre heats or pre cools the vehicle to a factory preset temperature in the passenger compartment before driving while the charger is connected to vehicle. This help reduce power consumption from the Li-ion battery.

As the temperature is set to the factory default setting, the user cannot adjust the temperature.

The Climate Ctrl. Timer operates the air conditioner using power from the charger. Electric power from the Li-ion battery is not used.

The Climate Ctrl. Timer function allows two different timer settings. Each timer charge function can be set to activate on a different day of the week.

Once the Climate Ctrl. Timer is set, it automatically starts when the set time is reached. It is therefore not necessary to set the Climate Ctrl. Timer everyday.

Click to expand...

It goes on to explain how to set the two CC timers for whatever days of the week and times one wants. The manual doesn't say, but I presume that if the interior temperature of the car is below the factory set point it will turn on the heater and if the interior temperature of the car is above the factory set point it will turn on the AC.

The CC timer can also be set to take precedence over charging or vice versa:

• When the climate control is set on first priority, the Climate Ctrl. Timer works regardless of the remaining battery energy.
• If the Climate Ctrl. Timer starts its operation while the vehicle is being charged, the charging time will be prolonged.

Click to expand...

• When charging is set as the first priority, the Climate Ctrl. Timer does not start until 10 segments of the LI-ION BATTERY AVAILABLE CHARGE GAUGE are illuminated.

Click to expand...

Now that we have had some cold days into the 20's, using the pre-heater has been one of the nicest features of the car.

While I am aware that I can do this with the timer, my departure times are never consistent enough to use that. However the iPhone app takes me only 10 - 15 seconds to turn on the heat. I do it before I leave the house, or leave the office.

A couple times I have started the heater when I landed at the airport. By the time I get my bags and get to the garage. the car is more than ready for me.

I guess I'm not being very clear. Let me restate.

What I want to do is go outside, plug the car in, and turn on the heat for
a bit before I leave, without using CW, just the dash controls. And
without using the battery pack.

Plugging in and pushing the power button twice without stepping on the
brake lights everything up, but the climate control only runs the blower
- there is no heat. I had thought that someone posted a procedure for
getting the heat to come on under these circumstances.

I did switch the priority to CC from charging, but still got cold air.

I do use CW almost daily now that it's cold, but there are occasions where
I'd like to do it from the car.

Yes, it is, and was, clear what you want to, but I am afraid it is not an option. Even turning the car on while pressing the brake does not do it.

I am convinced that the only way to get climate control to provide heat (or cool) using shore power is by timer or carwings. To manually turn climate control on you must unplug.

Hopefully some one will prove me wrong. While it really doesn't take much time, sometimes it seems like forever for the request to go from me to wherever, from wherever to the car, from the car to wherever, and from wherever back to me.

Bill

ebill3 said:

I am convinced that the only way to get climate control to provide heat (or cool) using shore power is by timer or carwings. To manually turn climate control on you must unplug.

Click to expand...

I don't plan on renewing carwings unless it is almost free (iPhone app uses).

I agree that there should be more user centered custom options on the climate control... Although, after much practice, one could get pretty fast at setting a timer to accomplish each time--sorta lame though...

Bummer. No wonder I couldn't find it.

I have to cut down on the drugs. :lol:

Hmmmm...

No, I guess not. :roll:

JimSouCal said:

Although, after much practice, one could get pretty fast at setting a timer to accomplish each time--sorta lame though...

Click to expand...

That sounds pretty tricky. I expect that timer, like the charge timer, is only triggered at the start time. So you would have to set it for one or two minutes after the current time (presumably the console clock time), then either wait for it to kick in or trust without verifying.

Ray

I've had the same issue. One thing I tried was to turn the climate control on and press Auto while the car was plugged in and the heat would start working.

DKCubed said:

I've had the same issue. One thing I tried was to turn the climate control on and press Auto while the car was plugged in and the heat would start working.

Click to expand...

That sounds like the answer to highcountryrider's question.

I figured I'd have to use timers only because there is no cell phone reception in my garage, so the remote control through Carwings wouldn't work (right?). And my driving schedule will be completely random because I don't have a regular commute.

my heat is not consistent and often barely comes on. other times -- without explanation -- it is palpable.

I will have it cked when I am at the dealer for tire rotations.

DKCubed said:

I've had the same issue. One thing I tried was to turn the climate control on and press Auto while the car was plugged in and the heat would start working.

Click to expand...

With the car plugged in, did you actually get heat? Or, just the fan blowing ambient air?

Bill

My experience with the heater is to use the timer and then set the timer to the time you anticipate leaving. The car apparently knows the ambient temperature and the cabin temperature and turns on enough in advance of the departure time to have the cabin warm.

When I have gotten ready to go, I have seen the heater turn off at exactly the time I'd set and the AeroVironment charger goes from charge to standby.

One thing I have noticed and wonder if anyone else has had the same experience is regarding the amount of regen I get on cool to cold days. I take the car out of the garage (about 55 degrees) after an 80% charge and all of the power/regen buttons have the double circle indicating that on the regen side I can get full regen. However, after a half mile or so the far left regen circle goes from a double circle to a single circle and sometimes the left two circle do that. The battery temperature does not change any bars while this is going on. After about 15 miles, the battery has depleted somewhat and perhaps more importantly the internal resistance of the battery has warmed it somewhat, all regen circles are back on.

As it pertains to this topic I still need to test this using preheat and not using preheat to see if the preheat function does anything for the battery temperature and this anomaly.

Anyone had a similar experience?

ERG4ALL said:

One thing I have noticed and wonder if anyone else has had the same experience is regarding the amount of regen I get on cool to cold days. I take the car out of the garage (about 55 degrees) after an 80% charge and all of the power/regen buttons have the double circle indicating that on the regen side I can get full regen. However, after a half mile or so the far left regen circle goes from a double circle to a single circle and sometimes the left two circle do that.

Click to expand...

I see the same thing on occasion here, similar temps. No pre-heat used. Assume it's normal.

Yes, you can actually start the climate control while plugged in. Although its finicky. Simply plug it in, hit charge timer off (if at full charge) and get some blinky blue lights going.

Next, hold the brake, push start, and hit auto. Check energy usage to make sure it went on.

Caution: the harmless, yet startling, to 100% charge time bug causes either the L1 or L2 to increment out of control. Depends on what you are plugged into. Likely due to unplugging the car with it on.

In regards to climate control power consumption, it limits it to your maximum EVSE wattage. Level 1 warms up at around 1KW, level 2 at 3KW. It will never, ever exceed, unless you preheat on battery, which means 6kw is possible!!

Also, with a level 2 preheat, your battery will recharge worse than level 1 until if and when it hits temperature...which is difficult at low temps. I have had a leaf hit good temps at 30F even with level 1, but you need a good half hour!

Yes, there was a post about this a while back. I can confirm. I charge on 120 V only. While charging, press START twice without foot on the brake. Then turn on the DEFROST. I tried to hit the mode button (feet, hands, etc) but they do not work. Only the defrost mode seems to produce actual heat. This is probably a "feature" since most people will want to melt that frost on the windshield.

To confirm it's working, push blue button and get into the energy consumption view. I see about 1.0-1.2 kW consumption on the climate control while heating. Yes, the A/C light is on but that doesn't matter, you still get heat!!! Perhaps it really runs the AC to dehumidify or perhaps there really is a heat pump AC in there (I don't know or care!). It only takes a few minutes to warm the car, even with the 20 F temps last night, although I park in the garage.

Reddy