Coil in SL leafs

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Lothsahn

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 5, 2018
Messages
702
In the back hatch, under the trim, there's a coil (small black box). It's called "coil" in the service manual.

It was not on my 2011 SV, but it is on the SL. Anyone know its purpose?
 
Lothsahn said:
In the back hatch, under the trim, there's a coil (small black box). It's called "coil" in the service manual.

It was not on my 2011 SV, but it is on the SL. Anyone know its purpose?

How big is the coil? Is it near the onboard charger? Early 2011 models had some electromagnetic interference issues from the onboard chargers. Nissan later added a coil to filter the interference.
 
GerryAZ said:
Lothsahn said:
In the back hatch, under the trim, there's a coil (small black box). It's called "coil" in the service manual.

It was not on my 2011 SV, but it is on the SL. Anyone know its purpose?

How big is the coil? Is it near the onboard charger? Early 2011 models had some electromagnetic interference issues from the onboard chargers. Nissan later added a coil to filter the interference.


Quite small. It's the little black box above and behind the yellow connector in the picture:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4713/38780643115_68568128de.jpg

(It's partially obscured by some of the wires)
 
LeftieBiker said:
Is there a linkage connected to it and the latch, or none?

It has a single wire going into it on one side and a single wire on the other side. Each has a connector that you can remove from it. It attaches to the harness, so I have no idea which wires go where after that.

Since both cars have what appears to be the same latch, it seems unlikely to be it. Is there some key proximity thing in the higher trim level?

It appears to be pin 7 on the harness. I'm wondering if it somehow has to do with the solar spoiler?
 
I see now that it is on the hatch. The filter for the onboard charger is much larger and near the charger (which is in the hump behind the rear seat). I will look at the service manual this evening. I thought it might be the antenna for the rear lock button of the keyless entry system after I saw the photo, but both SV and SL have the same system so there should not be a difference.
 
Coils are sometimes used as current balancers and sensors, IIRC, but with just one wire in and out it's more likely either a simple switch or a filter.
 
LeftieBiker said:
Coils are sometimes used as current balancers and sensors, IIRC, but with just one wire in and out it's more likely either a simple switch or a filter.

A simple coil (an inductor) is typically used to reduce the initial in-rush of current versus a resistor, as the resistor
will dissipate on-going power. Access to the schematics would be helpful to determine how the part is used and if it's
really an inductive device.

https://www.google.com/search?ei=RfTMXJ__FIXz-gSB4bboCw&q=inductor&oq=inductor&gs_l=psy-ab.3..35i39j0i20i263j0i67j0l7.4203.6631..7710...0.0..0.85.816.11....2..0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j0i333.EmL6dglnE0o
 
I suppose they might use an inrush limiter with the LED taillights, but that too is only a guess. I'm familiar with them only in the context of charging two-wheeled EVs - and those are usually improvised from incandescent light bulbs.
 
LeftieBiker said:
I suppose they might use an inrush limiter with the LED taillights, but that too is only a guess. I'm familiar with them only in the context of charging two-wheeled EVs - and those are usually improvised from incandescent light bulbs.

LED lights wouldn't require an in-rush current limiter, as the initial current is the same as the steady-state current.
Without a schematic, we're guessing.
 
Lothsahn said:
...Since both cars have what appears to be the same latch, it seems unlikely to be it. Is there some key proximity thing in the higher trim level? It appears to be pin 7 on the harness. I'm wondering if it somehow has to do with the solar spoiler?

Yes, I think that's it.
v6scGLF.png
 
Thanks for posting the schematic. I did not get a chance to look it up in the service manual, but the solar cell is the only difference between SV and SL at the back hatch for 2011 and 2012 models. Nissan manuals are sometimes a little loose with the use of electrical terms so it may be a blocking diode in reality.
 
GerryAZ said:
Nissan manuals are sometimes a little loose with the use of electrical terms so it may be a blocking diode in reality.

That seems the more logical. If so, a 1N4001 (1A/50V) would've do the job, and would be no more than 1-1.5" in length.
But you'd think most PV cells wouldn't conduct current in that direction. Maybe Nissan was super conservative.
My 2013 SL panel typically provided about 60-100 ma at most.
 
lorenfb said:
GerryAZ said:
Nissan manuals are sometimes a little loose with the use of electrical terms so it may be a blocking diode in reality.

That seems the more logical. If so, a 1N4001 (1A/50V) would've do the job, and would be no more than 1-1.5" in length.
But you'd think most PV cells wouldn't conduct current in that direction. Maybe Nissan was super conservative.
My 2013 SL panel typically provided about 60-100 ma at most.

It may just be a small diode inside that black housing. Good luck with your camera project.
 
There is an actual metal coil inside that black box... You can see it through the vent holes.

A diode wouldn't need to be nearly that big...

Thanks on the camera project. Nearly complete. I can almost taste it!
 
I don't understand how a coil could be used a blocking device in place of a diode. It may be some sort of choke to prevent the long run of wire from acting as an antenna but otherwise I'm at a loss to understand why it would be in series with a solar panel output.
 
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