Chirping Sound when starting ACC mode

Hi fellow LEAF enthusiasts,

I’m in New Zealand and I have a Jap Import, Nissan LEAF 2016 X 30kWh which I bought a year ago.

It seems to be generally going well, but for the first time, 2 days ago, after a slow (8 amp) charge overnight (to 99%), I disconnected the cable, then pushed the ignition button (is that what it’s called) once to put it into ACC (accessory) mode. After a couple of seconds I years a quiet chirping sound which itself lasts for up to a couple of seconds, sometimes less, and sometimes I don’t hear it at all. It doesn't seem to happen if I go from off mode directly into drive mode (with my foot on the brake), but that could be because the quiet chirping sound is masked by the relatively loud startup tones. It sounds as if it’s coming from inside the driver’s door, based on the fact that it's louder when I push my ear up against the door. The car has been driven a few times since it was last charged, and we haven't heard the sound while driving. We only hear it while ACC mode is starting. The same thing happens today, 2 days after I first heard the issue.

Here is a Dropbox link to an unedited WAV file recording, and the same recording in MP3 format with the chirping sound sections amplified so you can more easily hear them.

The scenario of the sound seems to be different to that in Sondy's recent posts here.

Anyone experienced this sound before?
Any ideas re the cause and/or solution?

Thanks.
Tel7

This may be the low key fob battery warning. Look for a battery gauge icon when you hear it.

tel7 said:

I’m in New Zealand and I have a Jap Import, Nissan LEAF 2016 X 30kWh which I bought a year ago.

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FYI, Jap is considered a racial slur.

This has come up in a Leaf FB group or two and although Americans and many others will agree, others (e.g. from NZ, I believe) disagreed or shrugged. It's frequently in old WWII movies filmed from the US/Allied POV since I'm sure it was in common use back then. Search https://www.spectator.co.uk/2011/04/letters-229/ for the slur or embassy.

If you said Japanese import, imported from Japan or JDM import, that'd be ok.

(I'm not Japanese but am Asian...)

LeftieBiker said:

This may be the low key fob battery warning. Look for a battery gauge icon when you hear it.

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Thanks for the suggestion, LeftieBiker.
Yes, I read something about the low fob batts causing chirps before posting this, and I should have said something about it. In ACC mode the only thing lit up on the dash is the slowly flashing red car icon, which also flashes when the car is off. What does that icon mean, anyway?
When I turn the car to either the "on" or "drive" (is that what it's called?) modes, I still don't see any fob warning.

For what it's worth, we recommend NEVER using the Accessory mode, as the 12 volt battery is quickly drained in that mode. Use "Ready" mode (yellow-green car icon lit, car ready to drive) instead of accessory mode, as the car will keep the accessory battery fully charged in that mode. There is no wasteful engine idling, so Ready mode works fine.

tel7 said:

... the only thing lit up on the dash is the slowly flashing red car icon, which also flashes when the car is off. What does that icon mean, anyway?

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"Security Indicator Light" -- blinks when in ACC, OFF, or LOCK to let you know the security system is functional.

Check the "audible reminders" section of your owners manual for a list of possible chimes.

LeftieBiker said:

For what it's worth, we recommend NEVER using the Accessory mode, as the 12 volt battery is quickly drained in that mode. Use "Ready" mode (yellow-green car icon lit, car ready to drive) instead of accessory mode, as the car will keep the accessory battery fully charged in that mode. There is no wasteful engine idling, so Ready mode works fine.

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Thanks LeftieBiker.
I turn it to ACC before turning it to ON, so I can take some screen shots on my phone using the LeafSpy app and a ODB II adaptor. Usually only takes a couple of mins. I think I can also do this in Ready mode, but I don't think I need to. But sometimes I play some music off a USB stick while I'm parked for 30 mins or so, in ACC mode. No noticeable problems yet.
Have you heard of LEAF 12V batteries draining too much in ACC mode? How long did it take and with what kind of load? It it likely to drain faster than non-EV cars?

Nubo said:

"Security Indicator Light" -- blinks when in ACC, OFF, or LOCK to let you know the security system is functional.
Check the "audible reminders" section of your owners manual for a list of possible chimes.

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Thanks for the Security Indicator Light info, Nubo.
In response to your suggestion, I had a look in the Owner's Manual supplied by my dealer. It's a not-very-good translation from Jap...anese. Will the "BUZZER WARNINGS" section do? I don't see anything relevant to the noise hear, in that section. But I wouldn't have expected to see anything there, because it doesn't sound loud, clear or consistent enough to be an intentionally generated sound. Can you hear it in amplified parts of the MP3 I provided?

I turn it to ACC before turning it to ON, so I can take some screen shots on my phone using the LeafSpy app and a ODB II adaptor. Usually only takes a couple of mins. But sometimes I play some music off a USB stick while I'm parked for 30 mins or so, in ACC mode. No noticeable problems yet.
Have you head of LEAF 12V batteries draining too much in ACC mode? How long did it take and with what kind of load? It it likely to drain faster than non-EV cars?

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First, you want Ready mode to use LeafSpy, NOT Accessory mode. You won't get accurate readings unless the car boots up. Second, yes ACC mode drains the 12 volt battery, which has only modest capacity to start, and isn't getting recharged from the main pack in ACC mode. There is no reason to use ACC mode in an EV - it's a holdover from ICE designs. Try to forget that it even exists, if you want to avoid the griefs caused by a weak 12 volt battery.

LeftieBiker said:

First, you want Ready mode to use LeafSpy, NOT Accessory mode. You won't get accurate readings unless the car boots up. Second, yes ACC mode drains the 12 volt battery, which has only modest capacity to start, and isn't getting recharged from the main pack in ACC mode. There is no reason to use ACC mode in an EV - it's a holdover from ICE designs. Try to forget that it even exists, if you want to avoid the griefs caused by a weak 12 volt battery.

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I don't use ACC mode for LeadSpy, but I have to go through ACC mode to get to ON mode, which is where I run LeadSpy from. Are you saying I won't get accurate readings in ON mode either? From memory of when I started recording things, the readings seemed the same as in Ready mode.

I don't use ACC mode for LeadSpy, but I have to go through ACC mode to get to ON mode, which is where I run LeadSpy from.

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No, you don't. Press and hold the brake pedal and then press the power button. The car goes directly to Ready mode.

LeftieBiker said:

I don't use ACC mode for LeadSpy, but I have to go through ACC mode to get to ON mode, which is where I run LeadSpy from.

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No, you don't. Press and hold the brake pedal and then press the power button. The car goes directly to Ready mode.

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I wasn't referring to Ready mode. I was referring to ON mode. Do you know the difference between ON and Ready modes? If not, I can elaborate.

tel7 said:

Thanks for the Security Indicator Light info, Nubo.
In response to your suggestion, I had a look in the Owner's Manual supplied by my dealer. It's a not-very-good translation from Jap...anese. Will the "BUZZER WARNINGS" section do? I don't see anything relevant to the noise hear, in that section. But I wouldn't have expected to see anything there, because it doesn't sound loud, clear or consistent enough to be an intentionally generated sound. Can you hear it in amplified parts of the MP3 I provided?

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Yes, I can hear it. I think many of the "chimes" sound the same, I know I get that sound if I shift too soon after starting, also I believe it's a similar sound when the outside temperature alert comes on, as well as when other alerts pop up on the console. So the sound itself isn't very revealing; usually these things are accompanied by some sort of warning light or message.

Since it's intermittent, the only thing that comes to mind is perhaps a weak 12V battery that's right on the border line. But that's just a guess; it can cause all manner of weird behaviors.

You should be able to download an English version of the 2016 manuals and guides from NissanUSA

https://owners.nissanusa.com/nowners/navigation/manualsGuide

tel7 said:

LeftieBiker said:

I don't use ACC mode for LeadSpy, but I have to go through ACC mode to get to ON mode, which is where I run LeadSpy from.

Click to expand...

No, you don't. Press and hold the brake pedal and then press the power button. The car goes directly to Ready mode.

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I wasn't referring to Ready mode. I was referring to ON mode. Do you know the difference between ON and Ready modes? If not, I can elaborate.

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On mode is little better. AFAIK the 12 volt battery isn't charged in On mode either. I don't know about LeafSpy readings taken in On mode, because I know of no one who does that. Why do you feel that Ready mode is to be avoided...?

LeftieBiker said:

On mode is little better. AFAIK the 12 volt battery isn't charged in On mode either. I don't know about LeafSpy readings taken in On mode, because I know of no one who does that. Why do you feel that Ready mode is to be avoided...?

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I wouldn't expect the 12V battery to be charged in ON mode, either. Why is that a problem for my situation?

I avoid Ready mode because I didn't know it was necessary to fully start the car (which takes a little longer than getting into ON mode from memory), to run LeafSpy, because from memory the LeafSpy results were similar in ON & Ready modes. I should recheck this because it's been a year since I compared them.

Anyway, avoiding ACC mode might just mask the chirping issue, either because the startup sounds of Ready mode drown it out, or because the chirping occurs in ACC mode only. I'm not just trying to stop hearing it. I'm trying to find the cause & solution. If you're out of ideas, that's fine - thanks for trying and for the tips.

^^ in case you didn't know, you can change or turn off the startup "sound effects" completely via the console buttons, if you want to be able to hear the mystery chime more clearly.

Nubo said:

Since it's intermittent, the only thing that comes to mind is perhaps a weak 12V battery that's right on the border line. But that's just a guess; it can cause all manner of weird behaviors.

You should be able to download an English version of the 2016 manuals and guides from NissanUSA

^^ in case you didn't know, you can change or turn off the startup "sound effects" completely via the console buttons, if you want to be able to hear the mystery chime more clearly.

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Thank you very much, Nubo!

When using LeafSpy Lite in ON mode, I notice the voltage slowly drops and settles at about 11.84V currently in my LEAF. This drop doesn't occur in Ready mode of course, since the battery is being charged in that mode. But I know 12V battery state is not only about voltage, so I'll get the mechanic to do a specific gravity test (or whatever they do), on the battery when it's in the garage for a WOF (Warrant Of Fitness) tomorrow.

Thanks for the link to the manuals! Should be useful.

No I didn't know (or couldn't remember) about the sound effect off option. Might try that sometime.

Now at least I can say for sure that the accessory battery isn't charged in On mode. That was my understanding, but it's good to have it confirmed.

i am not interested in the chirping sound but rather the flashing security light. You have said that it is flashing means its functional does that also mean it is in use or armed so to speak? Is it just part of owning a Leaf that the light will be flashing, cant be turned off? saf

Welcome. I'm fairly sure that the light in question always flashes when the car is On. The anti-theft system on the Leaf is, IIRC, considered "passive" so it's only activated by a few specific things, like someone prying the infotainment unit out of the car. I can't recall a single report of it going off by accident. I'm not even sure that I've seen any reports of it going off at all...

I checked, and the anti-theft consists only of preventing the car from starting if the correct key isn't used. No audio alarm at all.