Intermittent "Check Device" message

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JimmyK

New member
Joined
Mar 15, 2014
Messages
3
I have driven my newly leased Leaf trim S 2014 for a week. When I plug in my 2G USB drive, it works fine 60% of the time upon power off and power on. However, intermittently when the car is powered on with the USB drive plugged in, it will get stuck with "Check Device" message forever. Unplug and then plug the USB drive doesn't fix the problem. Power off and then power on the car sometimes fix the problem but sometimes does not.

It is very annoying. Does anyone experience similar problem? Shall I return it to dealer to out the root cause? Any advice is welcome. Thanks.
 
Since my post, I have tried a different USB (newer one) and the problem is gone. Thank you for your reply, Travis.

The only part I don't like about the user experience is that it always go to USB device upon starting up the car even though I was on FM right before I shut off the car. Any advice?
 
I have my drive constantly inserted before I shut off the card and before I start up the car.

In your case, Travis, do you have your USB inserted all the time? Thanks.
 
Yeah. The only time I ever take it out is to put on new music. Generally once a month or so I'll update the music with the newest tunes. Other than that it always restarts in its last used mode.
 
From the "power" side (rather than what the stereo is reporting) My USB socket seems to power off and on at random (on a 2013 S with the base stereo). I am currently testing it with a "dumb" USB-LED light from IKEA that I leave plugged in the socket, in the hopes of noticing a pattern of cause and effect in its turning off and on. Has anyone seen this?

So far I don't see a pattern on what triggers its off/on cycles.

Causes that I think I've ruled out include turning the stereo off and then on again. (the USB doesn't wake/sleep with the Stereo) and turning the Car's power to Off/ACC/On (nor driving).

I have localized the problem to the socket, not only by watching it power a "dumb" USB light on (sometimes) and off (sometimes).

Initially, it was on more than off, and did a good job of playing through the stereo with full music information. When on, it also supplies power through a variety of cables to a variety of iphone generations and a Mophie booster case.

Devices plugged into a 12V-to-5VUSB adapter also charge fine all the time (even at the same moments when the USB doesn't)
 
Nissan has done a lot right. This is something they need to fix. It is a software patch. In fact, why not allow the BlueTooth to interact with the phone fully and forget about the USB cord?

My guess is that this is a sop to Sirius, hoping to force customers to subscribe. Why else block music from streaming using BlueTooth when BlueTooth works with the phone? Similarly, they could fix the "Check Device," but they have decided not to. I'd be happy to be wrong, to have Nissan prove me wrong and fix it. I doubt that will happen.

I have thoroughly tried to diagnose this problem. I have found nothing consistent--either in terms of the causes for occurrence or the possible fixes. Nor have I found any credible suggestions or proofs.

A friend has a Tesla; he tells me he routinely gets software updates. Does Nissan even have software updates? I've never gotten one. That has to be the fix.
 
The LEAF S doesn't have the ability to get/send information to the Mothership, so even if the LEAF did over-the-air software updates (which it doesn't), the LEAF S model would be excluded.

The only solution we have for Bluetooth streaming is to replace the radio or to get a Bluetooth receiver module like these:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_14?url=search-alias%3Dmobile&field-keywords=bluetooth+streaming+adapter&sprefix=bluetooth+streaming+adapter%2Caps%2C182

I have an iPod Classic that I keep in my car. It has over 10,000 songs loaded and works perfectly. I have used a short lightning-to-USB cable to attach my iPhone, which also works perfectly (even streaming iCloud or SoundCloud), but I prefer using the iPod.

Crutchfield has low-cost adapter hardware to get a double DIN radio to work with our steering wheel audio controls, but you lose the backup camera. If Bluetooth streaming is super important to you, replacing the radio might be the best route to take.
 
I have also given up trying to use my USB with a flash drive. It seems to recognize a brand new flash drive that you just put songs on. When I added or deleted some songs, it gives the "check device" error and never works again...
 
I know this is an old post, but it’s what came up when I was trying to solve this issue on my wife’s new-to-us 2013 Leaf, so I thought I’d share what I’ve figured out in case it helps anyone. Best I can figure out is that there’s some sort of safety circuit that disables the USB port if anything tries to draw more than the 500mA that’s the USB 2 max allowed draw, and that circuit resets when the car is powered off and back on. I tested with a USB flash drive, and an iPhone 6 with and without a Mophie battery case. The USB drive lighting up let me know there was power to the port, then I’d swap in the phone/case. Connecting the phone by itself was fine, but as soon as I connect the case (which has a higher power draw), the port powers down until I turn the car off and on without the case connected. I repeated this a few times and just decided that we’ll have to skip the battery cases connecting to the car.
 
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