Replaced 12v Lead with 12v Lithium

[joeriv]

I found prices for the Valence Battery on Energy Bay - the 40 amp is $699.

[DuncanCunningham]

hey Nerys,

So the leaf is known, at least the 2012 and older models, for not being very good at looking after and charging the 12v battery. I figured that out after having all sorts of issues with my 2012 leaf and they were resolved with a new battery and I've changed how I behave.. I now don't just plug in my car anytime I'm home as this pulls juice from the 12v all the time to keep the car charging system ready even if it's not charging. I also plug it in to a battery tender every few weeks. My 12v battery was replaced after 3 years.. but I hope that my new behavior will allow this replacement battery to last a little longer.. more like 7 yrs and getting closer to your average you mentioned. Most ICE cars are good at looking after 12v batteries and it's so strange that nissan didn't make the leaf be just as good.

i think that is what the other posters are saying and why they are asking about your location.. I'm Utah and the winters are cold and long enough to stress out a poorly maintained 12v battery.

[nerys]

My batteries last ten plus years what other options would I need to look for?

I have yet to have to replace a battery because it wore out the only thing that has ever killed a battery for me is neglect on my part.

if I ever have to replace the 12 volt battery in my leaf, ever, short of neglect, I would consider it defective.

Now the lithium battery that's pissing me off I am well below 70% capacity but it won't drop the third bar somehow I think it's programming.

[DaveinOlyWA]

I should start checking my 12 volt battery to see if anything might have improved as far as maintaining a more optimal resting voltage while connected to the car. As far as batteries lasting, I have also seen several in my area go 8-10 years or more but I am in a unique area that is vastly different that most of the US.

[MalcolmReynolds]

Great topic, and makes perfect sense to eliminate a problem with the poor charge management of the 12v system in the Leaf by removing a component that was not designed to be discharged and recharged like this. It would have made more sense if the 12v accessory battery was a deep cycle battery. That being the case it would make sense to replace the lead acid with a lithium battery for this application.

The price for the battery the OP paid is way outside what I am willing to pay for the 12v battery. What other options have you guys come up with and what did you have to do to make it work? I see there is a Battery Tender motorcycle battery with the largest AH capacity of up to 35ah, but does not looks like the posts/terminals would work on the Leaf.

So looking for your input on how you guys have addressed the 12v accessory battery replacement with a LifeP04. Thanks.

[MalcolmReynolds]

Ok, so this thread is almost 4 years old. The batteries being posted about then were way too heavy and way too expensive. There is no need for a large AGM or lithium battery designed to start an ICE car.

What we need is an exceptionally lightweight battery like this motorcycle battery:
https://www.batterystuff.com/powersport ... tTechSpecs

2lbs, $145. That's more like it.

How do you adapt the battery terminal connections from the Leaf to this battery? Thanks! Would love to see how to make this work.

I am looking at this battery on Amazon and looking at the higher AH capacity so that there are some reserves to draw on and was wondering if there is a way to make it fit in the existing battery mounting area and how to adapt the connections to it.

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-BTL35A480C-Lithium-Phosphate/dp/B00F9LPL5E/ref=pd_sbs_23_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00F9LPL5E&pd_rd_r=QKGM5MNEYJ5199SF8WXR&pd_rd_w=hv4Ph&pd_rd_wg=xyzSO&psc=1&refRID=QKGM5MNEYJ5199SF8WXR

[LeftieBiker]

I'm guessing that you could bolt the existing cables to two of those "quad terminals" just by bypassing the clamp and using the clamp bolts as the terminal bolts. Failing that, there are all sorts of terminal adapters available out there.

[GerryAZ]

That Battery Tender brand motorcycle battery has only 96 watt hours (8 ampere hours at 12 volts) of energy storage. I doubt that is sufficient to reliably handle residual load of the Leaf when parked.

[LeftieBiker]

That Battery Tender brand motorcycle battery has only 96 watt hours (8 ampere hours at 12 volts) of energy storage. I doubt that is sufficient to reliably handle residual load of the Leaf when parked.

Style: (12V, 26-35Ah, 480 ICA, 102.4 Watt Hrs.)

I assume this means it's 20AH at least? Adequate if not generous. Personally, I think the best most reliable way to go is with a larger AGM battery.

[GerryAZ]

That Battery Tender brand motorcycle battery has only 96 watt hours (8 ampere hours at 12 volts) of energy storage. I doubt that is sufficient to reliably handle residual load of the Leaf when parked.

Style: (12V, 26-35Ah, 480 ICA, 102.4 Watt Hrs.)

I assume this means it's 20AH at least? Adequate if not generous. Personally, I think the best most reliable way to go is with a larger AGM battery.

102.4 watt hours divided by 12 volts equals 8.53 ampere hours. I am not sure what the rating of the original lead acid flooded battery is, but the Optima D51R yellow top deep cycle AGM that I put in my 2011 was rated at 38 ampere hours (C20 capacity) and it worked very well. I will buy one for my 2015 as soon as the Nissan original starts showing weakness.