VenatorFox
Member
There was a 2012 Leaf SL in my area for quite a long time due to location (Middle of Nebraska). I ended up purchasing it for 9,000 after looking at it for about 5 months.
I took it home with me for the night and charged it to 100% rather than 80% to see how much it could hold.
The numbers are much lower than I expected. Is this normal?
It is stored and charged in a garage.
No capacity bars have been lost
Outside Air Temperature 18F as of the reading. 4 battery temp bars.
37 Miles, 12 charge bars.
Turning off Climate Control yields the following estimate:
53 Miles, 12 charge bars.
From what I've read, real world will be much less than indicated capacity.
I just don't want to have had purchased a car that can only drive 25 miles a charge.
Is this however normal due to outside temperature? The LEAF is stored in a cooler garage.
Update--19 December 2015
Thanks for all the responses!
Today I went on my routine commute with the car and arrived home at 40 miles. I felt uneasy because at 35 miles the GOM just displayed dashes. When I got home at 40 miles was in turtle mode. Being curious I drove in circles in my Cul-de-sac, for 3 miles. The car went into neutral and I pushed the car into the garage. I definitely do not want to get this close every day. I drove in ECO mode.
I did not have climate control on, I used the heated seats and wheel as LeftieBiker suggested.
I'll definitely go try the Leaf Spy out from the App Store as many have suggested.
From a totally depleted state it estimates 13 hours on level 1 charging, and 4:30 hours on level 2 charging to 100%. The manual however indicates 21 hours on level 1, and 7 on level 2.
Update--30 December 2015
Well, good news. I took it back to the local dealer I purchased from a couple of days ago and they towed it to the closest Nissan Dealer about 100 miles west. The Nissan Dealer there ran some tests I assume and claimed that the battery will be replaced under warranty. The Nissan Dealer there is however not certified for LEAF battery replacements, so my local dealer will tow it to a Nissan Dealer in Colorado to get the battery replaced. I should probably tip my local dealer a few hundred dollars for this.
Its quite a relief and very nice of the local dealers I purchased from to do this for me, as there is no Nebraska Law that protects buyers against used, as-is vehicles. The dmv gov website even goes as far to make it clear that right after signing, even if the car breaks down when driving home from a dealership, the dealer is not obligated to perform repairs.
Hopefully I will have a Leaf with a new battery by the end of January or February 2016! Thanks for everyones help!
Update--5 January 2016
WELL, Nissan Dealer in Fort Collins, CO states that they have charged it to full, and the GOM reads 27 miles.
They state that all 12 capacity bars are present, and that the reading is based off the driving habits of the previous driver.
Contrary to what I'm reading from the community here, they claim that in their 30 years of service they have not ever heard of it being possible to reset capacity bars on old batteries. They will not service the vehicle, they say there is nothing wrong with it, even though real life range only will last 35-40 miles, without HVAC, in ECO. They disregarded the other dealership stating the battery will be replaced under warranty.
Guess I will just need to drive it until the bars drop, which should not really take long to recalibrate according to what I've been reading here.
No bars have dropped, AHr=41.72, SOH=63%, Hx=42.33%, odo=35,836
Update--13 March 2016
1st bar dropped. AHr=41.53, SOH=63%, Hx=42.02%, odo=36,774
Also, I don't why why I didn't check/notice this earlier. The "Home" is set to some city in Arizona in navigation.
So the car was probably baking in the sun in high heat in its early years.
Update--10 April 2016
2nd bar dropped. AHr=41.35, SOH=63%, Hx=41.72%, odo=37,281
Well that was quick. The 2nd bar dropped tonight, only 507 miles later, in less than a month.
Range is much better due to spring weather. Driving in ECO, No HVAC, Economy is 4.1, gets about 40 miles from an 80% charge.
Update--21 May 2016
3rd bar dropped. AHr=41.16, SOH=62%, Hx=41.40%, odo=37,914
About a month and a half, 633 miles later
Driving in ECO, No HVAC, Economy is 4.1
Update--19 July 2016
4th bar dropped. AHr=40.74, SOH=62%, Hx=40.70%, odo=38,912
About 2 months, 998 miles later
Economy is 4.1
Update--14 September 2016
Had it towed down to the Nissan Dealership in Lincoln, NE (For like $200 round trip, ugh)
They had it for a day, and asked some questions such as how I was charging it.
I told them I do level 1 charging to 80% with a charging timer.
They told me that I should charge to 100% with Level 2.
Seems odd, I thought 80% charging improved battery life in the long run.
Nonetheless, the battery will be replaced.
The battery is however on backorder, for 12 weeks.
As of today, 25 September 2016, the battery stats are as follows:
AHr=39.98, SOH=60%, Hx=39.48%, odo=40,185
I took it home with me for the night and charged it to 100% rather than 80% to see how much it could hold.
The numbers are much lower than I expected. Is this normal?
It is stored and charged in a garage.
No capacity bars have been lost
Outside Air Temperature 18F as of the reading. 4 battery temp bars.
37 Miles, 12 charge bars.
Turning off Climate Control yields the following estimate:
53 Miles, 12 charge bars.
From what I've read, real world will be much less than indicated capacity.
I just don't want to have had purchased a car that can only drive 25 miles a charge.
Is this however normal due to outside temperature? The LEAF is stored in a cooler garage.
Update--19 December 2015
Thanks for all the responses!
Today I went on my routine commute with the car and arrived home at 40 miles. I felt uneasy because at 35 miles the GOM just displayed dashes. When I got home at 40 miles was in turtle mode. Being curious I drove in circles in my Cul-de-sac, for 3 miles. The car went into neutral and I pushed the car into the garage. I definitely do not want to get this close every day. I drove in ECO mode.
I did not have climate control on, I used the heated seats and wheel as LeftieBiker suggested.
I'll definitely go try the Leaf Spy out from the App Store as many have suggested.
From a totally depleted state it estimates 13 hours on level 1 charging, and 4:30 hours on level 2 charging to 100%. The manual however indicates 21 hours on level 1, and 7 on level 2.
Update--30 December 2015
Well, good news. I took it back to the local dealer I purchased from a couple of days ago and they towed it to the closest Nissan Dealer about 100 miles west. The Nissan Dealer there ran some tests I assume and claimed that the battery will be replaced under warranty. The Nissan Dealer there is however not certified for LEAF battery replacements, so my local dealer will tow it to a Nissan Dealer in Colorado to get the battery replaced. I should probably tip my local dealer a few hundred dollars for this.
Its quite a relief and very nice of the local dealers I purchased from to do this for me, as there is no Nebraska Law that protects buyers against used, as-is vehicles. The dmv gov website even goes as far to make it clear that right after signing, even if the car breaks down when driving home from a dealership, the dealer is not obligated to perform repairs.
Hopefully I will have a Leaf with a new battery by the end of January or February 2016! Thanks for everyones help!
Update--5 January 2016
WELL, Nissan Dealer in Fort Collins, CO states that they have charged it to full, and the GOM reads 27 miles.
They state that all 12 capacity bars are present, and that the reading is based off the driving habits of the previous driver.
Contrary to what I'm reading from the community here, they claim that in their 30 years of service they have not ever heard of it being possible to reset capacity bars on old batteries. They will not service the vehicle, they say there is nothing wrong with it, even though real life range only will last 35-40 miles, without HVAC, in ECO. They disregarded the other dealership stating the battery will be replaced under warranty.
Guess I will just need to drive it until the bars drop, which should not really take long to recalibrate according to what I've been reading here.
No bars have dropped, AHr=41.72, SOH=63%, Hx=42.33%, odo=35,836
Update--13 March 2016
1st bar dropped. AHr=41.53, SOH=63%, Hx=42.02%, odo=36,774
Also, I don't why why I didn't check/notice this earlier. The "Home" is set to some city in Arizona in navigation.
So the car was probably baking in the sun in high heat in its early years.
Update--10 April 2016
2nd bar dropped. AHr=41.35, SOH=63%, Hx=41.72%, odo=37,281
Well that was quick. The 2nd bar dropped tonight, only 507 miles later, in less than a month.
Range is much better due to spring weather. Driving in ECO, No HVAC, Economy is 4.1, gets about 40 miles from an 80% charge.
Update--21 May 2016
3rd bar dropped. AHr=41.16, SOH=62%, Hx=41.40%, odo=37,914
About a month and a half, 633 miles later
Driving in ECO, No HVAC, Economy is 4.1
Update--19 July 2016
4th bar dropped. AHr=40.74, SOH=62%, Hx=40.70%, odo=38,912
About 2 months, 998 miles later
Economy is 4.1
Update--14 September 2016
Had it towed down to the Nissan Dealership in Lincoln, NE (For like $200 round trip, ugh)
They had it for a day, and asked some questions such as how I was charging it.
I told them I do level 1 charging to 80% with a charging timer.
They told me that I should charge to 100% with Level 2.
Seems odd, I thought 80% charging improved battery life in the long run.
Nonetheless, the battery will be replaced.
The battery is however on backorder, for 12 weeks.
As of today, 25 September 2016, the battery stats are as follows:
AHr=39.98, SOH=60%, Hx=39.48%, odo=40,185
