Reconditioning cells and modules instead of replacing pack?

Hi -

I can't at first look seem to find a thread which helps me understand where things stand with Nissan's take on the possibility of doing maintenance on battery packs to recondition or replace individual cells or modules instead of replacing whole packs.

From what very little I've heard so far (and I don't know if this is right), in theory it would be possible for Nissan to have dealers take a look at doing this, but that it is not presently done. I also don't know to what extent , when the battery checkups are done, they look for individual cells or modules that are out of whack, and if they find them, whether the dealers presently do recondition or replace the cells or modules.

Most dealers can't fix a Leaf heat pump, so I can't imagine them cracking the HV Pack.

The theory is good, but I think to be cost effective, we are on our own for now with cell or modular replacement.

Is it known if 2015 modules are fully interchangeable with 2011/2012? I'm still entertaining a thought I'll be able to use a cheap battery from a junkyard for replacement instead of dropping 6-7 large on a new pack. Now that we know the battery ID needs to be programmed into the VCM and this procedure requires a special card and Consult III, swapping modules sounds like a fun little weekend project

Valdemar said:

Is it known if 2015 modules are fully interchangeable with 2011/2012? I'm still entertaining a thought I'll be able to use a cheap battery from a junkyard for replacement instead of dropping 6-7 large on a new pack. Now that we know the battery ID needs to be programmed into the VCM and this procedure requires a special card and Consult III, swapping modules sounds like a fun little weekend project

Click to expand...

+1

But swapping just the BCM should be a much easier task of course...

Also because the cell pairs are all in series, module replacement will
not help degraded batteries(unless all are replaced), only a bad cell pair.

jlsoaz said:

I can't at first look seem to find a thread which helps me understand where things stand with Nissan's take on the possibility of doing maintenance on battery packs to recondition or replace individual cells or modules instead of replacing whole packs.

From what very little I've heard so far (and I don't know if this is right), in theory it would be possible for Nissan to have dealers take a look at doing this, but that it is not presently done. I also don't know to what extent , when the battery checkups are done, they look for individual cells or modules that are out of whack, and if they find them, whether the dealers presently do recondition or replace the cells or modules.

Click to expand...

Individual bad cells have been replaced before. See http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=396097#p396097" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

There was another MNLer (I can't find the post now) of someone w/some really weird problems that turned out to be some loose connection (bolt?) inside the pack. Dealer did have to open up the pack to repair the problem.

I'm not sure what you're asking but if you're talking degradation over time, esp. due to temperatures, as has already been stated here and MANY times elsewhere on MNL, replacing individual modules/cells would be pointless. They'd all have degraded at about the same rate and amount.

Valdemar said:

Is it known if 2015 modules are fully interchangeable with 2011/2012? I'm still entertaining a thought I'll be able to use a cheap battery from a junkyard for replacement instead of dropping 6-7 large on a new pack.

Click to expand...

I don't think they are. In a post at https://www.facebook.com/groups/seattlenissanleaf/permalink/901236886574416/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, the poster (a Nissan dealer tech in WA state) said (on a recent pack swap of an '11 which was below 9 capacity bars that was imported from California):
"I am assuming it is a lizard pack. I did not open to look at the cells. The shape of the new case would not allow the older style cells to be mounted."

and when asked if the form factor had changed, he responded:
"They did. The newer packs have a thinner cell that is stacked differently."

That tech also did some work at https://www.facebook.com/groups/seattlenissanleaf/permalink/872430932788345/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; where he had to open a pack.
"This car had a high voltage "leak" that blew the fusible link portion of the H/V relay box."

Bummer. What about the battery controller? Can it be moved from a 2011 pack to 2015? Or at least to 2013/14?

Also, if the individual module replacement is still considered to be a method to repair bad cells, how do they plan to do it on 2011 packs? Are they still making the original form factor modules?