After Over 5K Miles My Wife Had A Range Anxiety Episode

[Leafittome]

Yesterday my wife deviated beyond her normal route/range and found herself on the other side of the SF Bay with only two white bars remaining. She called me very upset and blamed me for charging the car to 80% on weekdays, as I've done for the past 5,000 + miles.

I told her that if she took side roads and went slower she could make it, or I could call the Nissan dealer to get permission to top off her car for 30 minutes. She called back once she reached our side of the Bay and wanted to stop at the dealer for a charge. I called the dealer, asked who I should talk to about using one of their chargers for half an hour and the person who answered the phone didn't know, so transferred me to service. Service adviser told me the chargers were not for public use, but would allow it on this emergency basis.

My wife arrived at the dealer service area, told the person who was to drive the car to the inside of the service dept. about pushing the timer button after turning off the car and checking to make sure the lights on top of the dash and the EVSE showed a charging condition.

45 minutes later, the car hadn't been charged, although plugged in, car was left on the whole time, she lost another bar(was down to two red bars when she arrived). Service department tried again, did it properly, wife got home finally.

Now she doesn't ever want me to charge to 80%, doesn't want to even use the timers. Ironic that she put over 5K miles with no drama until now.

Question, if a timer is set, does the iPhone app. override to allow additional charging?

 

[Nekota]

The iPhone or PC with CarWings will initiate charging independent of the timer settings to 100%.

 

[richard]

Bummer. This happens to everyone eventually. Years back, I took my wife to a movie in LA, and we charged during dinner. The charge failed, and we ended up with a deficit. Had to park at a public park in Santa Monica at a good charger for about an hour late at night, on a work night. Wife was not pleased and distrusted "that EV". She's totally over it now, though.

As bad as this feels right now, she'll look back and remember her "range anxiety" adventure. When you catch her telling her courageous story to sympathetic friends and laughing, you'll know she's over it.

 

[Leafittome]

Thank you Nekota!

 

[davewill]

... Now she doesn't ever want me to charge to 80%, doesn't want to even use the timers. Ironic that she put over 5K miles with no drama until now. ...

If she's the driver, I think that charging should be handled however she wants. We often blow this whole battery babying out of proportion around here. It's not worth stranding or scaring your wife.

Yes, the app would have told you/her that the car wasn't charging and would have been able to override the timer, if the car hadn't been left on. I did exactly that when I left it for service and they didn't override the timer. My timer ended just 45 minutes after they plugged it in. I got the email at work, and just kicked it back into charging remotely.

 

[smkettner]

Except if she always charges to 100% she will get used to the extra and still have a range issue. I also mostly go to 80% unless I have some extras to do. Then I never hesitate to go to 100%. I also think the driver should be in charge of the timers and charging. This is reflected in that she did not get the car charging properly at the dealer. Would be slam dunk if she was in charge and had better experience from charging at home.

 

[johnr]

When you plug in to the AV charge station and press the start button on the charge station, doesn't this override the timer too?

 

[cdub]

Now she doesn't ever want me to charge to 80%, doesn't want to even use the timers. Ironic that she put over 5K miles with no drama until now.

Question, if a timer is set, does the iPhone app. override to allow additional charging?

Just set the timer to start and end at 12am ... that way you always charge to 80% but it ALWAYS starts charging when you plugin.

 

[cdub]

Also, whenever my wife is going to drive the car... I always charge it to 100% just in case. She has a lead foot.

 

[Brightonuk]

As I will be leasing my Leaf (39 months I guess) is there any reason not to charge to 100% every day.

I travel 75+ miles a day the battery longevity is not really a concern are there and other reasons not to charge to 100% every time?

 

[TonyWilliams]

I travel 75+ miles a day the battery longevity is not really a concern are there and other reasons not to charge to 100% every time?

Yes, if you're going to leave the car parked (like a vacation). The warranty may be affected if you do this.

Also, if you start at the top of a big hill, you'll have no regen braking.

 

[Weatherman]

I think the nearest "big hill" to us down here in South Florida is about 1000 miles away.

 

[LEAFfan]

Just set the timer to start and end at 12am ... that way you always charge to 80% but it ALWAYS starts charging when you plugin.

Or if you don't want those late text messages, set both to 7,8,or 9AM.

 

[LEAFfan]

As I will be leasing my Leaf (39 months I guess) is there any reason not to charge to 100% every day.
I travel 75+ miles a day the battery longevity is not really a concern are there and other reasons not to charge to 100% every time?

So you KNOW you are going to give the car back after your lease? If that's the case, then charge to 100%. If you're not sure like I am, then 80% will easily get you 75+ depending on your speed and using freeways/interstates. I easily get 100 miles from 80% charges.

 

[Volusiano]

Just set the timer to start and end at 12am ... that way you always charge to 80% but it ALWAYS starts charging when you plugin.

That's what I do, too, just so that I won't ever have any issue with not charging while plugged in at public charge stations. If you have a charge station in your garage with the timer feature, that should be the more appropriate place to set your timer, assuming that the reason you set the timer is to avoid peak hour charging.

I know a lot of people prefer to use the Leaf timer over their garage station's timer to control their peak/off-peak power plan. But this will cause issues like this when you use public stations. Sure, you can use the Override Timer button, but then you lose the 80% control.

 

[Randy3]

I keep my timer set to 80% and to start charging every night at 12:10am to catch the low PG&E rates under time of use.

This has backfired on me a few times when I plugged in during the day at either a dealership or RV park. I tend to plug in and walk away, forgetting to push the button inside the car to override the timer.

However, I do have a habit to check the Nissan App 15-30 minutes after plugging in. That way, when I forget to push the button in the car, the Android app can start the charge.

My wife has yet to drive the LEAF (even after 8 months' ownership). I think it's great that your wife enjoys driving it. I suggest you give her a little time to get over this and charge it to 100% a few times to help her get over it.

 

[davewill]

When you plug in to the AV charge station and press the start button on the charge station, doesn't this override the timer too?

Nope. The EVSE can't override the LEAF's timer.

 

[DaveEV]

I keep my timer set to 80% and to start charging every night at 12:10am to catch the low PG&E rates under time of use.

This has backfired on me a few times when I plugged in during the day at either a dealership or RV park. I tend to plug in and walk away, forgetting to push the button inside the car to override the timer.

I always check the dash lights after plugging in. Easy to verify if charging or waiting to charge that way.

 

[perpetualstudent]

Does this mean Neil Cavuto was right?? Sorry, but this just gave me an excuse to repost the link to this video.

 

[adric22]

45 minutes later, the car hadn't been charged, although plugged in, car was left on the whole time, she lost another bar(was down to two red bars when she arrived). Service department tried again, did it properly, wife got home finally.

This is the only part of the story I find hard to believe. I think this is the 3rd or 4th time I've heard of somebody plugging in the car but not getting a charge, whether from a dead outlet, charge timer, and now this. I just don't get it.

I was at Cabella's the other night on the other side of Ft.Worth from where I live and I was running a bit low and I knew I had 30 miles to drive home on the highway. I noticed all of the light poles in the parking lot had plugs on them. I asked the manager if I could plug in and he said that was fine. When I plugged in my L1 EVSE I heard the car beep, but the lights on the dash never came on. I KNEW something was wrong immediately. Eventually I realized the plugs were not hot. However, 10 minutes later all of the parking lot lights came on and I decided to try it again and then the plugs worked.

I know in this case it was a Nissan Dealership employee plugging the car in, but I would have personally walked over to where ever they had it plugged in and checked that the charge indicators were flashing.