Dodged Covid while buying a Leaf

[Flyct]

12 days ago I purchased a replacement 2020 Leaf for my totaled leaf. I did ALL negotiation by phone between 8 dealerships over a week and only visited the wining dealer after agreeing on best out the door price.

When I visited the dealer I refused to take a test drive with any dealership employees. They agreed and let me take the car for test drive with my wife as the only passenger. I never set foot into the store and did final negotiation outside. I requested they remove the add on tint, adjust hood to bumper alignment, program 2 additional key fobs and send me a copy of final buyers order via email. I left and retuned the following day with a check and met with the F&I guy for 5 minutes and drove away.

Today I stopped by to get the 2 additional key fobs programmed that I negotiated at sale. Once again I never stepped into the store and waited outside on a bench.

My service writer told that my Salesman had tested positive for COVID and has been bed ridden for the last 6 days. I was told he had a very bad weekend. This guy is a healthy 28 year old. We purchased our car about 5 days before he started to exhibit symptoms. It’s not unlikely that he was contagious when we made our deal. You never know how close getting infected you can be.

 

[CoLeafer]

Yikes! Glad you took proper precautions. Can't be too safe.

My neighbor was transported to the hospital due to covid and spent 6 days there. His wife tested positive but showed little to no symptoms while his three kids all tested negative. My sons friend was bedridden at home for 5 days but his live in girlfriend tested negative...... Strange one this covid-19.

The hood panel gap / alignment, lol...... its all I see when I walk up to my car and wonder how it ever left the factory that way.

 

[Triggerhappy007]

2 extra key fobs? You must have many drivers driving the LEAF or you must lose your keys a lot. :lol:

 

[WetEV]

I do hope the salesman gets better. Really.

Covid is a "superspreader" disease. Less than 5% of cases cause 80% of new cases. Most people don't spread it, or spread it to at most one other person.

 

[Flyct]

2 extra key fobs? You must have many drivers driving the LEAF or you must lose your keys a lot. :lol:

No, only two drivers, but we keep a spare key for each vehicle at the main house and at the vacation cabin. That is why there are 4 keys for each vehicle.

I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to keys and technology. our house, cabin and daughters house are all keyed alike. Plus the house and cabin have keyless keypads for entry. I also have ability to control garage doors, all house doors and burglar alarms at both houses via internet.

Even my toilets have bidets with remote controls. No joke. https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-SW3056-01-Electronic-Contemporary/dp/B078H89R6R/

 

[GerryAZ]

Your strategy of keeping an extra key fob at each location is good. Although I have never had a failure of a LEAF key fob (other than needing to replace batteries every couple years), electronic keys can fail without warning. The normal use key fob for an SUV assigned to me at work failed without warning . I would have been stranded if I had not kept an extra key fob in my toolbox (was able to use the mechanical key hidden in the fob to unlock the door).

 

[LeftieBiker]

Even my toilets have bidets with remote controls. No joke.

One hobo to another: "You don't want to go in that there cabin, boy."

"Why not?"

" I'd, er, rather not say."

 

[Flyct]

Your strategy of keeping an extra key fob at each location is good. Although I have never had a failure of a LEAF key fob (other than needing to replace batteries every couple years), electronic keys can fail without warning. The normal use key fob for an SUV assigned to me at work failed without warning . I would have been stranded if I had not kept an extra key fob in my toolbox (was able to use the mechanical key hidden in the fob to unlock the door).

I preach to others to keep a hidden house key also when using electronic key pads or not. My stubborn friend who never listens found out I’m right when his electronic keypad failed last week when he was out of town and his teenage kid was locked out. They needed to call a locksmith to get him into the house.

This is the same guy who left his car running with his dog in it and the dog stepped on the lock button and locked the doors. I drove him to the local Chrysler dealer who cut a temporary key for him using his Vin number so he can get into the car . Fortunately the car was running and the air conditioning was on for the dog. Now he keeps the temp key in his wallet.

I addition to keeping spare car keys at each house we also keep a hidden house key outside of each house location. My wife says I’m key obsessed.

 

[voltamps]

Your strategy of keeping an extra key fob at each location is good. Although I have never had a failure of a LEAF key fob (other than needing to replace batteries every couple years), electronic keys can fail without warning. The normal use key fob for an SUV assigned to me at work failed without warning . I would have been stranded if I had not kept an extra key fob in my toolbox (was able to use the mechanical key hidden in the fob to unlock the door).

On my '20 Leaf, we should be able to start the car even if the key FOB battery is kaput. They must use similar physics as RFID tags do, in that you can merely hold a dead key FOB against the start button while your foot is on the brake while depressing the start button. My old Ford Focus Electric worked almost the same way, although requiring the dead key FOB be placed inside the center console flat against the bottom.

Other makes/models/years of vehicles have similar "RFID" capability if you know where to place the dead key FOB for start-up

I'm looking around the internet for info on getting a 3rd spare key FOB, and so far I've found you must go to a dealership, and dealerships charge differently for the same part 285E3-5SA1B key FOB (2020 Leaf part number). The key inside needs cutting of course. The key needs to be "programmed", OK.

Interestingly, Amazon can sell Nissan vehicle owners a box (attaches to OBDII port) to program key FOBs at home, but that only works for older model years, not the new Leafs for sure. Theives must love those boxes, although they do require at least one valid key FOB to work at least. Valets and mechanics might be able to copy an older model Nissan key FOB.

 

[GerryAZ]

Yes, if nothing happens to the RFID inside the fob you can start a LEAF with a fob that has a dead battery by placing the fob against the power switch and pressing the switch. If the RFID inside the fob is corrupted or damaged, then the car will not start.