Driving range display 'changes' after NTB11038 Svc Campaign

[Long4Leaf]

However, AFTER doing any Regen, it "sticks" at 8 mpe until it thinks that the Regen'd energy has been used up.

Are you sure ? I've not noticed this ...

I have. And those were my thoughts as well....the sticking seems to 'use up' the regen wattage.

This would explain something I observed after ~4200ft of regen (coming down from Mt. Hamilton). When I got to the bottom, I reset my mile/kWh display. Drove on essentially flat land where I get 5.8-6.0 miles/kWh, but when I got home (~16 miles of driving on the flat land), the display indicated I got 32miles/kWhr. So I assume it did not start counting the energy being used until I used up all the regen.

 

[mwalsh]

I think they changed not only the display but the usable SOC by near 10%
I WANT MY OLD VERSION OF SOFTWARE I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM BUT UPGRADED BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO HAVE THE AC ISSUE.

EEK! I hate to say "I told you so". But I told you so!

Unless the whole time the display was misleading me in to a false sense of comfort?

This would be the only merit if, in fact, the low end accuracy has improved to stop it from dropping from like 19 apparently miles (when my fuel lamp comes on) to --- in the space of just a couple of miles.

 

[Gonewild]

Thanks mwalsh I feel better now :x

 

[mwalsh]

Thanks mwalsh I feel better now :x

So look on the bright side....maybe the low end accuracy is better! :?:

 

[IBELEAF]

I much prefer better accuracy now then misleading rating before. Yes, I am not happy about the range, but at least now I see that realistically I can do about 60 miles with heater on, freeway and plenty of hills in non eco mode.

 

[DarkStar]

I think they changed not only the display but the usable SOC by near 10%.

Unless the whole time the display was miss leading me in to a false sense of comfort?

I've noticed the same thing. I drove 35 miles to work today and CARWINGS is reporting 50% SOC (from 100% when I left home). Normally, I would have arrived at work with CARWINGS reporting between 60-65% SOC. Either my usable SOC has decreased by at least 20% or Nissan has changed the gauge to "bank" at least 20% into a reserve.

Kinda uncool to do since I've been spending the last 4 weeks getting used to the existing gauge... I really need to start figuring out how to pull the "real" SOC from the OBD port...

 

[evnow]

I never got to turtle mode just low battery. I think they did reduce the usable battery to save on warranty replacement.

I highly doubt it.

It is more likely that they are being more conservative now - so that at the low end you actually get the # of miles being shown.

Remember the couple of cases of car stopping within couple of miles of getting battery very low and just a few hundred feet after getting turtle that was reported here.

 

[IBELEAF]

I think they changed not only the display but the usable SOC by near 10%.

Unless the whole time the display was miss leading me in to a false sense of comfort?

I've noticed the same thing. I drove 35 miles to work today and CARWINGS is reporting 50% SOC (from 100% when I left home). Normally, I would have arrived at work with CARWINGS reporting between 60-65% SOC. Either my usable SOC has decreased by at least 20% or Nissan has changed the gauge to "bank" at least 20% into a reserve.

Kinda uncool to do since I've been spending the last 4 weeks getting used to the existing gauge... I really need to start figuring out how to pull the "real" SOC from the OBD port...

Yes, 20% decrease with range estimator for me as well.

 

[mwalsh]

I've just done a whole response to Gonewild, which I'm going to leave. But my take from this is that your cars were maybe reading too high to begin with. I typically would have 50% charge at around 36 miles, since I seem to use a bar per 6-6.5 miles (sometimes 7-7.5 miles if I'm very cautious or traffic makes me hold my speeds below the legal limit).

Ok here is my view of the new software. MY RANT.
First in all my range posts I have said I drive 76 miles RT to work. I arrive at work with 5 bars missing .......... Now the second day in a row I have only 50% SOC 5 bars but was on the 6 bar longer then other days.

So you've typically used 5 bars going into 6 to do 38 miles? Just as a matter of interest, how long have you typically been on the sixth prior to the update? And your drive is freeway at the legal limit? If so, you've typically been getting over 7 miles per bar and that would probably be too high from what I've seen of my own car. Unless, of course, you're a seasoned hypermiler with a relatively flat commute and keep the speeds down below 65mph.

Your current figure of just over 6 miles per bar is perhaps a bit low. But I don't think it's horribly so.

Again, I'm basing your figures on my driving experiences, so I would need to know more about your commute to comment further. So if you've outlined that previously and I've missed it, feel free to either point it out for me or outline your commute and driving style more here.

My experience of 60 miles total at legal freeway speeds would be 4 bars used and working on the 5th for the first 30, and arriving home with two white bars showing above the red if I've taken it easy, or a single bar above the red if I've driven at higher than legal speeds and without concern for economy.

 

[Spies]

I have not had the update done and I am reluctant to do it at this time. I want to have a little more knowledge of what to expect from the changes before I have it done.

So do we really know if the 12 bar display behavior has changed? Does this mean the chart from this thread is no longer accurate? http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=2390

I have gotten quite used to how the display works now and to change it without detailing the changes for those that have had the vehicle for a while seems jarring to me.

 

[mwalsh]

I have not had the update done and I am reluctant to do it at this time. I want to have a little more knowledge of what to expect from the changes before I have it done.

+1

 

[DarkStar]

I have not had the update done and I am reluctant to do it at this time. I want to have a little more knowledge of what to expect from the changes before I have it done.

The update will eventually get done on your car, either now, or later... I decided not to fight it...

 

[IBELEAF]

I have not had the update done and I am reluctant to do it at this time. I want to have a little more knowledge of what to expect from the changes before I have it done.

The update will eventually get done on your car, either now, or later... I decided not to fight it...

yes unless you want to opt out of all the future updates...

 

[LEAFfan]

The update will eventually get done on your car, either now, or later... I decided not to fight it...

Ya, just like in the movie, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

 

[Gonewild]

YOU will be assimilated resistance is futile.

 

[DarkStar]

yes unless you want to opt out of all the future updates...

And never take the car in for it's required service to maintain the warranty...

 

[Gonewild]

I wonder if Nissan removed some of the usable battery as to make the battery they have to warranty last longer? They may have new data since they said 8yrs 100,000 miles.

 

[DarkStar]

I wonder if Nissan removed some of the usable battery as to make the battery they have to warranty last longer? They may have new data since they said 8yrs 100,000 miles.

I'm not sure that would be legal. They sold the car with a 24 kWh usable battery, so if they, for example, took that down to 20 kWh, they are removing an item from the vehicle that was otherwise paid for. Also, it would invalidate the EPA tests and would have to go back through that process too.

Because of those two reasons, I'm fairly confident the vehicle has the exact same "pack range" that it had before the update. The information presented to the customer is just different...

 

[Jimmydreams]

I too have the reduction in indicated range and bars.

This will force me to adjust my thinking about my range. I feel Nissan did this to 'pad' the bottom end of the range a bit. So in essence, you'll dig into the bottom and get closer to turtle mode a little less often. Bad for the range number in your head, but good for Nissan (and us) because people won't run dry as unexpectedly.

After only 1 round-trip to work, I feel the bottom end seems more stable and overall, the mileage indicator is more accurate.

If you've had your car awhile and were used to the other setting, it's a bit disconcerting. But in the end, arriving home with 3-4 bars is no different than arriving home with 2 bars; I still had reserve. Will that make me decide NOT to make a side trip? Probably. Will that prevent me from making the side-trip with questionable range (the 'old' gauges?) and possibly run short of my destination? More likely as well.

Better safe than sorry. I like the extra buffer. After all, it's not like this new software took away some of the kWh in your battery!! But I think the chances of me running dry accidentally have gone down with the new software.

 

[mwalsh]

I was (am) personally always very wary of the red bars, having been there once of twice and seeing the remaining range deteriorate very rapidly. But then, red does mean danger!

Maybe the new calculations will actually turn out to be for the better, like Jimmy says.