Main battery pack replaced, blue light won't go off, wrong pack installed in car!

[ceshell]

I was thrilled to pick up my 2012 SL from the dealer and enjoy my new warranty-replaced battery, but the moment I picked up the car, I discovered two problems that previously didn't exist:

1) charging timer wouldn't delay charging.
2) blue dash light indicating 12v battery charging/battery heater was on 100% of the time whenever the car was off. Distinct humming sound under the hood.

Since both problems occurred immediately after my service, I brought it back to the dealer, although it was nearly two weeks before I could get back there. They reset the software and state that the charging timer now works. I don't have the car yet to verify.

For the 12v battery charging light, they suggested that the 12v battery had spontaneously died. They tested it and claimed that the amp indicator was at half-gray color indicating half capacity. Replacement would be at my cost as there was no indication that 12v failure had anything to do with the main battery replacement. However, replacing it didn't solve the problem and they kept the car to continue investigating. Nissan support suggested that perhaps I'd inadvertently turned the climate control on remotely via the app and it was draining the 12v and therefore engaging the recharger. I've never used the CC timer or remote activation in my life.

Today they reset the car again and the blue light finally went off. They couldn't explain why it happened in the first place so they kept the car a while to see if they could reproduce the problem. Just when they decided the problem was solved, the light went back on! Not being there I couldn't verify if they could hear the noise, too.

They are so stumped they have called Nissan to come out. Nissan can't get there til Friday.

I have scoured this site and can't find anyone else who has encountered this, whether after a main battery replacement or not. I can't help but wonder if my 12v battery depletion happened BECAUSE the car activated the 12v charger/heater 100% of the time the car was off...I don't know if that's a valid speculation, but if it is I'm concerned that while they try to figure this out they are now likewise destroying the brand new $150 12v battery.

Would love to hear from anyone else who's ever seen this with the 12v charger light staying on even with a brand new 12v and subsequent software reset.

 

[bragerz]

I just had my battery replaced in my 2012 SL and have the exact same issue - looks like the battery heater is running Just got the car back today and noticed it when I got home.

Were they able to resolve the issue?

 

[ceshell]

I just had my battery replaced in my 2012 SL and have the exact same issue - looks like the battery heater is running Just got the car back today and noticed it when I got home.

Were they able to resolve the issue?

Nissan is sending a technician to my dealer on Friday so I'll know more then. I'm fascinated to learn that I'm not the only one.

 

[BrockWI]

Either way if there is a new 12v battery in there I would strongly recommend charging it with an external good 12v charger to make sure the battery is actually full. The Leaf has a tenancy to undercharge the 12v battery and that causes a cascading effect with reduced capacity of the battery.

My guess is when they swapped the traction battery the 12v had to supply the power to the car by itself, which then ran the 12v battery dead and sat like that for a bit, which isn't good for the 12v battery, like kicking the poor battery when it is already weak and did it in.

 

[ceshell]

Either way if there is a new 12v battery in there I would strongly recommend charging it with an external good 12v charger to make sure the battery is actually full. The Leaf has a tenancy to undercharge the 12v battery and that causes a cascading effect with reduced capacity of the battery.

In my efforts to find out if anyone else had this problem, I definitely came across this! Absolutely planning to get a battery tender once I get my car back; already shopping for one online. Thanks!

My guess is when they swapped the traction battery the 12v had to supply the power to the car by itself, which then ran the 12v battery dead and sat like that for a bit, which isn't good for the 12v battery, like kicking the poor battery when it is already weak and did it in.

I was thinking more like if they swapped the traction battery and somehow inadvertently activated the battery heater, it's constant usage may have drained down the 12v. I don't know if that's even logical. Either way Nissan Corp. flat out refused to cover the 12v failure as having had anything to do with the service visit that started the problem.

 

[Stanton]

The 12v battery issue is simple: they "killed" the 12v when they were doing the main battery replacement and now you need a new one; same thing happened to me, but I had an (expensive) 12v Lithium in there. Who knows what they do when all this stuff is disconnected (and for how long), but it wasn't worth fighting over.

My car was one of the early types without a battery heater, so I had one of the custom-built battery packs without the heater.

 

[ceshell]

Well, Sherlock Holmes I am not. It took all day for the dealer to call back with a diagnosis and it's something nobody could have guessed. After countless hours on the phone with Nissan Corp., Nissan asked them to send a picture of the battery - the main one that was installed 2 weeks ago. Whereupon they exclaimed "That's the wrong battery!"

When they saw the serial number in the photo the mystery solved itself. Turns out Nissan sent the wrong battery; it was a replacement Leaf battery shipped for my vehicle, but they didn't send the one coded to my VIN. Thus the never-ending malfunction and lack of proper communication between the battery and the car. (I wonder who got my battery and if they suffered a similar fate?)

Nissan promised to ship the correct/replacement battery in less than the normal 6-8 week turnaround time and pay for the 12v that bit the dust during this fiasco, plus all labor of course. I'm driving a 2015 Leaf as a loaner so at least it's not costing me $$$$ in gasoline, although I'm without my carpool stickers for weeks. Giving me my old car back in the interim was out of the question.

I'm still fascinated to learn that at least two of you have had your 12v eaten by the swap, but this seems to be unrelated.

I sure hope this saga wraps up neatly in "X" weeks, meaning, whenever they can rush order me a battery. They won't rush order me a refurbished one will they???!!

 

[TomT]

They should be able to fix this by simply sending the correct coding card... Shipping another battery is kind of silly...

 

[ceshell]

They should be able to fix this by simply sending the correct coding card... Shipping another battery is kind of silly...

I can't even begin to understand the logic, but I have appx 0% understanding of how these things work. I do worry that it means they accidentally sent me a good battery but the one meant for my car is actually crap. I'm just being paranoid, right?

 

[sub3marathonman]

I'm just being paranoid, right?

Remember, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you. :shock:

 

[ceshell]

Remember, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you. :shock:

 

[suwaneedad]

Hello from Atlanta.

I also had my pack replaced (warranty) in mid-June (2012 SV) and Nissan also sent the wrong pack to my dealer. Mine had the same symptoms afterward that you experienced, although I did not have trouble with my 12V battery. I returned the car the following day, the tech found notes in the Nissan system indicating this issue, and he swapped my old pack back into the car while waiting for the factory to send the correct pack for my car.

Took about two months for the correct pack to arrive, which was fine with me since range isn't an issue for me and I was not too excited about having a brand new pack in the Atlanta summer heat. Turns out July was super hot here, so that was a bonus.

All that said, the dealer was great, Nissan was fine (they just chose to lose their shirt by sending the wrong pack initially), and I am thrilled to not merely have a brand new capacity, and of the lizard variety, but also to have full regen braking back. So far, my efficiency has increased from 3.7 to 4.3, with the very same driving habits (mostly suburban roads in ATL). So anyone wondering how valuable regen is: 15-20% efficiency for me. Amazing.

 

[bragerz]

I just had my battery replaced in my 2012 SL and have the exact same issue - looks like the battery heater is running Just got the car back today and noticed it when I got home.

Were they able to resolve the issue?

Update on mine - turned out they had a 2011 and a 2012 in at the same time and somehow the batteries were mixed up.

I brought it back the next day, they swapped them and everything has been great since woot woot 12 bars!

 

[ceshell]

I am amazed that there are more people who have now experienced the same problem! Nissan couldn't figure it out until they saw a photo of the battery. I feel like a trailblazer :lol:

Suwaneedad, my personal theory is that the 12v problems were because I had the car for a full week and it was draining the 12v while performing whatever function it was doing with the blue lights on. They ordered my new battery on June 7 and I only just got it Monday (8/15). Hope this is the last problem for a good long while!