The Battery Replacement Thread

[Pipcecil]

I expect I'll be going in for a battery replacement in 2-3 weeks. SOH touched 70, but went back to 71 following a DCFC at 100F ambient / 110F Battery. Hx also dropped below 50 briefly, but went back to 50.4 at the same time. The general trend though is that following an upturn in Hx, the falling slope is even steeper. The intersection with Hx=50 vs mileage hasn't changed. ODO=29500 miles.

I wouldn't get your hopes up that soon for a replacement. I have been waiting for the 4th bar for awhile - AHr - 43.63, SOH 66%, Hx - 45.43%. Still have the 4th bar. I had 70% SOH back in December/January.

 

[brettcgb]

I expect I'll be going in for a battery replacement in 2-3 weeks. SOH touched 70, but went back to 71 following a DCFC at 100F ambient / 110F Battery. Hx also dropped below 50 briefly, but went back to 50.4 at the same time. The general trend though is that following an upturn in Hx, the falling slope is even steeper. The intersection with Hx=50 vs mileage hasn't changed. ODO=29500 miles.

I wouldn't get your hopes up that soon for a replacement. I have been waiting for the 4th bar for awhile - AHr - 43.63, SOH 66%, Hx - 45.43%. Still have the 4th bar. I had 70% SOH back in December/January.

You might be right, and I'm beginning to have doubts. On the other hand, losing a bar generally happened in the hot season and it's already hot (today is expected to get to 105F; Ambient is only 2-3 degrees below that). AHr=46.6, SOH=71, Hx=50.4.

Hx has been falling at about 0.5 every two weeks, and accelerates after each DCFC.

SOH has been decrementing about every 1200 miles, and its about due for a decrement from 71 to 70 sometime in the next 100 miles. It was at 70 for about 200 miles, but a DCFC bumped it back up.

I've noticed that Hx and AHr track each other very closely. (If you don't know the vertical axis units, one graph over time/mileage could be mistaken for the other.)

The same could be said of GIDs and SOC. (In this case, the shape of the curves match exactly.).

 

[danmeljeff]

It's been about a month since I last posted about my new battery GID count. The days after getting my battery replaced, I was getting a GID count of 259 @ 100% charge. It slowly climbed over two weeks to 273 GIDs. Two weeks more (today), my GID count is at 274 @ 100% charge. So, the battery seemed to have some cell stabilizing to do. I'm feeling better about it, as 274 isn't too far off from what's considered maximum GID count.

 

[myleaf]

Lost 4th bar yesterday 6_11 AHr - 43.42 Hx=45.12
After 100% charge - SOC=91.4% 13.7 kWh 177 Gids 106.5F
(software updated soon after the loss of the 3rd bar)
Started procedure for battery replacement
case number 1469-8868
made an appointment at the dealer for tomorrow for the battery check

 

[TickTock]

Lost 4th bar yesterday 6_11 AHr - 43.42 Hx=45.12
After 100% charge - SOC=91.4% 13.7 kWh 177 Gids 106.5F
(software updated soon after the loss of the 3rd bar)
Started procedure for battery replacement
case number 1469-8868
made an appointment at the dealer for tomorrow for the battery check

I'm still at 3 bars but AHr=42.48; Hx=43.6; SOH=64%; 100% charge=183 gids @ 96%. I am overdue for my 36 month checkup but don't want to go until I lose the 4th bar in case they reset me again. Any day now, I expect...

 

[myleaf]

Lost 4th bar yesterday 6_11 AHr - 43.42 Hx=45.12
After 100% charge - SOC=91.4% 13.7 kWh 177 Gids 106.5F
(software updated soon after the loss of the 3rd bar)
Started procedure for battery replacement
case number 1469-8868
made an appointment at the dealer for tomorrow for the battery check

I'm still at 3 bars but AHr=42.48; Hx=43.6; SOH=64%; 100% charge=183 gids @ 96%. I am overdue for my 36 month checkup but don't want to go until I lose the 4th bar in case they reset me again. Any day now, I expect...

I agree you seem over due. I recall another person losing the 4th bar at AHr 43.53.
I am not sure if you should hold off your 36 month check up to long because there was a reported incident that the service records of a member indicated that the battery warranty was not active. I did not see an update to this, but one possible cause mentioned was a 9 month late battery check.

 

[Valdemar]

Me thinks I should ship my Leaf to Arizona, park it there for a year at high SOC, get a rental, pick the Leaf up next summer with 4 bars missing and get a new battery

 

[dhanson865]

Me thinks I should ship my Leaf to Arizona, park it there for a year at high SOC, get a rental, pick the Leaf up next summer with 4 bars missing and get a new battery

Wimp! You are supposed to drive it across country L2 and L1 charging all the way there and then camp in the desert next to a power outlet charging and discharging over and over again. You can't leave until the bar drops! :lol:

 

[Valdemar]

Me thinks I should ship my Leaf to Arizona, park it there for a year at high SOC, get a rental, pick the Leaf up next summer with 4 bars missing and get a new battery

Wimp! You are supposed to drive it across country L2 and L1 charging all the way there and then camp in the desert next to a power outlet charging and discharging over and over again. You can't leave until the bar drops! :lol:

Heck, this may be a future business idea.

"Range anxiety? Frustration? Can no longer make it to work and back home on a single charge? Time to make a call to CellBusters! Using a proprietary, environmentally friendly technology we can safely lower your battery pack capacity to levels allowing a battery swap under manufacturer's warranty without putting additional miles on your car so that you can get your range back! Call us today at 1-800-CAP-LOSS! Pick up and delivery included in the quoted price. Vehicles with liquid-cooled batteries are extra."

 

[RegGuheert]

I am not sure if you should hold off your 36 month check up to long because there was a reported incident that the service records of a member indicated that the battery warranty was not active.

According to discussions I have had with Nissan, the requirement is to hit the 36-month mark within plus-or-minus 3 months. In other words, if you hit it between the 33- and 39-month mark, you are fine.

 

[Pipcecil]

Lost 4th bar yesterday 6_11 AHr - 43.42 Hx=45.12
After 100% charge - SOC=91.4% 13.7 kWh 177 Gids 106.5F
(software updated soon after the loss of the 3rd bar)
Started procedure for battery replacement
case number 1469-8868
made an appointment at the dealer for tomorrow for the battery check

I'm still at 3 bars but AHr=42.48; Hx=43.6; SOH=64%; 100% charge=183 gids @ 96%. I am overdue for my 36 month checkup but don't want to go until I lose the 4th bar in case they reset me again. Any day now, I expect...

I agree with TickTock, I want my bar gone! I have the same AHr (43.42) but a lower Hx (45.10). Its definitely frustrating to know you are way below the 70% and below the 4th bar marker yet have that lingering 3rd bar. Actually the highest AHr reading in this thread was 46.6 for a replacement and the lowest (if I remember right) was 43.05. Although now, TickTock will probably take the cake on the lowest AHr before loosing the 4th bar. I am worried for myself if that 3rd bar lingers. I got 2,500 left on the warranty, which, for me, is less than 2 months left. Talk about really cutting it close.

As discussed before, the battery BMS does some type of average to buffer against the random swings through a few days. But how long those are averaged is unknown. I am under the 66.25% taking 6 weeks average (assuming the full AHr capacity is 66.25, its slightly less than 6 weeks using 66 AHr), so it may look like its a longer period for an average...I keep being hopeful every morning and afternoon I start my car....

 

[TimLee]

I agree with TickTock, I want my bar gone! ... I got 2,500 left on the warranty ... Talk about really cutting it close.

Do you have a hot garage you can park it in :?: :shock: :shock:

 

[TomT]

Does anyone really think that Nissan picked the 4BL warranty trigger point out of thin air? They did the math to figure what would result in a minimum number of warranty claims while still appearing to offer an encompassing capacity warranty... Only outliers will ever really get to use it. I expect to be right at the trigger point when my four year lease is up in 8.5 months, at which point I'll be just a few miles under 60K... I wonder what the response would be if I loose my fourth bar with, say, three weeks to go and I demand a new battery...

I expect I'll be going in for a battery replacement in 2-3 weeks. SOH touched 70, but went back to 71 following a DCFC at 100F ambient / 110F Battery. Hx also dropped below 50 briefly, but went back to 50.4 at the same time. The general trend though is that following an upturn in Hx, the falling slope is even steeper. The intersection with Hx=50 vs mileage hasn't changed. ODO=29500 miles.

I wouldn't get your hopes up that soon for a replacement. I have been waiting for the 4th bar for awhile - AHr - 43.63, SOH 66%, Hx - 45.43%. Still have the 4th bar. I had 70% SOH back in December/January.

 

[Pipcecil]

Do you have a hot garage you can park it in :?: :shock: :shock:

I actually park it in my garage in the evening (my evse is in there). Take a garage and add another plug in charging for 4 hours too (Volt) and randomly heating/cooling the battery during the night and you get a nice setup for capacity loss. Unfortunately its be unseasonable cool here in North Texas this year. Mid June we should be at or near 100 degree weather, but the high is only going to get into the upper 80's today :shock: Coolest summer so far in a LONG time. This follows a very cold winter as well, which, again, is rare. I am afraid the temps won't get high enough fast enough.

 

[TickTock]

Lost 4th bar yesterday 6_11 AHr - 43.42 Hx=45.12
After 100% charge - SOC=91.4% 13.7 kWh 177 Gids 106.5F
(software updated soon after the loss of the 3rd bar)
Started procedure for battery replacement
case number 1469-8868
made an appointment at the dealer for tomorrow for the battery check

I'm still at 3 bars but AHr=42.48; Hx=43.6; SOH=64%; 100% charge=183 gids @ 96%. I am overdue for my 36 month checkup but don't want to go until I lose the 4th bar in case they reset me again. Any day now, I expect...

I agree with TickTock, I want my bar gone! I have the same AHr (43.42) but a lower Hx (45.10). Its definitely frustrating to know you are way below the 70% and below the 4th bar marker yet have that lingering 3rd bar. Actually the highest AHr reading in this thread was 46.6 for a replacement and the lowest (if I remember right) was 43.05. Although now, TickTock will probably take the cake on the lowest AHr before loosing the 4th bar. I am worried for myself if that 3rd bar lingers. I got 2,500 left on the warranty, which, for me, is less than 2 months left. Talk about really cutting it close.

As discussed before, the battery BMS does some type of average to buffer against the random swings through a few days. But how long those are averaged is unknown. I am under the 66.25% taking 6 weeks average (assuming the full AHr capacity is 66.25, its slightly less than 6 weeks using 66 AHr), so it may look like its a longer period for an average...I keep being hopeful every morning and afternoon I start my car....

I think the only reason I haven't lost by fourth yet is they reset me July 10th last year. I was at -3 bars and 70% SOH then and during the P3227 update I was reset back to all 12 bars. SOH jumped up to 100% after the reset but immediately (next day) reflected more realistic values and a few days later settled in. Capacity bars, OTOH, didn't recover so quickly. Looks like there is at least a 6 month time constant so if they reset me during the 36 month inspection, it'll be next year before I'm back to displaying my true condition. I've been plotting my SOH along with when I lost each bar over the last year (Y value of the bar lost points is the advertised SOH threshold).

 

[brettcgb]

I expect I'll be going in for a battery replacement in 2-3 weeks. SOH touched 70, but went back to 71 following a DCFC at 100F ambient / 110F Battery. Hx also dropped below 50 briefly, but went back to 50.4 at the same time. The general trend though is that following an upturn in Hx, the falling slope is even steeper. The intersection with Hx=50 vs mileage hasn't changed. ODO=29500 miles.

I wouldn't get your hopes up that soon for a replacement. I have been waiting for the 4th bar for awhile - AHr - 43.63, SOH 66%, Hx - 45.43%. Still have the 4th bar. I had 70% SOH back in December/January.

Does anyone really think that Nissan picked the 4BL warranty trigger point out of thin air? They did the math to figure what would result in a minimum number of warranty claims while still appearing to offer an encompassing capacity warranty... Only outliers will ever really get to use it. I expect to be right at the trigger point when my four year lease is up in 8.5 months, at which point I'll be just a few miles under 60K... I wonder what the response would be if I loose my fourth bar with, say, three weeks to go and I demand a new battery...

I'm certain that they had good reasons for picking the loss of the 4th bar (and unequal capacity loss for each of the bars), but they also didn't account for the poor endurance in consistently hot climates (like TX and AZ). I would also admit to a large chunk of wishful/hopeful thinking, but I don't really care - I leased my car (3 years), and it goes back to the dealer at the end of this year (Dec 2014). So far, daily commutes have not been impacted, the shortened range hasn't been more than an occasional inconvenience, and there are (again) a few free DCFCs around to ease the pain.

 

[Pipcecil]

I think the only reason I haven't lost by fourth yet is they reset me July 10th last year. I was at -3 bars and 70% SOH then and during the P3227 update I was reset back to all 12 bars. SOH jumped up to 100% after the reset but immediately (next day) reflected more realistic values and a few days later settled in. Capacity bars, OTOH, didn't recover so quickly. Looks like there is at least a 6 month time constant so if they reset me during the 36 month inspection, it'll be next year before I'm back to displaying my true condition. I've been plotting my SOH along with when I lost each bar over the last year (Y value of the bar lost points is the advertised SOH threshold).

Ok, I must be missing some of your history - I knew they reset your gauge after the arizona test, but why do they keep resetting your gauge? As far as I know, you are the only one that has had your gauge reset - and its been done multiple times! Its almost if they want to really mess with you, pick on you, or something...

I mean, are you requesting these resets? And why would they keep doing this practice? If a reset a year ago slows down the loss of a bar, that means the car's calculation for capacity bars loss goes further than just a few weeks or months - quite scary when a reset can be so easily done and the true reflection of capacity doesn't settle for a long time...Anyways - 43.28 AHr, Hx 44.8%, SOH = 65% and waiting...I do have my 3 year battery check tomorrow, let see if that turns up anything.

 

[TickTock]

I think the only reason I haven't lost by fourth yet is they reset me July 10th last year. I was at -3 bars and 70% SOH then and during the P3227 update I was reset back to all 12 bars. SOH jumped up to 100% after the reset but immediately (next day) reflected more realistic values and a few days later settled in. Capacity bars, OTOH, didn't recover so quickly. Looks like there is at least a 6 month time constant so if they reset me during the 36 month inspection, it'll be next year before I'm back to displaying my true condition. I've been plotting my SOH along with when I lost each bar over the last year (Y value of the bar lost points is the advertised SOH threshold).

Ok, I must be missing some of your history - I knew they reset your gauge after the arizona test, but why do they keep resetting your gauge? As far as I know, you are the only one that has had your gauge reset - and its been done multiple times! Its almost if they want to really mess with you, pick on you, or something...

I mean, are you requesting these resets? And why would they keep doing this practice? If a reset a year ago slows down the loss of a bar, that means the car's calculation for capacity bars loss goes further than just a few weeks or months - quite scary when a reset can be so easily done and the true reflection of capacity doesn't settle for a long time...Anyways - 43.28 AHr, Hx 44.8%, SOH = 65% and waiting...I do have my 3 year battery check tomorrow, let see if that turns up anything.

I am not requesting them. Last time, they kinda acknowledge that they did and said it may "take a few days" for the gauge to settle in. Consequently, I decided to switch service centers for my 36 month inspection. All I can imagine is it is a unique practice of the service personnel there.

 

[Pipcecil]

well, it finally happened 4 bar went away @ 58,078 (it was probably few miles earlier, didn't notice until after I got on the highway from picking up dinner), AHr = 43.32, SOH = 66%, Hx=44.95%

Odd thing, so this morning I had clocked my car @ AHr = 43.14, still third bar, went to my sisters, QC'd to 80% on the way, level 1 there to ~90%, left and QC'd again to 98% on the QC display (had extra time and wanted to work the battery), but still no bar drop. Stopped to get dinner on the way home and the 4th bar dropped. But my AHr had jumped 18 units in one day - I have never seen it jump that much in one day - nor why it didn't drop until AFTER the AHr value increased....anyone venture a guess?

I called nissan leaf line and left a message, the dealership was already closed, so I will call them on Monday, lets see the turn around and if i get a hot battery or not

 

[sksingh]

Pipcecil

Good luck with your replacement.
Keep us posted.