Unable to Restart after using AC (was AC causes failure)

[Rake]

...I know that for many of us on the board here, we think of ourselves as "early adopters" -- but I don't think Nissan is really trying to encourage that interpretation -- they really want a well built consumer product out of the LEAF. We shouldn't hold Nissan to lower standards -- we should push them forward to help them achieve the right level of product quality...

I don't think we share the same interpretation of the term.
"Early adopter" IMO does not imply that we are willing to buy any piece of junk, and be happy with it, just because it's a neat gizmo.

An early adopter (or lighthouse customer) is a person who embraces new technology before most other people do. Early adopters tend to buy or try out new hardware items and programs, and new versions of existing programs, sooner than most of their peers. According to a theory called Diffusion of Innovations (DoI) formulated by Everett Rogers, early adopters make up 13.5 percent of the population.
Typically this will be a customer who, in addition to using the vendor's product or technology, will also provide considerable and candid feedback to help the vendor refine its future product releases, as well as the associated means of distribution, service, and support.
The relationship is synergistic, with the customer having early (and sometimes unique, or at least uniquely early) access to an advantageous new product or technology, but he also serves as a kind of guinea pig.

In exchange for being an early adopter, and thus being exposed to the problems, risks, and annoyances common to early-stage product testing and deployment, the lighthouse customer is sometimes given especially attentive vendor assistance and support, even to the point of having personnel at the customer's work site to assist with implementation. The customer is sometimes given preferential pricing, terms, and conditions, although new technology is very often expensive, so the early adopter still pays often quite a lot.

Early adopters and innovators have counterparts, known as laggards and Luddites, at the opposite end of the human spectrum. Laggards are slow or reluctant to embrace new technology because of disinterest or financial constraints. Luddites actively fear or loathe new technology, especially those forms they believe threaten existing jobs.
~compiled from various sources, including Wiki.

 

[mwalsh]

Wow. I know you guys are going to find this a disappointment, maybe even insulting. Here is the official Nissan response to our request for detailed information on this issue:

Nissan has recently become aware of an issue on a small number of Nissan LEAFs with a sensor in the air conditioning system. If this sensor is activated it will illuminate a warning light on the instrument panel and may cause the vehicle to not restart once it has been turned off. We are actively investigating to determine the root cause and what action is necessary to address the issue.

This is not a safety issue as the vehicle will not stop running while being driven but may not restart after being turned off. Nissan is committed to a high level of customer service and satisfaction and is working to promptly address this issue.

 

[davewill]

Wow. I know you guys are going to find this a disappointment, maybe even insulting.

I'd laugh if I didn't know they were serious... I hope you told them how high this was likely to fly.

 

[Jimmydreams]

Wow. I know you guys are going to find this a disappointment, maybe even insulting. Here is the official Nissan response to our request for detailed information on this issue:

Nissan has recently become aware of an issue on a small number of Nissan LEAFs with a sensor in the air conditioning system. If this sensor is activated it will illuminate a warning light on the instrument panel and may cause the vehicle to not restart once it has been turned off. We are actively investigating to determine the root cause and what action is necessary to address the issue.

This is not a safety issue as the vehicle will not stop running while being driven but may not restart after being turned off. Nissan is committed to a high level of customer service and satisfaction and is working to promptly address this issue.

I don't think Nissan is really ready for the level of 'involvement' that the early adopters (read: US) are demanding when it comes to this car. I mean, really....how often does a car company have to interact with the buyers of their car once the initial purchase transaction is completed? Usually never. But we're being extremely proactive, interactive, and demanding to be informed....all new areas of concern for a major auto manufacturer.

A year or two from now, the Leaf will be 'just another car', and Nissan might be able to go back to it's old ways....but what I see here is a convergence of internet information technology and modern instant-information slamming head on into a huge corporation that is being run by people who frankly don't know/understand what/how to handle this/us. Throw in a dash of cultural difference and you have....well, the statement they just issued.
:|

 

[charlie1300]

Wow. I know you guys are going to find this a disappointment, maybe even insulting. Here is the official Nissan response to our request for detailed information on this issue:

Nissan has recently become aware of an issue on a small number of Nissan LEAFs with a sensor in the air conditioning system. If this sensor is activated it will illuminate a warning light on the instrument panel and may cause the vehicle to not restart once it has been turned off. We are actively investigating to determine the root cause and what action is necessary to address the issue.

This is not a safety issue as the vehicle will not stop running while being driven but may not restart after being turned off. Nissan is committed to a high level of customer service and satisfaction and is working to promptly address this issue.

It's not a safety issue IF the driver knows that they need to proceed to a location where they and their passengers will be safe without an operational car before they turn it off. How would the driver know that? Only if they read this thread. Otherwise there is a potential to be in an unsafe position. A safety issue with the car extends beyond if the car is going to blow up.
An alternative to reading this thread would be a communication from Nissan to the Leaf owners affected.
Is Nissan going to send this message to all current owners? What about advising the owners that if they experience the problem to contact their dealer for remediation?
You don't inspire confidence in the customer by bromides like the last sentence. You inspire confidence by giving them useful information and answering their questions.

 

[Randy]

I got the new software update from Mossy yesterday...I didn't have the AC fail-safe problem, but went ahead and took the proactive approach. Leon and the team were great and fixed me right up...No issues since....

 

[EVDRIVER]

THe NIssan response makes sense and is reasonable. Those that understand the process involved in fixing such issues know that a update is not just sent out and that it makes more sense to handle each issue individually until the issue is fully tested for a global upgrade. Cars with this issue have been fixed promptly and anyone with the issue and a competent dealer can get it fixed. If you have the issue you go and get it fixed, expecting a global communication from Nissan of something else is not sensible for many reasons. The issue is being handled by COMPETENT dealers and quickly, I don't see an issue here yet except by the inherent rumors and lack of understanding.

 

[kolmstead]

EV, I'd agree, except that I was talking with my dealer an hour ago, and he has heard NOTHING from Nissan. The only info he has came from me, back when MNL members first began reporting the problem. I can understand Nissan not notifying every LEAF owner about the problem, but why aren't they telling the dealers?

-Karl

 

[EVDRIVER]

EV, I'd agree, except that I was talking with my dealer an hour ago, and he has heard NOTHING from Nissan. The only info he has came from me, back when MNL members first began reporting the problem. I can understand Nissan not notifying every LEAF owner about the problem, but why aren't they telling the dealers?

-Karl

Because it they may still be hashing out a complete solution, if a car has an issue it will be addressed. Once the issue is fully flushed a proper tech advisory will be made, those take a while and are not done hastily, that makes sense.

 

[Boomer23]

I had my software updated this morning at my PD, Connell in Costa Mesa. This was prompted by an email from the service manager. I had not had any issues with the car.

Connell has three Nissan engineers located onsite, two of them from Japan. I was told that one of the engineers did the update personally.

The car is operating normally, though I haven't yet tried using the climate control.

 

[IBELEAF]

So my car won't start. Is there a workaround that I can do to get it to dealership?

 

[Stoaty]

Nissan's reply is reasonable for the moment. The only problem is that it leaves us uncertain when/if we might be stranded. Of course, seeing that light we just need to know to drive to a Nissan dealer before shutting the car down. Those of us on the forum know that by now, others probably don't. Hopefully over the next few weeks they will be more certain about the extent of the problem and release a complete fix that prevents any issues for those who might be affected.

 

[downeykp]

Take a 10mm wrench and disconnect the battery for a few minutes. Then hook it back up. Then go to dealer.
Bummer

 

[evnow]

So my car won't start. Is there a workaround that I can do to get it to dealership?

What ! You didn't use the A/C to cool, did you ?

 

[derkraut]

Wow. I know you guys are going to find this a disappointment, maybe even insulting. Here is the official Nissan response to our request for detailed information on this issue:

Nissan has recently become aware of an issue on a small number of Nissan LEAFs with a sensor in the air conditioning system. If this sensor is activated it will illuminate a warning light on the instrument panel and may cause the vehicle to not restart once it has been turned off. We are actively investigating to determine the root cause and what action is necessary to address the issue.

This is not a safety issue as the vehicle will not stop running while being driven but may not restart after being turned off. Nissan is committed to a high level of customer service and satisfaction and is working to promptly address this issue.

I don't think Nissan is really ready for the level of 'involvement' that the early adopters (read: US) are demanding when it comes to this car. I mean, really....how often does a car company have to interact with the buyers of their car once the initial purchase transaction is completed? Usually never. But we're being extremely proactive, interactive, and demanding to be informed....all new areas of concern for a major auto manufacturer.

A year or two from now, the Leaf will be 'just another car', and Nissan might be able to go back to it's old ways....but what I see here is a convergence of internet information technology and modern instant-information slamming head on into a huge corporation that is being run by people who frankly don't know/understand what/how to handle this/us. Throw in a dash of cultural difference and you have....well, the statement they just issued.
:|

Well stated, JimmyD

 

[Azrich]

EV, I'd agree, except that I was talking with my dealer an hour ago, and he has heard NOTHING from Nissan. The only info he has came from me, back when MNL members first began reporting the problem. I can understand Nissan not notifying every LEAF owner about the problem, but why aren't they telling the dealers?

-Karl

I phoned my LEAF service tech at my PD today to ask about a possible software update. I was the third one on MNL to report my LEAF not starting after using the pre-cool feature. After a 25 mile tow and a day being analyzed and repaired, I expected he had heard from Nissan about the update. He has not been told anything yet. He said I would probably find out more on the net than he would be told. Again, I'm feeling that Tucson LEAFs and dealers are being forgotten. Dealers in S. California are contacting their LEAF owners and even being proactive.

Can anyone who has had the updated software installed tell me how long this takes. Is this a day-long repair, a few hours, or under an hour? Do I stay at the dealer or go home?

 

[LBCev]

Can anyone who has had the updated software installed tell me how long this takes. Is this a day-long repair, a few hours, or under an hour? Do I stay at the dealer or go home?

When my car was repaired last Friday I talked to the dealer at 10AM and they were waiting on the engineer from Nissan to arrive. I got a call back by noon saying that the car was ready to go. My feeling is that if they have a Nissan Corporate tech in the area then it will be a quick fix. If not, you may have to wait.

 

[IBELEAF]

So my car won't start. Is there a workaround that I can do to get it to dealership?

What ! You didn't use the A/C to cool, did you ?

I didn't. My wife was playing with controls while we were driving and turned it on. Also, no heat was coming out while the temperature was set 90. I just tried unplugging battery for 6 mins and it still didn't start so now waiting for 30.

 

[hill]

Derkraut, I think you should cancel your order.

+1

Kinda hard to blame lawyers for this one. An engineer working on the entertainment system probably doesn't have good info on the other systems... and probably should refrain from giving info he doesn't have. . . . . . . . . . snip

Yep - but that's what people do. Blame. Just like blaming guns for crime. Um, no, it's people misusing things ... whether it's a tool to hunt/defend, or whether it's the tools of law. Blame this ... blame that. Here's to hoping folks can move on ... get'er done, and let it go.

My car was in for an iPod issue yesterday and I had them apply the patch then. Of course, I haven't had the problem in the first place so I don't know if it's really fixed or not! :lol:

How long did the patch take, once work began?

 

[derkraut]

Derkraut, I think you should cancel your order.

+1

Yo Hill: Why?? And...why are you posting that here?? :? :? :?