Using the Leaf for power in a Blackout: MY "Leaf to Home"

[RustyShackleford]

OP guy (hasn't posted here for 4 years) puts his inverter on the front edge of the engine compartment; on my 2018 at least, that's not really a very stable spot. I'm wondering, why not sit it on the cover at the top of the "engine" stack ? (On my car that is plastic, on earlier models it appears to be aluminum). Doesn't seem like a cooling-critical location, and putting some nice rubber feet on the inverter would prevent any telltale marks from being left. I want to figure this out in advance, to size those big 2awg cables (from big connector to inverter) just right.

[RustyShackleford]

Just so you know ... I was hoping that Leaf Spy would tell me how much current I was sucking from the 12v system; yet I'm only seeing less than an amp. Helpful respondent at the Leaf Spy support thread pointed out that it's because I connected the inverter's '-' input to a chassis bolt (as you're supposed to do), not the the battery's negative terminal.

[arnis]

If you want to see current, you have to move the current from one side of current sensor to another.
Or use separate current sensor/display.

[evtifosi]

I just completed this Mod for my 2015 LEAF.

I used the following items:
1. a Xantrex pure sine wave 1000w (200w surge) inverter - $265
2. some #2 AWG flexible red & black copper wire - $29
3. some #2 AWG 3/8" copper battery eyelets with heat shrink - $13
3. a RED connector with "2-4" AWG pins that I was able to get quickly (not the 12V yellow one referenced throughout this post) - $17
4. a inline 150 amp fuse - $13
5. a 6" long 2" x 1/4" piece of aluminum bar stock I had on hand
6. Some misc screws

So far I have hooked it up to several items in my garage and they have all happily worked...

Here is a photo showing my wiring setup from the connector to the battery. This is pretty easy to accomplish and the only additional tool I needed to order was a hydraulic crimper (I found a cheap one on eBay for $30).

[RustyShackleford]

Sounds good. Can't see the photo.

[evtifosi]

edited post to use a better photo service - hopefully pic shows up now...

[RustyShackleford]

edited post to use a better photo service - hopefully pic shows up now...

Cool, you just attached it to one of the battery hold-down bolts. I built a whole new battery hold-down kinda like the OP. A lot more work, and a bit more trouble to put it back to stock whenever I take it to the dealer. Oh well.

[evtifosi]

Cool, you just attached it to one of the battery hold-down bolts. I built a whole new battery hold-down kinda like the OP. A lot more work, and a bit more trouble to put it back to stock whenever I take it to the dealer. Oh well.

Thanks, I looked at a few options for mounting it and I thought about going across the battery or at other nearby areas, but decided that with a small spacer below my aluminum bar it would be fine on the one 6mm threaded post. It will take me about 3-4 minutes to remove it when/if needed.

[goldbrick]

I didn't read the entire original posts so sorry if this has been covered....but where does the 12V ground wire attach?

[RustyShackleford]

I didn't read the entire original posts so sorry if this has been covered....but where does the 12V ground wire attach?

To the "engine", there should be an empty threaded hole nearby (metric 8x1mm). Apparently it's a really bad idea to attach it to the battery ground connector.