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

My Nissan Leaf Forum

Help Support My Nissan Leaf Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
LeftieBiker said:
RustyShackleford said:


Are you asking for a post to be deleted, or just noting that you deleted one of two posts?
I do this all the time. I want to edit my post, and I accidentally click the "quote" button instead of the "edit" button. Don't notice my post is now a quote, so I merrily edit it and hit "submit"; then I realize my mistake. So yeah, I wanted to delete the second post and it wouldn't let me, so I changed the message body to "DELETED".
 
I've been trying to source the additional parts for this and have come across a couple of interesting things.

One is a source for the high-current plug-unplug stuff that seems to be a bit cheaper than ordering from the manufacturer (esp. on shipping): https://www.scrubbercity.com/SearchResults.asp?searching=Y&sort=13&search=sb175&show=300&page=1

As far as protection, a lot of reviews of the cheap circuit breakers have complained about them tripping too low (or to high). So I'm thinking fuse. There are cheap ANL fuses like: https://www.amazon.com/InstallGear-Gauge-Line-Fuse-Holder/dp/B01N9M4OI1/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

... but I also came across this intriguing option at Mouser: https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/240/littelfuse_boltdown_hsb_fusestrips-1372356.pdf

About 32 cents, but they are "bolt down". So I guess you'd use some nylon bolts (or some kind of bushing on metal ones) and then thread metal nuts on top to contact the fuse. An "insulated standoff" like this perhaps: https://www.amazon.com/Baomain-Support-Insulator-Threaded-Enhanced/dp/B01KJMY8BU/ref=sr_1_29?keywords=busbar+insulator&qid=1568180306&s=gateway&sr=8-29
 
LeftieBiker said:
A real electrical supply store is your best bet. You might be able to find that wire gauge in truck jumper cables, but no guarantee.
Just went to the scrap metal yard yesterday and got the 2awg cable (it's AWM "appliance wiring material" but close enough) and also a nice 25ft piece of 10awg SOOW (to make a cord to go from the inverter to my load center or whatever) all for about $20 !

On thing I'm glad I came across somewhere (maybe earlier here): you don't want your 2awg to be THHN/THWN "building wire", because it's way too stiff. Welding cable is ideal, since it's many more strands of much thinner copper, but the AWM is plenty flexible.
 
LeftieBiker said:
Yes, stranded cable is what you want for any applications that require it to move.
All 2awg cable (AFAIK) is stranded, but the strand size/count varies significantly between building wire and welding cable and such.
 
RustyShackleford said:
LeftieBiker said:
Yes, stranded cable is what you want for any applications that require it to move.
All 2awg cable (AFAIK) is stranded, but the strand size/count varies significantly between building wire and welding cable and such.


True enough. I was PWD: Posting While Distracted.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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).

IMG-20191116-125938219.jpg
 
evtifosi said:
edited post to use a better photo service - hopefully pic shows up now... :oops:
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.
 
RustyShackleford said:
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 said:
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.
 
Back
Top