Driving range display 'changes' after NTB11038 Svc Campaign

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sdbonez

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2010
Messages
468
Location
San Diego, Ca (San Marcos)
I searched and couldn't find any dedicated threads to this and wanted to start a new one since others may be missing the reports here and here. I suspected this yesterday but after my standard commute today, I know this for a fact. My range has been 'reduced' following the VCM reprogram yesterday as a part of the NTB11038 service campaign.

I'll also note that I believe (haven't yet proven) that the range is indeed more accurate. I view this as a good thing.

Several of us noted the careful wording by Nissan in the email we received stating that the VCM program would also "improve the accuracy of the driving range display." I had a drop of a couple of bars 'in the service bay' with no driving which made me suspicious. The service manager was also asking curious questions about whether I noticed a difference. So I was extra careful to map my commute today to another carefully tracked commute I had done previously today.

Initial estimates show that my 'bars' appear to 'drop' approximately 10% faster. I think they also may be more stable and again, I think they may be more accurate as Nissan noted in their email. I also noticed that I 'lost' a bar between when I turned off/parked my car and when I turned it on which I found odd.

What's everyone else seeing?
 
I lost 3 bars with the update. which ok, that's fine that it recalibrated, but I don't think my car was ever plugged in while they had it. It wasn't sitting plugged in to the EVSE in the customer parking when I went to pick it up. It was just sitting on a regular lot unplugged. They had it for a couple hours between calling me to tell me it was ready and when I picked it up.

oh and I had to reset my timers
 
malloryk said:
I lost 3 bars with the update. which ok, that's fine that it recalibrated, but I don't think my car was ever plugged in while they had it. It wasn't sitting plugged in to the EVSE in the customer parking when I went to pick it up. It was just sitting on a regular lot unplugged. They had it for a couple hours between calling me to tell me it was ready and when I picked it up.

oh and I had to reset my timers

Mine went from my hands to the bay 50ft away and straight back - 40mins. I did a full charge last night and then today, carefully ran my regular route which I have down to a science (I know almost exactly to the light when the bars are going to 'drop' +/1 a couple of hundred feet usually). A little extrapolation is what yielded the 10% figure I mentioned above (might be closer to 8%) based on bar 'drops' that occurred over a 50.5 mile roundtrip today...but I did have to estimate partial bars that were left.

I'm making the improved accuracy claim because the bars also dropped at more consistent intervals than they usually do when adhering to a consistent driving style --- I think this is what ultimately led it to feeling more stable.... more predictable. (Though I still wish I could just see an accurate battery reading at all times).

I've never tracked the jumping around of the range display so I can't quantify accuracy...but it makes me wonder if the 'improved accuracy' isn't a strategy to help those of us pushing toward turtle mode on a regular basis to have more confidence in the range display at low SOC (or to avoid dead turtles...).
 
I had noticed a change as well, though a bit different:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=3263

Now that we know the update DID include range changes, maybe my observations were related after all.
 
Any observations on how fast or slow the range estimate changes (say as you get on to the highway) ?
 
SOC Bars and "driving range display" are two different things. I would not expect any change in the bar display if they say they are adjusting the driving rage display.
 
If I decide to get the update (Don't fix what aint broke), I could easily identify if the points at which the bars turn on and off changed in relation to SOC since I've logged that data previously.
 
Does anyone know what the part number is for the upgraded software? My software was upgraded on 4/5 to 237D0-6NA0C, but I haven't noticed anything yet with the range-o-meter...
 
GeekEV said:
I had noticed a change as well, though a bit different:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=3263

Now that we know the update DID include range changes, maybe my observations were related after all.
I missed your note on this - but it goes with my reasoning for stabilizing the low end.

palmermd said:
turbo2ltr said:
SOC Bars and "driving range display" are two different things. I would not expect any change in the bar display if they say they are adjusting the driving rage display.

+1
turbo2ltr said:
If I decide to get the update (Don't fix what aint broke), I could easily identify if the points at which the bars turn on and off changed in relation to SOC since I've logged that data previously.

Wish I had the ability for more quantitative analysis like this... but I log my trips daily and today's was the first where bar-usage stood out like a sore thumb. I'd love to get at least a wider data pool (both myself with more tests as well as the observations of others)...if not someone actually measuring the damn thing...
 
Randy said:
Does anyone know what the part number is for the upgraded software? My software was upgraded on 4/5 to 237D0-6NA0C, but I haven't noticed anything yet with the range-o-meter...
The dealer told me the software update was just released to them yesterday, they did not provide the software version info to me, but on the paperwork it is specifically referred to as a "P12131 LEAF VCM Reprogram (23053 WACM)."

Tomorrow will be a normal commute for me so it will make a good comparison to my previous commutes where I estimate I had a total pack range of 100-105 miles...
 
Randy said:
Does anyone know what the part number is for the upgraded software? My software was upgraded on 4/5 to 237D0-6NA0C, but I haven't noticed anything yet with the range-o-meter...

My service ticket shows:

Condition: "Customer request perform open recall P1213"
Cause: "Customer request perform open recall P1213"
Correction "performed vcm reprogram. 237d0-3na0b programed to 237d0-3na0c Warranty Labor"

I have no clue as to its accuracy and am not dwelling on it at this point.
 
I called CS today, and he told me that my car had the 'range number' update and the A/C change of firmware. It was released Apr. 15th, but my PD says it is on 'hold'. I asked the CS guy what that actually means, and he said it just means it's waiting to be loaded on a truck.
 
garygid said:
Independent of the displayed bars and driving-style-dependent Remaining Range number ...

Is there MORE or LESS warning of Low Battery, Very Low Battery, or Turtle Mode?

I was going to try to find out (first night charging to 80%) but my calcs after an 80% charge say I'm going to be cutting it too close - so I'm now charging to 100% again until I get more confidence post s/w upgrade.
 
It's really an interesting observation.

One has to wonder (and assume it to be true) that the change is based on data thus far observed by Nissan from the deployed fleet. (If that isn't true, then doesn't it imply they screwed up something originally?).

So if that is true does it may mean that they have re-parametrized some data, so there was a flaw in the initial data parametrization - much of which likely came from those silly test drives.

Hopefully all this is the case and Nissan is refining their algorithms with the input of actual user data. The more real data, the better for all! One hopes that range estimation is based on real data rather then marketing data.
 
garygid said:
Is there MORE or LESS warning of Low Battery, Very Low Battery, or Turtle Mode?
I know I posted it before, but I'll recap in this thread just to help make sure I was clear. I've only been down that low three times, once when the car was new and (now) twice after the update. While I didn't make precise notes, the first time I seem to remember getting low battery at 11 miles (2 bars), very low at 7 (1 bar) and turtle at (what would have been) 3 miles (no bars). Both times, post update, I didn't get the low battery until 8 miles. But i haven't been to very low or turtle again... I was wondering if the change had anything to do with the firmware update (seems likely now) or if it was just the battery being more broken in than the first time.
 
garygid said:
If their Low Battery warning is down to 7 (or so) real miles,
the warning seems to be ... a bit too late.

If it's a true 7 miles though..... I think the bigger problem at the bottom of the pack, taking my cars as an example, is that low battery comes up at 17-18 miles remaining and (from my limited experience of being that low) just 0.5 miles later you're down to 15, etc...

Still, I'm going to pass on this update for my otherwise working fine car until the benefit vs. risk is more evident.
 
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