Shop Talk
(click to enlarge)
7th Maintenance Checkup
for my Nissan Leaf

February 20, 2017

Mark D Larsen



Bar None
(click to enlarge)


As I recently posted, last week my LEAF lost its 4th battery capacity bar, and thus qualifies for a free replacement under warranty. I scheduled an appointment with the local dealer for this morning so that the technician, Jason Stopper, could verify the loss and submit an order for the parts. Since the car was also due for its next maintenance checkup, he also performed that service.

Jason printed off a copy of the usual battery analysis for me, shown on the right. Just like in all the previous checkups, the report states that in all four categories my score was “very high and good” for my battery. Yet you can also see at the top of the page that, just like the gauge in the dashboard shows, I have now lost 4 of the 12 bars. I find it ironic that the report substantiates that I have conscientiously treated my battery with great care, yet such care was nonetheless insufficient to retain more than 8 capacity bars. Thank goodness for the guarantee: my gain, Nissan’s loss.

The dealer has ordered the retrofit bracket for my 2012 LEAF and the “lizard” battery pack, and Nissan projected that it would take 6-to-8 weeks to arrive. I hope it doesn’t take that long, as I am anxious to again enjoy driving a “new” car! Jason said that he has already replaced the battery in another LEAF, and that it only takes about 2 hours. I hope that he will let me be a fly on the wall while he makes the swap so that I can take some photos and describe the process in a subsequent post.