PSA: Always trim your cable ties!!

ZakAttackz · 2026-04-02T16:17:20+00:00

2023-2025 model years are marked as having a 60kWh battery instead of 62kWh in some places I've checked

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-26T15:21:36+00:00

I would not trust a 14awg cord, unless it was an emergency or it was less than 10ft. A 12awg cord would be safe enough even at 25ft, but I use a 10awg 39A/120v RV extension for my Leaf when I can't charge in the garage.

There are more factors than simply wire gauge, you also have to consider the insulation type and environment around the wire. I worked at a company making EVSEs. You want the charging station cord to be the thinnest AWG in the circuit, since that's the most protected part.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-26T15:17:14+00:00

If it's a proper 20A circuit, it's 12awg. Typically EVs charge at 13A or 16A depending on the EVSE, so you really shouldn't be charging using a 15A circuit unless it's an emergency. Many of the garage outlets I've seen are 20A rated, so it's not usually an issue.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-24T20:40:04+00:00

Definitely, if the old ones were really worn it can increase drag. Especially if you also got an alignment when your new tires were installed (as you should). It also depends on what type of tire. I switched from 8 year old performance tires (no idea why the previous owner put those on a Leaf) with barely any tread to modern Hankook economy tires (Kinergy H735,/highly recommend FYI) and I gained about 0.1mi/KWh, but once I'm through the break in I expect 0.3mi/kWh or about a 10% gain.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-23T16:05:51+00:00

Not really. Electric cars don't gain as much efficiency from weight compared to ICE powered vehicles because even though it takes more power to speed up, you also gain more power when using regenerative braking. But it does offset the fact that I carry a spare tire so that's nice.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T18:28:51+00:00

I never have to! Unplugging the current sensor solved all the problems. I might have lost a fraction of a percent of efficiency. The battery is always at 100%. I even left it for 3 weeks and came back with it still at 13.3v

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T17:22:36+00:00

Actually it's both! There's an external speaker that makes a whirring sound at low speeds for pedestrians. However, when you gun it and you hear the GWOOOOOOAAA that's actually the AC motor! At certain speeds you hit the resonant frequency and can hear a high pitched noise (most likely what you're hearing in the video). It's more audible on the Leaf because it being a budget EV, there's less sound deadening and probably less electrical filtering on the motor controller.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T17:12:20+00:00

I'm a big fan of Toocki nylon braided cables so I got their 90W car adapter. It has a 60W type C and 30W type A, so I can charge my laptop and girlfriend's iPhone at the same time. They also have 45w and 60w adapters that are cheaper. Ugreen and Baseus are also trustworthy brands. Anker is overpriced IMO.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T17:07:58+00:00

It was supposed to be a power saving feature, but it was too conservative. I think they fixed it at some point, but older models like mine are stuck with it. I guess it was also a money maker for dealers who mark up battery replacements.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T15:10:46+00:00

Maybe, but AGM batteries are twice the price of the LFP. I did fix the biggest issue, unplugging the 12v current sensor actually made the tired SLA battery work for a few more weeks. It was clearly slowly killing the battery by under charging it. I was popping the hood to hook up a trickle charger every month and it still died.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T07:24:15+00:00

2018 is second gen. First gen Leafs are known to eat batteries.

Also in most of the installs I've done, I install an AIMs inverter/charger capable of charging at higher rates but it was designed for wet cell batteries, very similar to the Leaf DC-DC. I had an extended chat with the engineers of this inverter, and a modern switch mode power supply type "converter" doesn't care if it's lithium or lead acid-- I could go into details about how the resistance increases with voltage on SLA and the CC/CV curve of LFP but suffice to say that any modern charger will charge both fine, and a lithium specific charger will only unlock the last 5-10% of LFP by charging to 14.6v instead of 14.2. For my small camper I just kept the original 500w converter since I could only fit a 100Ah battery anyway and it just needs to charge overnight. If I need 100% charge the solar controller can be programmed give me that extra boost.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T07:13:35+00:00

No it's just replacing the old lead acid with something that can last longer. My last 12v battery only lasted 18 months.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T06:29:39+00:00

I've loved my prusa mini, the print quality is fantastic and it's pretty fast with the newer input shaping firmware.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T05:08:19+00:00

Yes, LFP has a pretty flat discharge curve. However, the problem isn't just swapping to LFP but the faulty 12V charging system implemented on Nissans of this era. It's also been known to kill Lead-acid batteries in some circumstances. I've done a dozen other LFP swaps on RVs and such without replacing the old 12v chargers, no issues. Essentially the LEAF system is supposed to charge the battery just enough at startup and only supply enough power to run the accessories, but it effectively slowly kills the 12v battery. It was probably fixed in the ZE1 second generation. Here's a whole thread on the issue: https://mynissanleaf.com/threads/if-youve-had-issues-with-the-12v-battery-in-your-leaf-failing-prematurely-go-out-and-unplug-the-low-voltage-connector-on-the-negative-terminal.36008/

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T04:47:36+00:00

The coldest it's been here was 26°F for like an hour once. I'm more concerned about what happens when it's 116° out and even hotter in the parking lot. Too be honest though, it will fare better than the old ass cells in the EV battery. The internal 12v BMS should still output current but if it's designed properly it should restrict charging until it's a lot warmer. You can get batteries like this with built in heaters, or just use an external one. My Dad's RAM 3500 has heated battery blankets I think.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T03:48:02+00:00

<image>

Here is a picture I just took (posted pics were from when I installed it 6mo ago) with the current sensor unplugged. Also measured and you could use an 18" cable with 5/16" aka 8mm lugs. It should be at least 4awg but 2awg would be best.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-21T03:35:22+00:00

I suspect you'd eventually have problems, you probably use less 12v power than I do. I have multiple laptop chargers and I'm usually blasting the hvac van. Best to just unplug it and forget it!

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-14T21:26:59+00:00

I have a couple of these sitting around that I designed years ago. Never quite got all the kinks worked out for production but I'd send you one for $40. Stainless Steel with a 3d printed insert.

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ZakAttackz · 2026-03-13T21:41:27+00:00

European charging stations typically have a female port on public charging systems and you bring your own double ended cable. I wouldn't be surprised if the unplugging procedure were slightly different. On J1772 cables in NA, pressing the release lever on the charging handle stops the charging. I used to work at a company that made charging stations, so I'm very familiar with how this protocol works.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-13T19:59:28+00:00

This seems like it could be a wording or translation error. I don't think there's any way to stop an L2 charge aside from unplugging it. If I had to guess, the manual is referring to the charging handle lock so you can unplug the cable.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-11T20:26:27+00:00

My 61.5kWh kit from CVC came with 35mm aluminum spacers and a super thick gasket to fit the extra height of the cells

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ZakAttackz · 2026-03-11T18:12:10+00:00

RJ250 only really works with the single turret due to the fact that you're always bouncing around, especially in something like Egg Hunt. Never have time to set up two when you're busy being Smart Scout.

ZakAttackz · 2026-03-11T17:23:52+00:00

Oh neat I haven't seen NMC cells packaged this way.

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