Bargain Basement Electric

[myglaren]

Not yet.

Edit. Have now Turned all notifications off other than texts.

Sad about the Kindle as it was my late wife's. Other than that I will replace it after procrastinating for a suitable time.

[CitroJim]

The more I see about the failings of all there relatively superfluous 'improvements' the more pleased I am that I don't have to deal with them.

I really couldn't agree more Steve!

[NewcastleFalcon]

I think the software and tech will "corrode" worse than the metal, and scrap more cars than proper rust ever did .

Still not quite finished the research about the touch screen. No youtube video showing how to do it as yet, but an old fashioned comprehensive blow by blow account in words from sdmike1, probably only of minor interest to myself so I've spoilerized it.

Spoiler: show

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.p ... 12#p453512

ok guys, I can confirm that that part works in my 2014! Best $25 I ever spent. Here are the instructions for how to replace the touch screen. It's not hard, just need to be careful. It took me about 90 minutes the first time, then 30 minutes when I had to take it apart again to fix a mistake.

READ ALL THE DIRECTIONS BEFORE STARTING

You will need: a medium-sized Philips screw driver, a tiny Phillips screw driver. Both should be magnetized in advance (slide the screw driver back and forth a dozen times on a very strong magnet). Also, a tiny flat head screw driver for releasing ribbon cables and tabs, and a pair of small pliers that can bend a small tab. Also a cup or two for parts/screws.

Most tiny screws have Loctite on them. DO NOT STRIP THE HEADS. Make sure your screwdrivers are up to the task (sharp and small)

1) In the car, push the "open" button to open the LCD screen
2) disconnect the positive battery terminal under the hood so the screen does not fold back in accidentally.
3) with the screen laying flat now, remove the 2 screws on the side of the LCD that hold the panel to the arms. This will give you some movement of the panel that you'll need to get at the other items
4) carefully reach a magnetized screwdriver UNDER the panel and remove the two small screws holding the 3" by 1" plastic panel behind the LCD. This panel is used to secure a ribbon cable in place, but you need to remove the panel to give yourself enough slack for the next step. Don't worry, the ribbon cable won't come loose unless you yank on it.
5) now that you have a little slack you can get at the back of the LCD. You might find it easier to tilt the LCD to the side to get it out of it's tracks (I did this). There is a silver plate held on by two tiny screws. That plate helps hold the ribbon cable in place on the LCD. Once removed you can get at the cable connector. To detach the ribbon cable, flip up the connector with a small flat head screw driver. Once flipped up the cable will detach, and you can remove the entire LCD unit from the car

Now that you have the LCD on a work bench you can work on it.

6) remove the 5 screws surrounding the plastic bezel. There are three on top and 2 on the bottom
7) remove the 4 screws on the back of the unit holding the metal backing in place.
8) once the screws are removed, use a tiny flathead screw driver to work your way around to release the little tabs holding the metal back plate on. Remove the back plate, exposing the PCB
9) carefully disconnect the 4 ribbon cables on the back. The large one and the one next to it have flip up connectors. The other two have slide connectors. These slide out with a tiny screwdriver, but you don't have to remove them all the way to release the ribbon cable
10) Remove the PCB. My PCB was still held in place by two interesting connectors on the back, even though the screws were removed. These were basically a tiny tab sticking through a slot on the PCB, then bent sideways. You need a pair of small pliers to bend them straight (aligned with the slot) so you can remove them
11) Remove the LCD and touch screen from the black bezel. It just snaps in place, so you can just work it out.

Now you are holding the LCD, complete with broken touch screen glass in front. The touch screen has glass (broken) and a plastic covering.

12) Carefully separate the LCD and touch screen (it just pulls apart), paying attention to the position of the touch screen glass and its connector. At this point you'll have broken glass, so be careful. Also, you'll want to avoid getting anything on the LCD glass. I had to clean mine off because it had a dusting of broken glass on it.

At this point you will put stuff back together in reverse order. The biggest thing to be careful about is to make sure all the ribbon cables are connected securely. I got mine all put back together and had just a white screen because I didn't have the large cable on the back of the PCB in far enough (the little tabs on the side of the ribbon go inside the connector, not outside)

13) Line the Touch screen glass back on the LCD, and re-insert back into the black bezel. Be careful to put the ribbon cables back through the slots they came out of. A third hand would have been good here, but you can manage
14) put the PCB back on, making sure to twist the mounting tabs back in place. Attach the ribbon cables.
15) Re-attach the metal back plate, and then reinstall the 4 mounting screws and the 5 screws surrounding the black bezel.

At this point, you have a repaired LCD/touch screen unit ready for re-installation in the car!

16) Reattach the ribbon cable from the car, and secure the rear plate that holds it in place. A hint...There's an alignment tab on the ribbon cable. Make sure it will reach the alignment dots on the back of the LCD. If not, the ribbon cable is not situated correctly.
17) Perform an amazing magic trick by re-attaching the plastic plate that sits behind the unit. Three hands, a magnetized screw driver, luck, and a live chicken sacrifice are required
18) get the LCD back into it's rear tracks by lowering one side and working it in
19) reattach the two screws in front holding the LCD to the opening arms
20) reattach the battery, pray to whatever god you trust, kiss a baby, take a deep breath, and turn the car on.

When you reattach the battery, the front panel will close

A little trouble shooting help:

If you get nothing from the screen...not even light...take it back apart far enough to check the connection of the large ribbon cable from the car to the back of the LCD.

If the screen lights up, and is responsive to the day/night button, but there's nothing displayed, the problem is the largest of the 4 ribbon cables on the back of the PCB. Ask me how I know. I didn't have it in far enough to make good contact and had to go back in.

If everything looks good but the touch screen doesn't work, then 95% sure the thin ribbon cable for the touch screen wasn't secured correctly

Hope this helps!

On a simpler note, here is a little vid on how to access the hidden menus



Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Interesting thing, the display in the newer shape Leafs has knobs and buttons to fiddle with, or maybe to rescue you when the right-hand side of the touch screen expires!

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

A bit of ruse nicking from others who have gone before, an illogical press the middle of the screen at the same time as the far right, the appropriate finger touch allowed changing of the battery charge option to Long Life Mode (80% Charge) ON.

This can stay on the menu now, as it can be overridden as you choose for a charging session, without relying on the right-hand side of the touchscreen working to alter what is now the default setting. A small win.

Result!

Regards Neil

[myglaren]

Like induction into the Masons

[NewcastleFalcon]

A bit of ruse nicking from others who have gone before, an illogical press the middle of the screen at the same time as the far right, the appropriate finger touch allowed changing of the battery charge option to Long Life Mode (80% Charge) ON.

The touch screen....the knack.

I would refine the knack referred to above as touching the option required on the inactive righthand of the screen with one finger and maintaining contact, and then touching the middle part of the screen with another finger.

Why this works I have no idea. A single touch as nature intended never works on the right side of the screen.

Used it to change the charge % up to 100% from 80%, which was useful on the trip home.

There will be better vids no doubt but this one has a go at showing what goes on in a touchscreen in a couple of minutes.


Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Three years since getting the Bargain Basement Leaf, set up the charging timer. With the right hand side of touchscreen requiring a bit of a knack to use, this allows me default charge up to 80% 7 days a week, but with a proper button to override the charger timer at any time, I can select a charge up to 100% any time I need it, by using the override button and not the touchscreen.

Having got round the only real inconvenience of the right side of the touchscreen not behaving as it should, any possible replacement of the screen has been shelved for now.

3 years into electric motoring
charger timer set for the first time!

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Having achieved that you could at least put the clock right!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Having achieved that you could at least put the clock right!!

Have to say, well spotted. In a "can't be bothered to change it/or find out what I need to do" my clock is at the right time for 6 months of the year, and from October to March, I simply have to mentally deduct an hour!

I don't think the Bargain Basement Micra even has a clock!

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

And there was me thinking it must be permanently summer in Northumberland!

[NewcastleFalcon]

-5°C today
Don't have "carwings" or Nissan connect to put the heating on in the car with a few taps on a mobile phone, but switching on and off manually does the job just as well!

Thought I had read somewhere that charging up sub-zero wasn't recommended but not so. Charging will be slower, and the level to which the Li-ion battery will be charged may be less than at higher temperatures.

Head down to -17°C things get a little more urgent but the Li-ion battery warmer automatically comes on to help to prevent the Li-ion battery from freezing, and helps to prevent severe reductions in the Li-ion battery output. It turns off when the Li-ion battery temperature is -10°C or higher. The manual recommends that if external temperatures are expected to go below -17°C the car is connected to an external charger to provide electrical power to operate the Li-ion battery warmer.

REgards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Having run your car now for three years Neil, how would you answer the question: What is the range per charge you can expect on a 24kW Leaf?

[NewcastleFalcon]

Having run your car now for three years Neil, how would you answer the question: What is the range per charge you can expect on a 24kW Leaf?

Straight answer to a straight question....it depends

I drive it in ultra range preservation mode and as a result the current stats show me as getting 4.3 miles/kWh for the last 2128 miles, in winter, which is pretty efficient for now an old tech 7.5 year old battery. Heavier footed, less stingy with the heating will get much less than 4.3 at this time of year.

You could times this by 22 kWH available battery capacity and come up with 94.6 miles. In reality over the 7.5 years and 61,738 miles, it has lost one of its 12 bars of original capacity So I would say 85 to 90, although today after charging it showed 94 miles.

The display of miles on the dash is a guessometer working on some kind of algorithm. Up hill you can use up 5 miles in a mile, down hill you can claw much of that back through regeneration. The average miles/kWh is an actual.

I have never driven anywhere near 80 miles without recharging, which on battery longevity mode the workable range I use is between 20 miles and 70 miles. Never arrive at a charger with less than 20 miles on the guessometer and typically no charge up over 80%.

Won't suit everyone, but no regrets and 33,000 EV miles in and around Tyneside, Scottish Borders and Northumberland and Durham which is our usual stomping ground in what is now a very low range but solidly reliable well-engineered EV.

Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Thanks Neil, my friend who is thinking of getting a Leaf has one overiding factor. She wants to be able to drive to her Mum's without recharging and that is a journey of 97 miles so it suggests to me that we need to be looking at the newer 30kW versions for her needs. Now it will probably mean a higher mileage car to stay within budget so I'll start looking!!