2013 NISSAN LEAF brake

1. Brake fluid reservoir (P 8-10)
2. 12-volt battery (P 8-11)
3. Fuse/fusible link holder (P 8-16)
4. Fuse/fusible link holder (P 8-16)
5. Coolant tank cap (P 8-7)
6. Window washer fluid reservoir (P 8-10)
7. Fuse/fusible link holder (P 8-16)
MOTOR COMPARTMENT
0-10Illustrated table of contents

WarninglightName Page
12-volt battery charge
warning light 2-13
Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS) warning light2-14
Approaching Vehicle
Sound for Pedestrians
(VSP) system warning
light2-14
BRAKE system warning
light (yellow)
2-14
BRAKE warning light (red) 2-15
Electric shift control sys-
tem warning light2-16
Warning
lightName Page
EV system warning light 2-16
Headlight warning light 2-16
Low battery charge warn-
ing light 2-16
Low tire pressure warning
light2-16
Master warning light (red/
yellow)2-18
Power steering warning
light2-18
Seat belt warning light 2-18
Warning
lightName Page
Supplemental air bag
warning light 2-18
Vehicle Dynamic Control
(VDC) warning light2-19
WARNING AND INDICATOR LIGHTS
Illustrated table of contents0-11

The LEAF is an electric vehicle. Some of the
vehicle’s systems operate differently and have
different operating characteristics than vehicles
equipped with an internal combustion engine. It is
important to carefully review the entire Owner’s
Manual for this reason. The main difference is the
LEAF is powered by electricity. The LEAF does
not require and it is not capable of using gasoline
like a vehicle powered by a traditional internal
combustion engine. The LEAF uses electricity
stored in the lithium ion (Li-ion) battery. The ve-
hicle Li-ion battery must be charged with electric-
ity before the vehicle can be driven. As the vehicle
operates, the Li-ion battery gradually discharges.
If the Li-ion battery becomes completely dis-
charged, the vehicle will not operate until it is
re-charged. The charging process usually takes
from approximately 30 minutes to 21 hours as
described more fully in this manual.
This vehicle uses two types of batteries. One is
the 12-volt battery that is the same as the battery
in vehicles powered by gasoline engines, the
other is the Li-ion battery (high voltage) .
The 12-volt battery provides power to the vehicle
systems and features such as the audio system,
supplemental restraint systems, headlights and
windshield wipers.The Li-ion battery provides power to the electric
motor (traction motor) that moves the vehicle.
The Li-ion battery also charges the 12-volt bat-
tery.
The vehicle must be plugged in for the Li-ion
battery to be charged. Additionally, the vehicle
system can extend the vehicle range by convert-
ing driving force into electricity that is stored in
the Li-ion battery while the vehicle is decelerating
or being driven downhill. This is called regenera-
tive brake. This vehicle is considered to be an
environmentally friendly vehicle because it does
not emit exhaust gases, such as carbon dioxide
and nitrogen oxide.
WARNING
Your vehicle contains a sealed Li-ion
high voltage battery. If the Li-ion battery
is disposed of improperly, there is a risk
of severe burns and electrical shock that
may result in serious injury or death and
there is also a risk of environmental dam-
age.
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the Li-ion battery:
Do not expose a vehicle to extreme ambient temperatures for extended
periods.
Do not store a vehicle in temperatures below 13°F (25°C) for over seven
days.
Do not leave your vehicle for over 14 days where the Li-ion battery available
charge gauge reaches a zero or near
zero (state of charge) .
Do not use the Li-ion battery for any other purpose.
THE EV (ELECTRIC VEHICLE)
SYSTEM LI-ION BATTERY
EV-2EV Overview

WARNING
In case of a collision:
If your vehicle is drivable, pull your vehicle off the road, push the P (Park)
position switch on the selector lever,
apply the parking brake and turn the
EV (Electric Vehicle) system off.
Check your vehicle to see if there are exposed high-voltage parts or cables.
For their locations, see High voltage
components
. To avoid personal injury,
never touch high-voltage wiring, con-
nectors, and other high-voltage parts,
such as inverter unit and Li-ion battery.
An electric shock may occur if exposed
electric wires are visible when viewed
from inside or outside of your vehicle.
Therefore, never touch exposed elec-
tric wires.
If the vehicle receives a strong impact to the floor while driving, stop the ve-
hicle in a safe location and check the
floor. Leaks or damage to the Li-ion battery
may result in a fire. If you discover
them, contact emergency services im-
mediately. Since the fluid leak may be
lithium manganate from the Li-ion bat-
tery, never touch the fluid leak inside
or outside the vehicle. If the fluid con-
tacts your skin or eyes, wash it off
immediately with a large amount of
water and receive immediate medical
attention to help avoid serious injury.
If a fire occurs in the EV (Electric Ve- hicle) , leave the vehicle as soon as
possible. Only use a type ABC, BC or C
fire extinguisher that is meant for use
on electrical fires. Using a small
amount of water or the incorrect fire
extinguisher can result in serious in-
jury or death from electrical shock.
If your vehicle needs to be towed, do it with the front wheels raised. If the
front wheels are on the ground when
towing, the traction motor may gener-
ate electricity. This may damage the
components of the EV (Electric Ve-
hicle) system and cause a fire. If you are not able to safely assess the
vehicle due to vehicle damage, do not
touch the vehicle. Leave the vehicle
and contact emergency services. Ad-
vise 1st responders that this is an elec-
tric vehicle.
In the event of an accident that re- quires body repair and painting, the
vehicle should be delivered to a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer to have
the Li-ion battery pack and high volt-
age parts such as the inverter, includ-
ing the wiring harness, removed prior
to painting. Li-ion battery packs ex-
posed to heat in the paint booth will
experience capacity loss. Damaged Li-
ion battery packs may also pose safety
risks to untrained mechanics and re-
pair personnel.
ROAD ACCIDENT PRECAUTIONS
EV-8EV Overview

EMERGENCY SHUT-OFF SYSTEM
The emergency shut-off system is activated and
the high-voltage system automatically turns off in
the following conditions:
- Front and side collisions in which the air bags
are deployed.
- Certain rear collisions.
- Certain EV (Electric Vehicle) system malfunc-
tions
For the above collisions and certain other EV
(Electric Vehicle) system malfunctions, the
READY to drive indicator light will turn off. See
Warning/indicator lights and audible reminders
in theInstruments and controls section.
The emergency shut-off activates for the above
collisions to minimize risk of an event that could
cause injury or an accident. If the emergency
shut-off system activates, the EV system may not
be switched to READY to drive position, contact
a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer. Even if the
power switch is switched to READY to drive
position, the system may shut-off suddenly.
Therefore, drive cautiously to the nearest
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer or contact a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer as soon as pos-
sible.WARNING
Pay special attention to pedestrians. Because there is no engine noise, pe-
destrians may not know the vehicle is
approaching, moving or about to
move, and may step into the path of
vehicle travel.
When leaving the vehicle, be sure to turn off the EV (Electric Vehicle) sys-
tem.
Be sure to push the P (Park) position switch on the shift lever and apply the
parking brake when parking because
the vehicle can move when the READY
to drive indicator light is ON. When the
READY to drive indicator light is ON,
do not leave your vehicle in a shift
position other than the P (Park) posi-
tion.
Keep the brake pedal depressed until you are ready to drive. When the ve-
hicle is in the D (Drive) position or ECO
or R (Reverse) position, if you release
the brake pedal and do not depress
accelerator, the vehicle will creep and
may start abruptly. This may cause se-
rious injury or death.
NOTE:
The vehicle cannot run with a discharged
Li-ion battery. Repeated acceleration con-
sumes more power from the Li-ion battery
than driving at a steady speed.
This vehicle is equipped with a regenera-
tive brake system. The primary purpose of
regenerative brake system is to provide
some power to recharge the Li-ion battery
and extend driving range. A secondary
benefit is “engine braking” that operates
based on Li-ion battery conditions.
In the D (Drive) position, when the accel-
erator pedal is released, the regenerative
brake system provides some decelera-
tion.
When you put the shift lever in the ECO
position (models without navigation sys-
tem) or B position (models with naviga-
tion system) and take your foot off the
accelerator pedal, more regenerative
brake is applied than in the D (Drive) po-
sition.
Less deceleration is provided by the re-
generative brake system when the Li-ion
battery is fully charged. Regenerative
brake is automatically reduced when the
EV (ELECTRIC VEHICLE)
CHARACTERISTICS
EV OverviewEV-9

Li-ion battery is fully charged to prevent
the Li-ion battery from becoming over-
charged. Regenerating brake is also auto-
matically reduced when the battery tem-
perature is high/low (indicated by the red/
blue zones on the Li-ion battery
temperature gauge) to prevent Li-ion bat-
tery damage.
The brake pedal should be used to slow or
stop the vehicle depending on traffic or
road conditions. The vehicle brakes are
not affected by regenerative brake system
operation.NOISE AND VIBRATION
You might experience the following noise or vi-
bration as a normal characteristic of this vehicle.
Traction motor noise from motor compartment.
Water pump and radiator fan noise while charg- ing.
Compressor and radiator fan noise when the Climate Ctrl. Timer or remote climate control
(models with navigation system) is used.
Relay operation noise and vibration at start-up and shut-down of the EV (Electric Vehicle) sys-
tem (power switch placed in the ON and OFF
position) .
Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians (VSP) . This section provides a brief explanation for the
most important LEAF functions. Refer to the spe-
cific sections of this manual for detailed explana-
tions of the vehicle features and operation.
CHARGING THE LI-ION BATTERY
WARNING
The EV (Electric Vehicle) system uses a
high voltage current. Failure to follow the
proper handling instructions may cause
serious injury or death. Be sure to read
the Charge section and follow the pro-
cedures and guidelines described.
LIFE WITH AN EV (SCENE GUIDE)
EV-10EV Overview

STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Press the power switch.
3. Check that the READY to drive indicator lightilluminates and the start up sound is audible.
See Ready to drive indicator light in the
Instruments and controls section.
4. For models with navigation system: If route guidance is necessary, enter the destination
in the navigation system. See LEAF Naviga-
tion System Owner’s Manual. 5. Check the Li-ion battery level and the esti-
mated driving range shown on the meter. See
Driving range in theInstruments and con-
trols section.
NOTE:
Before driving, compare the driving dis-
tance to the destination displayed on the
navigation screen with the estimated driv-
ing range shown on the meter. Determine
if it will be necessary to charge the Li-ion
battery before or while driving to your
planned destination (models with naviga-
tion system) .
If it is necessary to charge the Li-ion bat-
tery, use the navigation system to search
for available charging stations on your
planned driving route (models with navi-
gation system) .
EV OverviewEV-17

DRIVING THE VEHICLE
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Release the parking brake.
3. Move the selector lever into the D (Drive)position. When released, the selector lever
returns to its original center position. 4. Confirm that the vehicle is in the D (Drive)
position. The indicator next to the “D” by the
selector lever illuminates and “D” is displayed
on the meter.
5. Release the brake pedal.
6. Depress the accelerator pedal and start driving. There are following gear positions for driving the
vehicle forward:
Use the D (Drive) position for optimum driving
performance.
Use the B position for downhill driving. When the B position is used, more regenerative brake
is applied when the accelerator pedal is re-
leased in comparison to the D (Drive) position
(with navigation system) .
See Driving vehicle in theStarting and driving
section.
EV-18EV Overview