2016 NISSAN LEAF Owners Manual

The Li-ion battery warmer uses electrical power
from an external source when a charger is con-
nected to the vehicle. The Li-ion battery warmer
uses electrical power from the Li-ion battery
when the charger is not connected to the vehicle.
NOTE:
•Connect the charger to the vehicle and
place the power switch in the OFF posi-
tion when parking the vehicle if tempera-
tures may go below -1°F (-17°C) . This pro-
vides external power to the Li-ion battery
warmer when it operates and does not
discharge the Li-ion battery.
• The charging status indicator lights illumi-
nate in a specific pattern when the Li-ion
battery warmer operates. The charging
status indicator lights use the same pat-
tern to indicate 12-volt battery charging,
Climate Ctrl. Timer operation or Remote
Climate Control operation (models with
navigation system) . The charging status
indicator lights do not change if the Li-ion
battery warmer operates at the same time
as the above features. For additional in-
formation, refer to “Charge status indica-
tor lights” in the “Charging” section of this
manual. •
The Li-ion battery warmer uses Li-ion bat-
tery power to operate, even if the vehicle
is connected to a charger when: – the vehicle’s power switch is in the ON position.
– there is no electrical power being sup- plied to the charging equipment.
• When the Li-ion battery warmer is already
in operation using an external power
source, it will continue to use the external
power even if the power switch is placed
in the ON position.
• Vehicle driving range is reduced if the
Li-ion battery warmer operates (Li-ion
battery temperature approximately -1°F
(-17°C) or colder) while driving the vehicle.
You may need to charge the Li-ion battery
sooner than in warmer temperatures.
• The Li-ion battery requires more time to
charge when the Li-ion battery warmer
operates.
• The predicted charging time displayed on
the meter and navigation system (models
with navigation system) increases when
the Li-ion battery warmer operates. •
Climate control performance is reduced
when using the Climate Ctrl. Timer or Re-
mote Climate Control (models with navi-
gation system) while the Li-ion battery
warmer operates.
• The Li-ion battery may not charge to the
expected level using the charging timer
when [Start Time] (models with navigation
system) and [End Time] are set while the
Li-ion battery warmer operates.
• Set the Charging Timer [End Time] when
charging in cold weather. The vehicle au-
tomatically determines when to start
charging to fully charge the Li-ion battery,
even if the Li-ion battery warmer operates.
Charging ends before the set end time if
the Li-ion battery is fully charged.
EV-6EV Overview

HIGH-VOLTAGE COMPONENTS
WARNING
• The EV (Electric Vehicle) system uses high voltage up to approximately DC
400 volt. The system can be hot during
and after starting and when the vehicle
is shut off. Be careful of both the high
voltage and the high temperature. Fol-
low the warning labels that are at-
tached to the vehicle.
• Never disassemble, remove or replace high-voltage parts and cables as well
as their connectors because they can
cause severe burns or electric shock
that may result in serious injury or
death. High-voltage cables are colored
orange. The vehicle high voltage sys-
tem has no user serviceable parts.
Take your vehicle to a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer for any necessary mainte-
nance. 1. Traction motor and reduction gear
2. Traction motor inverter
3. Power delivery module (PDM) (Charger,
DC/DC Converter, Junction Box) 4.
High-voltage wire harnesses (colored orange)
5. Li-ion battery
6. Service plug
HIGH VOLTAGE PRECAUTIONS
EV OverviewEV-7

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 shift 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, refer to “High volt-
age components” in this section. To
avoid personal injury, never touch
high-voltage wiring, connectors, and
other high-voltage parts, such as in-
verter unit and Li-ion battery. An elec-
tric 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 first responders that this is an
electric 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
system malfunctions, the READY to drive indica-
tor light will turn off. For additional information,
refer to “Warning lights, indicator lights and au-
dible reminders” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section of this manual.
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 the READY to drive position; contact a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer. Even if the power
switch is switched to the 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 possible.
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, B or R
(Reverse) position, if you release the
brake pedal and do not depress the
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 regenerative
brake system. The primary purpose of the
regenerative brake system is to provide
some power to recharge the Li-ion battery
and extend driving range. A secondary ben-
efit is “engine braking” that operates based
on Li-ion battery conditions.
•In the D (Drive) position, when the accelera-
tor pedal is released, the regenerative
brake system provides some deceleration.
• When you put the shift lever in the B
position and take your foot off the accel-
erator pedal, more regenerative brake is
applied than in the D (Drive) position.
EV (ELECTRIC VEHICLE)
CHARACTERISTICS
EV OverviewEV-9

•Less deceleration is provided by the re-
generative brake system when the Li-ion
battery is fully charged. The regenerative
brake is automatically reduced when the
Li-ion battery is fully charged to prevent
the Li-ion battery from becoming over-
charged. The regenerative brake is also
automatically reduced when the battery
temperature is high/low (indicated by the
red/blue zones on the Li-ion battery tem-
perature gauge) to prevent Li-ion battery
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 the 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 the motor compartment.
• Water pump and radiator fan noise while charging.
• 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. For additional
information, refer to the specific sections of this
manual for detailed explanations 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 “Charging” section and follow the
procedures and guidelines described.
LIFE WITH AN EV (SCENE GUIDE)
EV-10EV Overview

EV OverviewEV-11

EV-12EV Overview

BEFORE DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
(MODELS WITH NAVIGATION
SYSTEM)
The Li-ion battery charging status and the Li-ion
battery warmer (if so equipped) operation can be
checked using an internet enabled smart phone or
personal computer at home. You may also choose to
have SMS messages (text messages) sent to a cel-
lular phone. Additionally, the heater and air condi-
tioner of the vehicle can be set to operate using the
Climate Ctrl. Timer function or A/C-heater remote
function, if necessary. For additional information, re-
fer to “Remote climate control” in the “Displayscreen, heater, air conditioner, audio and phone sys-
tems” section of this manual.
NOTE:
•
To check the Li-ion battery charging status
or to use the remote heater and air condi-
tioner using an internet enabled smart
phone or personal computer, the follow-
ing conditions must be met: – The vehicle must be located in a cellu- lar phone or smart phone coverage
area. – The internet enabled cellular phone or
smart phone must be located in a cel-
lular phone or smart phone coverage
area.
– The computer must be connected to the internet.
– A cellular phone must be used to com- municate with the vehicle.
– A cellular phone capable of text mes- saging must be used to receive text
message regarding vehicle charge sta-
tus.
• The remote heater and cooler can adjust
the in-cabin temperature.
• When the charge connector is discon-
nected from the vehicle, the heater and air
conditioner operates using vehicle Li-ion
battery electric power.
• If the remote heater and air conditioner
function and Li-ion battery charging are
performed at the same time, Li-ion battery
charging will take longer than usual due
to the power used to heat or cool the
vehicle.
EV OverviewEV-13