NISSAN LEAF 2011 Owners Manual

WARNING
Your vehicle contains a sealed Li-ion
high voltage battery. If the Li-ion bat-
tery 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 damage.

illuminates, traction motor output is
limited resulting in reduced vehicle speed.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location before the
Li-ion battery becomes completely dis-
charged and there is no power available to
drive the vehicle. Contact Roadside assis-
tance service shown in your NISSAN
Warranty Information Booklet. See “If the
Li-ion battery becomes completely dis-
charged” in the “6. In case of emergency”
section.

CHARGING THE 12-VOLT BATTERY
While vehicle is driven
The Li-ion battery charges the 12-volt battery as
necessary when the power switch is in the
READY to drive position.
While the vehicle is not in use
When the EV (Electric Vehicle) system is off, the
12-volt battery charges automatically for 5
minutes every 5 days.
The charge timing resets to 5 days without
charging the 12-volt battery if:
.The vehicle is placed in the READY to drive
position for more than 5 minutes.
. The Li-ion battery is charged for more than 5
minutes.
When charging the 12-volt battery, the charge
status indicator light on the instrument panel
illuminates. See “Charging status indicator
lights” in the “CH. Charging” section.
LI-ION BATTERY HEATER (if so
equipped)
CAUTION
The Li-ion battery heater does not
operate if the available Li-ion battery
charge is less than approximately 30%
and the charger is not connected to the
vehicle. To help prevent the Li-ion
battery from freezing, do not leave the
vehicle in an environment if tempera-
tures may go below -48F (-208C) unless
the vehicle is connected to a charger.
The Li-ion battery heater helps to prevent the Li-
ion battery from freezing and helps to prevent
significant reductions in the Li-ion battery output
when the temperature is cold. The Li-ion battery
heater automatically turns on when the Li-ion
battery temperature is approximately -48 F
(-208C) or colder. The Li-ion battery heater
automatically turns off when the Li-ion battery
temperture is approximately 148F (-108C) or
higher.
The Li-ion battery heater uses electrical power
from an external source when a charger is
connected to the vehicle. The Li-ion battery
heater 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
position when parking the vehicle if
temperatures may go below -48 F
(-208C) . This provides external power
to the Li-ion battery heater when it
operates and does not discharge the
Li-ion battery.
. The charging status indicator lights
illuminate in a specific pattern when
the Li-ion battery heater operates. The
charging status indicator lights use the
same pattern to indicate 12-volt battery
charging, A/C-Heater Timer (Climate
Ctrl. Timer) operation or Remote Cli-
mate Control operation. The charging
status indicator lights do not change if
the Li-ion battery heater operates at
the same time as the above features.
See “Charging status indicator lights”
in the “CH. Charging” section.
. The Li-ion battery heater uses Li-ion
battery power to operate, even if the
vehicle is connected to a charger when:
EV OverviewEV-5

WARNING
.The EV (Electric Vehicle) system
uses high voltage up to approxi-
mately 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. Follow
the warning labels that are attached
to the vehicle.
. Never disassemble, remove or re-
place 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 system has no
user serviceable parts. Take your
vehicle to a NISSAN certified LEAF
dealer for any necessary mainte-
nance.

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 selec-
tor 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” earlier
in this section. To avoid personal
injury, never touch high-voltage wir-
ing, connectors, 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. There-
fore, never touch exposed electric
wires.
. If the vehicle receives a strong
impact to the floor while driving,
stop the vehicle 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 immediately. Since the
fluid leak may be lithium manga-
nate from the Li-ion battery, never
touch the fluid leak inside or out-
side the vehicle. If the fluid contacts
your skin or eyes, wash it off
immediately with a large amount of
water and receive immediate medi-
cal attention to help avoid serious
injury.
. If a fire occurs in the EV (Electric
Vehicle) , 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 injury 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 generate electricity. This may
damage the components of the EV
(Electric Vehicle) 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 ser-
vices. Advise 1st responders that
this is an electric vehicle.
. In the event of an accident that
requires body repair and painting,
the vehicle should be delivered to a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer to
have the Li-ion battery pack and
high voltage parts such as the
inverter, including the wiring har-
ness, removed prior to painting. Li-
ion battery packs exposed to heat in
the paint booth will experience
capacity loss. Damaged Li-ion bat-
tery packs may also pose safety
risks to untrained mechanics and
repair personnel.
ROAD ACCIDENT PRECAUTIONS

Low brake fluid warning light:
When the power switch is in the ON position,
the light warns of a low brake fluid level. If this
warning light illuminates, the Vehicle Dynamic
Control (VDC) warning light and the brake
system warning light (yellow) also illuminate.
If the light illuminates while the power switch is
in the READY to drive position with the parking
brake not applied, stop the vehicle and perform
the following items.
1. Check the brake fluid level. If brake fluid isnecessary, add fluid and have the system
checked by a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer.
See “Brake fluid” in the “8. Maintenance and
do-it-yourself” section.
2. If the brake fluid level is correct, have the warning system checked by a NISSAN
certified LEAF dealer.

Starting and driving” section.