Nissan Leaf Gen 4 battery conversion

Well, that’s more than I know. :slight_smile: These parts were from a 72v vehicle. Maybe the 48v was an example.

Unfortunately all I can go by is a google search I had to do to find information on it and that site shows links for BMS systems for golf carts, shows 48V systems, their battery modules are 4S max unless you buy individual cells and stack your own, and the BMS page shows 48V systems along with picture you posted only showing 4 of the big battery monitoring modules. If those smaller modules are cabled to batteries instead of providing the big on-battery connections like the other 4 then one could guess it worked on a larger system.

Sorry, but with no links, data sheets, no parts lists and only pictures - it’s just a guessing game. What value it would be to anyone is another guess.

I see them listed on eBay for $50.
For 40s no monitor.
140 cells maximum.

Display is only $50

http://electricvehicleenterprises.com/products-page-2/energy-managment-system/

@dougl
I may be getting a 2018 leaf battery. What should I pay?
How’s the bms working?

So that would be 24 module( 14.6V ea( 8 cells 4S ) ) and they would be effectively new…

I can not get this guy I’m working with to purchase the damn modules for me… The ones he was going to get me were factory new and he said the price would be more than $400ea and less than $500. But hasn’t given me a number nor has he delivered. I would say, anything under $400ea( $9,600 ) would be a decent price. Anything around $300ea( $7,000 ) would be good price. But I would also look and see what the old “half” modules would go for and double that and work from there. But the battery capacity and chemistry are supposed to be superior in the GEN 4 modules.

That’s more than I knew. 24 modules.
Google told me 40kwh. A Bolt from the same source was 60kwh and over $6k. As this is 2/3 the size maybe I can steal it. :wink:
If I pass on it I need to give my partner kinghappy first shot, but he may split it with someone.

New Leaf battery is on the way.
I need to research value, but they will be for sale.
I could possible sell complete and have it drop shipped, but the wiring harness needs to be returned to dealer.

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Dave what will the drop in kits have for Amp Hrs?

60, 80, 120 Amp hrs. I know amp hrs are totally subjective. Example a guy that lives in the flats in a small gated community with a E2 would have little use for a 160 amp hr pack.

But a guy like me with a E4 that lives in the Hills of a large city with no gates or borders can burn threw 160 amp hrs in no time, after having a large pack I would never wanna have less range then I have now. With extended range my Gem is a serious contender for a 2nd car and not just a toy

@grantwest the Nissan Gen 4 batteries are 116.6Ahr rated and with the modules all in series to get the desired voltage, the total Ahr rating is that of the single module.

112ah is huge. I may keep these for myself. :slight_smile:

Did you get your modules? Mine are coming tomorrow.
You mentioned <$350 would be a fair price.

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MVC-009F

Sorry for the late reply, yes I already have the new modules. I’ve been mentioning around your modules but nobody is committing yet. Out of curiosity, what zipcode would you be shipping out of? These modules are pretty heavy… Not lead acid heavy but still, my box of 4 modules from Nissan is a back strainer.

I have boxes for 3 from 55941

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Measuring my rear seat battery box(s) I see there are 3 compartments. A wide compartment in the middle which is capped on each end by aluminum brackets(square tubing) running diagonally from back of the compartment(rear seat support) to the middle of the battery box. This center compartment is 16 7/8" inside the supports, 15" front/back and 15" high in the back. It’s taller towards the front of the rear seat.
So it looks like 16 7/8"L x 15"W and 15"H

One Nissan Leaf Gen4 module(14.6V/16.0V) measures: 2 3/4"L x 8 3/4"W x ~13"H(w screws)
At 5.5 of these modules( 80.3V/88.0V ) they’d measure 15 1/8"L x 8 3/4"W x ~13"H

This leaves 1 3/4" of space for end blocks to clamp/hold the batteries together and limit expansion. 3/4" plywood is planned for this so it all should just fit. I plan to cut the end caps such that they will fill the full 15" width of the battery box and prevent forward/backward movement of the batteries. Considering I will have to use all-thread to clamp the batteries together along with fender washers and nylon locking nuts I may have to position the batteries forward or backward some so that the lower pair of mounting nuts clear the diagonal square tubing since they would extend outside the max 16.7/8" width.

Electrically, 5.5 Gen4 batteries charged to 4.0V/cell puts the top charge at 88VDC which is what I see my Zivan NG1 topping out at when charging the Pb batteries. The battery cable which runs to the front 2 batteries will either be connected directly to where the last of the front batteries goes(controller) or it will just be bolted to the battery connector of the last battery. I might mount a current meter in there to monitor things.

So I will remove the two Pb batteries from the rear center battery box, leave the 2 side batteries(weight) and leave the two front batteries during ride and range testing. As it is, these 12V Pb batteries have a difficult time getting us 5 miles so not worth more than what they weight in lead.

Oh, I now have the firmware development kit setup so I can tune the characteristics of the BMS modules. First thing will be to take 6 module, number them 1-6 and then change the default shunt voltage from 4.1V to 4.0V.

Needing some help from the experts here. I was going to use 5 1/2 gen 4 modules but when I went to split one of the 6 modules I found out there are bare lithium bags exposed if I take one half off. And then there is also the spacer tube which runs the width of the full module and is probably crush protection too.

So I measured my battery box again, 16.5" long. If I take a full 6 modules, put threaded rods in and tighten them down til they won’t go any more I can measure very close to 16.5" from the outside to the outside of the metal end plates. So not including the nuts on the rods sticking out further.

So I can not get the 6 modules into the battery box with the nuts on the lower rods and to get 16.5" wide I had to tighten the nuts and compress the batteries…

How can I get 6 modules installed together? I guess worst case is I put 5 modules together and then use a cable to jumper a single module and use plywood end caps on the single module to keep it from expanding.

I’m leaning towards going back to opening up one module and putting it on the end with the metal end plate. It will only have one side with an expansion dimple in the case but it’s also only half a module. I will also make an effort to seal up the battery pack/compartment so to keep sand and things from getting between the lithium cell bags since they are exposed in a number of areas and I’m guessing they are sealed from the elements in the Leaf for that reason.

Any ideas welcome.

Should be no problem splitting a module. I’ve built batteries from pouches.
Use a rubber, plastic, or fish paper to protect the pouch. Squeeze them under moderate pressure. No need for expansion space. Some pouches are compressed and then potted in modules.
Some I built were in open top plywood boxes. Sides cut slightly short and then sucked in tight with drywall screws.
Spray with flexseal an it looks pretty good.
All the compression you need.

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You could use sex bolts at each end of the pack and the threaded rod in between this would eliminate the nuts and the rod sticking out at each end of the pack

So you would have the Femail bolts at each end of the pack and the threaded rod connecting the 2

It’s a good idea @grantwest but I would have to greatly reduce the diameter of the threaded rod to fit that in the hole. The size of threaded rod which just fits with minor ‘catching’ on insertion is 5/16". I was going to cut a small section of 1/8" x 1" flat strap steel, drill a hole and weld the rod on one end but in my sleep I remembered I’d bought stainless steel and my MIG is probably not going to so much.

I will be attempting to split the 6th module and place the open end against the flat steel end plate. I will have to cut down the 4 module inserts to prevent crushing but that should be it.

T nuts are made for wood and won’t increase diameter beyond the plywood.
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