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- Cars
12-volt battery charge warning light
Nissan LEAF 12-volt battery charge light: DC/DC converter fault
Risk level
Critical
Stop using the equipment and contact a professional.
Urgency
Immediate
Quick answer
On a Nissan LEAF, if the 12-volt battery charge warning light comes on with the car in READY to drive, the DC/DC converter may not be working. Stop safely, apply the parking brake and select P, and contact a NISSAN certified electric vehicle dealer.
Safety first
What to do now
- Stop and secure the car
Who: you, when the stop messages appear. How: immediately stop in a safe location, apply the parking brake and push P on the shift lever. Result that matters: the car stopped and secured; the warning and chime stop. If you are driving and [Stop the vehicle] appears: stop as soon as it is safe, do not continue the trip. If you are stopped and [When Parked Apply Parking Brake] appears: apply the brake and P and contact the dealer. Evidence to keep: photo of the cluster with the lights on.
- Do not charge the 12-volt battery with the light on
Who: you. How: if the light stays on in READY to drive, do not connect chargers or boosters to the 12-volt battery. Result that matters: avoiding damage to the DC/DC converter. If the light stays on in READY: Nissan says not to charge the 12-volt battery as it may damage the converter; call the dealer. If the car will not go to READY: Nissan allows a jump start following the jump starting section. Evidence to keep: note of whether the car reached READY.
- What the light does after a jump start
Who: you, if you jump started the car. How: with the car in READY, watch whether the 12-volt light turns off or stays on. Result that matters: whether it turns off. If it turns off: the 12-volt battery may be discharged or its system faulty; do not jump start again and have it inspected. If it stays on: there may be a PDM malfunction; have a NISSAN certified EV dealer inspect it. Evidence to keep: photo of the cluster in READY after the jump start.
What you must never do
- Do not attempt this professional task: Test the DC/DC converter and 12-volt battery
- Do not attempt this professional task: High-voltage isolation test after the 12-volt battery charge light
- Do not attempt this professional task: Stored codes behind the 12-volt battery charge light
What a technician must be able to justify
Technician visit
These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.
These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.
Test the DC/DC converter and 12-volt battery
What they doThe workshop measures the charging voltage delivered by the PDM DC/DC converter with the car in READY and tests the 12-volt battery condition with its equipment.
They must show youthe charging voltage measured in READY against Nissan's specification and the battery test result.
In writingwhether the cause is the 12-volt battery, its system or the PDM, and the part replaced with its reference.
High-voltage isolation test after the 12-volt battery charge light
What they doA technician qualified for high voltage, with the car unplugged and following Nissan's safety procedure, measures the isolation of the high-voltage circuit with the manufacturer's equipment and inspects orange cables and connectors.
They must show youthe measured isolation value against Nissan's specification and the condition of the cables and connectors checked.
In writingthe isolation test result, who did it with high-voltage training and whether it explains the 12-volt battery charge light.
Stored codes behind the 12-volt battery charge light
What they doAt a workshop with EV-trained technicians, they connect a Nissan-capable diagnostic tool and read the stored and pending codes from the Power Delivery Module (PDM) and the electric vehicle system, with the time and conditions in which the 12-volt battery charge light was logged, before clearing anything.
They must show youthe code list with status, read while the 12-volt battery charge light is active or freshly logged.
In writingthe codes read, the system they point to and which test confirms the fault before any part is replaced for the 12-volt battery charge light.
Before accepting a part or repair
Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.
Where this code applies
A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.
Primary scope
- System
- Vehicles
- Brand
- Nissan
- Product type
- Cars
Known code variants
- 12-volt battery charge warning light
- Al aparcar, poner el freno de estacionamiento
- convertidor DC/DC LEAF
- LEAF DC/DC converter fault
- LEAF PDM fault
- Nissan LEAF 12V battery light
- Pare el vehículo de forma segura
- PDM LEAF
- Stop the vehicle
- testigo batería 12V Nissan LEAF
- Testigo de carga de la batería de 12 voltios
- When Parked Apply Parking Brake
What it means
On the LEAF, the DC/DC converter in the Power Delivery Module (PDM) converts the 400 volt Li-ion battery voltage to charge the 12-volt battery. If this light comes on while driving, a chime sounds, the red master warning and EV system warning light come on, and the display asks you to stop. The light does not say whether the 12-volt battery, its system or the PDM is at fault: Nissan explains how to tell them apart by whether it turns off in READY.
Warnings and stop conditions
- Higheditorial warning
On an electric Nissan, orange cables, the traction battery and their connectors carry high voltage: do not open, touch or disconnect them; only a workshop trained in high voltage should work on them.
Evidence: Nissan LEAF 2023 owner's manual: 12-volt battery charge warning light
- Criticalsource verified
With this light on in READY, Nissan says to stop immediately in a safe location and not to charge the 12-volt battery, as it may damage the DC/DC converter.
Evidence: Nissan LEAF 2023 owner's manual: 12-volt battery charge warning light
Sources and technical references
- 1
Nissan LEAF 2023 owner's manual: 12-volt battery charge warning light
Nissan UK · 2023 · manual
- 2
Nissan LEAF 2023 manual del propietario: testigo de carga de la batería de 12 voltios
Nissan España · 2023 · manual
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