Last Updated on July 5, 2024 by Rose Morah
This article is going to cover the Nissan Leaf BMS update that helps alleviate its battery slow down when charging and when going on a long road trip.
What is a BMS update on a Nissan Leaf?
Battery Management System (BMS) update tries to fix the programming error that most of the early Nissan Leaf generations had.
BMS update was mainly created to help fix the Nissan Leaf Rapidgate problem and display a realistic battery degradation in some Nissan Leafs.
See also: How To Check Nissan Leaf Battery Health (Battery Degradation Status).
What is Nissan Leaf Rapidgate?
This is when the Nissan Leaf battery heats up and thus affects its charging rate. This is because its computer system communicate with the charger to reduce the power supply when charging.
In most cases, the charging speed will be very slow, especially if you had charged on a rapid charger more than twice in a day, or when you are going on a long road trip with the Nissan Leaf.
How to get the BMS update for your Nissan Leaf?
Most Nissan Leafs already have the update. However, if you have an early Nissan Leaf generation and never got the BMS update, you can get the update from the dealers.
NOTE: You will have to tell the dealer that you are experiencing the Rapidgate problem.
I also noticed that most of the Nissan Leaf owners who took their cars to the dealers to get the BMS update received the service at no cost to them because it was done under the warranty. But be sure to enquire about that as well.
How do I check the BMS firmware on my Nissan Leaf?
Leaf spy pro is the best way to check if the BMS firmware is already updated on your Nissan Leaf.
Use the app to check whether the last digit on the battery part number, as seen in the image below, ends with the letter “C”.
This means that if the last letter is either “A” or “B” then in most cases the BMS update has not been done on that Nissan Leaf. (see the image below).
See also: How To Use Leaf Spy Lite and Pro on Nissan Leaf (Complete Guide).
Another way to confirm or find out whether the update has been done is by asking the dealer to print it out.
I have seen people who took their Nissan Leaf to the dealer for the BMS update only to realize later that they still didn’t have the update. So, be sure to confirm before you leave and ask them to print it out.
See also:
7 Best Charging Apps For Nissan Leaf.
5 Nissan Leaf Tips For New Owners.
Does the BMS firmware solve the Rapidgate problem?
Yes. Most Nissan Leaf owners who have had the BMS update saw an increase/improved SOH, battery degradation bars improved and charge rate improved.
Most of them who had 70% SOH, 10/12 bars on the dashboard, and a 28kW charge rate saw an improvement to about 85% SOH and 12/12 bars and 40kW charge rate after the BMS update.