2016 2LT DCFC pre-purchase advice

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Oceanbreeze

Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2021
Messages
23
Location
SF bay area (Berkeley)
I am in the process of buying a 2016 with about 26K miles. It has the DCFC plug.

Do you think I should have it inspected by a mechanic/dealer before buying it?

What kind of docs or other items does it come with from the factory? (there is a foam insert under the hatch with a tire pump, a std EVSE, etc)..
1 or 2 keys?
Is there some sheet that lists the equipment installed at the factory?

Also, which menus and screens would you go into to get a sense of the car's specifics, firmware versions, etc. I read that there is a TSB that gives a better estimate of the range. How do I know if it has that?

How can you assess battery health?
(Any OBDII scanners you'd recommend? I have done extensive servicing and repairs on other brands, but not familiar with GM-specific OBD blocks).

Also, what is your recommendation for websites or DCFC stations around the San Francisco bay area?

Thanks in advance.
 
Yes, two key fobs. Take $250 off if the dogs try to say 'Only one'.
Yes, stock EVSE, air compressor and goo.
If you lay down and look for any damage and see none, I would be tempted to skip a pro inspection.
That's all they're going to do.

Start with a full charge. Green dash light blinking. Go for a long test drive. Flog it! Have fun!
Drive to less than half the green battery SOC charge bars.
Go to the 'Leaf' button energy used page. Do the math to see what it is reporting for current pack capacity.
My '14 with +90k miles is still >80% capacity. But '14's had a different battery cell manufacturer.
Then go test it at a DCFC station. You may have to have an active account with the service provider in your area. Some use CC's.

That's about all I can recommend.
You won't be sorry!
It's one of the best of the 1st Gen EV's.
If you don't mind,,,, How much? ;)
 
Thank you.

I confirmed it will come with 2 keys. It's a private party sale.

What is "goo"? :?

We are working out the price right now. What would be a fair price on this, given what you know about these cars? It's got 26K, recent tires, and AGM battery, and one paint scrape on the lower front bumper. The underside is fine when I looked up (not on ramps though).

The trip data shows 1194 miles and 4.4 mi/Kwh
 
Oceanbreeze said:
Thank you.

I confirmed it will come with 2 keys. It's a private party sale.

What is "goo"? :?

We are working out the price right now. What would be a fair price on this, given what you know about these cars? It's got 26K, recent tires, and AGM battery, and one paint scrape on the lower front bumper. The underside is fine when I looked up (not on ramps though).

The trip data shows 1194 miles and 4.4 mi/Kwh

Log onto cargurus.com and do a search for your area to get pricing information. 1194 miles at 4.4 mi/kWh suggests to me that the car has been driven hard and fast. I drive my 2016 conservatively and my average right now is 6.0 - 6.2 mi/kWh. I would also suggest you find someone who can use the TorquePro app and a OBD2 adapter to measure the battery capacity in the car you are considering.

Note: I found my 2014 and 2016 Spark EVs using Car Gurus.com. Both cars have been trouble-free.
 
Oceanbreeze said:
What is "goo"? :?

The trip data shows 1194 miles and 4.4 mi/Kwh
Tire sealant that you use with the air compressor.

That trip data is just odometer with the equivalent of MPG for that trip. 4.4mi/kWh is just an indication of how gently or hard the car was driving.

What you need to look at for a pack capacity figure is on the 'Leaf' button energy page.
After a full charge this page gets reset each time.
You're looking for % used (drive, climate and battery conditioning {TMS}) and it also shows kWh used. Then do the math to see what the full pack is currently.
That's why you must start with the pack full and take it for a long test drive to use up more than 50-75% of the pack to get a good number.
 
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