Leaf Spy Lite vs Pro | What is Leaf Spy & How-To Use It | Which OBD Dongle Works?

In today's video, I go over the differences between Leaf Spy Lite and Leaf Spy Pro. I also cover what you need in order to make it work. When using Leaf Spy, whether it be the Lite version or Pro version, you will require an OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) dongle as shown in the video.
The dongle mentioned in the video can be found at the link below. Full Disclaimer: If you purchase the dongle using the link below, I get a small commission for the sale - at no additional cost to you. For this, I simply say THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ME AND THE CHANNEL!
If you have any questions or need any help getting it working, let me know in the comments section below and I'll offer whatever support I can.
Amazon.ca OBD Dongle: amzn.to/3agVUPY
Amazon.com OBD Dongle: amzn.to/3gDFK5u
LELink^2 Configurable Auto On/Off Bluetooth Low Energy BLE OBD-II OBD2 Car Diagnostic Tool for iPhone/iPod/iPad and Android

[@jeffbehrner6561]

Excellent video Derek, thank you! I have a 2014 SV and I have Leaf Spy Pro. I understand most of the basic functions, but I appreciated your explanation of the graph of the battery cells. Well done!

[@derekthornton]

You're welcome, thanks for watching. Hope you'll subscribe too. ;) feel free to share

[@fdashiell]

@@derekthornton I use iPhone. Leaf Spy Lite not available? Does LELINK ODB2 use bluetooth or wifi?

[@derekthornton]

It uses Bluetooth. And yes, on iOS only pro is available.

[@TuanNguyen-pp4uo]

@@derekthornton These links are no longer work for me.

[@derekthornton]

Thanks, I will update them.

[@Tron-Jockey]

Excellent video. Small correction: the 24kWh and 30kWh battery packs are made up of 96 cell "pairs". While treated as a single cell by the BMS each cell pair is actually comprised of two pouch cells in parallel. A complete battery pack is made up of a stack of 96 of these cell pairs arranged in series (a total of 192 individual pouch cells in a battery pack). For the 24kWh packs each cell pair is comprised of two 33.1Ah cells (allows for a 66.2Ah per module), and for the 30kWh packs each cell pair is comprised of two 42Ah cells (allows for 84Ah per module). There are 48 modules (24 double-modules in the 30kWh pack) with each module being in a 2S2P configuration. The 40kWh battery pack uses a similar double-module arrangement albeit comprised of 56.3Ah cells. The 62kWh battery pack uses a 3P cell pair (each cell pair is actually three 58.9Ah cells in parallel for a total of 288 pouch cells). I don't have the actual specifications but from 8 years of following all the blogs and YT channels I think I'm close to the actual numbers. Just a little FYI in case anyone is interested. NMC nominal pack voltage = 355V - 66.2 Ah x 355V = 23,501 kWh, 90% or 21,159 kWh usable gives 21kWh x 4 miles per kWh = 84 miles per charge - 84.0 Ah x 355V = 29,820 kWh, 90% or 26,838 kWh usable gives 26.8 x 4 miles per kWh = 107.2 miles per charge

[@derekthornton]

Thanks for the reply. I always appreciate when people with more knowledge than I have, take the time to provide their insight. Thank you.

[@SingleMomMission]

Thank you very much. I just ordered the dongle by following your link. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out my battery health with just the basic information. With gas prices surging, I'm more thankful than ever for my 2015 Leaf and need to maximize its usage. Here on Maui, there are very limited charging stations, so knowing your range is vital.

[@derekthornton]

Thanks so much for watching and happy to help. Plugshare shows quite a few on Maui, just not on the Eastern side. Which I can understand for sure. Hope this helps with any range anxiety.

[@melissapatten2298]

Lynette, did this work out for you? I am considering for my 2015 Leaf.

[@derekthornton]

It should do, but let me know :)

[@williamhamilton5368]

Well done! Note too.. I really like seeing the voltage of the all-important 12V battery always there ...displayed (lower left of the 4th screen). Any problems have always been with the 12V being discharged to below 10V (ie at 7.7V ... dash readouts start flashing real crazy-like!)

[@derekthornton]

Thanks for watching and I very much appreciate your input. Not having experienced a 12V battery issue (yet), it is nice to know what the signs are and what the root cause is - without paying hefty diagnostic fees to the dealer. Hope you'll subscribe, please share with anyone you think may benefit.

[@pierregervaisjnauto319]

A email correction. 85.1% is not health. It is % Gids, a different est to measure SOC. I prefer using % Gidsinstead of % SOC to figure out remaining driving range left. This is a safer way. If you tap on the screen close To these numbers, toi will switch numbers.

[@derekthornton]

Thanks. Hopefully people watching will read your note as well for the extra tips.

[@lookoutleo]

very comprehensive description of the two versions, thankyou for posting

[@derekthornton]

You're welcome, thanks for watching

[@lookoutleo]

@@derekthornton where in Canada are you, do you run a leaf? I'm looking to buy one and Ive been offered a 30kw leaf 2016 with 107,000 mile s for £5k here in Scotland .

[@derekthornton]

Vancouver, BC.... Drive a 2015 Nissan SL (Tekna in Europe I believe) with 24kWh battery. Love it, but definitely would like the 30 or 40 kWh battery for the extra winter range/heat.

[@tl1907]

Great introduction to the app, I liked the “not too nerdy” approach so this video is accessible to all kinds of Leaf owners. Thank you!

[@ThePHANTOM2404]

Steps I did to get this to work on android. 1. Turn on leaf 2. Plug in lelink2 obd scanner 3. Open leafspy for Android. 4. Toggle Bluetooth off and then back on. This allowed my samsung phone to see the dongle in leafspy pro

[@derekthornton]

Thanks for the comment, much appreciated

[@mlew73]

I am having some trouble pairing up the LELink OBD2 to my 2016 30KWh Leaf using my Samsung A22 5G. It all worked smoothly on Leafspy Lite as a test case, so I went ahead and purchased Leafspy. I have tried all sorts of combinations including yours but no luck. My phone is running Android 11 and when I installed LeafSpy, there was a message saying "This app was built for an older version of Android and may not work properly. Try checking for updates or contact the developer". Do you think this would be the issue? Thanks in advance.

[@derekthornton]

Have you tried the steps in the comment above?

[@mlew73]

@@derekthornton I have tried your steps and Tony Anderson's with no luck unfortunately. Do you have any other ideas?

[@derekthornton]

Have you tried contacting their support? They are usually pretty responsive

[@calisson47]

Excellent, clear introduction to the LeafSpy! By the way, I suspected you were Canadian even before you said so. How? I am not sure I can explain, but it's a compliment.

[@derekthornton]

Haha, thanks. Must be something fun in my voice, eh? 😜

[@calisson47]

@@derekthornton actually it was a lack of American arrogance that I detected!

[@derekthornton]

🤣🤣🤣

[@tharakawasala4775]

Excellent video 🌻well done 🌷And please make a video about Leaf spy pro other options like tyres,alarms and auto locking options

[@derekthornton]

Perhaps in the future ;) Thanks for watching

[@druekberg]

Thanks so much for the helpful video. I was trying to decide if I wanted to shell out $ for Pro in preparing for a 350 mile trip. I want to see how much battery degradation the fast charging will do. But now I see that there are other features that might make it worthwhile to get Pro, like usage at different elevations (both discharging and charging). Last time I took a longish trip it was a hot summer day and on the way home the battery got too hot. It didn't occur to me that regenerative braking and coasting down a few mountains would heat up the battery too! I had to park for 90 minutes to let it cool and then drive the last 50 miles at 45 MPH. I will be interested to see how fast charging heats it up in winter. Stupid Nissan for not using liquid cooling for the batteries. Next car will be a Tesla or whatever is comparable for that reason, and range. Anyway, thanks! I look forward to checking out your other videos.

[@derekthornton]

Thanks for watching. And yes, owning your first EV is a bit of a learning curve, but the pros far outweigh the cons in my opinion. I'll never go back to gas (actually diesel is what I used to drive) :)

[@PeaceChanel]

Thank You for supporting ethical transportation and for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste 🙏🏻 😊 🌈 ☮ ❤

[@derekthornton]

Thanks for watching, happy to help where I can

[@stephenlowewatson5156]

Useful video, I have a 2016 Leaf but came here to see if LeafSpy Pro could help explain why the warning yellow triangle popped up with no additional messages, and has now disappeared. Maybe one of your other videos covers fault tracking? Anyway, thanks for video.

[@hasiyajp]

Well done sir! Thanks for your excellent explainations

[@derekthornton]

Thanks for watching

[@adventuremuffinproductions]

Nicely done video Derek to explain the difference between Leaf Spy lite and the Pro version. Do you have a video on what the results mean when using the Leaf Spy Pro? Seems like a good niche as nothing I am coming across tells me what to do with the info I have.

[@derekthornton]

I don't have a video on this, no. What information are you looking for specifically?

[@adventuremuffinproductions]

@@derekthornton Hi Derek, it would be what to make of the results in the Pro, the meaning of red, blue cells, the meaning of the range, the ways to decide if it is better to replace bad modules or the whole battery would be some questions I have. Best

[@derekthornton]

Fair questions for sure. There are people far more educated on the subject to answer them, but will see what I can do ;)

[@destiento]

MUY BUEN VIDEO,,GRACIAS POR ACLARARME DUDAS Y AYUDARME EN LA COMPRA DE ESTA APLICACION. UN SALUDO DESDE ESPAÑA

[@garrettwhite8943]

Great video. Very informative. I can learn more about my LEAF SV Plus 🌿 now. Thank you.

[@derekthornton]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching

[@stanmarsh4150]

Superb presentation! Thank you, subbed.

[@derekthornton]

Appreciate it, thank you

[@flolou8496]

Why is looking exactly at the number of times quick charging has been used important? Case in point, say it shows it's been done 200 times, ie done on level 3 charging only but the SOH and battery life bars is still somehow 10 bars out of 12 on a used 2016 Leaf, why does the exact number of rapid charge level 3 charges still offer anything relevant?

[@derekthornton]

Many things affect the soh, not just how it is charged. Outside temperatures, or infrequent use come to mind. For example, if it sits for 3 months a year in southern California, while the person travels, or won't fare well

[@tommccoll9062]

Thank you, well done!

[@derekthornton]

My pleasure, thank you for watching. Hopefully you'll subscribe as well!

[@80sCrazyCatDadNGunAddiction]

Can this do personalized ecu coding?

[@thisiswhywedashcam1682]

Thank you for the tips :)

[@derekthornton]

Thanks for watching. Hope they helped.

[@fdashiell]

I use iPhone. Have 2016 Leaf 30 KWH. Leaf Spy Lite not in app store? Also some ODB-II dongles use wifi and some bluetooth? Which do I want?

[@derekthornton]

You'll want the one in the video regardless. It uses Bluetooth and is officially supported by the app

[@petersumpter1630]

A question. The manual says I should not tow a Leaf. If I am running downhill in B mode (regenerative) it will charge the battery. If my battery is low but still running, why can't I charge the battery by towing it in B mode? How does the Leaf know whether it is running downhill or being towed on the flat? Mechanically I can not see the difference!

[@derekthornton]

Great question, but I'm afraid I don't know the reason/answer to that. Maybe the concern is that people wouldn't just tow it to a full charge but rather they would type it past full? Not sure if that could cause any damage or not.

[@diarchangel]

Excellent video, thanks for the detailed review.

[@derekthornton]

You're very welcome... Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment

[@jamesmacnab6503]

Thank you!

[@derekthornton]

You're welcome, thanks for watching. Hopefully you'll subscribe for future videos.

[@mk-jl3zd]

Thank you sir.

[@derekthornton]

You're welcome, thanks for watching

[@jmolyneauxful]

Thanks!

[@derekthornton]

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[@harshahettiarachchi5494]

Pl tell me an obd for leaf spy...

[@chrissscottt]

Nice vid thanks.

[@derekthornton]

You're very welcome, thanks for watching

[@AJ-dc5wt]

Great vid

[@derekthornton]

I appreciate that, thanks for watching.

[@poakabisa]

Great stuff thanks , one question would you know how to change the language from Japanese to English ?

[@derekthornton]

Thanks for watching. It is in the settings. The 3 bars, in the top right, will open the settings menu and the language drop down is the 2nd setting from the top. At least on my version of leaf spy lite. Good luck

[@andrewdsilva116]

I have a Nissan leaf 2013 and iPhone 14pro I can’t find lite

[@derekthornton]

Unfortunately, don't think lite was ever made available for iOS. Just pro

[@Busa0069]

Can you use a wired OBD2 dongle on Leaf Spy.

[@derekthornton]

Great question, I don't believe you can. I'm fairly certain it is only configured for a Bluetooth connection

[@cauthoncrazy]

Anyone know how to display all 5 screens in Leaf Spy Pro? Only seeing 2

[@ReformedBaptistChurchDC]

Hi there. I have a different ELM 327 dongle and it is v1.5 per seller and they saybitnworka with Leaf Spy. However I can't get connected as I only get the orange box. It connects to my phone but doesn't read the Leaf.

[@derekthornton]

Unfortunately, I have found connection issues with other dongles... Try different connection patterns (ie. Plug in, then turn on car.... Turn on car, then plug in, etc) as it could just be a matter of "cracking the code"

[@ReformedBaptistChurchDC]

@@derekthornton Thanks for getting back.

[@derekthornton]

Anytime :)

[@decimal1815]

Anyone else had issues getting this app to work with new dongles? I'm on my 3rd OBD2 dongle and still no luck. Most recent LELink2 dongle works with other apps, BTW, but not LSP, so must be something to do with supported protocols or some other issue? Going to give up at this point if there are no obvious solutions..

[@derekthornton]

Is it the lelink one linked in the video? That is the best one with the least amount of issues

[@decimal1815]

@@derekthornton yes, but they update them without advertising the protocols that have been dropped apparently?

[@HC4L666]

Hi! what are GIDs and DTE @ leafspy pro? thanks !

[@derekthornton]

DTE = Distance Till Empty GIDs explained (as per: www.wind-works.org/cms/index.php?id=725&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3887&cHash=0c4d4be8e984be6345356511f9d73202) Leaf Spy reports the capacity of the traction battery in Gids, a unit named after Gary Giddings, the first person to penetrate the Nissan Leaf’s on board diagnostic system. Typically, there are 281 Gids of capacity in a fully charged car at standard temperature. New 2015 Nissan Leafs often contain 291 Gids. As temperature drops below standard temperature, so do the Gids available. This winter, Leaf Spy is reporting 260 Gids when our one-year old Leaf is fully charged, or about 20 kWh. At 4 miles per kWh that’s about 80 miles of range for our Leaf on a full charge.

[@garyrobinson9527]

if I pay for leaf spy pro and download to my android phone Do I have to pay again to download to my android tablet

[@derekthornton]

Usually purchases are tied to your account, not device. So if you have the same account on both, you should be fine

[@anthonymalovrh2912]

Nice numbers - my 2016 Leaf SV with 30Ah battery is in much worse shape - since I bought it used August 2019. But still gets us around town at 5.1 miles/kW. Last check a few months ago had 25 QC, 1980 L1/L2 charges. I use LeafSpy Pro to check things out - 35,158 miles so far.

[@derekthornton]

As long as it does what you need it to do, don't worry so much about the numbers :)

[@rklongstroth4139]

Hi, thanks for your excellent presentation. I’m in the US and your obd Amazon link takes me to Amazon Canada; it won’t deliver to any of my addresses. Is there a workaround? Is there a compatible alternative obd I can buy in the US. My search for the named devise didn’t show the same product in US Amazon. I just got a 2013 SV. Is it worth putting money into a battery upgrade vs putting the money toward upgrading to a 2018 leaf? Thanks for your time and attention.

[@derekthornton]

I appreciate you watching and taking the time to check with me on a US option for the dongle. You can use this link to order from US Amazon - amzn.to/3gDFK5u - it is the same one mentioned in the video. Putting money towards the battery is a personal choice, however, my take on it is that it wouldn't be worth it in most situations. I would drive the car until it no longer suited my needs and then upgrade. Technology is improving quickly and the cost of newer cars is dropping with more competition entering the market. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any further questions.

[@mostafazaman8464]

Hi

[@jeff824]

Any dealers try to block the use?

[@derekthornton]

Not sure how they could, as it is simply taking the system data from an open port that is standard on cars.

[@pierregervaisjnauto319]

A small correction

[@JayBonart]

Very long video, could be shorter. Here’s you comments below. 😊

[@stevejordan7275]

I want to use LeafSpy to inspect the battery condition of a 2020 Leaf battery. (I intend to DIY a battery swap.) Will it do that if I just light up the donor car and connect the OBDII sensor that I've used on my own Leaf? BTW, thanks for the advice on getting the most reliable response during a first connection. Also, I'm on to you: You're not really from Canada; you didn't say "eh" even once.

[@derekthornton]

It will depend on whether or not the OBD port is damaged at all. I would say though, that if the car turns on, you'll likely be good to go. And if you only knew how much Tim Horton's I drank or maple syrup was in our house... :) thanks for watching, eh!

[@dnewman20]

This is great. Just curious, why did you download the Pro if you have a 2015? Wouldn't you only get all the features you can benefit from with the reg Leaf Spy (not lite or pro) app?

[@derekthornton]

Being perfectly honest and transparent...I didn't know that until after I bought the Pro version - because I didn't do my research properly. Hopefully people can learn from my mistakes here ;) Thanks for watching.

[@thebuzzah]

What does Leaf Spy Pro have that Leaf Spy regular (not lite) have?

[@derekthornton]

From the limited use I had with it, it has trip tracking and power usage reports, but also a slightly different layout and the ability to turn on/off certain features (ie. Backup sound)

[@hansolo6827]

Did they get rid of the leafspy lite? All I see is pro now

[@derekthornton]

Leaf Spy Lite shows in the Play Store currently... Are you iOS or Android?

[@hansolo6827]

@@derekthornton sorry I should’ve mentioned which platform. For iOS

[@derekthornton]

You are correct. There doesn't appear to have a LeafSpy Lite for iOS. Any chance you have an android tablet to use?

[@hansolo6827]

@@derekthornton Yes I think I have an android tablet somewhere. Thanks Can’t wait to see what soh my leaf is in

[@derekthornton]

Awesome, that should work. Report back and let me know if you have any questions

[@pierregervaisjnauto319]

Should read. "A email correction"

[@pierregervaisjnauto319]

À email correction