Performing Maintenance Yourself

[shay]

I have to chime in here, and just ask a simple question:

Since the required maint. is SO much less than a traditional ICE vehicle, why bother with DIY, why not let the Nissan Stealerships make a little bit off the maint? DIY seems pennywise and poundfoolish. Yes, even though we are all capble of doing these things, is it really worthwhile, considering how much you are already saving off a traditiononal ice car?

or is is just the "EV'rs" are the cheapest people on the plant Earth?

Interesting point of view. Since an EV is inexpensive to operate and maintain you must use a dealership is how I read this. I agree with the previous responses about satisfaction and knowing quality work. I also would like to add it is good to know how to do stuff yourself. The less you have to rely on someone else the better.

 

[davewill]

Everyone's different. Personally, I will get the tires rotated for free at the tire store (they get to sell more tires if they are the ones who notice that the old ones are worn, after all). I'll use my local mechanic (in whom I have a lot of trust) for the brake flush...I WON'T pay $300 at the dealer because I don't believe in getting taken, NOT because I can't afford it. I'd do it myself, but I'm NOT car handy and I'd have to kill myself if the brakes failed and someone got hurt, because I decided to try my hand at brake service.

The comparison to ICE maintenance costs seems irrelevant to me. Why should anyone but ME benefit from the lowered maintenance MY car requires?

P.S. If the dealer wants my business, they will advertise a reasonable price to do the whole shebang in one stop. A mild price premium would be worth it to get everything done at one place. It's happened before.

 

[Herm]

I think $300 is excessive for a 10 minute job at best, if they use a power bleeder that bleeds all 4 brakes at the same time.. Here is one that attaches to your master cylinder reservoir and forces fluid through the system, only $55.. measure the diameter of the fluid reservoir bottle before you buy, Motive Power makes a ton of adapters for these machines, very popular in shops.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TYJEWW/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=quismogui-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399353&creativeASIN=B000TYJEWW" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[highcountryrider]

I cringe taking a vehicle in because invariably something additional is wrong when I get it back. :roll: Then I am headed back in the next week or end up fixing it myself. May as well stay home and do the work.

I have to agree. I have somewhere around 400K miles on my Starlet and I am the ONLY one who has ever
done any work on it other than body/paint and tires. Seems like many shops break something every time
they work on a vehicle. It's quicker, cheaper, and more reliable to do it myself.

Unfortunately there will be some things I can't do on the LEAF without the diagnostic systems and special
tools. But I have two years, at least, before I have to worry about that.

 

[marccbr]

Hate taking my car in to the dealership. Just this weekend I took mine in to get the outside temp guage looked at, should have looked on this forum first. Anyway turned out to be nothing yet they dirtied the interior with grease. I cant belive they dont cover up the white seats with some plastic or something. Then they almost washed the car with a brush car wash system. I don't trust those systems since they scratch cars. I'll do everything myself thank you, a lot less worrying about what has been done to your car. I will take care of everything but the free battery checks but even for those I will hate taking it in.