So what is maintenance like?

Those of you who have them, please tell what you know about maintenance. I looked at the 2010 maintenance schedule but I do not see any details on lubrication. Does the car really require no lube?

Just wash once a month and I am good so far. Approaching 5,000 miles.
Maybe I will rotate the tires at the recommended 7500..... or not.
I have put air in the tires once.

What's to lube? door hinges?

Caddiac said:

Those of you who have them, please tell what you know about maintenance. I looked at the 2010 maintenance schedule but I do not see any details on lubrication. Does the car really require no lube?

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What do you (or what did you) lube on your ICE vehicle?

Seems to me the chassis lubrication requirement went passé years ago. And other maintenance periods have been greatly extended from my first car way back in, well never mind when. Proper vehicle maintenance has become sooooo simple.

Bill

The local oil change shop will give the chassis jerk fittings a squirt or two every oil change. I am more curious about the electric motor. It has bearings, so there has to be lubrication. Electric motors will last a long time. But according to the maintenance manual there is nothing on the car that gets lubrication.

I haven't seen a car with Zerk fittings in the better part of two decades. There is virtually no chassis lube on any modern car; they are all permanently lubed and sealed. The only lube of any kind in the Leaf is in the transfer case. That calls for an oil change at 100,000 miles.

Caddiac said:

The local oil change shop will give the chassis jerk fittings a squirt or two every oil change.

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smkettner said:

Just wash once a month and I am good so far. Approaching 5,000 miles.
Maybe I will rotate the tires at the recommended 7500..... or not.

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I just rotated mine this last weekend - seem to be wearing pretty evenly. Unlike some front wheel drive cars I've had in the past where the fronts have gone well in advance of the rears, if I didn't keep up on the rotating schedule.

Maintenance, what maintenance? The manual says to rotate tires every 7500 miles and have the battery checked once a year. Also, the cabin air filter has to be replaced every year and the brake fluid changed every 2 years.

Simple...cheap...I like it.

Replace the brake fluid every one or two years. Schedule 1 is the default and it says every year (those saying every two years are ignoring the fact that every year is the default). Rotate the tires. Replace the air filter. That's about it until 100K miles.

What's interesting is that, at least for the first few years, it appears that maintenance on the Leaf will cost more than maintenance on an ICE. Replacing the brake fluid has to be more expensive than an oil change, and, other than an oil change every two years, there isn't much other than tire rotations and air filter changes that you do for an ICE.

I still think the brake fluid replacement is weird.

SanDust said:

Replace the brake fluid every one or two years. Schedule 1 is the default and it says every year (those saying every two years are ignoring the fact that every year is the default). Rotate the tires. Replace the air filter. That's about it until 100K miles.

What's interesting is that, at least for the first few years, it appears that maintenance on the Leaf will cost more than maintenance on an ICE. Replacing the brake fluid has to be more expensive than an oil change, and, other than an oil change every two years, there isn't much other than tire rotations and air filter changes that you do for an ICE.

I still think the brake fluid replacement is weird.

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It is not a standard ABS system and is harder on the fluid from what I can see. The brake system is a bit irritating but they have this to blend the regen with the brakes to make it seem normal for the masses that are scared by stronger regen found on most other EVs. :lol: I wonder how much the dealers are going to rip us off for this, my guess is it will be a bit expensive. I wonder if the Prius is the same in these respects?

Brake fluid flush is a recommendation. If your system stays closed and does not allow moisture to be absorbed into the fluid; it is usually a non-issue.

The two year normal driving or one year if in a severe driving climate is not unique to the LEAF. My 2002 MB SLK-320 and my 2004 VOLVO XC-70 have the same reommended service intervals.

Personally, I do my own flush with a power flushing uint and use ATE Super Blue Racing Fluid because it far exceeds the properties of the standard DOT 4 brake fluid. Oh, yes, this great fluid is not considered unacceptable in some states as is BLUE in color vice yellow.

I flush ever two years because more than going, I like stopping!

Any ideas why silicone based brake fluid cannot be used in a LEAF / ABS system? The current brake fluid is likely glycol based which absorbs water but silicone fluids have advantages of not absorbing water and a higher boiling point. Given the already minimum maintenance requirements of the LEAF, a silicone brake fluid that does not need changing as frequently as glycol based systems would further reduce the maintenance.

EVDRIVER said:

I wonder how much the dealers are going to rip us off for this, my guess is it will be a bit expensive. I wonder if the Prius is the same in these respects?

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If I remember right the quote was around $275. We'll get more info as people actually start having it done.

Rotated tires at 7,500 miles - $20. 15,000 mile service scheduled on Friday (9/30). I'll provide $ details after done but told them I wanted to skip the cabin filter as I don't use AC or heat and the car is just 4-1/2 months old.

Update: $105 plus wiper blades. That included the time to replace the fog lights with LED bulbs. I didn't realize they were going to do wipers or I would have passed on that too. They originally did try to charge me for the full ICE 15k service ($260) but service manager realized that wasn't correct before he closed the ticket. They also ran the battery diagnostic - hope this doesn't count against my 2 free diagnostics which are supposed to be done at 12 and 24 Months and are not mileage dependant. I don't believe the brake fluid was replaced as it is not on the parts list.

SanDust said:

If I remember right the quote was around $275. We'll get more info as people actually start having it done.

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There is no rule that it has to be done at the dealer. For the brake flush, if Nissan is going to charge that, I'll go to a good, inexpensive mechanic.

SanDust said:

What's interesting is that, at least for the first few years, it appears that maintenance on the Leaf will cost more than maintenance on an ICE. Replacing the brake fluid has to be more expensive than an oil change, and, other than an oil change every two years, there isn't much other than tire rotations and air filter changes that you do for an ICE.

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Depends on where you go for the brake fluid flush and I'm sure we can have it done every two years, not every year, which would be ludicrous, especially when some of us hardly use the brakes. I don't know what kind of ICE car you have that you only change the oil every two years, but that's just asking for major damage. It used to be every 6mos/3000m., but now it's about every 7500m regardless of how many months. I know some people use synthetic oil which can extend it to 10K miles, but that isn't what comes with most ICEs. It's a known fact that the best thing an ICE owner can do is change the oil and filter regularly.

Brake systems are not sealed like the gasoline system in a modern car is, perhaps they should be.. when you step on the brakes the fluid level on the reservoir drops slightly, and air is drawn in to compensate.. then expelled out when you release the brakes. This breathing contaminates the brake fluid with moisture from the air.

$275 seems like a lot. Although who can post the specific procedures from the service manual?
The new cars are not always so simple as the pre ABS vehicles.

Nekota said:

Any ideas why silicone based brake fluid cannot be used in a LEAF / ABS system? The current brake fluid is likely glycol based which absorbs water but silicone fluids have advantages of not absorbing water and a higher boiling point. Given the already minimum maintenance requirements of the LEAF, a silicone brake fluid that does not need changing as frequently as glycol based systems would further reduce the maintenance.

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One of the problems of DOT 5, silicone brake fluid, is that it does not absorb water.. it separates out and forms a water bubble in the lines.. then when your fluid gets very hot the water boils and forms steam, since steam is compressible your brake system stops working. DOT 5 fluid tends to make your brakes feel spongy, so perhaps it may affect the calibration of the ABS system. One advantage of DOT 5 is that it wont damage the paint on the car if you spill it, its not "corrosive" like regular brake fluid is. Regular brake fluid is a strong solvent, you can feel it if you get it on your hands.

Perhaps this is the result of the two electric motors in the brake boost system that may break down the fluid faster or that Nissan is paranoid about issues with the brakes. No brake system needs to be flushed even close to this often. Perhaps they are looking for a way for dealers to make money and this would be a good one. Really defeats the point of a low maintenance EV. I would like to hear a real no BS answer on this one from Nissan.

EVDRIVER said:

It is not a standard ABS system and is harder on the fluid from what I can see. The brake system is a bit irritating but they have this to blend the regen with the brakes to make it seem normal for the masses that are scared by stronger regen found on most other EVs. :lol: I wonder how much the dealers are going to rip us off for this, my guess is it will be a bit expensive. I wonder if the Prius is the same in these respects?

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No. My Prius has required no routine maintenance on the brake system in the five years I've owned it (except for simple inspections). In fact, given how little the hydraulic brakes are used, long-term owners have reported very little wear on the break pads after even 100,000 miles.

Unless Nissan has done something real strange with the brake system on the LEAF, it should require no more maintenance than the brake system on a Prius (which means, essentially, none).