Performing Maintenance Yourself

When I picked up my car yesterday the dealer showed me the recommended maintenance of my 2011 Leaf. I saw that at 7,500 miles I should rotate the tires and perform visual inspections of drive boots and other things.

I told the dealer I have never owned a Nissan before and that I have typically done most maintenance myself. I informed him that with my Subaru I perform all maintenance myself and keep a log of everything I do (and receipts if I purchase any fluids). I asked him if Nissan is similar to Subaru in that they will accept a log book of maintenance should I want to rotate the tires and inspect everything myself. He didn't know.

For those who have purchased a Nissan before, or have insight into this question, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

The may refuse warranty on a CV joint replacement if the boot is broken, but that sounds pretty unlikely. The yearly battery inspection is required, you dont want to miss that one.

The dealership may give you a hard time about maintenance should you have any warranty issues, but really there's nothing to be done except tire rotations every 7500 mi, annual battery inspection (has to be done at the dealer but is free) and brake fluid flushes every 2 years.

Legally they don't have a leg to stand on if you provide documentation that required service was done should you need warranty service.

drees said:

The dealership may give you a hard time about maintenance should you have any warranty issues, but really there's nothing to be done except tire rotations every 7500 mi, annual battery inspection (has to be done at the dealer but is free) and brake fluid flushes every 2 years.

Legally they don't have a leg to stand on if you provide documentation that required service was done should you need warranty service.

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+1

and tires are generally warrantied by the tire company rather then the car manufacture. I've never had tires rotated at at dealer...

I find the two different maintenance intervals rather interesting. To me, they read just like the intervals usually used with ICE vehicles. I understand that with an ICE vehicle short trips, dusty conditions, and etc, may require more frequent maintenance, but for an PEV?

I will happily comply with Schedule 2, even with the brake fluid change, but perhaps not at the Nissan dealership. My tire shop will take care of rotations, and I can clean/replace cabin air filters.

And, I concur - nothing requires that maintenance must be done by a Nissan shop. Whoops! The annual battery inspection/check must be done by Nissan.

Bill

I will only be at the dealer for the battery check. The rest seems to be do-it-yourself.
I see nothing that would comprimise the basic 3yr/36k warranty.

smkettner said:

I will only be at the dealer for the battery check. The rest seems to be do-it-yourself.
I see nothing that would comprimise the basic 3yr/36k warranty.

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I'd be hoping that for those of you who have performed visual inspections of drive boots and the other things to post up some basic steps and pictures of what to look for.

I have some ramps myself and am prepared to take the DIY route if there are enough pictures and write-ups of what to visually look out for....

Thanks!

I fully intend to take the car in for the battery inspection once a year. However, I am fully capable of inspecting drive boots and things like that myself. Perhaps when I get closer to 7,500 miles I'll the car on ramps and take photos as my proof. I'll put a news paper next to the part when I photograph it as my date stamp ;-)

I don't intend to pay someone a few hundred dollars to rotate tires and look things over.

ebill3 said:

And, I concur - nothing requires that maintenance must be done by a Nissan shop. Whoops! The annual battery inspection/check must be done by Nissan.

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Actually, if you read the Warranty Information Booklet carefully you will discover that even the battery check doesn't have to be done by Nissan, but since the first two are free I think it would be silly to go anywhere else for those. You do have to get them annually for the battery warranty to be honored, and they do have to be at a certified LEAF dealer or a "qualified repair shop", which I take to mean one that has some special diagnostic equipment and training.

Ray

When it's time for the brake fluid flush, I'll probably take it to our local Auto Technology school where it will only cost me $5-10 labor + the fluid. The students will receive some good experiences.

mxp said:

smkettner said:

I will only be at the dealer for the battery check. The rest seems to be do-it-yourself.
I see nothing that would comprimise the basic 3yr/36k warranty.

Click to expand...

I'd be hoping that for those of you who have performed visual inspections of drive boots and the other things to post up some basic steps and pictures of what to look for.

I have some ramps myself and am prepared to take the DIY route if there are enough pictures and write-ups of what to visually look out for....

Thanks!

Click to expand...

No ramps needed but may help. Just look under the vehicle if the boots are in one piece. Touch them and see if they are torn in the folds. Otherwise they usually last 150,000+ miles unless they find a road hazard. It is easy to see them torn and the grease flung out everywhere.

On the "annual" battery check, is there a window for that, i.e. twelve months plus or minus three months?

The reason I ask is that I would prefer to have the check done in summer but will likely purchase my car in winter. Getting to the dealer in winter would be very difficult and might require towing.

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?

mitch672 said:

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?

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You must be another wealthy forum member. It's easy to say what you said when you have $ to burn. I don't call $300 for a brake fluid flush "a little bit". I call it gouging.

mitch672 said:

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?

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It is not about the money. It is my time. I can easily rotate the tires in the time it takes to get to and from the dealer let alone check in, get the actual work done, and check out. Same with the brake fluid. BTW how do I know they actually do the work? Or even do it correctly. 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.

LEAFfan said:

mitch672 said:

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?

Click to expand...

You must be another wealthy forum member. It's easy to say what you said when you have $ to burn. I don't call $300 for a brake fluid flush "a little bit". I call it gouging.

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Wealthy? I would say I am doing ok, but not "wealthy".

We are talking about $300 every 2 years. compare that to oil changes on an ICE, every 3-5K miles (3-4 times per year), at $30 or more each time. Not counting antifreeze flushes every few years, etc.

I would say get the flush done on your 2nd year battery check, then worry about it after that, which will be 4 years down the road, many will be turned in by then who have the 36 / 39 month leases.

so for people leasing, we are talking about simple tire rotation that any tire shop can do for very little, and $300 once for the flush after 2 years, cabin air filters? no ones going to have the HVAC on enough to need that, from the sound of it. Hardly what I would call needing to be "wealthy" to afford.

BTW, I've never had an issue with my Prius at the Toyota dealer, when they say they are going to do something, they do it.

For me the reason I tend to do maintenance myself is partially about the money, partially about the job quality and partially about the satisfaction knowing that it was done right without a rush to get to the next car. When I take my car in for something I tend to find loose or missing bolts/fasteners or sometimes other things that irk me. Luckily I haven't had anything MAJOR go wrong, but I know many who have.

I have to echo the comment about time, since I find it very rare that a set appointment actually means a set appointment. For something simple I'm there at least an hour and a half.

On an aside, I can relate to the term "stealership" when my now-wife took her car to the dealer for an oil change and called to ask if the dealer price of $75 & $100 were good for replacing the engine and cabin and air filters (respectively). I told her to leave with just the oil change.

I know there are good dealerships, and I have found one for my Subaru, but I still do maintenance myself, save the receipts and update my maintenance log.

mitch672 said:

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

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Paying well over 30 grand for a car that with an ICE would cost less than 20 is being cheapskate?

Clearly, you don't fully understand why most DIY'ers do it themselves.

Bill

ebill3 said:

mitch672 said:

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

Click to expand...

Paying well over 30 grand for a car that with an ICE would cost less than 20 is being cheapskate?

Clearly, you don't fully understand why most DIY'ers do it themselves.

Bill

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sure I do, on things that matter. This is in the "noise" area, not even worth discussing really.