Could You Service Your Electric Car Yourself? It's Easier Than You Think!
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- With EVs seemingly needing very little maintenance, it's tempting to skip that visit to the mechanic, and as EVs get older it's harder for people to justify the expense. So just what do EVs need? And what can you do at home?
00:10 EV VS internal combustion engine servicing
02:00 Why should you service and EV?
02:52 How do you know what you should do?
04:00 Basic exterior checks
05:19 Air filter checks
05:50 Traction battery
06:18 Check for pests
07:12 12v Auxiliary battery
07:59 Under the hood fluids
08:30 Brake fluid and flushing the brake fluid
10:04 Checking the tires
10:59 Check boots
11:10 Check and maintain brake pads
11:57 Range extender checks and services
11:26 Changing the oil on the extender
13:00 Tell the car's computer that it's been serviced!
Presenter: Kate Walton-Elliott
Script: Kate Walton-Elliott
Produced: Transport Evolved
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If you have an EV with strong regen, I've heard it's a good idea to occasionally do a hard stop to ensure you use the friction brakes to reduce brake rust issues.
@@hybridstoatdragon yes, only brake check yourself please 😆
U won't get regen when ur car is fully charged until u get the battery down to about 95% or so..so I think the breaks do get regular massage from rust
I think the car does that by itself. At least ive read that my Volt does.
I think different auto makers are handling this differently... But for many this is a good idea
A lot of cars clean brakes of rust automatically.
Maintenance suggestion: clean the inside of your windshield. So many people ignore this and a dirty inside window will fog more-easily, requiring AC to de-fog.
If you're ever driving behind someone at night and they drop their speed massively every time a car comes the other way, it's almost guaranteed that's what's wrong.
@@peglor exactly
Since I got our Bolts, I haven't touched a drop of gas or oil. However, I check both Bolts monthly - air pressure and coolant fluid level. Love it !
As a former DEC Alpha fanboy I'm loving that top. Good video!
I really like seeing some more practical, hands on technical videos on Your channel. I'm very excited how the conversion of Rebecca will turn out.
Been a mechanic for 40 years… this video is spot on!
Great Video! Good advice for any EV owner. I loved the ironic delivery as well. 😀
this was sooo funny (tongue in cheek funny - nasty cough there), thank you Kate!
Back when I had a car (12 years car-free!) I used a silicone brake fluid that didn't absorb water. It was more expensive, but was worry-free. I have no idea if these still exist, but it might be worth a look next time you need to flush it. Great video - thanks.
Usually silicone brake fluid rots brake seals and hoses designed for the standard stuff. With modern ABS and ESC systems I wouldn't put anything other than the recommended fluid into the brake system. You may have had one of the cars from the DOT 5 brake fluid era. DOT 5.1 is compatible with DOT4 fluid (Which is the spec most cars still use AFAIK), but DOT 5 is completely different and incompatible - I think this is the silicone based fluid.
@@peglor Thanks for the insight. Having to keep up on all this is another good reason I don't own a car any more. :-)
Love that digital shirt, my dad brought a workstation home once
Kate, great to see you on the channel again. Pleased you gave the i3 another go after problems with your 2013 one. Here in the U.K. The REx has been dropped from the i3 when the battery went up to 120Ah. I got my i3 in September 2019. I find I don't miss the REx at all, great fun and distinctive car.
Break fluid should be flushed every two years and if you like the ABS system working because not doing it will destroy the main part that is well over 200-300 dollars for it if not more. If you are taking the wheels off to do any service put your wheel under the car to add to the safety factor. If your driving a hybrid you should put a additive into the tank if you aren't driving with the gas engine. This will hopefully ensure the engine will run when needed.
Bitter ex technical writer has me laughing.
me, too. while i am looking sideways at the manual of my nissan leaf, lying right next to this keyboard - being ignored.
Thank you for this video. I own an EV and I'm always asked what the maintenance is like. Even the service center said bring it back in two years and we'll check the motor bearings. Three years in and no maintenance needed except for new tires. Oh I do have to refill the washer fluid reservoir once in a while, LOL. Thanks.
Watching this video while making a list of fluids and oils I need to change on my old petrol car got me jealous.
Excellent advice with humour too.
Just had my Leaf 4 year service done, independent engineer who I trust. Changed the air filter not because it was dirty but because the Nissan one is rubbish. All the usual brake, oil and suspension/steering checks. On the fluids side, brake & final drive , I always get changed on condition. Boiling point on brakes and clarity/cleanliness on final drive.
Thanks for the run down. EVs are great in that they are low maintenance. Good reminder about the furry not so friends.
Kath.. you are a jewl and your words are all wisdom.....
Thanks, Kate - great vid as usual!
Thank you for making this video. I enjoy your vids, and wish TE released more with you in general. I am buying an EV very soon, and I appreciate your advice.
Ref oil volume on the i3 REX: The "BMW university" training material confirms it as 2.6 liters as you said (page 59 in the REX engine section). Using the BMW product codes, you can find a PDF copy most likely as the first result to this search: www.google.com/search?q=BMW+i01+%22W20K06U0%22+type%3Apdf
I01 = BMW i3 engineering code
W20K06U0 = REX engine code
Here in Scandinavia, braked service one a yearly basis, after winter, is the most important, unless wanna buy new brakes every other year. Actively cooled cars also require that aircondition works, like on a tesla model s/x that would need a check (pressure test) every 2 years. If the aircondition stops working your can no longer supercharge. Changing filters and wiper fluid, etc. you can do yourself, but you need to get the parts anyway. In the end you can build/fix everything yourself, but sometimes it's just not worth it.
So funny! Just worked on some Sodick CNC machines today and was thinking a good technical/service manual could of turned a 4 hour job into a 20 min job. A good manual is a rarity!
Yeah, I'm sharing this with my car-owning friends. Hopefully, it'll make then more welcoming of EVs as their next vehicle.
I've now owned my first (used) EV for a little over a year and I was wondering about EVERYTHING you've mentioned. Thank you... awesome vid. BTW... I love your sense of humor as well.
My dealer has free coffee - and cookies! They're also right near a bunch of nature trails that I fully checked out when I got the final fix applied to my Bolt, so I just used work done as an excuse for a hike.
That totally makes up for the prices they charge vs. the local grease monkey.
You can use the button on the left of the drivers cluster to reset service intervals. Power on without touching the brake. Hold button for 10 seconds. Push button to Toggle through services. Push for 3 seconds to confirm. Push for 3 seconds to reset.
I always loved the amount of interesting good information you share. You are amazing.
This!! We want more of this!
One thing everyone misses is a coolant flush - coolant has a limited life just like brake fluid 3 to 7 years depending on type and location and when it extra cold its life breaks down more so look at your user manual. Battery coolant could mean be special tools like vacuum pumps and spanners
@@GregHassler That makes sense, automotive coolants are designed to handle combustion engine temperatures and, compared to that, using them in a battery basically equals storing them on a shelf at room temperature.
Keep in mind that when a company says "the life of your vehicle" it has a clear idea of what the vehicles life is, and that may not be as long as some owners keep their cars. But yes, EV coolant is *way* less stressed that ICE car's coolant, and needs very infrequent changing - Winter
Love the Guantanamo look overalls!
I know many people who never service their ICE cars either, they get away with it year after year. Most modern stuff ICE or EV doesn't "need" maintenance but they will thank you for it long term. Zero maintenance Tesla is a misnomer, just go to any service centre and see how many cars they have in each day and that's will a very young fleet age. Of course, if you lease or have company cars that change every 2 or 3 years it doesn't matter, the next owner will have to pick up the pieces and cost.
maybe when the EV is out of warranty otherwise you might void the warranty if you botch the DIY maintenance.
In the US report any company claiming you voided warranty to the FTC.
They have to prove it was caused by what you did.
You also have to still get a stamp, you can do as much extra in between as you want.
I downloaded the full Nissan workshop manual for the Leaf. Almost all the items that need servicing are perfectly conventional and no more of difficult to service than an ICE car.
Very interesting advice!!
You are practically an engineer. Fantastic tips here, although I would never attempt to bleed out my breaking fluid. That is a mechanic's job. At least in my case. Don't want to mess up with this one... I don't own an EV, would like too, but having to service none of the parts and systems of an ICE car would certainly make my trips to the shop a lot less often.
In principle yes I'd agree that EV will require far less attention at service time compared with its ICE cousins. However, at the end of my first year of MG ZS EV ownership, because a modern EV is less of a car and more of an interconnected network of ECUs, I opted for Main Dealer Service since during the previous 12 months there had been so many software updates plus a major (if apparently optional) systems upgrade "Comfort 2". The other plus of a service is maintaining the 7 Year Warranty.
What brand of rodent deterrent can you recommend? Tabby or black and white?
I pretty much like your digital shirt! Who still knows what this means? :D
Thank you for this good advice. 👍
Lovely to relax and watch with proper subtitles I usually have to struggle with auto generated english. The channel is usually not bad with auto generated but as you have expanded your subtitles have become less reliable. Strangely most of the shorts have proper subs which offsets the dreaded portrait mode. Please think about subtitles and at least allow auto generated so we hard of hearing types can follow your otherwise great channel.
We're trying to be better about using our scripts for proper subtitles instead of auto-generated ones, though it can be tough with certain kinds of content that aren't scripted. Please give us a poke when a video doesn't have proper subtitles, as sometimes we miss it in the rush to get content published, but they can be added later. - Winter
1:45 They don't do that on ICE built since the 1980s cars either
I have a 1993 MX5 ,purchased in 2001, and all the routine maintenance it's ever needed was oil , brake fluid and coolant changes and tyre checks and a cam belt every 100,000 km
Don't forget the blinker fluid :P
Interesting and funny, brilliant.
I have a smart electric with battery rental. Not sure that self servicing will invalidate the battery insurance. Anybody know?
Nice video!!!! thank you for sharing your video!!!!!!!!!!!!
My story... long sorry:
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My wife took my EV to have a puncture fixed at Canadian Tire (you only get one guess as to which country I'm in). Can you believe it, those sons of b..... decided to 'pad the deal' by doing a full service on the car. They charged her $170 and the list included (among others), changing engine oil, checking transmission oil, changing oil filter, change the air filter, check the fuel filter. I went ballistic, took the list to Canadian Tire and proceeded to have a screaming match with the staff. They arrogantly told me, "of course we checked all those items, how dare you accuse us of lieing"..... just imagine their faces when I told them, "IT'S ELECTRIC !!!!"
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Great Video it is exactly my Humor.
I'm at the moment checking witch things I need to check on our two Renault ZOE and the only annoying thing I encountered so far is that the Phase 1 ZOE can only save one set of TPMS sensors, so I have to tell it the new ones every time I switch from summer to winter tires (or back as I just did)
The thing about mice, rats or Mustelidae / weasels that are well known for moving in gas cars here in Germany and taking insulation or biting in hoses or cables... I thought most BEVs have closed undersites for lower drag and so it's harder for small animals to get into the warm parts...
That's about my little experience - thanks for these interesting videos, you do on the channel!
I think general servicing of EVs is going to be much easier, but when things go wrong, could be much more difficult! (see Gruber vlogs)
All cars are gone that way though - it's literally not possible to do many simple service procedures without plugging a computer into your car these days - brake fluid changes on ABS/ESC cars often need you to put the ABS module into a certain mode to allow the bleed to take place. The funny thing is that most of the stuff that breaks people's hearts in car reliability is still in electric cars - suspension parts, air conditioning, door seals and drains, brake fluid, coolant and electronic sensors with bad fault trapping software.
While moisture in brake fluid lowers its boiling point, the brakes in an EV should be quite cold in the moments prior to panic braking and any boiling that might occur would happen while the return path is closed off by the pedal being pressed in. The boiling brake fluid won't have anywhere to expand into to release pressure until the brake pedal is released. (And before fluid can boil, heat has to make its way through the brake pads and calipers. You will likely have stopped long before then. Not likely to happen even on ICE cars unless you drive like a maniac or are on a race track.)
The problem with water in brake fluid during a panic stop occurs when the water turns to steam, which is compressible. This creates a lower volume in the brake lines and causes the brake pedal to drop. You would have to let up on the brake pedal and reapply brake pressure, the last thing you will think about during a panic stop.
@@keithoneil9274 Boiling liquid in brake cylinders has nowhere to expand to while brake pedal pressure is being applied and the return path is closed off. It can only expand when the pedal is lifted. That is when boiling liquid will expand, shoot the brake fluid back into the master cylinder and make you lose all braking power. As long as you don't let the brake pedal go during a panic stop, you have at least one good shot at it regardless of what non-compressible fluid may be in the brake system.
Hey, the place I take my BMW i3 has really *GOOD* vending machine coffee! (And it's free.)
Here are the serious maintenance issues on the Nissan Leaf:
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The ball joints are not designed for the torque of the motor. Seriously consider changing the ball joints if you have a 'knocking noise" coming from the front wheels (the wheel can literally fall off). DO NOT USE original Nissan Ball joints - they cost $400 per join ($800 for both wheels) and are obviously under designed for their job. After-market joints for the Nissan Juke fit the LEAF, are way more robust for the torque requirements and cost $40 each.
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The LEAF needs a radiator sensor change at about 90,000km. You will hear the fan running permanently when the sensor has gone. Use google to learn more and you can do it yourself. The sensor costs about $50.
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I have heard that some people have arrived at their LEAF and the door won't open - their 12V battery went dead. Well buy a new one, I have a 2014 LEAF (7 year old car) and my 12V battery is still good (touch wood). So hey 7 years is amazing for the 12V battery - the EV regulates the 12V battery way better than an ICE car.
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Other stuff, like tyres, brake pads are the same as any other car
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Nice digital shirt!
Love the digital shirt Kate! My 40 year career has been managing digital(Compaq/HP) VAX/VMS(OpenVMS) Systems and started at Cal Poly Pomona with digital RSX and RSTS/E systems!
Wow, retro shirt from Digital fantastic. Though on topic those EV's on warranty sometimes will void your warranty if you don't get it serviced depends on the manufacturer obviously. Easy stuff that doesn't need to touch the high voltage system I have no problem with but with anything still under warranty rather not void it and let the dealer do and at least my service costs are a fixed amount and is far less than my old 16yr old ICE car.
I don't have an EV..........yet - I suspect that most new EV owners have the assumption that their cars are maintenance free, and I would think that the manufactures would realize this, and have sensors (with reminders) when a fluid/system needs attention.
*Maybe they do, and I haven't researched that deep yet
"...greasing many nipples! And checking for lubrication." Quality script writing :-)
the ev power train you don’t need to worry about to a degree. General suspension, tyres and brakes after a the mileage kicks in people will have to keep thinking about
So interesting
Are the bright orange, HV wiring coloured, coveralls required for the service? Is this an EV thing or can you also wear the classic filthy blue or grey ones too?
(And my understanding is that the Holden/GM Volt needs a traction battery re-balance every year or so.. According to a friend's dealer, this is something that isn't done automatically for.. reasons. But is a 'plug in scantool and tell car to do it while waiting for the result' thing.)
@Kate does the Niro-EV have mandatory dealer maintenance checks in the US too? In Europe you have to have those if you don't want the 7year waranty to laps.
Although the dealer I spoke with wasn't a fan having to do those kinda pointless maintenance checks.
Suspension and doors might need a bit of lubrication. Especially in a quiet EV you will hear every creak and squeak.
omg i used to work on VAX/DEC machines! lol
Me too! PDP-8L, 16 and a DEC 20
Me too :)
Good report - HOWEVER. It appears you've overlooked some critical service or change out components that ALL cars require, like; Oxygen sensor, CAT Converter, Oil and Filter, Transmission service, leaking gasket replacements, coolant flush with thermostat and fuel filter are the things that come to mind. ALL cars have these and a quick lube or automotive repair shop should be able to take care of these. Of course there IS the dealer's service department. Pardon? EVs have NONE of these? On most used cars this is a savings of thousands a year (including gas savings).
@@cofal79 WOW - I've spent over 50 years as a certified tech on cars, trucks, boats, planes, EVs and Computers (and some time as a Code Monkey). My experiences don't align with your perceptions. Oh well, I could be wrong.
What about a coolant flush
Hi Kate,
I really liked this video. I also own an i3 Rex and I'm very curious about the app that you're using for the maintenance and maybe coding.. I've used bimmercode before, but since my i3 has been serviced at the dealership last year they blocked the main body control unit so now the app can't access it anymore. Even though I had my i3 serviced by BMW last year (because of warranty reasons), I do plan to service it myself in the future, as I've done for many years with my old Renault Megane.
Greets from the Netherlands 👋
For servicing I used Bimmerlink. If you're having problems with Bimmercode I'm not sure it'll work - but iirc the free version will connect and read info, but not let you set service info, so that might let you know if it'll work. ^Kate
@@transportevolved thanks for the reply! 👍🙂
Excellent information and presentation. What you said about not charging the car fully every day, can you elaborate in a future episode? How do you recommend we handle it? I guess it depends on the car, because some cars have more margin above the 100% charge, and not all cars let you charge to a specific level below 100%.
Simple way to handle it: if a car does not allow limiting the final charge at least somewhat, just don’t buy it. Volt is excluded from the rule, because 100% on the Volt isn’t actually 100%.
Ah the trusty Gunson Eezibleed. Marvellous bit of kit. And implausibly-clean oil coming out of your engine. It's supposed to be black!
Nope. My 2013 Volt REX oil is the colour of olive oil. Done 80,000 km at 0.8 l/100km long run.
👍
Gotta admit I miss "greasing many nipples and checking lubrication" on my former gas cars ;)
Electric cars will still need some maintenance. Mechanics won’t be out of business because they will still need someone to fix and reprogram all the electronics when it’s glitching out if it’s high tech
Trouble is if not service by a VAT registered mechanic “EU law” my Niro looses its warranty so it’s back to the dealer each year.
I know you really are not joking about the vending machine coffee. In high school in France I used to buy a snickers from the vending machine and a hot chocolate from the hot chocolate/coffee vending machine every single day.
I didn't do that, but used to buy lunch in a shop every day - then I started adding up what I spent every week and every year and was shocked enough at the results that I made my own lunches after that. A tip for anyone who thinks this option wouldn't work for them is to ask the question do you spend more time in the queue in the canteen/cafe than it would take to make a lunch at home? If that's even remotely yes there's no downside to it.
Thanks for the video Kate. You mentioned that your rodent repellent is working. Would you be willing to share what it is? We have been having problems with mice and we are not sure what to do.
We use the Fresh Cab Botanical Rodent Repellant. Although it may just be that they're more interested in our chickens' dropped feed these days!
Offtopic - Tech writer - that's the job only for people that like the phrase "I told you so" :)
I suppose, if you find the main switch
blinker fluid, you forgot blinker fluid
Thanks for adopting the car of the Year early and somewhat surprising that none of the warnings are automatically cancel by the maintenance. I don't remember how many kilowatts range extender generator is but liquid nitrogen entrepreneur in Florida shows off the 40 horsepower model and it is very very tiny it is obvious that the liquid nitrogen can vent via a flexible she posed so you can put it in your trunk even Frunk.
But BMW is more likely to offer a fuel cell range extender with obvious use case being Indian Uber liquid nitrogen Universal car. If liquid nitrogen is not significantly more expensive then Diesel in India watch out!
Rich Rebuilds rebuilt a Tesla in his garage.
With kitchen knives hehe.
But his runs on gasoline :-).
Are Haynes doing any EV models????
That's a VERY interesting question! I'm going to look into that - Winter
Thanks for this info. You should get that cough checked out though.
Clean the seat belt retractors.
I have trained my mice to service the Peugeot electric van
Folks... shorting yourself out can't be too fun... don't let a loose electrode weld you to the floorboard...safety first
You are demanding Tesla to offer a service where they gaze at your fine car and don't want to get paid? 🤷♀️🤷♂️
Please go to Kia, VW, BMW or Hyundai or even visit your Stellantis local dealerchip and grate on their nerves. Thx! 👍👍👍
Where Nikki at.🧐
Nikki is busy filming shorts and time-sensitive videos for the channel, not to mention editing up terabytes of footage from all the car reviews she's been filming, so you're seeing a bit more of Kate and I. - Winter
@@transportevolved TY folks for your many contributions to a better future and cleaner 🌎😘
RTFM lol
Look, it is obvious that ICEs need more maintenance... but this video was so snarky that I stopped at 2:03... I haven't had to set rocker arms at 5K miles for decades. My Mitsubishi is seven years only and hasn't needed it ever. Nipples? Common, that went out in the 60s. This vlog might play well to the adolescents on your subscriber list, but if you want turn other people off... just keep this type of crap up.
Yep, I thought the rocker arm thing was odd, that's only needed for cars with solid lifters, cars have used hydraulic lifters for decades.
Vending machine coffee is out of order because of cough cough coughid...
so where is the Biden incentive?
Still knocking Tesla I see even is it was tongue in cheek but to be honest it's getting boring.
disagree. providing a full schedule of maintenance is but a stone in the path to giving consumers more options to service and repair evs. No matter how much less that cost may seem now vs that seen with ices, we need more options. and i say this as a tesla owner. i strongly support codifying and expanding right to repair with legislation.
In the future, please point your microphone towards the center of your chest instead of away- it's really hard to hear and understand you on this video.
Please just get to the point !!!!!!