Do I need this maintenance? !

[treinjapan]

Hey Leafers!

I've had my Leaf for almost 1.5 years, and it was a dealer test drive car for a year before that. It only has about 8000 miles on it.
Went in for my 2-yearly inspection (a legal inspection here in Japan), and they suggested I get my brake fluid changed and my cabin filter replaced. I know they do this to everyone, and the majority of people probably accept it, but I was just wondering what everyone thinks since I only have 8000 miles on it.

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks in advance

 

[kubel]

No.

After the third or fourth year, you might want to replace the brake fluid. And depending on how dirty it is, you might want to replace the cabin air filter. I've had my leaf for 38 months now and I've done no maintenance to it other than new tires and washer fluid.

 

[RonDawg]

Welcome back tre! Long time no hear!

I don't know what Nissan Japan's service recommendations are, but Nissan USA recommends a brake fluid change every two years. While some folks think that is excessive, because brake fluid tends to absorb water, and Japan can be a rather humid climate in summer (not sure if Hokkaido gets as humid as the rest of the country), I would go with the every 2 year recommendation.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Has anyone ever seen a three year old car with sticking calipers from rusted cylinders? Me neither. If you want to be cautious, have the fluid changed at three years. As for the cabin filter, I drive about 5k miles a year; I had it changed at one year, and it was maybe half dirty. I don't regret it because the Fram 'Fresh Breeze' filter works much better than the OEM one, but I skipped having it changed the second year.

 

[freemywrld]

I think one thing people need to bear in mind in regards to brake fluid is not the mileage, but time - especially in humid climates. While 2 years isn't likely enough time for absorbed water to cause rusting or corrosion in the master cylinder or calipers, once brake fluid has hit it's saturation point for the amount of water it can "hold", any additional absorbed water is free to boil when the fluid gets hot, making way for air in the brake lines, mushy brake pedal, and possible brake system failure. In the case of an emergency stop where regenerative braking doesn't have the time to slow the vehicle down enough, such a circumstance will likely cause a collision.

In places like Seattle, brake fluid on all vehicles should be replaced every 2-3 years, regardless of mileage driven. Drier areas will not see the need for replacement until closer to 5 years (unless the fluid has gotten very dirty/contaminated).

 

[Nubo]

There are test kits you can use if your mission in life is to get the maximum service life out of your brake fluid. But 2 years is a reasonable (if somewhat fastidious) brake-flush interval, imho. Nissan recommends it YEARLY for LEAF, which is a bit ridiculous and I imagine was a way for them to throw their service depts a bone since LEAFs don't come in for oil changes, tuneups, etc. etc...

The cabin air filter is a fairly easy do-it-yourself item.

 

[keydiver]

Nissan recommends it YEARLY for LEAF, which is a bit ridiculous and I imagine was a way for them to throw their service depts a bone since LEAFs don't come in for oil changes, tuneups, etc. etc...

Its only recommended yearly in Schedule 1 (Severy Duty), which is defined as:
SCHEDULE 1 (more severe operating conditions)
Use Schedule 1 if you primarily operate your electric vehicle under any
of these conditions:
Repeated short trips of less than 5 miles in normal temperatures or
less than 10 miles in freezing temperatures
Stop-and-go traffic in hot weather or low speed driving for long distances
Driving in dusty conditions or on rough, muddy, or salt-spread roads
Using a car-top carrier

 

[RonDawg]

Has anyone ever seen a three year old car with sticking calipers from rusted cylinders?.

I have experienced sticky brake calipers on my own Nissan Hardbody pickup which was only two years old at the time.

Spending about $100 every 2-3 years on a maintenance item on $30k+ car is not out of line. Brake repairs are more costly than that, never mind the safety implications.

My father used to pinch pennies and ignore maintenance until it developed into a costly and inconvenient repair. My time and my safety are worth more than the less than $5 a month the brake flush is worth.

 

[treinjapan]

Thanks for your input guys!
I'll look around to see if I can do the filter myself, and probably have the brake fluid changed. The car is basically 3 years old now, and the majority of our trips are less than 5 miles. Summer in Hokkaido can get pretty humid as well. I think the whole brake service is something like $60 or so.

 

[Nubo]

Nissan recommends it YEARLY for LEAF, which is a bit ridiculous and I imagine was a way for them to throw their service depts a bone since LEAFs don't come in for oil changes, tuneups, etc. etc...

Its only recommended yearly in Schedule 1 (Severy Duty), which is defined as:
SCHEDULE 1 (more severe operating conditions)
Use Schedule 1 if you primarily operate your electric vehicle under any
of these conditions:
Repeated short trips of less than 5 miles in normal temperatures or
less than 10 miles in freezing temperatures
Stop-and-go traffic in hot weather or low speed driving for long distances
Driving in dusty conditions or on rough, muddy, or salt-spread roads
Using a car-top carrier

Also:
"Generally, Schedule 2 applies only to highway driving in temperate conditions."

 

[LeftieBiker]

I have experienced sticky brake calipers on my own Nissan Hardbody pickup which was only two years old at the time.

Were the slave cylinders actually rusted on the inside, or was it the much more common sticking caliper slides?

 

[emanresu]

Absolutely not. You can buy test strips for the brake fluid that change color according to how much copper is suspended in the fluid (that's what you are checking). I tested mine after three years, and it had barely changed from new. I live in a fairly humid climate (Tennessee) so I'm thinking 8 years.