Question on Service Intervals

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bobkart

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Messages
346
Location
Pacific Northwest
I understand the service intervals are yearly for the more major service and twice that for minor stuff. Then if you are in a light-use situation you can cut that frequency in half.

My question is are those intervals based off of the original sale date of the vehicle or (in the case of, say, a lease return), does the clock start over on the second sale date?

For example, my 2016 S was originally sold (leased actually) in June of 2016, then I bought it in December of 2018. So this month is three years from the original sale date but only six months from the second sale date. Which service level (major or minor) should I be talking to my dealer about?

And yes I did ask the service department at both the dealership where I purchased the vehicle and a closer Nissan dealership, and they gave me conflicting answers: the first one said my upcoming service this month is the minor one, the second one gave the other answer (it'll be a three-year service and thus 'major'). The dealership where I purchased the vehicle included a free 'first' (six-month) service so that might be why they'd like that to be minor.

An additional/related question regards the annual battery inspection required to keep the battery warranty in force: am I due one this month or does the clock start over and I don't need one until December?

(I just searched and my major/minor terms are apparently also called full/intermediate.)
 
Ignore time based intervals. If they are rational at all, they are based on non-EV cars and presume some 12k - 15k miles of driving a year.

When was the last service ?
What was done ?
How many miles have elapsed overall, and since the last service ?

---
Check fluids
Check your tyres and pressures
If 50k miles of driving have accumulated check your brake fluid with a strip.
Clean you air cabin filter

The end.

Our 2013 LEAF with 32k miles was maintenance cost free until last month when I replaced a windshield wiper blade (~ $2) and put on new tyres ($400) and paid for an alignment ($69.) That should do it for the remainder of the car's life unless more wiper blades are needed. And avoid Nissan dealerships like the plague. They are as likely to pester you to pay for a transmission flush and oil change as have a clue.
 
Do note that in your service & maintenance guide, there should be a reference to complimentary multi-point inspections.

The consensus here is that the brake fluid change interval is way too frequent. You can buy a brake fluid tester to measure moisture content and some test strips to check copper content.
 
Thanks SageBrush, that sounds like good advice.

One interval I can't ignore until my battery warranty ends (actually powertrain, seven years I believe) is the requirement for annual battery checks. Wondering then if I need one this month or can wait until December. I suppose it depends on when the last one was done, which was before I purchased the vehicle. Is that something I can ask the dealer and expect an answer?

Maybe to play it safe I just get one now and then I know when the last one was.
 
Ignore that useless battery check with the pride that comes from saving $100. Your warranty is safe without it.
 
bobkart said:
One interval I can't ignore until my battery warranty ends (actually powertrain, seven years I believe) is the requirement for annual battery checks. Wondering then if I need one this month or can wait until December. I suppose it depends on when the last one was done, which was before I purchased the vehicle. Is that something I can ask the dealer and expect an answer?

Maybe to play it safe I just get one now and then I know when the last one was.
No. Battery defects warranty on 24 kWh cars (like your '16 S) is 8 years/100K miles.

Powertrain and EV system warranty is 5 years/60K miles. Consult your warranty booklet.

I would also see if the dealer can tell you. Whether or not it's really "required" (yes, I know about the clauses in the manual) is a point of debate. I've been getting them done annually, just to be on the safe side.
 
SageBrush said:
Ignore that useless battery check with the pride that comes from saving $100. Your warranty is safe without it.
Interesting . . . that I had not heard.

Sounds like there's zero need to ever visit a Nissan service center for maintenance.

Thanks for your help.
 
IIRC, my local dealer charges $39 for the useless to the customer battery printout and check.

IIRC, there are reports that folks who didn't get the "required" annual battery check still were able to get their battery replaced under the capacity warranty. It may/may not help if something comes up in the future while within the battery warranty. From the '16 warranty booklet
MAINTENANCE , DATA ACCESS, AND
RECORDS
As a condition of this warranty, you are responsible for
properly using, maintaining and caring for your vehicle
as outlined in your OWNER’S MANUAL and your
NISSAN LEAF SERVICE & MAINTENANCE GUIDE,
and maintaining copies of all maintenance records &
receipts for review by Nissan. You are required to perform
annual EV Battery Usage Reports at intervals of
12 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months,
60 months, 72 months, and 84 months. These EV
Battery Usage Reports can be performed by a Nissan
LEAF certified dealer or any qualified repair shop facility.
The 12 and 24 month EV Battery Usage Report will be
performed at no charge to the customer, provided the
work is done at a Nissan LEAF certified dealer. Any
damage or failure resulting from a failure to have these
required services performed, or that could have been
avoided had these services been performed, is not
covered under warranty.

You are also required to provide consent to give Nissan
access to data stored on vehicle systems for the purpose
of vehicle diagnosis and repair. Failure to do so is
likely to result in denial of warranty coverage.

Evidence of the performance of the required maintenance
should be kept and presented as proof of such
maintenance in connection with related warranty repairs.
To assist you in maintaining appropriate records,
the maintenance log located in your NISSAN LEAF
SERVICE & MAINTENANCE GUIDE can be used along
with supporting repair invoices, receipts and other such
records.
 
cwerdna said:
Powertrain and EV system warranty is 5 years/60K miles.

Thanks for the clarification; I see that one now in my paperwork. The seven-year one is the CPO warranty, but am unsure what it covers (84 months / 100,000 miles).

And I found the battery inspection report that came with it and the date is in September of last year. So if I'm inclined to 'be safe' on that front I have another three months before that needs to happen.

I have an OBD2/Bluetooth dongle coming soon so I can see the battery health myself. That will likely help me decide if the annual battery checks are worth doing.
 
To be clear, the small print of the warranty says if you did not get the battery report performed and having it performed would have found a problem that could have been repaired before causing additional damage then the warranty will not be honored.

That is a very high bar of proof for Nissan; I would say just about impossible. This forum has ZERO reports of warranty refusal based on the above limitation.

Moreover, I can only think of ONE battery replacement reported here due to manufacturing defect rather than accelerated degradation - which would obviously not apply since Nissan refuses as a matter of policy to do anything until the threshold for replacement is reached.
 
SageBrush said:
To be clear, the small print of the warranty says if you did not get the battery report performed and having it performed would have found a problem that could have been repaired before causing additional damage then the warranty will not be honored.

That is a very high bar of proof for Nissan; I would say just about impossible. This forum has ZERO reports of warranty refusal based on the above limitation.
That's very helpful . . . thanks again.
 
On my 2015 Leaf the only maintenance cost was wiper blade refills and one cabin air filter I bought from Amazon. I had annual battery checks done twice and I don’t remember paying anything for it.

I don’t know why Nissan has brake fluid checks as frequently as they recommend. All my other cars never required this.
 
I don’t know why Nissan has brake fluid checks as frequently as they recommend. All my other cars never required this.

It's a sop to Nissan service departments. They claim that EVs are harder on brake fluid, but the opposite is usually the case. One flush every 3-5 years under normal conditions is fine.
 
LeftieBiker said:
I don’t know why Nissan has brake fluid checks as frequently as they recommend. All my other cars never required this.

It's a sop to Nissan service departments. They claim that EVs are harder on brake fluid, but the opposite is usually the case. One flush every 3-5 years under normal conditions is fine.

I would also expect that changing the Brake Fluid more often is a benefit to the consumer rather than the dealer.

On the Leaf, the braking system, antilock, and master cylinder is unique to the leaf, and is electric. Changing the brake fluid every 40K miles or so will remove contaminants that can destroy components that will make you poor to replace...
 
Replacing brake fluid is cheap maintenance, to protect all components from rust/corrosion. We all know brake fluid is hygroscopic, so time is as critical as mileage. I will stay with 3 year brake fluid replacement interval, regardless of mileage, based on many, many years of experience.
 
gncndad said:
Replacing brake fluid is cheap maintenance, to protect all components from rust/corrosion. We all know brake fluid is hygroscopic, so time is as critical as mileage. I will stay with 3 year brake fluid replacement interval, regardless of mileage, based on many, many years of experience.
Your experience is with cars that do not use regenerative brakes
 
I used a test strip to check my brake fluid at about the 3 year mark. Others have done so as well. AFAIK none of us got anything other than a perfect test result. The strips test for both water and metal in the fluid.
 
SageBrush said:
gncndad said:
Replacing brake fluid is cheap maintenance, to protect all components from rust/corrosion. We all know brake fluid is hygroscopic, so time is as critical as mileage. I will stay with 3 year brake fluid replacement interval, regardless of mileage, based on many, many years of experience.
Your experience is with cars that do not use regenerative brakes

Chevy Bolt has a 5 year brake fluid replacement recommendation
Tesla has a 2 year check brake fluid and replace if nessesary
WHY IS NISSAN DIFFERENT?
 
FWIW, I bled the brakes on my '17 at 15k miles and almost 2 years since delivery. The fluid was darker than I expected having done this on many cars. On the plus side, the brake pedal is now firmer and the transition between regen and friction is much improved. I was becoming frustrated at how much pedal was needed to get friction braking, and how grabby the brakes had become.

I've done the maintenance on my cars for years, and my Euro ones specified a 2-year interval also, so I've gotten into the habit. I know that lots of people never replace their brake fluid and don't have a problem. It's cheap and relatively easy to DIY, so I've continued to do it for peace of mind and to -- sometimes -- improve brake pedal feel.
 
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