What happens when a cheap used EV goes wrong?

ELM327

It's a common thread question. What happens when my 13 year old (in my case) cheap/used/auction EV has a problem and it's well out of dealer warranty. Big red errors on the screen, visit dealer flashing at you. Car won't move.

Happened me today. My 2011 leaf, I came out to it after parking on a hill and using the parking brake for the first time since the NCT tested it. Usually the leaf is very easy if there's any problems or warnings, plug out and plug in the 12v and replace the 12v if it occurs again.

Not today, flashing parking brake signal on the dash, visit dealer, car won't move (without fighting the parking brake which I don't want to do). It's an electronic parking brake, so not a foot pedal that I can pull the cable. Cleared the code with leafspy but it came back instantly So do I need to pay thousands at a main dealer? NO!!

Simple guides online on how to manually move the parking brake, and I have leafspy to clear the fault after. Total cost to me to repair? €0, about 30 minutes and some scuffed knuckles 😁

After following the guide above I greased the shoe for the handbrake itself (it's on the wheel, you can see it easy enough)

the_amazing_raisin

I can't help but laugh at the idea of having to stand behind the car while disengaging the parking brake. You'd want to be very sure of the auto hold

To be fair, I've only seen the auto hold defeated once and that was the hill of Tara

Del2005

The same thing that happens when a 13 year old ICE starts getting problems, you find an indy garage that knows how to work on the car. The fact that there is feck all garages that are willing to work on BEVS is the same problem that all early adaptors face and as BEV sales flatten the early adaptors are still in the majority here.

ELM327

And the error returned, seems like the gears need to be reset. I found a handy guide on reddit (of all places, via a google search). I'll get at that at the weekend.

https://www.reddit.com/r/leaf/comments/116mdru/this_is_the_car_i_was_to_take_to_work_in_9/

batistuta9

good you're able to sort it but for gen pop that'd be another tick in the avoid EVs box

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122331417#Comment_122331417

What garages refuse to work on BEVs? I haven't seen any that mention not working on EVs

Besides, the parking brake isn't part of the power train and is probably the same electronic brake in other Nissans. So any Nissan experienced garage can fix it

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122331617#Comment_122331617

Gosh they're going to be screwed when they realise ICE cars have parking brakes as well 😜

zg3409

Leaf handbrake issues are common. I think there is some plastic gears part with a motor that gives trouble. As said Google is your friend and leafs are so common and old there are bound to be guides on YouTube etc. An electric handbrake is on nearly all cars these days.

the_amazing_raisin

I assume this issue is only for the cars with electronic parking brakes and not the manual pedal version?

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122331617#Comment_122331617

Same as any other car in the last 5-10 years, they all have similar electronic parking brakes.

ELM327

Yes the manual version doesnt have the stupid actuator to fail.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122331832#Comment_122331832

Cool, at least that's one less brake issue I need to worry about with wife's Leaf

I already had to do the magic trick to get the brakes unfrozen from the discs