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What happens when a cheap used EV goes wrong?

  • 02-07-2024 12:04pm
    #1
    ELM327
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,639 ✭✭✭✭


    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 😁

    image.png

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



Comments

  • #2
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,427 ✭✭✭✭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

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



  • #3
    Del2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,102 ✭✭✭✭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.



  • #4
    ELM327
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,639 ✭✭✭✭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/



  • #5
    batistuta9
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,366 ✭✭✭batistuta9


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



  • #6
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,427 ✭✭✭✭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 internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



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  • #7
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,427 ✭✭✭✭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 😜

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



  • #8
    zg3409
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,035 ✭✭✭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.



  • #9
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,427 ✭✭✭✭the_amazing_raisin


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

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



  • #10
    ELM327
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,639 ✭✭✭✭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.



  • #11
    ELM327
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,639 ✭✭✭✭ELM327


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



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  • #12
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,427 ✭✭✭✭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

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



  • #13
    Red Silurian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,636 ✭✭✭✭Red Silurian


    It's great that you found a solution but your problem isn't specific to EVs, plenty of ICE cars have the same electronic parking brake, personally I don't like too many things in cars going electronic (except the drivetrain, obviously)



  • #14
    ELM327
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,639 ✭✭✭✭ELM327


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122333987#Comment_122333987

    I agree, and that;s the point I was making. There's so much nonsense out there about EVs being too expensive to repair. It's every new/ish car these days, too much computers on wheels. Give me a car where you hit the parking brake with a hammer if it gets stuck!!



  • #15
    Red Silurian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,636 ✭✭✭✭Red Silurian


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334124#Comment_122334124

    Well, your example of hitting the parking brake with a hammer is probably an extreme in the other direction but examples like electronic parking brake, fuel cap openings, windows, I'm not a huge fan of and I think a reversal is in order. With every car I've ever owned the electronics going wrong were the most heartbreaking



  • #16
    BrianD3
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,514 ✭✭✭BrianD3


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122331830#Comment_122331830

    2024 Dacia Sandero has a manual handbrake and drums in the rear. Electric handbrakes are a pointless complication. At least in his case Nissan had the sense to include a manual release. I've known several Passat owners who needed to get their cars towed due to electric handbrake issues immobilising the car.

    Also I've long been of the view that rear drums are better for a non performance car - simpler handbrake mechanism, less rusting and sticking from lack of use/heat, won't fail the NCT on insufficient contract between pad and disc.



  • #17
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,704 ✭✭✭User1998


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334157#Comment_122334157

    Electronic actuators on the fuel doors is so annoying and unnecessary. I’ve had to pry open the fuel door at a petrol station so many times in the past



  • #18
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,427 ✭✭✭✭the_amazing_raisin


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334157#Comment_122334157

    I'm not in favour of a default regression, but it'd be nice to have the option of ditching some of the gadgetry

    A lot of it is there to get the 5 star NCAP rating, and to be fair computers don't get tired or intoxicated

    What would be really nice would be if manufacturers would get on board with right to repair and provide more information and tools to do a lot of the repair tasks yourself, or make it easier for independents to work on cars

    That'll happen sometime around when pigs learn to fly unfortunately

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



  • #19
    Red Silurian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,636 ✭✭✭✭Red Silurian


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334582#Comment_122334582

    Not sure if electric windows or handbrakes are required for a 5* rating though



  • #20
    CMOTDibbler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,128 ✭✭✭CMOTDibbler


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334177#Comment_122334177

    Drum brakes are an absolute b*stard for sticking due to lack of use. Can completely seize up. Lack of use being left for a while with the handbrake on.



  • #21
    artanevilla
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 10,974 Mod ✭✭✭✭artanevilla


    I know there is a certain fault with my diesel Alfa that it can lose electrical power. It will default to Park and electric handbrake on. There is no way to get out of park nor handbrake off. Only way to move it is to get special sliders under the wheels.

    Not just an electric problem.



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  • #22
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,427 ✭✭✭✭the_amazing_raisin


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122335785#Comment_122335785

    I thought they were the opposite because they were sealed? The issue with drums is they lose braking power as they heat up

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



  • #23
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,427 ✭✭✭✭the_amazing_raisin


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122335625#Comment_122335625

    No but I'm making the point that you can't avoid the technology now regardless of the amount of gadgets

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



  • #24
    CMOTDibbler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,128 ✭✭✭CMOTDibbler


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122336102#Comment_122336102

    They're not really sealed. Drum goes on and there's a bit of free play around where it mates with the hub. But I think it's a kind of chemical bond that occurs between the brake shoe and the inside of the drum.

    And yeah, brake fade is an issue too. It gets warm in there and there's no method of cooling.



  • #25
    Flinty997
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,128 ✭✭✭✭Flinty997


    Its got ridiculous.



  • #26
    ELM327
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,639 ✭✭✭✭ELM327


    So my quick fix from the link above stopped working (i decided to safely test it at home, I had stopped using the parking brake at all since I fixed it the first time) and I think the gear in the actuator is gone.

    I can do the same thing as before and simply remove the slack and it will work, but the issue is it's going to fail the NCT because the red P light is flashing in the dash. I hate flashing lights on the dash so I'm going to attempt a proper fix this time. It's the second part of the link above but basically it involves disasembling the actuator and replacing the small white cog. Thanks nissan for the planned obsolescence!

    Between this, and the other possible to break parts (charge actuator, PTC heater, couple more) I was thinking of buying a parts car. I reckon 2-3k would get me another 2011 ZE0 leaf, and the cost of doing any one of those jobs in a dealer is likely to be at least half that.



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