Annual inspection and "required" maintainence?

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acensor

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2013
Messages
371
Location
Southern Oregon
At
http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1544&p=10041#p10041
iDriver posted a dealer service printout of his battery test at what he called "annual" service.

This raises Three questions which (which I hope iDriver might also respond to here):
1) He didn't show the price on what he was charged his annual inspection. Anyone know?
2) Is there an "annual inspection" or "annual service" required/listed by Mitsubhish? I only offhand remember seeing something due at about 15,000 miles.
3) Anyone know if you don't bring it in on the required schedule can and will Mitsubishi use that to wiggle out of covering something that otherwise would be on warrenty coverage?

Alex
 
I don't know the answer to any of your questions . . . . but we took the car to the dealership on the anniversary of the first year of our ownership to have the brake vacuum pump recall and software upgrade done and they didn't say a thing about any annual inspection. Another owner who bought the same week we did was there for the same thing and neither of us had anything else done

Don't see how Mitsu could make any claim that we missed any 'required' service, when we had the car at the dealership almost exactly to the day one year after we bought it. I'm certainly not complaining . . . . the less those guys touch the car, the better I like it

Don
 
Don said:
I don't know the answer to any of your questions . . . . but we took the car to the dealership on the anniversary of the first year of our ownership to have the brake vacuum pump recall and software upgrade done and they didn't say a thing about any annual inspection. Another owner who bought the same week we did was there for the same thing and neither of us had anything else done

Don't see how Mitsu could make any claim that we missed any 'required' service, when we had the car at the dealership almost exactly to the day one year after we bought it. I'm certainly not complaining . . . . the less those guys touch the car, the better I like it

Don

How can I tell if the i-MiEV I recently purchased has had the vacuum pump recall and software upgrade done? Can I tell from visual inspection? What did the software upgrade do? Any new features?
 
Don said:
I don't know the answer to any of your questions . . . . but we took the car to the dealership on the anniversary of the first year of our ownership to have the brake vacuum pump recall and software upgrade done and they didn't say a thing about any annual inspection. Another owner who bought the same week we did was there for the same thing and neither of us had anything else done

Don't see how Mitsu could make any claim that we missed any 'required' service, when we had the car at the dealership almost exactly to the day one year after we bought it. I'm certainly not complaining . . . . the less those guys touch the car, the better I like it

Don

Ditto. Anniversary - asked for Clipper Creek and Vaccum Pump recall, dealer said nothing else was needed like they normally do. I guess they can't figure out a good story to sell on us something, very refreshing unlike my ICE Nissan Versa. Seemed like everytime I took it in for service they would find something wrong with it that I'd have to pay for. They had a good racket going there.
 
I don't think there is any scheduled regular maintenance on any EV; or at least none on the drivetrain.

And the annual state safety inspection here in Massachusetts costs the same for EV's as it does for ICE's. This inspection checks for all major safety issues, like ball joints and tires, etc.
 
I have taken my iMiEV for anniversary inspection (in March 2013) because I had to take it there anyway - the brake pump, software update and radio problem. They did 27-point check and everything was fine. The radio had broken wire at the fuse box.
They did not charge me for anything.
Robb, I am sure your vehicle has already all of these recalls performed.
 
When I purchased my i-MiEV in December, 2012, an insert to the owner's manual stated that the annual battery pack capacity test was no longer necessary. So the maintenance schedule on the Mitsubishi Website must not have been updated.
 
Brought my Miev for an annual inspection a while ago. They said "the battery is ok", which make me suspect they didn't have the testing equipment available. They also said they rotated the tires. Total bill $60. MY sense was that the inspection was just an excuse to charge me some money. They did wash the car..... I doubt that I will take it in again unless there is a problem.

I have the feeling that the Miev is viewed as a troublesome stepchild - by at least this dealer.
 
I've taken my car for the 1-year service and recalls (SW update, brake pump), actually only had it for 2-3 months, but the wrench came on. I highly doubt the did the battery check, as they told me it was OK, but didn't have any test results.

I've also taken it to the dealer twice for a bad airbag impact sensor, which I guess was also a recall, but the dealer didn't recognize it as one.

All 3 visits, free full recharge and no cost for service. Didn't wash it, though. Haven't yet rotated the tires, and I haven't seen much of any wear on the tires after 9,000 miles.
 
(Bought my 2012 a couple mths ago. Check out my fuelly. http://www.fuelly.com/car/mitsubishi/i-miev/2012/lief/438800 Wife is worried about spinning around in Winnipeg winters. I doubt i really need this maintance? Here is my emails between the dealer.)

Good day, Lief.

Annual maintenance is $250.00. we will need the vehicle for a full day, as part of this is completely discharging the battery, then fully recharging.
At this time, a winter tire package for this vehicle is $1492.06. this will include Dunlop Graspic DS-3 mounted on steel rims with tire pressure monitor sensors, labour and programming. Prices are subject to change by Fall.
We offer the MPI low-interest rate financing program as well for the winter wheels.

Regards,

Hi Robert thanks for writing back.
My back is 175/60/R15
Front is 145/55/R15

*What would entail in the annual maintenance of an iMiev? Price?
Plus,
I found some winter mat ideas on a iMiev forum.

Thanks for your time,
Lief

Good day, Lief.

There were 2 different tire sizes available for your vehicle, but the VIN will not distinguish the difference.
Can you please let me know what your tire size is (145/65R15 or 175/60R15)

Regards,
 
I don't know what kind of winter weather you have, but I've made three winters so far on the stock Enasave tires in hilly Pittsburgh. On the road, the car is a champ. The only time it slips is when driving on ice, but any vehicle will slip on ice.

As for annual service, I stopped taking the cars in for it. I don't know what they actually check, but most of the stuff on the car, I can check myself (linkages, tires, brakes, etc.). With the Android apps CaniOn and EVBatMon, we can check battery health ourselves (CaniOn shows individual cell voltages on a graph, and EVBatMon displays Ah capacity of the pack among tons of other features). Regular maintenance can be summed up in tires, windshield, and windshield washer fluid.
 
Lief said:
...as part of this is completely discharging the battery, then fully recharging....
That part has always bothered me, as it simply subtracts another full cycle from the battery life; after all, it was Mitsubishi which sent out a letter saying that one full recharge from two bars every two years is sufficient, and I'm sure most of us do it far more often. Correct me if I'm wrong, but all that does is top-balance the cells and update the car's internal capacity calibration. I'd be even more worried that after doing this they'd leave it sitting outside in the hot sun. :roll:
 
The battery capacity test isn't a bad thing----and it is something I would require if purchasing a used I-MiEV. The BMS hides any battery degradation until they are really in bad shape and the range drops quickly. Anyone who owns an I-MiEV should also have the CANION program to monitor the battery pack. Every two to three years any vehicle with ABS brakes should have a brake fluid flush to remove any moisture in the system. Tire rotation? You can only go left to right on the same axle but in some instances it might help. For anyone who lives in areas where road salt is used, the underbody of the car should be flushed each spring with soapy water to get the salt residue out of all the nooks and crannies under the car. I feel that the plastic shields should be removed when doing this and the pack support structure should be looked at and touched up with paint if needed. While you are under the car, check for any oil leaks around the reduction gear (transmission) and if you find any, check the oil level. Check the parking brake for excessive travel which would indicate the need for adjustment or rear brake service. As these cars age, the rear brake drums should be removed, internal parts cleaned and checked for wear. Front disc brake linings should be inspected along with the discs for wear. Check the brake hose condition. Take the rear motor compartment cover off and check that it isn't packed with dirt and check the coolant level in the bottle on the left side. Check all the coolant lines for hose leaks, cracks, etc. Some cars are nearing five years old at which point the coolant needs to be changed to keep the level of corrosion inhibiters up to the proper level of protection. Do this at your own risk, but if there is a lot of dirt and road salt present in the compartment it should be cleaned paying attention not to get water near the vacuum pump air discharge. I've never had a problem but also avoid high pressure spay (like from a quarter car wash nozzle) away from direct contact with the electrical connectors. Lots of soap and a good rinse should do the job. Under the hood, check that the radiator and condenser are clean and the fan turns freely. Check the water level in the 12 volt battery and make sure the terminals are clean and tight. And if the battery looks original, replace it with a new battery that isn't the cheap junk that came with the car. It's amazing how many problems occur with these cars due to a low 12 volt battery. Finally, for your own comfort, don't forget to change the cabin air filter. These cars don't require a lot of maintenance but common sense based on the conditions they operate in dictates some maintenance needs to be done. If you feel comfortable you should do it your self and learn a little more about these great little cars. If not, ask the dealer to do EV specific maintenance for you or for normal "car" maintenance go to any trusted independent mechanic you may choose.
 
hello everyone,

I finally get around to bring my 2014 with 21Kmiles in for the airbag recall. The dealer insisted that I need to do the Maintenance (~$4xx) in order to keep the warranty. I thought that's a bit steep; and the main items listed in the Maintenance schedule are high voltage cabling inspection and gear box oil level check. The 2014 schedule doesn't even list the pack capacity test as a requirement. I am thinking of just clearing out the wrench icon and wait for warmer weather to check the gear box oil level.

I am a bit concerned about the Inverter/Charger/DCDC unit going out, but the dealer said there hasn't been any. In fact, I've been using a lot more QCDC. Really wish there's a way to limit QC rate to 20kw or less.

thoughts ?
 
Hi Sisal47.

Love and appreciate your comprehensive overview of prudent maintenance for our MiEVs.

A couple of thoughts, and at least one question:

"...Anyone who owns an I-MiEV should also have the CANION program to monitor the battery pack."

That CANION program has been mentioned before.
It appears to me that it's only available for Android tablets and phones, not iPad?
Does that sound right?
If so does anyone know of an iPad app that could substitute?
And if I understand right it would require a separate device to connect to the MiEV diagnostic port?

"...... Tire rotation? You can only go left to right on the same axle but in some instances it might help. ....."

Here's my thought on that: If either pair (front pair or rear pair) is wearing unevenly ... particularly if the wear patterns are similar (for example my fronts both wear a bit too much on their outer edges) switching wheels left-to-right won't help much or any.
However, if you have the tire shop break them off the rims and rotate them (flip their inside wall to the outside of the rim) that can have much the same benefits of a traditional full four wheel rotation. My local Les Schwab agreed that was a reasonable alternative, and offered to do so for $30 per axel pair. Next time I'm in I'll do that.

"..... As these cars age, the rear brake drums should be removed, internal parts cleaned and checked for wear. Front disc brake linings should be inspected along with the discs for wear....."

Yes. But given that our cars do regenerative braking and our brakes are of identical design for cars without that advantage I expect even the brake linings, to say nothing of the disks and drums, to have extremely long life. At 30,000 miles my pads have no detectable wear at all. :)

".....Some cars are nearing five years old at which point the coolant needs to be changed to keep the level of corrosion inhibiters up to the proper level of protection. ....."

I'm lazy. Even on my cars I go at least 1.5 to 2 times the recommended coolant change times by adding some corrosion inhibitor additive to the cooling system to revive the coolant's own anti-corrosion properties. To add the typical 300 ml of inhibitor to the system you remove that much of the coolant and pour the additive in. If the drain plug is a PITA to access I instead siphon a little coolant out though the intake cap. I also add this thought. I imagine that coolant life is probably influenced by the temperature it spends its five years nominal lifespan at. In a traditional engine that would be about 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Doubt it often gets close to that in functioning only occasionally for the cabin heater and doing light duty on battery cooling.
There are many of these additives at the local auto parts store.


".....Finally, for your own comfort, don't forget to change the cabin air filter....."
Yes. though those filters a little hard to find.
By the way: When you do that, if you want some even more robust cabin air cleaning (extract pollution, exhaust, and smoke hydrocarbons, not just particulates, try this:
Get some activated charcoal granules. Just Google "activated charcoal granules."
Was very helpful last summer when driving through thick smoke from the horrid west coast forest fire season.
Sprinkle them on the upper surface of the new, or old cleaned, cabin air filter. No, they won't scatter into the vent system and gum up the works (not unless you roll the car upside down ;) ) because of gravity plus the airflow in the system flows from top downward.

My four cents.

Alex
 
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