Bargain Basement Electric

[CitroJim]

Wait until the end of March Steve and there'll be no need... It's what's likely to happen with my AX...

Heathen!!!

Heathen no longer

Taken just before final fine adjustment...

[NewcastleFalcon]

After a few trips when BB Micra got the nod with its fully functioning lights, and ready to go petrol tank, and superior flood negotiating ability, the other half of the detached hybrid the BB Leaf, resumed normal service.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

Neil

[CitroJim]

Excellent!

[NewcastleFalcon]

The sun doesn't always shine in Northumberland.

I think this view through the windscreen of the BB Leaf captures the atmospheric grey drizzly and wet scene of this afternoon nicely, parked by the side of the A68 in nice bleak terrain.

Not all grey though

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Very close to coming into under £10,000, bargain basement territory for some decent low mileage examples, the MG5 estate.

James and Kate on this assessment of a 100,500 mile vehicle in their fleet very positive. No angry faces, no loud voices, indeed James if anything is a bit dour and matter of fact as a bonus, rather than too annoyingly enthusiastic!
Rather than a direct embed, for those who want to find out, I present the onerous task of clicking the link....it's an assessment of the condition of a MG5 after 100,500 miles nothing more nothing less.

Here's the link for the full vid interesting I would have thought for anyone interested in the MG5 as a potential purchase https://youtu.be/Kj7fJ5JI-yI

Here's a screen shot of the 100,500 miles original brake pads. About 50,000 miles on a set of tyres, second set fitted at 98,000 ish miles.

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Here's hoping my tab packet calculations aren't far off the mark. Too late now



REgards Neil

The Leaf's 4th Birthday at Chez Falcon has now passed. When at the start I did the tab packet calculations, no-one could have forecast relative the electricity and petrol prices over the coming 4 years back in Nov 2019. No one in November 2023 will be able to look ahead over the next 4 years to 2028, to where the critical variables of residual value, electricity and petrol prices will go.

My tab packet calculations worked fine. I have banked the savings of around £5,000 on "fuel costs" over the 4 years put them away and haven't touched them. The car is probably worth around £5,000 but no plans to sell or trade in for a different one. It has 11 of 12 bars of battery health. Every little bit of maintenance has been recorded on this thread. Electricity at home still half the price of the equivalent petrol, and if I went for a smart meter could reduce this even further with one of the charging overnight tariffs.

Neil

[MarcusMcGuinness]

Happy Birthday, Leaf!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Don’t think I’m far off in my assessment of the residual value of my Leaf after 4 years and 40,000 Miles.
Autotrader’s current list today of 2015 Nissan Leafs.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/used/ ... &maxPrice=

[NewcastleFalcon]

Ever wondered what routine "servicing" entailed on the pioneering Nissan Leaf, in its classic guise

Keeping it simple...nothing special and obviously none of the dirty oily/exhaust-ey stuff, and running gear, brakes, suspension, etc are as for any other car. This video covers it nicely and as is going to be my policy from now, the vid is in the link, rather than in your face, if you want to view it.

Nissan Leaf Major Service - What's involved???

The presenter Kate (along with James her partner) I have followed for a number of years and they now have an association with Cleevely Electric Vehicles from down Cheltenham way, now a go to place for maintenance/repair/parts for EV's. Got a couple of Handbrake cables from them MOT time last year.

A couple of things caught my eye the use of three cans of stuff I have never used on a car in the last 40 years,
PFTE White, PFTE Dry and a can of the most awful gunk sprayed over the battery terminals creating a yellow mess!

A servicing obsession which maybe I have just got away with by good fortune, I have never either measured the "water" content in my brake fluid, or further to that have never changed the brake fluid as a maintenance item in any car I have ever had. Yes kept it topped up during renewing pipes and hoses and during bleeding, but never just for maintenance sake have I done a periodic replacement.

My servicing on the BB Leaf in the 4½ years I have had it has been zero. Dealt with handbrake cables at MOT, and replaced tyres, and never been near an annual service at a Nissan Service Centre, and hence haven't been relieved of an unnecessary £1000 plus over the 4½ years I have had it so far.

Neil

[Gibbo2286]

Likewise the Zoe Neil, checked the brake fluid level topped up the screen wash checked the lights and tyre pressures two cabin filters as scheduled, two drop links because the MOT tester went over the top, just needed new boots, they'll go back on next time needed.
service schedule says to change the 12v battery every three years but I think the one on there is five years old and still seems fine

[mickthemaverick]

My regular service routine is oil and filter, air filter, cabin filter, check brake pads and act as necessary, check levels and top up all other fluids as necessary and lubricate hinges. Tyre pressures and lights come under my fortnightly Sunday morning checks so not in my service routine. Seen me fine for 50+ years so no reason to change.

[NewcastleFalcon]

A couple of things caught my eye the use of three cans of stuff I have never used on a car in the last 40 years,
PFTE White, PFTE Dry and a can of the most awful gunk sprayed over the battery terminals creating a yellow mess!

Maybe the names fooled me...If PFTE White is just plain old white silicon grease out of a can I have used that, but these would appear to be the three cans

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Another in the series...Motoring for Pleasure, the view through the bargain basement Leaf windscreen.

Small

Spoiler: show

Bigger


Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

View over the rear of a Nissan leaf with red ball and rainbow in the background.

Tenuous relevance but nice and colourful!

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

With the Nissan Leaf car with 24 kWh battery, there is a 3.3 kW AC or 6.6 kW AC Type 2 charging socket, and a 50 kW DC Chademo charging socket.

As this is bargain basement electric, at Chez falcon I have never felt the need to shell out on a "proper" home charging point. They shouldn't be, but are overpriced for both the equipment and installation and the benefit to me absolutely not worth it. The granny cable gives a nice gentle charge, kind on the longevity of the battery , and the car stands idle enough to charge it up without any inconvenience at all.

The full set of charging options

At its simplest the Granny Cable 3 pin plug to Type 1 plug
Type 2 plug to Type 1 plug
Chademo DC Rapid Charge

Neil