Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

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TomZoe
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Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by TomZoe »

Hi All,

My Zoe was delivered 4 years ago at end of March 2022.

I have been doing annual service at local mechanic by getting cabin filter for him and I did change 12v battery at 24 months.

Everything else is just a look and tighten type thing.

This year however it is recommended that the brake fluid be replaced.

I presume its the normal DOT 4 stuff.

But - there is a slight tricky bit.

Renault recommends disabling and isolating the drive train battery in case something goes wrong - not a biggie I don't think - a careful mechanic that doesn't touch the wrong thing should be safe.

(It's a bit like an aircraft cleaner checking that there are stairs at the door before stepping off the plane!)

But the complicated thing is to do the brake fluid change correctly not only do all clips need to be off, bled etc, a Foxwell NT530 gadget (with Renault software) needs to be plugged in so that this gadget can tell the car to pump the fluid out of the regeneration system.

What do others think?

It sounds a bit complicated and I'm tempted to leave it for another year rather than force mechanic to buy this gadget (if he doesn't have one - he is a VW specialist and services my VW multivan and does the Zoe as a "favour" as there is no Renault dealer in Darwin)

regards,
Tom
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by TomZoe »

NB this is service schedule for the ZE40 that was sold (briefly!) in Australia:

Service & maintenance schedule
The maintenance schedule must be maintained during the warranty period and for cars with hired batteries this must continue beyond. Fortunately the maintenance on an electric car is minimal and the main dealer charges are low. These are typically around £79-£99 for an A or B service, but prices vary between dealers. The service schedule on a Zoe is:

Every 1 year or 18,000 miles - Pollen filter change and alternate between an A or B inspection

Every 3 years - Replace 12V auxiliary battery

Every 54,000 miles - Check and remove dust from brake linings

Every 4 years or 72,000 miles - Replace brake fluid

Every 5 years or 90,000 miles - Replace coolant

Every 6 years - Check and top-up refrigerant

The A inspection consists of:

Check the levels, condition and sealing of the brake circuit

Check the exterior lighting and signals

Check the condition and sealing of the shock absorbers

Check condition and pressure of the tyres and road wheel security

Check the presents of the wheel valve caps

Check the wear of the brake discs and pads

Check the wiper blades and screen washer fluid level

Check the 12V battery with test tool

Check the computers with the diagnostic tool

Reinitialise the maintenance service display

Documentation and positioning of the maintenance label

The B inspection adds the following to the above:

Check the interior lighting

Anti-corrosion check

Check and lubricate the bonnet lock

Check the levels, condition and sealing of the coolant circuit

Check the condition and sealing of the gaiters, rubber mountings, ball joints and shock absorbers

Check the condition of the windscreen and door mirrors

Check the presence of the airbag and engine compartment labels

Check the operation of the instrument panel warning lights
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brendon_m
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by brendon_m »

Sounds to me like a standard brake fluid change with a scan tool. Nothing too hard for a mechanic but it'll come down to whether or not the Foxwell scan tool works well with Renault and gives the option for brake bleeding.

The service disconnect may be to prevent the regen brake system interfering with the bleeding process. I doubt it would but it's probably a better safe than sorry sort of thing
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by TomZoe »

I'll give to Mechanic and let him decide in first week April 2022.

I'm loving the 4 new Continental Premium Contact 5s!
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by TomZoe »

All booked in for 1 April 2022 and mechanic said he would test the brake fluid and if OK I guess they will leave alone.
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by TomZoe »

Service was done and mechanic did change the brake fluid.

When I spoke with him he said in Darwin best in all cars to change brake fluid every 2 years.

Year 4 service (I supplied the cabin air filter) was $219.00 including consumables (except cab filter).
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by doggy »

Given the humidity there, the recommendation on brake fluid sounds sensible. However, it is a bit of a pity as the hydraulic brake system is so little used.

Price sounds good.

Great your Zoe is still going well.
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by TomZoe »

Thanks Dave - perhaps you spoke too soon though :

Today I can't charge it though - getting that horrible "Check Charging Post" and red flashing....

I use the Juice Booster 2 at work and this red warning is for 3 phase and single phase.

Will take home and park for a few days and see if it takes the charge at home.
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by doggy »

Oh no. Here;'s hoping it is working okay at home.
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by antiscab »

TomZoe wrote: Wed, 13 Apr 2022, 12:20 Today I can't charge it though - getting that horrible "Check Charging Post" and red flashing....

I use the Juice Booster 2 at work and this red warning is for 3 phase and single phase.
do you have CanZE?
That will show the issue preventing charging

Usually it's high earth resistance (easiest fixed by taking a leak on the earth probe in the ground, if you can find it)
Matt
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by smithy2167 »

antiscab wrote: Wed, 13 Apr 2022, 15:00 Usually it's high earth resistance (easiest fixed by taking a leak on the earth probe in the ground, if you can find it)
The Zoe doesn't have a connection to an independent earth point, so all it can measure is the resistance between the charging lead Neutral and Earth wires - i.e. the effectiveness of the bonding in the switchboard. So, the state of the earth probe wouldn't be relevant.
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by doggy »

TomZoe wrote: Wed, 13 Apr 2022, 12:20 Today I can't charge it though - getting that horrible "Check Charging Post" and red flashing....

Will take home and park for a few days and see if it takes the charge at home.
Any luck with home charging?
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by TomZoe »

I use the juice booster at home too

And I tried that day from ho e and it is the same issue.

She’s down to 9%% so I’m scared to drive her anywhere.

I might try and borrow another portable charger but it’s unlikely there’s one in dArwin

I’ve never tried the Tesla portable charger that comes with Tesla to charge Zoe. Has anyone tried this ?

(I’m away at moment and won’t get home until Sunday night)

Thanks for all the suggestions - I don’t have the scanning tool …(CanZE)
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by doggy »

Oh dear.
I agree, do not drive anywhere. I made that mistake when mine would not charge. Also, lock the car with the card key- that is supposed to be a lower consumption mode. I drove all over the place trying different chargers. Because there is no DC charging, the dealer could not charge it and over the just-over 2 months it was being fixed, I lost 2% State of Health (SOH) from the battery which was about a year's worth.
I will see if I can try the Tesla charger on Zoe later today and let you know. I think it will work. If it does (for me) it should be possible to put out a call on the Tesla forum (TOCA and AEVA) for someone in the Darwin area.
It would be far better if the problem was the EVSE rather than the car.
Regds,
Dave
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by doggy »

Hi Tom,
I just tried my Tesla UMC ("Mobile Charger") with Zoe and it worked. Initially, I did not think it was going to happen. There was about a minute of flashing red from the instrument panel and the LEDS in the charging socket plus a contactor in the car clicking and then it started charging at 9amps (the Tesla EVSE has two "tails", one 10A and the other 15A. Earlier versions of the firmware in the UMC restricted current to 8A and 12A. I tried a couple more times and it worked each time with less startup fuss (probablyly because it was still powered up). This is pretty much the same behavior when charging Zoe on a Tesla DC (Destination Charger) where the EVSE starts off trying to negotiate with Tesla protocols and then falls back to standard signalling.

So, if you can find a Tesla owner up there and borrow their UMC, that would be an excellent check. My car was manufactured July 2021 and purchased September 2021, so fairly recent. But I suspect older UMCs should also work.

Let me know if you want a hand trying to find any Darwin Tesla owners.

Regds,
Dave
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by doggy »

I just posted this on the TOCA Forum. Might be worth putting out a similar message on the AEVA Tesla forum as well.

"Just seeing if there are any Tesla owners in the Darwin area? Reason for asking:

There is a Zoe owner up there and his car will not charge. He has only the one EVSE and it has stopped working at home and at work. Car is down to 9% so he dares not drive anywhere. There is no Renault EV knowledge up there. No public charging. Zoe has no DC charging.

I just tested my Tesla UMC and it works on my Zoe.

So, if there is someone up there with a UMC, it might be a way to check if the problem is his car or his EVSE.

Thanks,
David"
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by TomZoe »

Thank you.

I will get on to this once home Sunday pm.

Regards
Tom
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by doggy »

I looked on Plugshare. There are a number of Tesla DCs in Darwin and people have been charging at them fairly recently. No indication if these are in legacy mode (enabling any Type 2 charging, as well as Tesla) or Tesla only. Only Tesla owners seem to have charged there. So, there are definitely Teslas up there but probably no other EVs other than yourself.

So another possibility is for you to contact people who have logged charging sessions on Plugshare (I've had good success contacting people through that medium in the past).

I am sure that the spirit of EV fraternity will rise to the surface. Here's hoping that the problem turns out to be your EVSE as "Plan B" will be messier!
Regds,
Dave
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by TomZoe »

Fingers crossed that some one responds

If anyone selling a second hand portable charger I would buy that just to try !
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by doggy »

Sent you a PM.
I think it is definitely worthwhile having a backup EVSE!
I have a spare one (for sale) if you really get desperate. It is 8A only for use on a standard GPO. When I say for sale, I mean that it is surplus, hardly used and one day I was getting around to selling it.
Regds,
Dave
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by TomZoe »

Thanks Dave

A lady with a Hyundai has lent me hers - I know her via school etc and bumped into her at kids activity.

But super good news is that it works !

So it’s not the car but the juice booster 2 that has had it.

With zoe I actually prefer 10 A as I’ve read 8a can be hit and miss.

What I will do is but a 15A one and then turn it down to 10A

A friendly electrician made me a conveyer from 15A to 10A

Thank you for your encouragement and suggestions.

Tom
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by doggy »

Excellent news.
When you buy a replacement, if it is 15A, make sure you can also set it for 10A.
Cheers,
Dave
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by TomZoe »

Will do Dave.

If you ever do decide to sell please let me know as I'm sure a spare wouldn't go astray!

regards,
Tom
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by LouB »

Hi all,
am revisiting this thread because our Zoe is coming up for its 4th annual service in a few weeks.
I would never consider doing anything that could compromise the safety of a vehicle and I'm certain that Renault also sticks to the safety conservative side in recommending the complete bleeding of the hydraulic brake system every 4th service. Surely though, in mechanical terms, the need to change fluid would depend on the condition of it. I have used one of those brake fluid test meters for years on our ICE vehicles and have only changed fluid rarely, when the meter has shown water contamination above 1%.

BTW cheap meters are available for less than $12, medium quality ones for $30 to $50. Professional ones can go for hundreds of dollars. There are also litmus type test strips like the 'Phoenix Brake And Coolant Test Strips, 15 Piece' available from Supercheapauto $59.99 (but I haven't tried those).

Though, sooner or later a full brake bleed should be carried out by a qualified EV mechanic (possible need to lock out Zoe HV Connector and use of CLIP software), I was wondering if the every 4th service routine had to be strictly adhered to especially when the vehicle is not kept in a humid environment, has low annual Kms, low braking use, and where the fluid consistently tests under 1% moisture.

What do others think?

Cheers
Lou
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Re: Year 4 Service Brake Fluid?

Post by brendon_m »

Personally I would only change the fluid if it tests bad, or if you are suspicious in any way.
Though I guess it may be a good idea to bleed the brakes so that all the associated valves, nipples, bolts etc get a workout every now in case they start seizing/rusting in place (realistically I think this is a non issue)
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