I just did mine & it's a struggle....You need to collapse the filter to get it out...Have you removed the glove box? Pull the top towards the bottom & then pull out (I know that sounds easy----it's not). If the last person put it in correctly there is a pull on the bottom of the filter to help remove it. To reinstall you have to collapse it to 1/2 it's height & slowly feed it in & up at the same time.

 

I just did mine & it's a struggle....

You can see why it doesn't get done. My arms are killing me and scratched like I've had an argument with a feral cat!

Had to vacuum up after due to all the dust that fell out of it, but at least it's like breathing in a brand new car now.

 

Done it

And there is absolutely NO WAY it was changed during the major service in January. No way. It was blocked with muck and dust and feathers and all sorts. I can see why they don't change it though. What a total pita.

The air is clearer in the car now though 😊

 

Yes---My car was "serviced" before I bought it 3 months ago....I'm an old mechanic (45 years-retired) & not only was the cabin filter not "replaced"....the final drive fluid was not changed....so much for "service".... I also follow My Nissan Leaf Forum & put the slightly lower-weight final drive fluid in for better range. I live in a hilly area (Southern Oregon) & average 4.2.

 

Yes---My car was "serviced" before I bought it 3 months ago....I'm an old mechanic (45 years-retired) & not only was the cabin filter not "replaced"....the final drive fluid was not changed....so much for "service".... I also follow My Nissan Leaf Forum & put the slightly lower-weight final drive fluid in for better range. I live in a hilly area (Southern Oregon) & average 4.2.

To be fair, changing the oil in the gearbox is not on the maintenance schedule of a Leaf...so a dealer following the standard schedule won't be doing it... Nissan probably figure it will make it to the end of warranty without failing without changing the oil so why bother... (am I cynical ?)

Still a good idea to do it though. On some EV's the recommended interval is 50k miles.

 

I saw about the oil change in the transmission thingy and was getting a quote off Cleevly's in the UK. It was surprisingly competitive, so will get it sorted when I get paid at the month end.

Would I be wrong in having a hunch that main dealers aren't doing much, if anything, when servicing an EV?

 

I changed the reduction gear oil/final drive fluid in my van-based car (which has the same reduction gear as a LEAF apart from different size cogs to give lower gearing). It's a do-able DIY task, and worth trying with the best quality compatible oil (ATF meeting Nissan Matic S grade) you can find. There's an excellent YouTube video by @Dalathegreat and a write-up by me at https://www.speakev.com/threads/reduction-gear-oil-change.171737/

Would I be wrong in having a hunch that main dealers aren't doing much, if anything, when servicing an EV?

They are very good at taking your money. They do that very competently and efficiently.

Marginally less sarcastically, they ought to be checking the brakes and adjusting the mechanical parking brake, then replacing the brake fluid every few years. Most of the rest is the same checking done for an MoT.

 

Well---in the US they really do just the least that they can...I worked in the dealership system for many years & the young mechanics really coast along---do what is easy & "fix" the hard things...cough-cough.

Independents generally work harder because the reputation carries.

 

Not much different here other than you can technically use any VAT registered garage for service work without it affecting your warranty - in theory.

I'm still undecided how long I'll keep this car. I rarely keep a car more than 2-3 years unless I like it. If I'm keeping it I'll get a good independent to look after it.

 

I took my I Pace to a small independent (HEVRA) garage for servicing, rather than the main dealer. Not much cheaper, but what they did do was show me the service parts they'd replaced, including the pollen filter they'd taken out.

I think smaller garages very much rely on recommendation and word of mouth from satisfied customers in order to be able to compete, so maybe they are more likely to be open and honest?

 

It appears that main dealers now consider many standard items that were previously included whithin a service are now optional and subject to extra charges. The emphasis seems to have shifted towards profit over service.

 

I changed the pollen filter in my Leaf this year for the first time due to no longer having to have the car serviced by the dealership to keep a third party warranty valid (ditched the warranty).

It is a pretty easy DIY job. Just remove a few screws, pull out the glove box and pull out the filter (the trickiest bit). Took me less than half an hour and only cost me £12 for a Bosch filter. Way better than the £179 (!) Nissan charge. Total rip off. The Hevra garage I asked also charge nearly the same. You feel like you are being robbed to maintain the warranty. The service itself does nothing for the battery so it is 100% about fleecing their customers.

Will be taking the car to an independent next year to get the brake fluid changed and not paying Nissan £229 to get it done.