[Desserper]

The one problem with these cars is that the brake pipes corrode due to lack of underseal. The parts are not expensive, but the whole battery pack has to be removed to change them. THIS IS A £600 JOB!! If you are looking to purchase an I-Miev I would advise asking if this has been done!

The above is not my advice/comments. How much of a common problem is this then? Presumably if correct, it will be an issue for any model of I-Miev, C-Zero or iOn?

 

[AtTheVan]

I suspect other manufacturers cars may be in similar situations. If buying new it’s certainly worth getting a WaxOyl treatment if the underside of the car isn’t very well protected with paint or plastic underpanels.

 

[donald]

If the brake ferrules are hidden by the battery box then this is a serious design weakness.

One should give inspect one's brake ferrules [to see if they need] a good greasing once a year to avoid bi-metallic electro-corrosion.

(Edited, in deference to @DBMandrake 's legitimate point below.)

 

[DBMandrake]

If the brake ferrules are hidden by the battery box then this is a serious design weakness.

Not sure that I agree with that.

As the i-Miev is a conversion of an ICE design it makes sense that the brake pipes run where they do - before the battery was added to the design they would have been just below the floorpan, and its clear from looking at these cars due to how much the battery hangs down below the car (clearly visible when standing a couple of metres to the side of the car) that the battery was designed to fit the available space under the original floorpan design and just lifts up into place under it, thus obscuring the brake pipes.

In that situation would you really want to reroute all the brake pipes below the battery where they will be subject to damage from rocks/stones, groundings on tall speed bumps etc or would you rather leave them out of harms way (at least physical harm) protected by the relatively robust battery enclosure ?

Clearly the above battery location is superior for a retrofit design where the battery hangs down a lot below the floor pan and isn't an integral structural part of a flat floor like it is in something like a Tesla.

I'd also point out that in many ICE cars its normal for the brake lines to go above the rear suspension subframe making some of the joints and part of the pipe length physically inaccessible without dropping the rear subframe. Whilst not as difficult as dropping a battery out its still a time consuming job.

One should give one's brake ferrules a good greasing once a year to avoid bi-metallic electro-corrosion.

Funny, I've been doing all my own car repairs and maintenance for over 20 years, have owned many cars in the 10-20 year old range where rust is starting to become a problem, am a regular on marque specific DIY car forums for the cars I have owned and I have never once heard the advise that brake ferrules should be greased yearly, or indeed at all.

This sounds like one of those "sounds plausible" wives tales not backed in any real evidence. Greased with what exactly ? Normal automotive grease on something exposed like the outside of a brake line under the car will wash away in no time, so is pretty pointless. You can get specialist rust protection coatings that will last a long time like "lanacoat" which is a marine grade lanoline based grease which is exceptionally clingy and sticky but its hard to come by and would look pretty messy to be honest. (I've used it on antenna's that are installed in salt spray exposed areas like boats)

The real problem here is that the pipes are probably just not protected properly, if at all, if the claims from the original post are true. Not unheard of in the ICE world either - The Series 1 Xantia had enamel coated hydraulic lines that rarely if ever failed (I still have a S1 1997 Xantia - all the brake lines are fine) but the Series 2 models skimped on the coating for the hydraulic lines and used bare steel in many places - which have a much greater tendency to rust out... but not usually until they're around 10-15 years old, and only in places like the UK that salt the roads...

 

[donald]

Not sure that I agree with that.

As the i-Miev is a conversion of an ICE design it makes sense that the brake pipes run where they do

It is non-sequitur that just because they had to go there as a battery pack was added then this makes sense to do it. Like saying the Titanic had to hit that ice berg because it was on its way to New York. Could've done something else once the risk had been assessed.

I'd also point out that in many ICE cars its normal for the brake lines to go above the rear suspension subframe making some of the joints and part of the pipe length physically inaccessible without dropping the rear subframe. Whilst not as difficult as dropping a battery out its still a time consuming job.

Funny, I've been doing all my own car repairs and maintenance for over 20 years, have owned many cars in the 10-20 year old range where rust is starting to become a problem, am a regular on marque specific DIY car forums for the cars I have owned and I have never once heard the advise that brake ferrules should be greased yearly, or indeed at all.

Depends on the make and material. You've clearly been lucky and/or wise in the vehicles you've picked. I would not suppose to suggest that this is common for all cars, but can be common with particular models. The point is simply that if you can't inspect them, they you will not know to do anything about it.

Common axle grease is pretty good at lingering around brake joints, give it a good rub-in. I can still see some on mine the following year (the Espace is one such model worth doing this on).

But I don't really know to what detail or extent the OP is raising the issue, maybe it is a basic design flaw with the pipes rather than the unions. I'd have thought it was one for a VOSA recall if it was know that pipes corrode to the point of needing replacement with a few years.

 

[Czero chap]

I know where the OP got that from....it's in the sales blurb of a secondhand car dealer that I saw online, for an ion iirc.

I think it's rubbish. Has he got confused with the recall to change battery mountings that were corroding....

 

[Desserper]

The source and original comment can be seen at Used Mitsubishi I-miev I miev for sale in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire - Select Cars Grimsby

It may well be the person for this I-Miev car just cut n pasted the comment from another car sale page elsewhere like a iOn.

I deliberately never posted this source link info before, as didn't want to cloud anyone's thoughts on it. I think most of us know there are a fair few used dealers, and even appointed dealerships for new cars that know zilch about electric cars and talk a lot of waffle.

I am not saying the quoted comment is waffle either by the way, I simply don't know, hence this thread to see if I can find out

 

[markweatherill]

I suggest that a car body's being undersealed or not has no particular bearing on whether the brake lines will corrode.

I'm not aware the iMiev is any more susceptible to brake line corrosion than any other modern car.

Perhaps the writer had a previous experience with an iMiev, or read something, and assumed that 'they're all like that'. To say that this is 'the one problem with these cars' is a clue to the extent of their knowledge.

Another one is that the number plates have been (probably needlessly) replaced by oversized ones with the front one being the wrong shape...

 

[JohnB]

This is interesting discussion. I've been part time looking out for a Ion / C Zero / Miev and reading up a bit .
I saw the add in Grimsby a while ago, and his comments re brake line corrosion.
I had a close look underneath a 2013 one earlier in the year with a torch and must say for a 4 year old vehicle, and comparing with many other vehicles, I was a bit surprised and concerned at the amount of general surface corrosion around the back end bodywork , sills , arches, floor around motor area.
And I did wonder about the brake line corrosion in the longer term. My view is that the under body is not protected enough for UK salt conditions.
If I buy one, I will either have it painted /wax treated underneath or DIY job, as is advisable with a Japanese import vehicle.

 

[Neon]

I am unsure about the brake line concern but agree with JohnB concerning the general corrosion under the car. I have already treated some components along the rear axle of mine and it had only covered 20k miles