[LukasD]

Hi, I made a threat few days ago on here and got a lot of help/advice so thought I ask again

So, I am a green about cars all I know is how to drive them. And new to electric cars.

I got Zoe and My Renault app, in the app is says "Replace 12 V battery" in December 2021 (I only just bought the car - second hand)

now, do I have to BUY a new battery or... What? And why? Or is it just a recommendation?

Also... How do you charge them?

I am completely clueless about cars and no idea how/what to do to charge the battery - I dont need to atm but just wondering what I would have to do if I had to charge it. I need to book MOT in the next 2 months, will they charge it? How often do you charge it? Or doe it charge while you charge the car? lol


Also, do i need to follow the MY MAINTENANCE in MY RENAULT app? It says:
October 2021

• check and top up the refrigerant,
• Replace the cabin filter,
• Z.E. A service,
• Z.E. B service (it all sounds expensive)

December 2021
- Replace 12 V Battery

October 2022
Replace the cabin filter (again?? every year?)

2023 brake fluid

and so on until replacing the 12 V battery again in 2024.


Are all those HAVE TO DO or are these recommendation and you just do MOT and see then?


I really hope this makes sense lol

 

[cah197]

You only need to do the A or B service to maintain the warranty.

Everything else is optional.

12 volt battery is recommended to change after 3 years as it can fail, but is easy to DIY. Cabins filter you can change yourself and get cheaply online.

Brake fluid, just get it checked.

 

[80698]

Just to follow on from the above, the advice to replace the 12v battery is something that I personally give to everyone with an EV especially. They don't tend to last quite as long as they do in an ICE vehicle, and they'll often fail without any early warning signs.

Even when it does fail you'll be left guessing. Not only will the car generally fail to start but you'll usually see various error messages and warning lights that may point you to incorrectly suspect its some other issue.

12v batteries aren't particularly expensive, nor are they difficult to replace yourself. To me, it makes sense to replace it every few years as recommended to avoid getting stranded with a car that won't start at the most inconvenient time possible.

Are all those HAVE TO DO or are these recommendation and you just do MOT and see then?

People regularly seem to share this point of view, not realising that a MOT is only a test for safety. Your car can be perfectly safe and roadworthy, but doesn't mean there aren't mechanical or electrical issues still there which would stop your vehicle from working correctly and reliably.

 

[LukasD]

You only need to do the A or B service to maintain the warranty.

Everything else is optional.

12 volt battery is recommended to change after 3 years as it can fail, but is easy to DIY. Cabins filter you can change yourself and get cheaply online.

Brake fluid, just get it checked.

thanks!

What if the car is out of warranty? I bought it privately second hand, do I still have to do the A and B services? And what are they exactly?

A and B services, MOT, health checks... so many checks - never knew it takes so much work to own a car

 

[cah197]

What year is the car?

 

[LukasD]

What year is the car?

2015

 

[cah197]

2015

Probably out of warranty now, unless it has been extended.

In which case I wouldn’t even bother with the service every year, unless you want to maintain the service history?

 

[cick0]

A and B services, MOT, health checks... so many checks - never knew it takes so much work to own a car

Then consider yourself lucky to never have owned an ICE vehicle!
I'm actually quite surprised at how little there is to maintain. And most of it can be done yourself, apparently. For the battery replacement, there are youtube videos and multiple posts/threads on the Zoe forum and elsewhere. It does not seem hard to do but, if you've never done it, it may be much easier to have someone do it for you. Not sure if it has to be a certified Renault service - probably not, in which case perhaps you can find a cheap(er) garage that will replace the battery in like 5 minutes.