Service help (inc. questions about brakes)

D

dogrosie

Evening,

My k11 X Reg (2000) Micra is due for its annual service. It has done 40500 miles.

Service history for the last few years is as follows:
Summer 2009 - Garage did a service.
Summer 2010 - I changed belts (the flipping Haynes manual was WRONG the tensioner was in the wrong place - had to resort to a garage to assist!). I also changed fuel filter, engine oil + filter, air filter and the system coolant. No sparks changed.

Another year is up and the next service is due.
I have just over 1l of oil left from last year and have bought 2l Castrol - I will mix brands as both 10W40 semi. As the sparks have done around 10,000 miles I won't bother with them. I may not even change the air filter this time. What about that crappy fluffy thing under the air filter? (I think it is the oil breather).

Right - Brakes....
At around 25,000 miles I wore through the brake pads and ruined the disks and as I was 18 I got a garage to fix it - So I wish to change the pads soon. Now I have just finished my engineering course and whilst I am a 'hands-on' noob I want to do it myself.

Is changing the brake pads and brake fluid easy? I have never done either before and my car hands-on is just what I have done in this thread.
As far as I know the car has never had a brake fluid, PAS fluid or gearbox oil change.

Cheers,
Dogrosie
 
Changing pads is pretty easy, just a few bolts to take the calipers off the disc, then pop the pads out (think there's either a pin or a plate that holds them in, been a while since I had mine off). As for a brake fluid change, it's normally easier to get a garage to do it, as they normally drain the fluid out completely, then fill it up with fresh fluid. As far as I'm aware, you then have to bleed the system, which normally requires a bleeding kit (can normally get one off eBay for not too much money).

If the filter is dirty, it is worth changing, along with the oil breather, just so you know they're clean.
 
Theres no need to change the brake fluid really, just bleed all 4 corners then top up. Fitting new brake pads is easy, youll need a tool to push the piston back though or you can do this instead

16acea63.jpg


Basically wheel off, 2 bolts undo the caliper, then remove the old brake pads, push piston back, fit new pads, refit caliper and wheel. Pump brake before using car.
 
I changed the pads on my grans K11 not too long ago. Was straight forward enough,

Remove the bottom bolt on the caliper, remove the brake hose off the caliper and place hose in a bottle or something, lift the caliper over, away from the pads, remove old pads and the little metal plates , insert new ones, apply copper grease to back of the pads, re attach the plates (these will stop squeeky brakes), Then you need to rewind the piston in the caliper, you can do this using a G clamp. Then re assemble the caliper, re attach brake hose and then the brakes will need bled.
 
I've done a guide on the brakes page of my wbesite. Link below :).
 
I know, I'd let my spare down to 15 psi exactly and was STILL surprised when nothing blew up or leaked :).
 
1275 said:
Be careful with using too much PSI with an Eeziblee on older brake fluid resevoirs, its dead easy to explode them
Click to expand...


6.5x55 said:
I know, I'd let my spare down to 15 psi exactly and was STILL surprised when nothing blew up or leaked :).
Click to expand...

Please expand on these two! Not a clue what you are on about.
I do apologise for the thickie questions - Just finished my engineering degree yet my hands-on experience is limited.

6.5x55 said:
I've done a guide on the brakes page of my wbesite. Link below :).
Click to expand...
That is for a k12 micra - Mine is k11 :laugh:
 
dogrosie said:
Just finished my engineering degree yet my hands-on experience is limited.
Click to expand...
this is the natural state of universities nowadays. my brother qualified as a motorsport engineer, and 95% of his course was theoretical.
Guy said:
It's the same single piston, sliding caliper setup fwn :laugh:.
Click to expand...
this leads me to 2 possible conclusions:
1) if it still works dont replace it
2) nissan are f***ing lazy when it comes to advancing their R&D!
 
dogrosie said:
Please expand on these two! Not a clue what you are on about.
I do apologise for the thickie questions - Just finished my engineering degree yet my hands-on experience is limited.


That is for a k12 micra - Mine is k11 :laugh:
Click to expand...

1275 said:
Be careful with using too much PSI with an Eeziblee on older brake fluid resevoirs, its dead easy to explode them
Click to expand...


Hmm two years late on this one, the plastic of the master cylinder reservoir can become brittle and when feeding 30 psi into it it can break, spraying brake fluid all over you and the car.
 
tomwest said:
this is the natural state of universities nowadays. my brother qualified as a motorsport engineer, and 95% of his course was theoretical.

this leads me to 2 possible conclusions:
1) if it still works dont replace it
2) nissan are f***ing lazy when it comes to advancing their R&D!
Click to expand...

Mainly number 2 lol
 
tomwest said:
haha! well thats british for you.... not slagging off british, just saying!
Click to expand...


Well they were made by AP. perhaps it's the new style power of having a 1 to 5 servo assistance (is that the right way round?) as opposed to a none servo'd set of brakes.
 
yeah i think that ratio is the right way round. press 1X strength and get 5X strength at the caliper. the other way round would be s**t!
 

Similar threads

D
Service help please
Replies
9
Views
2K
dogrosie
D
D
Service help!
Replies
6
Views
998
nexussteve
nexussteve
D
What tools do I need to service a facelift K11?
Replies
4
Views
3K
r-reg-sr
r-reg-sr
K
About to hit 185,000kms...help me double check what to get serviced
Replies
5
Views
1K
k11elwood
K
F
Service questions
Replies
5
Views
1K
fatboyjim
F
Back
Top