Naive new iMiev owner with recall dilemma

[SLOOPjohnB2012]

I live in Madison WI and just purchased a used iMiev shipped from Ohio. I had verified that there are local certified authorized iMiev mechanics so I thought I was covered. I have four outstanding recalls and I have now learned I must go to a Mitsu dealership for these and that furthermore not all dealerships service iMievs. Schlossman City Mitsu in Milwaukee is the closest iMiev servicer and way beyond my range. My iMiev is only equipped with the basic 15 amp plug.

Is there any EV enthusiast and kind soul who can give me a 120 volt 15 amp boost between Madison and Milwaukee? I will gladly pay a fee or whatever. Thanks

 

[wmcbrine]

You're not restricted to Level 1 charging. You can do Level 2 via the same port. (Only Level 3, CHAdeMO, uses a separate port, on the other side of the car, if your car has it.)

Look on plugshare.com (or the equivalent app) to find charging stations to take you where you need to go. (I see a lot in Madison and in Milwaukee, but only a few in between. But they should suffice.)

 

[wmcbrine]

P.S. When I do the lookup here: http://www.mitsubishicars.com/dealers

your closest valid dealers appear to be in Illinois and Iowa. Schlossmann doesn't have the little green "i" that indicates an i-MiEV certified dealer.

 

[rkarl89203]

Plugshare is your friend. There is a DC Chademo QC in Madison and Level 2 Chargers at Johnson Creek. We go to Madison all the time (live in Rockford, IL). Call the dealership in Milwaukee first to make sure they work on i-mievs. There are 5 awesome Quick Chargers in Milwaukee we use. The one at Marshall in Brookfield is best!

 

[Don]

When we bought our first one, we had a local Mitsu dealership with qualified mechanics only about 15 miles away - That's where we bought the car. They closed up shop before we bought our second one 3 or 4 months ago. We bought that one in Indianapolis and trucked it home ourselves. There is a dealer in Mobile AL which is within range (they are now our local dealer) but they were in the process of getting qualified to service the iMiEV so they couldn't do the recalls at that time. New Orleans was the closest dealership capable of performing the recalls which were outstanding on the car when we bought it, same as in your case

I called Mitsu and discussed the situation with them. I told them I *could* drive it to New Orleans to get the recalls done, but it would require a lengthy L2 recharge both ways in Slidell LA (at a Nissan dealership) in order for me to make it there and back, so it would have to be a two day trip. I said if Mitsu was willing to pay my overnight expenses in New Orleans, I would *volunteer* two days of my time to get the recalls done

Keep in mind, these are safety recalls which Mitsubishi MUST get performed in a timely manner, no matter where you live or where the closest dealership is

In the end, rather than pay me $100 or so for lodging, Mitsu decided they were going to pay to have the car trucked to Pensacola FL, since their rudimentary ZIP code map insisted that dealership was closer to my house than the one in New Orleans (the one I could actually drive to) and that's what they did. They arranged for a flatbed tow truck to pick it up at my house at 8 AM, truck it to Pensacola where they had already made sure the parts and technicians were ready for it and after the work was done, the same truck brought it back about 7 hours later, all at no charge to me - It was a full day's work for the truck driver, plus 110 miles each way . . . . I have no doubt they spent $500 or so getting this done their way

If I were you, I would have a talk with Mitsu, tell them what you have going on, that these recalls should have been done 4 or 5 months ago and that you don't think it should cost you anything. By law, I believe you'd be in the right - They MUST service this car and soon, no matter where it is or where their nearest dealer is. If you can't drive it there, they need to make some arrangements for you similar to what they did on our case

Don

 

[SLOOPjohnB2012]

Thanks all for your input. My i has no level 3 and I had thought of using only level 1 but you all are making me rethink that. I had discovered plugshare on my own after I made my post but your ideas made me look at it all over again. I didn't know about the green "i" symbol. I called Schlossman City Mitsu and they do service the i.

The trip to Milwaukee has evolved into a fun adventure in my mind but the idea of Mitsu trucking it for me sounds even more fun. Do you all think there is high risk in driving my i with these outstanding recalls? If there is, that is another argument for their responsibility. Oh, when you truck your i yourself is it your own equipment or do you rent?

 

[wmcbrine]

I called Schlossman City Mitsu and they do service the i.

Maybe so, but Mitsubishi doesn't seem to think so? I'd just be worried about ending up in this situation if I went to a place without the green "i".

 

[kiev]

If you can spare the time while waiting to charge, then it looks like you could drive over using Level 2 charging at Kohls in Johnson Creek and/or Marshall Auto Body shop in Waukesha (solar powered charger). i would guess that It might be a 2 or 3 day trip depending upon how long it takes the shop to process the recalls, assuming they have all the parts in-stock, etc.

i don't know if any of the recalls were urgent or considered so unsafe as to prevent driving--maybe some of the long term owners know those details.

Drive it around home for awhile and have some EV fun!

 

[rkarl89203]

As far as just driving to Milwaukee, even at L2 its easy from Madison and back...just plan accordingly. Level 2 stops are really fun actually...the L2 at the Blink chargers at Johnson Creek are cool, a lot of shopping at Kohls and Menard's, and if you walk across the parking lot there are restaurants and convenience stores. In Brookfield near Milwaukee is Marshall Auto Body with a really fast L2 Clipper Creek charger. In Milwaukee itself at 27th Street there is a fairly fast L2 charger at the AAA office. Its one short block from McDonalds and near other shopping. Even at L2 you can have great adventures with this neat car as long as you plan carefully!

 

[SLOOPjohnB2012]

I'll for sure ask Mitsu about Schlossman City and the safety of the trip and a vacation subsidy. Did anyone see the post where someone reported total brake failure? Titled "unsafe at any speed" I think.

I love the "kiev" --- are you Ukrainian? I'd like to see more state parks get on board with plugshare. Blue Mounds State Park looks like a good destination. I'm feeling much better about the i with all your moral support and I do love this car. I'm primarily a bicyclist and I tell people this car is almost as good as a bicycle!

 

[PV1]

I'm not sure what to make of that post. The guy says the brake pedal goes clear to the floor without resistance, but that is after the collision (where broken brake lines are almost certain). We never did establish what actually happened. My guess is that regen dropped out due to a bump or accidental shift info neutral and make it seem like the brakes went out.

If the brake pump itself fails, you have two decent pumps on the brake before losing assist. The brakes will still work after that, you just have to press harder on the pedal. I tested it on our sloped driveway one afternoon and was able to quickly stop with no vacuum assist. Not to mention the regen that does nearly all braking anyway. The probability of the pump failing seems low, but if it does, the pedal will be stiffer and braking performance will decay, but you shouldn't have much issue stopping if you have some strength in your leg (and definitely increase your following distance).

As for KiEV, I thought the same thing, but he did a play on MiEV. "Kenny's innovative Electric Vehicle".

 

[SLOOPjohnB2012]

Yeah, I took more of a look at the brake posts and it goes on and on. Not too worried.

Maybe my car will be i-JiEVs (I'm John) as in "My man Jeeves".