22 hours ago, stef123 said:

Super dot 4 is still dot 4, it has a higher temp spec. And yes, I have heard of it - funny that as I do run a garage. 
standard road use in a maintained vehicle, no one would know the difference.

Too many folk get wrapped in up specs and numbers and info from google.

Stef123,  oh boy, that cavalier attitude to reject an ISO standard as 'just marketing' and to diss all the R&D that would have gone into Super Dot 4 (or Dot4+),  is your opinion, but if a Ford car came into your garage for a brake fluid change, and you filled it with Dot 4, because in your opinion its just marketing, then you would be doing a sub-standard service. And THAT is my argument in a nutshell. Btw, Super Dot 4 is no dearer to buy, and that's from a main dealer parts counter. 

And you don't save any money really. I can get an oil+filter change using genuine Ford parts at my local main dealer's Rapid Fit outlet for around £50, also while it's on the lift, I get a good look underneath the car and pick their brains if I've got any issues. 

21 minutes ago, nicam49 said:

And you don't save any money really. I can get an oil+filter change using genuine Ford parts at my local main dealer's Rapid Fit outlet for around £50, also while it's on the lift, I get a good look underneath the car and pick their brains if I've got any issues. 

£50 for a large engine oil change is an absolute bargain!  5l of Formula F plus a genuine filter costs ~£35. 

I didn't know there were any RapidFit centres left though?  Even the basic Essentials service for a 1.6TDCi Mk3 Focus is £160 at the main dealer here...  

 

47 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

£50 for a large engine oil change is an absolute bargain!  5l of Formula F plus a genuine filter costs ~£35. 

I didn't know there were any RapidFit centres left though?  Even the basic Essentials service for a 1.6TDCi Mk3 Focus is £160 at the main dealer here...  

 

My diy cost this time round was  £42.Halfords part synthetic oil £28 for 5litres and a Mann filter £14👍

13 minutes ago, williamweb said:

My diy cost this time round was  £42.Halfords part synthetic oil £28 for 5litres and a Mann filter £14👍

Fair enough, might be worth trying ebay next time.  I always buy genuine parts and oil on there now.  Around £30 for the oil and a fiver for the filter.  All including postage!

I have been known to ask for a main dealer quote to get the correct part numbers...cheeky, I know haha!  

8 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Fair enough, might be worth trying ebay next time.  I always buy genuine parts and oil on there now.  Around £30 for the oil and a fiver for the filter.  All including postage!

I have been known to ask for a main dealer quote to get the correct part numbers...cheeky, I know haha!  

I normally go the oem route but the local Ford parts department was closed for business so decided to do a click and collect at Halfords, it's only down the road , 3 miles away👍

Well, it used to be Rapid Fit, it's still the same everything, and part of the main dealership but seperate for fast turnaround stuff. I still ask for rapid fit dept on the phone to make an appointment, and they put me thro'       if anyone's local to Leics and wants to give 'em a try, it's Paynes at Hinckley. 

Good to know cos it seems every time I go out in the car the oil life drops by 1% wether it's 5 minutes or an hour and I'm on 37%

Hinckley is doable for me in Rugby

5 hours ago, nicam49 said:

Stef123,  oh boy, that cavalier attitude to reject an ISO standard as 'just marketing' and to diss all the R&D that would have gone into Super Dot 4 (or Dot4+),  is your opinion, but if a Ford car came into your garage for a brake fluid change, and you filled it with Dot 4, because in your opinion its just marketing, then you would be doing a sub-standard service. And THAT is my argument in a nutshell. Btw, Super Dot 4 is no dearer to buy, and that's from a main dealer parts counter. 

Ok slightly off subject but here’s one for you.

We have 2 cars here which have collectively covered more than 300k miles on the wrong spec oil - neither have any issues and never have had any engine related trouble. 
We’ve also just got rid of a 14 year old mondeo which should have been run on super dot 4 for last 10 years, it’s never had a single brake issue related to fluid. 
We see many, many cars running fluids of all different and incorrect specs. 

The last car I remember having a super dot 4 spec stated on the cap, super dot 4 or dot 4.

Spec isn’t always everything. it’s often a means to sell a product and corner a market.

I have watched and read this thread with interest. I have read and understood all points of view and personally feel that there isn't probably much deviation in grades that will be noticed by the regular road car driver / user. These slight differences word probably have no detremental effects to the operation of the vehicle and wouldn't degrade anything ,although I do not fully understand the science.

However, the way I look at it, is if the recommendation is to use a specific grade of fluid and that fluid is not used when an owner's vehicle has a service, oil change or whatever work is carried out , what would be the legality if the car was Involved in an accident with potential fatalities and it was proven that recommended grade fluids had not been used?

What If damage or failure was caused to the vehicle and the correct grade fluids had not been used?

Would the garage where the work was undertaken be liable and responsible for not using the manufacturers recommended grade products?

1 hour ago, Mavroz said:

I have watched and read this thread with interest. I have read and understood all points of view and personally feel that there isn't probably much deviation in grades that will be noticed by the regular road car driver / user. These slight differences word probably have no detremental effects to the operation of the vehicle and wouldn't degrade anything ,although I do not fully understand the science.

However, the way I look at it, is if the recommendation is to use a specific grade of fluid and that fluid is not used when an owner's vehicle has a service, oil change or whatever work is carried out , what would be the legality if the car was Involved in an accident with potential fatalities and it was proven that recommended grade fluids had not been used?

What If damage or failure was caused to the vehicle and the correct grade fluids had not been used?

Would the garage where the work was undertaken be liable and responsible for not using the manufacturers recommended grade products?

Recommendations are exactly that, just a recommendation.
 

super dot 4 and dot 4, both compatible with each other. 
however if someone perhaps added dot 3 or even wrongly mixed a silicone based brake fluid like dot 5 and that caused damage to the abs pump for example which resulted in an accident then potentially if it could be proven someone could be liable. 
 

Our son had his 15 plate black edition Zetec S mot’d and serviced at Ford 3 weeks ago, which it passed.

They gave him an advisory on his exhaust ‘flexi pipe and rear bushes along with a price of £750 ‘if’ he wanted them done so he went along to a local garage I get my MOT done at and let them look at it, they replaced the rear bushes with polly bushes and put a new flexi section in at a cost of £225! 

14 minutes ago, Russ said:

Our son had his 15 plate black edition Zetec S mot’d and serviced at Ford 3 weeks ago, which it passed.

They gave him an advisory on his exhaust ‘flexi pipe and rear bushes along with a price of £750 ‘if’ he wanted them done so he went along to a local garage I get my MOT done at and let them look at it, they replaced the rear bushes with polly bushes and put a new flexi section in at a cost of £225! 

Rear bush advisories seem to be one of their favourites👍

17 minutes ago, Russ said:

Our son had his 15 plate black edition Zetec S mot’d and serviced at Ford 3 weeks ago, which it passed.

They gave him an advisory on his exhaust ‘flexi pipe and rear bushes along with a price of £750 ‘if’ he wanted them done so he went along to a local garage I get my MOT done at and let them look at it, they replaced the rear bushes with polly bushes and put a new flexi section in at a cost of £225! 

We are doing a tonne of rear bushes on fiestas of that era. Thankfully they are very simple to do lol. 

Well, it's said that the camel is a horse designed by a committee, and the OP of this thread certainly got a camel of an answer from this committee!