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Mk 4 diesel first service


south_bound
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I am getting my first service done at an independent garage I have normally used for older cars when needed and happy with them, usually doing the routine servicing myself.  My Mk 4 is coming up to needing a first service and I don't have time or inclination to do this myself just now so will book it in.  Apart form all the b/***** 30 point health check nonsense that Ford promote I take it there is only the oil and filter change that actually needs doing?  I will also ask them to reset the oil service message which I assume they can do without Ford-specific diagnostic tools - I will ask them anyway as I could do without that message flashing up every time I start the car.

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Is nothing broken that you want repaired under warranty at the main dealer?  I'd also want them to plug in and do any module updates that are necessary myself.

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15 minutes ago, south_bound said:

getting my first service done

Let me know how you get on with the service. My car is due it's first service and to be honest I don't feel like paying over £200 just to have the oil and filter changed.

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18 minutes ago, unofix said:

Let me know how you get on with the service. My car is due it's first service and to be honest I don't feel like paying over £200 just to have the oil and filter changed.

That was my thinking, plus I trust my local guy more than the main dealer 20 miles away to do a good job.  I can leave the car in the morning and walk home to give him the day to do the job, not go through the palaver of "checking it in", being offered a coffee (or not) and told to kick me heals for an hour or two, get a call to say the Wiper Blades need doing which I would decline, get back to be told it is not done, walk around the industrial estate some more, get back to a washed and shiny car but covered in streaks (or not) ...you get my drift.

Found nothing broken (can't fault it, but should do a good check) and I fear that getting any modules updated would only create issues and would have to go back again.  Warranty is only 2 years here and ends in a couple of months so not concerned there.  Having a stamp in the book may help with selling if I that within a couple of years, otherwise that becomes a moot point as well.

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First service at ford should only be around £120, and remember if ford service your car you get another year  ford assistance, which is the same as full AA package worth at least £170.

I was a gold AA member with over 30 years membership and the renewal was £210, I quickly dumped that when I got the Ford.

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1 hour ago, Mark-UK said:

First service at ford should only be around £120, and remember if ford service your car you get another year  ford assistance, which is the same as full AA package worth at least £170.
 

 

That might be for first year "service" which only involves looking around and checking fluids as far as I know.  They charge a lot more if they have to get their hands dirty at the end of year 2.  My annual Mk2 service while it was still under guarantee was over £250 and that was nearly 15 years ago so I imagine its got more expensive since. 

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Just thinking about this, I usually do the oil change on my driveway just after coming back from somewhere so the engine and oil are warm and run out easier.  Given the garage is only about 3 minutes drive and they may not do it straight away, I can only assume the thicker cold oil will not all run out and some will be left in no matter how long they leave it to drain.  I'm sure a small amount of old oil left in does no harm, or do they leave the engine running half an hour before starting the job to warm it up?

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I know I don't want to do it but I suppose that I should at least ring my local Arnold Clark branch and check how much it is and what I get (or don't) for the money. I'll report back with the details when I've done it.

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I don't think they drain oil these days, I believe they suck it out.


Talking about service costs, I had the 3 year service plan from Ford, just had my 3rd year service at Evans Halshaw Chorley on a Mk4 diesel and I asked what was the price if I had no plan and was quoted  £130, I thought either that was cheap or my plan was dear at £550 for the 3 services. I'm thinking alternate year are more expensive ie. for the £550 plan  Year 1 £120, Year 2 £300, Year 3 £130,  now I do know the biannual brake fluid change is included in the plan and that around the £80 mark every other year.

As for what they'll do, it's in the service book

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Well heres the update:

Ford Focus Mk4 2.0 diesel - Mileage 8082 - First service due: 2 years / 18000 miles.

So what do you get: Lots of walking around, some tyre kicking (but not too much), some oil sucked out (but only 80/90%) a new oil filter, some new oil (using real liquid gold) and a quick hand wash, and thats you all done and fully serviced till the next time.

All this can be yours for a very reasonable £272.50 of your British pounds.

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19 minutes ago, unofix said:

Well heres the update:

Ford Focus Mk4 2.0 diesel - Mileage 8082 - First Service due: 2 years / 18000 miles.

So what do you get: Lots of walking around, some tyre kicking (but not too much), some oil sucked out (but only 80/90%) a new oil filter, some new oil (using real liquid gold) and a quick hand wash, and thats you all done and fully serviced till the next time.

All this can be yours for a very reasonable £272.50 of your British pounds.

If you have any sort of road recovery service, it's still a bargain IMHO as you get it free from ford instead of paying AA/RAC/Green  Flag

For two years cover
RAC £340
AA £338
Green Flag £210

So even if you use ***** green flag, it means your service is effectively  £62

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Just think of all them software updates it may need, and don't forget the map updates!!! 😉

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Tbf, oil suction pump seems to get more out than a 'proper' drain.  I was also sceptical before I started using one.  Just may sure you park with the dipstick at the lowest point if not on level ground.

It's a shame the oil filter's underneath on the 2.0 TDCI.  Did my 2.0 TDI a few months ago, can't bend or lift now but it's all done from above on those so was easy enough.

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2 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Tbf, oil suction pump seems to get more out than a 'proper' drain.  I was also sceptical before I started using one.  Just may sure you park with the dipstick at the lowest point if not on level ground.

It's a shame the oil filter's underneath on the 2.0 TDCI.  Did my 2.0 TDI a few months ago, can't bend or lift now but it's all done from above on those so was easy enough.

Mines was a total pain to change you need child hands to get in there. There is a mod for easier access but looks awkward.

https://youtu.be/5fIqehWKJzY

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Bear in mind that it's possible that you may need Ford's '' goodwill'' at some time in the future once the warranty has expired, and speaking as a recipient of such goodwill, I found a full Ford service history invaluable.

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On 9/9/2021 at 2:52 PM, Mark-UK said:

If you have any sort of road recovery service, it's still a bargain IMHO as you get it free from ford instead of paying AA/RAC/Green  Flag

For two years cover
RAC £340
AA £338
Green Flag £210

So even if you use ***** green flag, it means your service is effectively  £62

Ouch... is recovery costs that expensive ? 

Not sure what the policies include for those quotes above but they seem a tad steep, even for 2yrs of cover.

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9 minutes ago, Wino said:

Ouch... is recovery costs that expensive ? 

Not sure what the policies include for those quotes above but they seem a tad steep, even for 2yrs of cover.

It depends what you want, really. I have an annual check plus oil change at my local Ford dealer, so my car, which we use for our longer trips, has the comprehensive Ford cover as Mark outlines.

My Mrs only uses her car locally so we have basic breakdown and local recovery included on her insurance - £30 last year, provided by RAC.

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You have to swap between RAC & AA each year, or haggle, to get anything like a reasonable price from them...  They're also ***** in my experiences!

Personally I'm with StartRescue now.  Cost about £25 a year for roadside & recovery (don't need homestart).  They have a tick box on the app which can be used for verbal/hearing impairment to do the whole process via text rather than phone which is a big plus for me. :smile:

 

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My bad... it seems I've read the quotes posted above as solely for roadside and recovery prices...

For two years cover
RAC £340
AA £338
Green Flag £210.

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AA quote for  a single year £169,

Roadside Assistance
24/7 help by the roadside (over 1/4 mile from home). If we can’t fix the vehicle we’ll tow you to a nearby garage.

At Home
Our standard cover begins when you’re 1/4 mile from home. If you need breakdown cover at your doorstep,

National Recovery
If we can’t find a fix at the roadside we’ll take you, your passengers and vehicle to any UK mainland destination.

Onward Travel
We’ll arrange car hire, overnight accommodation or costs towards public transport for you and your passengers up to 3 times a year.

I picked these options as this is what you get from Ford + European Cover
Also with Ford Assistance

Use of a temporary loan (replacement) vehicle for a maximum of two working days
Pay reasonable public transport costs for the driver and passengers
One nights accommodation, up to £50  (excl. VAT, incl. breakfast) per person per night

 

 

Saying all that, SmartResuce does look very cheap, and looks to have good reviews.

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On 9/9/2021 at 9:56 AM, south_bound said:

I am getting my first service done at an independent garage I have normally used for older cars when needed and happy with them, usually doing the routine servicing myself.  My Mk 4 is coming up to needing a first service and I don't have time or inclination to do this myself just now so will book it in.  Apart form all the b/***** 30 point health check nonsense that Ford promote I take it there is only the oil and filter change that actually needs doing?  I will also ask them to reset the oil service message which I assume they can do without Ford-specific diagnostic tools - I will ask them anyway as I could do without that message flashing up every time I start the car.

Providing they fully follow the service schedule and use Ford parts then the warranty will be fine. 

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On 9/9/2021 at 10:10 AM, TomsFocus said:

Is nothing broken that you want repaired under warranty at the main dealer?  I'd also want them to plug in and do any module updates that are necessary myself.

Dealer's, as part of routine service, will not plug into OBD port unless MIL is on, or unless you pay them to.

They also will not check and perform updates unless you complain of an issue and part of the diagnosis process is to perform a software update. Unless you pay them to.

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I have it booked in and will feedback once it is done next week.

 

All this talk of breakdown assistance - doesn't say much about the confidence levels people have with new or newish cars nowadays! For a well maintained car driven sensibly how many times would you expect to have to use it?  I can think of one time in 30 years that I had to call my Dad from the side of the road to help me out with a broken clutch cable (that was in about 1991 or 92), although no mobile phones in those days so had to knock on someone's door to  ask to use the phone.  Twice had tyres blow-out on the motorway but changed the wheel myself and got on with the journey.  Oh, and once I ran out of fuel (my own fault) and had to hitch hike to a petrol station to buy a can and fill it.  Saving 30 years of these subscriptions will more than pay for a tow truck if ever I need it.

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On 9/9/2021 at 11:10 AM, TomsFocus said:

Is nothing broken that you want repaired under warranty at the main dealer?  I'd also want them to plug in and do any module updates that are necessary myself.

I think you jinxed me Tom, tyre pressure warning lamp came on yesterday showing all four tyres with the same correct pressure but a star or exclamation mark against the front left.  I will add some air and hopefully it will go off and is not a faulty sensor.  If the light doesn't go out then I have a month of warranty left and will have to take it in to Ford to sort out and that would be a PITA.

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30 minutes ago, south_bound said:

I think you jinxed me Tom, tyre pressure warning lamp came on yesterday showing all four tyres with the same correct pressure but a star or exclamation mark against the front left.  I will add some air and hopefully it will go off and is not a faulty sensor.  If the light doesn't go out then I have a month of warranty left and will have to take it in to Ford to sort out and that would be a PITA.

That's exactly the reason for expecting breakdowns on modern cars...  So many electronic components that it really doesn't matter whether you give it a regular oil change & external once-over or not, they're always lying in wait to break when you least expect it! :unsure:  Also not sure if it's the case on Fords, but I know on VWs the car won't even start if it thinks you've run out of AdBlue...so all that takes is one dodgy sensor to leave you stranded.

For what's it worth, all of my breakdowns so far have been mechanical and not easily fixed, albeit on cars around 10 years old.  One burst rad hose from a blown HG, one locked drum brake after the shoe fell apart, one blown turbo oil seal (exhaust side luckily, so no chance of runaway) and one dragging clutch that stopped me deselecting gears and pulled me onto a busy roundabout with the clutch down...I then broke the gear linkage rod trying to wrench it out!  The breakdown services were so poor on the first two that I limped home with the other two!

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