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15,000km Service.


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  KEN 24T said:
I didn't think the price was too bad? ... :smilielol:

I asked them to do the wheel alignment and wheel rotation, that alone was $184.00

I have to also say that, I've just got back from a little "squirt" around the hills back of "The Oaks" and my precioussss is running like a dream. She just wants to keep revving out in 3rd .... oh yeh! :finger:

Jeez, that's a ripoff.

You can do a wheel rotation in less than 5 mins with a car on a hoist. Allow 10-15 mins if you do it in your drive with your own standard jack, and take your time.

As for a wheel alignment, its quite possible they just send it down to the local tyre specialist (Bob Jane etc) and get them to do it. The cost for that would be around $40-50 if you went to Bob Jane, from memory.

Next time, go get an alignment and rotation at Bob Jane or similar. You will save yourself $120 or so out of the $184 they charged you....

Guys, many dealers, not just Ford, get specialist work done by local experts. For them its cheaper, easier, of higher standards (done by someone who does it all the time) etc. If you drop your car at Ford and get them to fix those kinds of things, then you pay the experts fee plus a very very hefty markup.

Go to the experts direct for that kind of thing. Go to Ford for standard stuff and all warrantee claims.

Examples where dealers/offical servicing departments often outsource usually include:

Rebuilding old gearboxes, rebuilding CV joints, rebuilding Diffs, painting panels and panel beating, new tyre fitting, wheel alignment, hard to solve electrical issues etc etc.

In the case of rebuilding things, often all the dealer will do is take the old one out and put the newer one in. The expert at another company does the rebuilding, and can also usually fit it themselves much quicker, easier and cheaper.

All that specialist work is often not dont by dealers. They make their money out of simple replacement of parts and servicing...and the often HUGE markup for getting someone else to fix other things.

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  • SLOJAM, Gone but not forgotten
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FWIW, I just had my 30K service and I asked what oil they put in it. I was told 10w30!!

I discussed what was in the little blue book and was told that a service memo was released with changes to the recommended oil. I have asked for a copy.

will keep you posted

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  cramorr said:
15k Service from Brad Garlick

...Balanced and rotated wheels  $32.50,  cheap  but I would pay a little extra to have some wombat tighten up the passenger side wheel nuts, they were all finger tight and I wondered what the strange sound was driving home. Got to work and decided to check, I got 3 turns out of all ten wheel nuts, not happy Jan!!! :smilielol:

BAck today for proper re torque, all better.

Craig

yeah, good you had this done otherwise you might get the brake shudder problem - correct torque tightening of the wheel nuts to spec'n is part of the "fix".

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sorry I am reduced to...

Is this not bullsh*t?

So, take it here there and everywhere for stuff like wheel alignments and panel/colour work (no suprise there).

I would go to the friendly local mechanic (what's this tech bullsh*t, my Dad was a mechanic not a technician) except for the codes added to the 'puter bs.

How specialised is the electronics - does it rely on Ford Service only??

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  AMoffat said:
How specialised is the electronics - does it rely on Ford Service only??

Depends on what it is related to electronics.

If its reflashing the ECU etc, then I dont think anyone except Ford is currently doing this.

If its standard tunes, then I think many alternative places could do it. I doubt Ultratune or similar would say they cant do it. (I m a bit suss of them after an A Current Affair story I saw a while back.

If its wiring and wiring loom problems, then any automotoive electrical person will solve it much faster and better than the typical Ford people usually will unless its a very common problem Ford have seen everywhere. (Which is why many dealers use a dedicated local automotive electrician...can save much time over one of their guys stumbling around trying to fix something unknown).

Ive taken other quite electronic non-ford cars to non-proper dealers (who I knwo lacked the electrics to link in to the ECU) for typical services and found the result to be as good if not better than the "turn over as many cars per day as possible" Ford dealers that people often use.

That being said, I get all my servicing, fixes etc for free, so I dont give a damn what they charge so long as its a good job...

[And proud to say after 15,000km I havent spend even one single cent on fuel!]

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I hope you didnt do any spirited driving with the wrong oil Kenny,The bores would be rooted if you did,not to mention what will hapen to the turbo down the track.

vik

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  vik351 said:
I hope you didnt do any spirited driving with the wrong oil Kenny,The bores would be rooted if you did,not to mention what will hapen to the turbo down the track.

vik

Now come on Vik, l think you answered your own question.

Spirited driving :o Ken.. :huh:;) :lol:

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  KEN 24T said:
Ok, so just rang the Service Dept Manager and explained the little discrepency to him ... short silence ... "no, your right", he says ... "it should have been 15W-40, let me check and I'll get back to you".

:angry:

Can anyone in the MacArthur area recommend a good, honest mechanic?

... seriously ... :banghead:

Ken,

I hope you checked that he had the filter fitted to his compressor when he did your tyre pressure checks. You can get small particles that rub between the sidewall and the rim and can cause tyre failure in no time at all. I'd suspect that he has used unfiltered air in my tyres if I were you. Take it into a tyre specialist and ask for a percent passing air test, this will tell you if there are fines in you tyres, most tyre speciallists don't charge for this and it only taks a sec to do.

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  Mondie said:
  vik351 said:
I hope you didnt do any spirited driving with the wrong oil Kenny,The bores would be rooted if you did,not to mention what will hapen to the turbo down the track.

vik

Now come on Vik, l think you answered your own question.

Spirited driving :ermm: Ken.. :gooff:;) :lol:

As a matter of fact, I did take it for a little "squirt" after the initial service. :banghead:

Nothing too strenuous though ... just a quiet run in the hills. ;)

... so Mondie ... :nuts2:

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