Earlier this year I started taking my truck to a different ford dealer for oil changes. I used to take my truck to the commerical ford truck dealer in town. They do great service, but are very inconvienient for oil changes. They want you to drop the truck off, and don't like when you wait for them to complete an oil change.

So, I started taking the truck to a dealer near my office. It's convienient. I can stop on the way home, browse the showroom for a while, and boom the oil change is done. The problem is, I've had problems with my truck after everytime I've been there.

-First oil change - truck began running bad within a week of the oil change, then left me stranded in a parking lot. Ended up being a dirty EGR valve, cleaned the EGR valve and the truck ran fine.

-Second oil change - within a week truck began struggling to start, wouldn't start in the parking lot at work. Had mechanic at work look at it and we determined the Batteries were bad. The batteries were less than two years old. Ford replaced them under warranty.

-Third oil change last week - truck has started acting like it has a dirty EGR valve again. I'm going to pull the valve and take a look at it tonight.

Now, I'm guessing this is all just coincidence, but this is getting a little ridiculous. Is there anything they could be doing with an oil change to cause this? I can't think of anything... Maybe I just need to go back to the commercial dealer...

 

They could be overfilling the oil. Could lead to problems. Why don't you change the oil yourself a few times with Synthetic 5W-40 and see if the problems go away?

 

Just coincidence

 

The 2nd oil change should have been a clue. Oil changes don't create bad batteries.

 

What if the put oil in the battery instead of water?

BTW I agree it is just a coincidence

 

Thanks for the replies. Like I said I figured it was just coincidence, but I was really frustrated when the truck started acting up this week after an oil change again.

EGR is now cleaned, there was a lot of black soot in the intake.

Once again thanks for confirming I'm just unlucky...

 

If you have a lot of soot and repeat EGR vave clogging, you need to look for improving your combuston efficiency.

I would check fuel pressure (at WOT), make sure batteries are healthy, check FICM voltages, and maybe even replace the EGR valve instead of just cleaning it. If it has been more than a few years, I would have the newest flash update installed.

 

I am neither defending the dealer in question or bashing them. But I will state that the comment quoted above, rubs me the wrong way. Most of you lurkers will take note that one of my pet peeves about my job (and I'm sure a pet peeve of most techs), is the classic comment from customers, "Well ever since you replaced my brakes, the radio doesn't work ...... ever since you changed my oil ....... the back door won't open ....... ". It ceaselessly amazes me how quickly everyone likes to point the finger of blame to the techs.

I could go on and on, but I won't. For what it's worth, the repair process on any vehicle can either be simple, straightforward and painless. Or it can be very complex, stressful, and full of BS cat and mouse games with the manufacturer when it's a warranty repair. But I guess all this doesn't enter the thought process to the customer whose primary concern is his $50,000 truck not working right.

To the original poster, you can add me to the list who agree it is just a coincidence......

 

Thanks for all the information. Now for an update.

Pulled the EGR valve, looked pretty bad, so I spent the money and put a new one in.

Drove the truck for one day, accellerating from a stop light, truck would hesitate and not want to get above 1200 RPM. If I gave it more gas, it would eventually shoot up to 3000 RPM, and then kick out a big cloud of black smoke.

So I took it to the commerical Ford dealer. Looks like I need a new oil cooler and EGR cooler. Merry early Christmas to me...

They gave me a quote of $2150, does that sound about right?

Thanks again for all the input

 

You might want to check and clean your turbo before that. My 04 did the same thing and it was vanes that were sticking and slamming open when you accerate which produces a lot of smoke due to the extra fuel that had already been introduced to the cylinders before there was enough compression to ignite it. JMO.

 

Have them clean the turbo when they do the repair like lawnboy suggested. You should really consider a coolant filter to protect your new oil cooler.