My dealer says I'm overdue on the first 3K mile oil change and my warranty is in jeopardy. My MY04 service manual states 5K intervals (including the 1st change) under normal driving conditions. Is the dealer trying to drum up revenue via scare tactics...or was there some addendum to the service manual I never got? TIA

 

That's weird. Who is this dealer? The book says 5k and when I suggested 3k at my dealer, they said not to bother. I did do it at three k, but just the oil itself. The factory filter is very good quality. And very hard to remove.
Chris

 

Ask your dealer why your warranty is in jeopardy when the book says 5K?

 

Same here, both dealer and manual say 5k.

 

Funny thing, just picked up my 05 F150 tonight, and my dealer said the same thing about the 3K change and my warranty in jeopardy if i go past 5K on the service intervals. What the hell do they do at these service visits. I've done all my own work on my cars since i was 16 ( 19 years ago ) and will be damned if i can't change my own oil for fear of voiding my warranty.

 

I feel it is critical that the first oil change be done at 3000 miles or less. I have always thought that the first 3000 miles is when you would have the most metal fragments in the oil. Good Luck!

 

My dealer said 3k but as long as it was done before 5k the warranty was still good just to make sure to use a motorcraft filter, i use both the filter and the oil

 

Pay up the money ($25 maybe) and change it at 3k. What is it going to hurt? If your budget is too tight, then sell it quick

 

it's not the money. What irks me is the rather heavy hinting that only Ford should service your vehicle, even if you're a weathered shade-tree mechanic in order to avoid the possiblity of them not honoring your warranty in the future.

On a side note, the dealer seemed to acknowledge the underlying brake issues found on the 04's and said "if you listen to only one thing, listen to this. Do not perform sudden stops or ride the brakes for the first 1,000 miles. You have to break them in good." Guess Ford got tired of paying for rotors on brand new trucks.

 

This may be good advice, but I was more concerned about voiding the warranty for following Ford's service guideline.

The dealer is Huntington Beach Ford, and they've already mailed me 2 letters with huge red print stating I'm going to void my warranty because I'm overdue for my 3K service.

Thanks everybody!

 

My local Ford shop, whom I don't do business with, has called five times to warn me that I am near my 10,000 mile service, and that I must do that to keep my warranty. I got irritated last call (my truck has almost 7k, and the first call started when it had 3k) so I talked to the general manager.
Besides an apology, he aknowledged that as long as the oil was changed, anyone could do it, and then he explained 'semi-off the record' that Ford has a push on to get more people in for oil changes, because Jiffy Lube, Grease Monkey, etc. are cutting into their market share, and they don't like it.
Chris

 

I would call the general manager of Huntington Beach Ford and raise 'heck'. Don't let anyone else handle the call, talk to him, tell him to put it in writing that the owners manual is wrong, and that the other places are lying to you. Then call Ford Motor Company and tell them that. Bet you get some free goodies.
Chris

 

i actually had a "free" first oil change at my dealer. i brought it in at 5500 miles. i just did my own 2nd oil change on saturday. the filter was stuck on there like no tomorrow. i was going to use a strap wrench, but i was able to get it with some rubber gloves. makes me wonder if it was even changed! the splash shield had no evidence of ever being touched by some spilt oil from the 1st filter. dry as a bone.

 

fx4me...what color was the filter you removed?? If it was gray, it was the original filter. I'd call out the dealer on that one.

But if you were able to remove it with your hands, either they DID change the filter, or you got forearms like Popeye!

 

oh, ok. it was white. like the motorcraft i replaced it with, 820s i think. i feel better already, Don. anyone else confirm the original filter is grey? i will feel even better.

on a side note, i think i do have popeyes.