Dealership oil, yes or Nah....

[galaxy xr8]

I'm about to take my '16 Territory in to a Ford dealership for its annual service, in the past I've always supplied my own oil (Castrol Edge). But this time round I'm finding my OCD is dwindling and I can't be bothered really.

The dealership that I'm taking my car to uses Valvoline Syn power 5w-30 which is recommended for the vehicle in question.

But after reading some stories on how the dealerships or some places use bottles that have mixed ingredients (oil etc) and have crud or dirt particles in them as lets face it, the mechanics are probably over worked and under paid and it's not their car so the care factor is not all there, but thats a story for another day.

What's peoples thoughts on this, and does anyone know exactly what the refill procedure is at dealerships, do they have a certain protocol that they have to abide by so that crap doesn't get into fresh oil etc.

I am now thinking of buying some Valvoline Synpower oil in 6L capacity and just giving them that to use as I have done in the past, I'm just sick of purchasing oil and then hopping that they do actually use said oil in my car and not store it for themselves for a latter day, (even though I ask for my containers back afterwards), but its not hard to put oil in another container if need be.

Paranoid I know..

[BA-XT]

Are you able to change the oil yourself? I still enjoy doing it.... Gives me piece of mind that the jobs done right :-)

Is it worth it? I guess that depends on how much you love your car! My old Land Cruiser 2H Diesel I bought 20 years ago now was a sludge monster.... We took the rocker cover off and it was full of black gum.... Resulted in Reconditioned engine and gear box..... Not pretty for a 23yo!

I changed that oil every 5000km / 4 months and it was spotless inside when I sold it (only sold it because damn roof rust and I was hit head on)

Long story short, I'm soooooo fussy with all my fluids now. I've owned "Henry" since mid 2011 and every oil change he gets flushed. From 2011-2016 I used Shell Helix HX7 10w-40, then made the switch to Nulon Full Synthetic 10w-40 in mid 2017, and usethe Nulon Full Strength Oil Flush every oil change now.

I have no oil / water use at all..... I'd be supplying my own.

Oh, don't forgot to change the brake fluid once In a while too ;-)

[Crazy Dazz]

This page isn't long enough to list all the dodgy **** I have seen dealers pull. Even when there was no need. But it was easier/lazier to be dodgy, than to do it correctly and submit a warranty claim. Even now, they would rather say "we couldn't find a problem" than do a repair they would get paid for.

If you're worried about the quality of your oil, change it yourself.
I wouldn't trust a dealer not to use the cheapest crap available and lie about it.
I wouldn't trust the stoners they employ to even put the right blend in the right car.
If you provide your own oil, I wouldn't trust them to not do something stupid, lazy, forgetful, spiteful, or worse.

[ebv8]

if you are able just do it yourself at home, you probably won't even need a jack (i don't on my 4.0 territory) that way you can run your oil, your filter and check everything yourself just use the manual as to what to check for that service.

you could always buy the materials and get a mobile mechanic to do the service as you watch & learn for next time. my old man used to do his intermediate service on a new car this way, the mobile guy charged $50 (30 mins) labour and dad supplied all the parts and the guy stamped the book.

i have mates that spend $350 plus on a basic dealer service even though its our of warranty, its crazy but they feel safer the dealer is doing it... my last service cost me $37, 2 5l bottles of gulf western 10w-40 @ $10ea and a K&N Filter @ $17

before you bag me for my oil choice, i change every 5,000km, the oil is perfectly fine for the car, it doesn't need full synthetic at all, and meets all the specifications

[galaxy xr8]

Let me explain that I have no hassle in doing the service myself and all the equipment to do so, ( I done my XR8 and still do all the services myself) but as this was bought brand new I just prefer to have the books all complete with factory dealer servicing, call me mad but after selling vehicles in the past one of the first things most prospective buyers have asked when looking is, does the car have dealer servicing and stamped books !!!!.

After thinking about it, yes it's cheaper to do it my self, but when I factor in the free years roadside, the fact that if anything major goes wrong and that I've had the car in its entire life at a Ford dealership for service, hopefully a good will gesture is mindful, but also when selling second hand most people prefer to know the complete history of a car and that its book's were stamped accordingly. I know I would.

And it's $330 odd dollars through the dealer, where as my local independent mechanics would charge me around the $200-$300 mark anyway, most independents may be slightly cheaper but don't offer free road assist, free map upgrades, true computer diagnostic capabilities that Ford has.

In saying that if I supply my own oil that $330 from Ford will be reduced as well.

[Citroënbender]

I’m not alone in seeing a “full dealer service history” as potential impediment. One car bought thus, had NEVER received a pollen filter! I removed the original, they were “built in” and tore when removed - you replaced with a two piece filter. The pollen filters were on several service invoices though.

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

I’m not alone in seeing a “full dealer service history” as potential impediment. One car bought thus, had NEVER received a pollen filter! I removed the original, they were “built in” and tore when removed - you replaced with a two piece filter. The pollen filters were on several service invoices though.

I do not attest to the fact that some dealership servicing is not in fact actually that, but that is also why I check everything and do my due diligence prior and afterwards.

I will be checking things like that and making sure the oil is fresh in the engine, I mark the oil filter so I know the old one was replaced, etc etc..

Clearly there are people out there that take their car to a dealership in the belief that they get what they pay for, drop of/pick up and never check so are none the wiser and the dealership never hears from them so they got away with that one.

Not me, once again thats my OCD or paranoia .

[xkxlxm]

My i30 diesel has done 218,000 kms and I think there was one oil change by a dealer. I change the oil (filter every second oil change) myself about every 10,000 kms. Shell Helix Ultra. I rig up some planks etc on the driveway and get the car up high enough to crawl under. I probably don't save much $ but I get satisfaction from doing it.

Back in maybe 2008-2009 when I looked under the bonnet of new i30 diesels at dealers, there were warning stickers on the plastic engine cover about using the correct oil. Had stingy (like me) owners been doing their own oil changes and using the wrong oil ... ?

My partner's Corolla gets dealer serviced, which seems to be OK although once they didn't fully close the bonnet.

[Tassie f100]

I’ll probably get flamed here,but it seems the molly coddled cars that have to get the “proper”oil don’t last any longer than the ones that get whatever is on special at the time.

[XR Martin]

Don't worry too much about the jug they use to fill the oil up, the crap at the bottom will generally stay there unless they pour every last drop in.

[galaxy xr8]

The cap price service for this year is $330, I just rang to see what it would be if I supplied my own oil, I was told $90 odd less, so for a factory service and I supply my own oil which I have just purchased 15 L of Valvoline Syn power full synthetic 5w-30 from bunnings for $39 a bottle(5L), anyway so $240 all up which includes the free road side assist for 12 months, I believe is not bad value all things considering, compared to an independent.

[ebv8]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

The cap price service for this year is $330, I just rang to see what it would be if I supplied my own oil, I was told $90 odd less, so for a factory service and I supply my own oil which I have just purchased 15 L of Valvoline Syn power full synthetic 5w-30 from bunnings for $39 a bottle(5L), anyway so $240 all up which includes the free road side assist for 12 months, I believe is not bad value all things considering, compared to an independent.

if you are getting value for your money go for it,
my roadside assistance is $110pa so your paying for 30min. labour and factory filter and a stamped book

i's say its worth it

[frankie86]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

Let me explain that I have no hassle in doing the service myself and all the equipment to do so, ( I done my XR8 and still do all the services myself) but as this was bought brand new I just prefer to have the books all complete with factory dealer servicing, call me mad but after selling vehicles in the past one of the first things most prospective buyers have asked when looking is, does the car have dealer servicing and stamped books !!!!.

After thinking about it, yes it's cheaper to do it my self, but when I factor in the free years roadside, the fact that if anything major goes wrong and that I've had the car in its entire life at a Ford dealership for service, hopefully a good will gesture is mindful, but also when selling second hand most people prefer to know the complete history of a car and that its book's were stamped accordingly. I know I would.

And it's $330 odd dollars through the dealer, where as my local independent mechanics would charge me around the $200-$300 mark anyway, most independents may be slightly cheaper but don't offer free road assist, free map upgrades, true computer diagnostic capabilities that Ford has.

In saying that if I supply my own oil that $330 from Ford will be reduced as well.

Couldn't have said it better myself

[mondeomatureguy]

Hi Everyone,
My wife and myself brought a MC Mondeo new in 2012. Its a late build 2011 and we brought it when still living in Sydney.

I was serviced in Sydney till we moved down the South Coast at the time, and ever since then i have changed the oil, oil Filter and Air Filter myself any thing else such as Brakes, or any thing else it goes to the Mechanic.

We have been every where in that car with 379,726 on the clock and its still going strong.
The one thing i have never changed is the Brand of Oil since new and that is Valvoline Full synthetic Syn Power FE 5 W 30.

The cars getting on now but i don't trust many mechanics with it. The one time i did take it to a bloke for an oil change he didnt tighten the sump plug enough and he did the oil filter to tight, and broke the seal on the oil Filter and it was dripping oil so that was it for me, i just do it myself and at least i know its done the right way.

[ivorya]

I had done a lot of research, from this site as well from here https://online.lubrizol.com/relperftool/pc.html

My dealer was using Havoline based oils which were correct for the Viscosity but failed the Min T or Total Base Number (Alkalinity).

I found a Penrite product and Castrol A5 ticked all ford speced boxes.

I now do all my servicing myself.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by ebv8

if you are getting value for your money go for it,
my roadside assistance is $110pa so your paying for 30min. labour and factory filter and a stamped book

i's say its worth it

Your argument about costing is based on only having 1 service and 1 roadside callout per year.If you get 2 services per year,then the service cost goes up bt $55.if you have anther 1 or 2 callouts then the service cost saving comes back to under $30,So really a dealer service at $300+ Is a lot more than the independent $150.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

I do not attest to the fact that some dealership servicing is not in fact actually that, but that is also why I check everything and do my due diligence prior and afterwards.

I will be checking things like that and making sure the oil is fresh in the engine, I mark the oil filter so I know the old one was replaced, etc etc..

Clearly there are people out there that take their car to a dealership in the belief that they get what they pay for, drop of/pick up and never check so are none the wiser and the dealership never hears from them so they got away with that one.

Not me, once again thats my OCD or paranoia .

Paranoia.Do you trust that the milk bottle really has milk in it!or the bread is actually made from flour?

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

This page isn't long enough to list all the dodgy **** I have seen dealers pull. Even when there was no need. But it was easier/lazier to be dodgy, than to do it correctly and submit a warranty claim. Even now, they would rather say "we couldn't find a problem" than do a repair they would get paid for.

If you're worried about the quality of your oil, change it yourself.
I wouldn't trust a dealer not to use the cheapest crap available and lie about it.
I wouldn't trust the stoners they employ to even put the right blend in the right car.
If you provide your own oil, I wouldn't trust them to not do something stupid, lazy, forgetful, spiteful, or worse.

Lol your statement could be said for any mechanical business.

[slowsnake]

Look how we mistrust each other, what used to be one bad apple in a barrel is now good and bad getting mixed together!...all in the same pile, we all know they/some service centres are run by decent folk, really honest too, but he is not putting the oil and filter on the car!...the boss assumes that his underlings are doing the right thing.

Some mechanics you know are in big demand on weekends, sure a mate invites him over, asks about the cost of air, oil filters and best oil? Of course its all taken from the customer, the amount of time a mechanic told me to hide some part away, then tell me he is doing a service on the weekend, or washing white oil filters, or cleaning the air filter with compressed air then wiping or washing engine with kero!...you leave bonnet ajar to make sure customer looks under at his very clean "unserviced" motor car!..geez the engines looked clean eh....

Cheers Billy

[lumen8]

Originally Posted by slowsnake

Look how we mistrust each other, what used to be one bad apple in a barrel is now good and bad getting mixed together!...all in the same pile, we all know they/some service centres are run by decent folk, really honest too, but he is not putting the oil and filter on the car!...the boss assumes that his underlings are doing the right thing.

Some mechanics you know are in big demand on weekends, sure a mate invites him over, asks about the cost of air, oil filters and best oil? Of course its all taken from the customer, the amount of time a mechanic told me to hide some part away, then tell me he is doing a service on the weekend, or washing white oil filters, or cleaning the air filter with compressed air then wiping or washing engine with kero!...you leave bonnet ajar to make sure customer looks under at his very clean "unserviced" motor car!..geez the engines looked clean eh....

Cheers Billy

Yes that does happen unfortunately... never did it myself but people around me did, had the odd tech who would take filters and plugs here and there, and others at other dealerships I knew.

The bits would get taken home and theyd do jobs on the side. I knew of one person at a holden dealership in sadelaide he'd just about never change oil filters he would wipe the old ones, take new ones home, and do the engine wipe and tyre black thing.

I remember doing a major service once when I had just started out and I forgot to do the service sticker, customer noticed and was paranoid service hadnt been done, service manager had to earn his money that day talking his ****e like he would do.

He got me in the office after and said... sticker is the most important part of the service, and gave me a look as in do you get me?... I got what he meant.

Next day they made it protocol across the entire dealership for everyone to do the service sticker first when doing any service on a vehicle. .. car goes on the hoist.. do service sticker first, before you even think about touching the car.

Point being.. if sticker is done... even if something is forgotten, it likely wont be noticed.

[Citroënbender]

There’s the apocryphal stories of mechanics spotting a tamper mark on the oil or air filter, and carefully replicating it on the new one.

Some trades enjoy more trust than others. Glaziers and piano tuners come to mind.

[Burnout]

I take my G6ET to a good mechanic, however I buy all the stuff that gets tipped/changed into the car.
So last service included a flush, after dropping the sump oil and tipping in a clean lot, which also got diced. I do this at every 10,oookm.
This time I also changed the diff oil, fuel filer and did an engine coolant flush.
Some of the product I used was on hand, some I bought just recently.
Labour was $95.00. Cheap enough for an old bloke like me.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by xkxlxm

My i30 diesel has done 218,000 kms and I think there was one oil change by a dealer. I change the oil (filter every second oil change) myself about every 10,000 kms. Shell Helix Ultra. I rig up some planks etc on the driveway and get the car up high enough to crawl under. I probably don't save much $ but I get satisfaction from doing it.

Back in maybe 2008-2009 when I looked under the bonnet of new i30 diesels at dealers, there were warning stickers on the plastic engine cover about using the correct oil. Had stingy (like me) owners been doing their own oil changes and using the wrong oil ... ?

My partner's Corolla gets dealer serviced, which seems to be OK although once they didn't fully close the bonnet.

Bullet proof cars mechanically the i30.

Fuel filters are a right pain - why oh why over complicate what should be a simple procedure?

Mine is at almost 270k km and is not slowing down.

Only known problems that have got to me is the dodgy radio that slowly loses Bluetooth connection than totally fails (having said that a mob in QLD somewhere specifically repairs this issue and I may drop in on my next road trip) and the steering column clunk which is just a failed steering coupling bush and an easy fix - again several places know of this issue and offer a cheap replacement service.

[GT450]

If we all thought like the OP no one would go near a dealership or workshop. The point is there are good ones and bad ones , find one you trust and stick with them. I really don't have the time or patience to mark filters ,and spark plugs etc and if you have to do that then you shouldn't be taking your car there.
I use reusable air filters in all my cars and the other parts i buy genuine and i supply the oil. I trust my mechanic obviously many don't and word of mouth is the best advice you get when it comes to good or bad.

[HIPO]

I'd rather do my own. I keep a booklet in the glove box with dates, mileage, receipts & products used. If a buyer down the track doesnt like that, tuff! plenty appreciate it.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by Officemanager

Lol your statement could be said for any mechanical business.

Fixed for you Officemanager::Your statement could apply for any business

[slowsnake]

Well I can only see one way out!

OILCHANGE CAM!.......then post them here so everyone knows!...


Cheers King Billy

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by GT450

If we all thought like the OP no one would go near a dealership or workshop. The point is there are good ones and bad ones , find one you trust and stick with them. I really don't have the time or patience to mark filters ,and spark plugs etc and if you have to do that then you shouldn't be taking your car there.
I use reusable air filters in all my cars and the other parts i buy genuine and i supply the oil. I trust my mechanic obviously many don't and word of mouth is the best advice you get when it comes to good or bad.

Umm, I am taking my car to a dealership and it has been to a dealership it's entire life from new by me !!.

Ever heard the phrase once bitten twice shy ?, I've had my fair share of very incompetent service from my local Ford dealership, so much so that I refuse to set foot in the place and hence why I travel over an hr and half to get the annual service done via another Ford Dealer. To which I researched and asked many I trust to get an understanding on who is in actual fact a better reliable Dealership for factory servicing.

I could easily just take it to an independent locally but I choose to stay with the factory servicing, but in saying that that doesn't mean I don't have the right to be cautious and check things. I like to know that the money I am handing over for a service, is actually being done and I don't have to yet again have to seek elsewhere due to mistrust.

I don't believe that anyone of us here would feel any different about trust and want to check things after a service/job was done if they had been rorted once or twice before, no different to being stung wrongly by lets say your bank in your mortgage, lets say they have been overcharging you for years and you've only just recently found out ?, like you wouldn't go seeking for that reimbursement and from that moment on moving forward you wouldn't pay special attention to your future bills or check every now and then so that it wasn't still happening ???

What's the difference in the scenarios ?, once bitten twice shy.

I find it quite amusing that some people don't claim to be paranoid and like to say just trust your mechanic ...... well the next time you get over charged on a bill, a power bill, gas bill or what ever. I say just chill and take it on the chin as you claim you can and let it go.

[prydey]

If you aren't partial to a particular brand of oil, and the dealer uses an oil that meets the Ford spec for the car, then just let the dealer do it.

If you are partial to a particular brand, then supply your own oil.

[The Yeti]