[pegleg]

Changed front discs and pads in March, spark plugs last week and today oil/filter and air filter.Carhas done 6k since last oil change, but being such a tiny engine with a turbo, I'm going to change the oil and filter every 6k.
Discs and pads cost £90, oil and filter £40, spark plugs £25 and air filter £10. Will inspect the pollen filter tomorrow.
Total cost, £165.
Dealer wanted £164 for front discs and pads and £341 for a main service. Total £505
Oil filter is a pig to get at without ramps but the rest was a doddle.
Took me around 3 hours which means I got paid £113 per hour!

 

[cianpars]

Is there any room to get a chain wrench or strap around the filter to get it off?

I have ramps, so can get underneath.

What oil did you use?

Did you need a special tool to change the plugs as i understand there is no room around them to get a plug spanner in

I cant understand why brake discs dont seem to last long these days.

Edited by: cianpars

 

[pegleg]

Problem is with the filter is that it's located at the rear of the engine so the car needs to be lifted quite high. I removed the nearside wheel and used axle stands to gain access. Oil is 5w-20 synthetic to Ford Spec M2C948-B. I used Titan.
Spark plug tool I used was a 14mm bi hex laser 4376 thin with a long extension.
Discs don't last as long since asbestos was banned, my discs had quite a lip on the outer edge.
Discs I used were Delphi. I noticed the brake system is TRW; don't know if the O/Epads are TRW but they eatthrough discs. I didn't use those!
Normally with air filter I inspect it and if it looks okay, give it a good shake and hoover. This one looked as if it's never been changed and after a main dealer service 6k miles ago.
So much for main dealer service.

 

[jackkook]

I have just had my first service, how does this compare to the prices you pay ? it includes a years AA breakdown.

Edited by: jackkook

 

[cianpars]

£192 for a short service. Anyone got a price for a major service?

Im sure with the fiesta, it was a short service after 1 and 2 years, then a major service after 3.

 

[Hywel S Wales]

My second service (in February) cost £278 including brake fluid change.

 

[cianpars]

Ive not had brake fluid changed in years, though i only keep cars for 20,000 or 30,000 miles.

The only time i have replaced beake fluid in 40 years of motoring was on an old mini where the fluid had become contaminated.

Im not sure that the fluid degrades as much as they say it does.

 

[Hywel S Wales]

Yes, I have wondered if having it renewed every few years is necessary, or more likely a ploy to get more money from you !

 

[Geriatricus]

Hi,
Modern brake fluids are hygroscopic and will absorb water from the atmosphere, which reduces the effectiveness by changing the properties and allowing corrosion of brake parts.The three year replacement is generally regarded as a safety item,but is still a personal decision. Myself, I would have it done as it is the brakes.

As an aside, the document posted has a name and adress, which is never good practice on the internet. If it is their information, the OP may want to consider asking admin to edit the image and re-place it .

Geri

 

[cianpars]

Hi,
  Modern brake fluids are hygroscopic and will absorb water from the atmosphere, which reduces the effectiveness by changing the properties and allowing corrosion of brake parts.The three year replacement is generally regarded as a safety item,but is still a personal decision. Myself, I would have it done as it is the brakes.

As an aside, the document posted has a name and adress, which is never good practice on the internet. If it is their information, the OP may want to consider asking admin to edit the image and re-place it .

Geri

I'll be popping in to see him when next in Lancs.

 

[pegleg]

Agreed about changing brake fluid every two or three years, particularly so with a manual gearbox as Bmax uses the same reservoir for both brake and clutch; mostclutch slave cylinders nowadays are located on the inside of the bell housing. If that leaks, you're in for a huge bill; gearbox out, oil on clutch etc.

 

[cianpars]

Good point pegleg. I hadn't thought about that aspect.

 

[jackkook]

Thanks for your concern Geri,you are right, but all my details are spread around the internet in conn
ection with many other things that I never worry about it.Edited by: jackkook

 

[Andymayo]

Got my 3yr service coming up this summer. What are the average prices? Anyone been to a Ford dealer on the continent? I'm in Finland so would like to compare with UK cost when the time comes..

 

[cianpars]

I guess it will cost more as from what i read, everything seems to cost more in Scandanavia, in fact it is this that has put me off taking a holiday there for years.

 

[TheInstructor]

Hi Hywel S Wales. Did you have the fluid changed on your car
out of necessity or did you request it be done? I ask because it doesn't appear
on the service schedule to be changed, what dealers do now as a matter of
safety, is they boil test the fluid prior to changing it. So they should
present you with the results of your fluids properties before ""˜just changing it',
unless you requested.



Andymayo, as in the UK, haggle with the dealer.
I'm not home at the minute, but my local main dealer was going to charge more
than a dealer some 40 miles away. I called their bluff and they pricematched. I
even questioned the price of their labour, which incidentally was £90 per hour.
So I then questioned how long each individual element of the items to be fitted
during the service cost and their allotted time. Guess what? When I got the answer,
paying for the individual parts and fitting of those parts, it was cheaper that
the quoted Service

 

[Andymayo]

Cheers theinstructor. I'm one of those no good at haggling ppl but will try! And thanks jackkook for posting the invoice. Useful to see the costs..

 

[Hywel S Wales]

No, I didn't specifically ask for brake fluid to be changed. (They ask if you want it done (extra £40) before going ahead.)
I assumed it was on the service schedule ??

 

[TheInstructor]

Hywel S Wales. It created a little confusion for me, as the dealer never said anything about changing it, it isn't in the service schedule, but this recommended changing every 2-3 years concerned me enough to query it. I asked the dealer face to face not the call centre about it and they do a boil check, which indicates whether or not the fluid actually requires changing. It is just a way of getting money from unsuspecting customers as is the service cost.

 

[Hywel S Wales]

Tend to agree, but I'll get mine changed at 5 yrs old now.