Is it necessary do perform a 30K maintenance as per ford?

[brian b 2]

Hi all,



I went in for an oil change at 30K and my dealer tried to sell me a 30K maintenance - e.g. replace air filter, flush this, flush that, and the works. Is it really necessary to do a 30K service, or is the service guy selling me snake oil?



Thanks

 

[Tom Schindler]

He is not selling snake oil, but he is trying to increase profits. If you are able to check everything yourself, you are money ahead.



My Trac has never had anything paid for by me done at the dealership.





Tom

 

[Fer Echegaray]

Keep in mind that at 30k miles a transmission flush is recomended.

I did it at the dealer and they charged $179, they said other stuff should be done at 30k, I told them I appreciate the comment, but no thanks...

 

[Ben Poche]

trany flush

 

[Johnny O]

Yes, but is isn't necessary that the dealer does it. Although my dealer charges a lot less than that for a tranny flush plus I get coupons in the mail from Ford. Just had the trans flushed in my mother's car at the local service station for $103.00. If you get it done somewhere else, just make sure they know to use Mercon V fluid.

At 30k the air and fuel filters will need to be changed if you haven't done that already. You can do that yourself.

If you have a 4x4 the book says to change the transfer case lube (it's plain Mercon ATF) at 60k but I'd do that at 30k and every 30k. With an $8 suction gun to fill it, it isn't hard. Changed it in the Ranger I had before at 45k and it looked like tar.

Changing the oil and rotating the tires kinda goes without saying.

 

[Ron Tobias]

I too am at the 30000 mile mark. The only service I had done at the dealer was the Trans service and that was out of fear. My 2004 was part of the whole "recall for additive" fiasco and I wanted to insure the dealer did the trans service. Everything else I either do myself or have a local mechanic do it for me.

 

[ben beethe]

How do you change the transfer case lube? I have never done that before.

 

[Tim Reynolds]

unscrew the top plug using a 3/8" socket extension. Some fluid may dribble out but then unscrew the bottom one and drain, the look of the fluid may surprise you. Put the bottom plug back in and using a suction gun ($10 tool) pump new fluid back in through the top. When it starts to dribble back out put the top plug back in and you are done. I cleaned the plugs and put teflon tape on. My fluid looked so bad that I am now doing this every 10 to 15K miles.

 

[Johnny O]

DO NOT overtighten the fill and drain plugs. Barely snug is fine. Crank 'em down good and hard and you can crack the case, it's aluminum. I used Mobil 1 ATF, $6 a quart but you only need 1.5 quarts. You can feel a difference in smoothness, really. I did mine at 12k in the Trac, mostly to get the synthetic in there, and the old fluid was getting dark already. After you do it once you can see it isn't difficult. A suction gun is the only way to go though, makes it quick work.

 

[Andrew Tollison 3]

The ford dealer in my area was wanting $400 for the 30K maintenance. I would have done it but I just had the tranny flushed about 10,000 miles before that for some type of recall.

 

[Johnny O]

$400???!!! Swear to gawd, all you have to do is oil and filter, air filter, fuel filter, tranny flush, and rotate the tires. Everything else the manual calls for they do in PA anyway at state inspection time. The dealer could be padding it with extra stuff though.

Oil and filter, $15, do it myself.

Air filter, $10 maybe, do it myself.

Fuel filter, about $35 installed at the dealer, it's a PITA so I'll pay them to do it when I get....

Tranny flush, $89 w/coupon at the dealer.

Rotate tires, I can do it myself but my bud's tire shop will do it for $4, $10 if I want them balanced. (I send him a lot of business, so I get stuff done for cheap. )

Transfer case (optional), $13 for two quarts of Mobil 1 ATF plus $10 for a suction gun that I'll have for life. Less if you get cheap normal Mercon ATF.

Total $172, dealer gets $124 plus tax.

So roll into the dealer and tell 'em you want a transmission flush and a fuel filter and that's all. Change the oil and air filter before you go. They're trained to look for stuff to talk you into spending more money. We're having a go-round right now about my skidplate.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

My dealer wanted $280 for the 15K service, and the only thing in the 15K service that is also recommended by the owner's manual but that ISN'T included in the dealer's normal oil & lube service ($28) was replacement of the air filter; and that didn't need replacing anyway when they inspected it when changing the oil. I saved $250.



Seems that for the 30K service the only extra things are the tranny flush and the fuel filter replacement; the latter you can do yourself, and the former you can have done at a shop with a coupon/discount.



TJR