New 05 Focus TDCi owner. Anything I should know?

Hey.

My 100k+ mile Escort packed in two weeks ago, MOT was running out and I couldn't be arsed fixing it, so I took the plunge and bought a nearly new car.

A July 05 Focus LX 1.8 TDCi, 2500 miles on the clock - I'm presuming it was some kind of demostrator as it looks to have once had a "Diesel" sticker over the fuel flap, it's done nearly no miles, and the car/radio manuals in the glove box were unopened.

Anyways, reading through the service stamp book, it reckons a service every one year or 12,500 miles. Is that not a bit optimistic? I used to change the oil and filter in my Escort every 6k and before that in my beloved L reg Fiesta 1.8D - (189,000 mile on that bugger when I sold it) every 5k.

What does everyone reckon?

Any other things I should watch for on this car?

Thanks. paul

Reply to
paul.groves
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Some modern diesels have 2 years/ 20k miles.

Older, indirect injection diesels were typ 6k (maybe even shorter).

Reply to
whitely525

Or somebody pulled it off? :)

*Don't* forget it's diesel, on the assumption that your Escort was petrol... ;)

Not especially. Some Peugeots have a 20,000 mile service interval.

You could have RapidFit change the oil and filter every 6,250 miles?

Erm... might be a bit late now, eh? :-)

Reply to
DervMan

If your 12,500 miles is 200 x 62.5 mile journeys, then the oil should be fine. If it's 5,000 2.5 mile journeys, then I'd change the oil more frequently.

Reply to
Madge O'Reene

Why?

Reply to
Chris Game

1: The manufacturer says so.

2: Common wisdom is that with many short trips, the oil will be contaminated because it never gets hot enough for long enough to remove the condensation by-products.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Lots of cold starts, slow speed running, lots of fuel / condensation contamination.

I'd be changing the oil at around 6000 mile intervals regardless anyhow- Fords Formula E is only a high grade mineral oil- its not good enough to go any further.

Tim..

Reply to
Tim..

Hehe. No chance of that. The Escort was the only Petrol car I've owned. It's oddly reassuring to get back to the sticky, smelly diesel stuff.

Well, yes. In hindsight I realise this. I'll prolly only have the car for 3 years - unless I REALLY end up loving it - as I 'bought' it on PCP finance. It was a good deal though, and my other car really was falling to pieces around me with 2 weeks left on the tax and MOT. Eek.

paul

Reply to
paul.groves

Thanks for the input everyone.

Assuming I were to change the oil myself, what would everyone recommend? Just in Asda earlier today, I was looking at oil.. Castrol Magnatec - 21 quid a bottle! Does that stuff really do what it says on the tin, or are Castrol big hairy liars? :D

paul

Reply to
paul.groves

In message , " snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com" writes

Its all marketing hype. The Castrol Magnatec is exactly the same basic ACEA A1 spec as the Ford Formula E oil. Some Ford dealers will discount the Formula E oil down to £13 which makes the Castrol look really expensive.

I believe that Texaco Haveline make the oil for Ford but I'm not 100% on that.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

Well as the diesel seems quite efficient (takes forever to warm up compared to a petrol) even 62.5 mile journeys could be classified as 'short'. If more frequent changes were necessary, wouldn't Ford recommend that in the service book?

Reply to
Chris Game

I'm not going to bother to answer that!!

tim..

Reply to
Tim..

Yes, but so do many other oils at lower prices. You need to check two things

(i) manufacturer's recommended viscosity (ii) manufactuer's recommended min oil standard

If you have both of those you are larfing.

Reply to
whitely525

Whatever oil you use 5000 x 2.5 mile short trips will likely cause much more wear than 200 x 62.5 mile trips as engine clearances are not optimal below termperature.

However, a 0W grade synthetic oil would be theoretically better protection in this harsh regime due to superior cold flow characteristics and should suffer less degradation.

With many diesel engines being super efficient, sometimes doing away with 'fast idle' to make economy look better, 2.5miles might not be enough to reach operating temp.

Reply to
whitely525

My 2005 focus 1.6 tdci has now got 73,000 miles on it. Its alright so far.

12,500 mile services.. nothing more. it's a company car. Nothing wrong ith it mechanicaly so far..
Reply to
Robin

I volunteer to fill up the fleet cars just to "accidently" spill it on my hands, so as to sniff them for the rest of the day...

If it's under warranty, don't worry about it, heh...

Reply to
DervMan

Uh-huh.

Reply to
DervMan

I'd not bother.

If I were to buy the bits from a Ford spares desk, the parts (filter &=20 oil) come to about =A332 all in.

Ford Rapid Fit will do it all in for =A324.99. No arsing round under the=20 car. No disposing of the oil.

Gets my vote!

Pete.

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Reply to
Pete Smith

Yes, but for you to cover that mileage in the time, its spent most of its time a) at running temperature with just 1 cold (luke warm) start each day and the rest of the time under very little load on the motorway in top gear. Total ideal conditions.

Most cars do not do this.

Tim..

Reply to
Tim..

Eh - direct injection is part of the principle of diesel operation, you simply can't have indirect injection in a diesel engine as the timing is provided by the injection. Regards Mike.

Reply to
Mike Cawood, HND BIT

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