Missed service (by a smallish amount). Damage?

[greypianosflying]

Hello.

I have a Mk6.5 2008 Fiesta Zetec 1.6 Petrol which has done 48k miles. I normally get serviced every year by Ford since buying it second hand.

Anyway, I've done way more miles this year as I've moved further away from work. Since the last service it has done about 16k miles. It should have been serviced at 12.5k. I stupidly forgot to check the miles as it is way before it's annual schedule.

I've checked the oil and fluids weekly, so those are fine. I'm hoping I've not damaged the car by missing the schedule...3.5k miles (28%) seems like quite alot! Am I right in thinking it should still be OK?

I intend to service it myself as I'm not going to be selling the car until it's pretty much worthless and I trust myself to do it properly. (Plus the minor Ford service is so basic). I can't get the Ford parts this weekend (no Ford dealers open), so would you 1)Buy non genuine parts from Halfords and service tomorrow, or 2) wait a week?

Thanks for the help!

[Glade]

It'll be fine.

Oh and go to somewhere like Euro car parts... usually cheaper in my experience.

Edited by Glade on Saturday 8th November 15:19

[Happy Jim]

It's fine, and get the parts from any motor factors

[dvs_dave]

It'll be just fine. Don't worry about it at all. Just get it done as soon as you can (oil change most important).

[djgritt]

I've missed services by 5-10k in the past. No issues with the car itself as a result.

Only thing I experienced was a brief disagreement about maintaining the Warranty due to the missed schedule. That discussion didn't last long, and the warranty wasn't affected.

[Jasandjules]

It will be fine. They have quite a decent tolerance. For example, if your cam belt was changed at 61k instead of 60k, that would be fine.... IN fact I've seen cars with them not being changed for 110k...

[greypianosflying]

Phew, that's a relief. Thanks for the info people.

The cambelt service interval is 100k miles/10 years, but I'll get it changed earlier. (Probably around 80k). That is a job I won't be doing myself though.

Buying the genuine Ford parts online doesn't seem to be much more expensive than eurocarparts. For example the oil filter is £4, oil £20 for 5L 5w-30 fully synthetic, so I might as well use that.

I was going to get Ford to do the service (it is a minor one this year), but looking at what they do I think I'll do it myself. (I changed the oil/plugs and filters a few days after I bought it, so I'm confident in doing it. Plus the last owner had got the car serviced at Kwik Fit, which I didn't trust!)

Ford charge £125 for the following (plus they tend to charge a bit more for misc things):

Oil and filter change
30 point eCHECK
Antifreeze check and top up
Brake fluid check and top up
Windscreen washer check and top up
Visual brake check (wheels on)
Check and adjust tyre pressures
Battery check
Free Roadside Assistance
Reset service light
Wash and Vac
Steering check
Visual alignment check

They don't even take the wheels off!

[philmots]

Don't worry about it..

For me I'd use genuine Ford parts and recommended oil, if not then a quality brand like Castrol. That's probably just for my pickiness rather than anything else though.

[shake n bake]

I've just taken a focus diesel with 100000 miles that's had one service in it's life and it's still chugging on happily enough!

[Rich1973]

£125 for oil & filter, reset service indicator and look at some stuff. Bargain

[greypianosflying]

Rich1973 said:

£125 for oil & filter, reset service indicator and look at some stuff. Bargain

Good way to cover costs!

£30 in parts and I can use the rest of the £95 to buy a nice trolley jack

Edited by greypianosflying on Saturday 8th November 17:40

[Sheepshanks]

Rich1973 said:

£125 for oil & filter, reset service indicator and look at some stuff. Bargain

About 20 mins work at a dealer.

The VW dealer that did the first service on daughter's Golf bizarrely gave me a copy of the invoice they send to VW - was for £68, parts labour & VAT.

[ferrariF50lover]

currybum said:

How much is euro AA cover going for these days.....it is included in the £125.

I see reference to "roadside assistance", but not to AA Europe wide cover, where have you found this information, please?

Simon.

[thatdude]

Get the oil change done (find the right grade of oil and use something trusted e.g. castrol, mobil 1) and filter change while you're at it. That's the single most important thing to have done to encourage engine longevity

But oil dosnt just stop ding its job after the service interval has passed.

also, dont bother with any oil flushing stuff. I'f you're worried, change the oil and filter, then in 6000 miles do it again (half-interval service).

[ferrariF50lover]

thatdude said:

Get the oil change done (find the right grade of oil and use something trusted e.g. castrol, mobil 1) and filter change while you're at it. That's the single most important thing to have done to encourage engine longevity

But oil dosnt just stop ding its job after the service interval has passed.

also, dont bother with any oil flushing stuff. I'f you're worried, change the oil and filter, then in 6000 miles do it again (half-interval service).

I am sorry to the OP for apparently hijacking his thread with my inane questions, it's not deliberate...

Why would you not bother with oil flushing stuff (a better answer than, "coz it's st, innit" might be nice)?

Simon.

[BoRED S2upid]

I missed a service by 15,000 miles once it still worked.

[V8Ford]

ferrariF50lover said:

I am sorry to the OP for apparently hijacking his thread with my inane questions, it's not deliberate...

Why would you not bother with oil flushing stuff (a better answer than, "coz it's st, innit" might be nice)?

Simon.

Oil is already formulated with additives that prevent the issues that flushes puport to address, so long as it is changed at the correct intervals. Even if your engine was as clogged up with sludge and gunk as the flush manufacturers say, why would you want to loosen it up so it could move around and plug up the oil ways?

Matthew.

Edited by V8Ford on Saturday 8th November 18:57

[greypianosflying]

Hmm, considering I need to get breakdown cover £125 doesn't look so bad now...