Quick Lane Oil Change.....Not

[GitRDone]

The LT tires are heavy though and are a pain to get back on the studs. I may have become weakened from damper use.

Agree, whenever I have to remove and replace a tire I jack it up just barely clear of the floor. Then the replacement can be wiggled back onto the lugs with minimal lifting /cursing (well, some perhaps).

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[GitRDone]

It's to bad there are so many bad dealers and companies out there now. I would definitely be doing my own if I didn't have a shop I could 100% trust working on mine.

Hey Dave, does your extended warranty allow you to do your own oil changes? It sounds like some do not.

 

[RANGER_MARC]

The problem in Tucson area is that ALL the Ford dealers are under the same ownership. No way to shop around unless I want to go 50+ miles to another city. I suspect that is the case for a lot of medium sized cities.

That is probably true but unfortunate. When I first started shopping for our Explorer, I went to a Ford dealership close to my place of work but did not like how they treated me. Happily, another dealership with no relation to the first was a couple of miles down the highway, different city, same state, and it was much better. So we bought our Explorer there in 2014 and our current Ranger in 2019. Isn't competition great?

 

[AzScorpion]

Hey Dave, does your extended warranty allow you to do your own oil changes? It sounds like some do not.

Good question Andrew and I'll have to read through it to see. I would assume it does seeing the original warranty lets you as long as you save the receipts for proof.

 

[thewhiteranger]

Hi Folks,

Well....what a joke...Quick Lane... I guess 4 hours is quick to our local dealer. I had to schedule a month out to get an oil change. I cringed as I do my own work, but this great (otherwise) extended warranty requires a "professional" business changes the oil. CRAP! So I book a month out...no biggie as the truck only has 4200 miles on it and has had two previous oil changes done by me. So today was the time. Drop off time was 2pm. Wife followed me in the Nautilus and when I turned in the Ranger, we headed to the two block away sports bar for a beer or two and a Montana Burger....our favorite. So on beer number three of the two beers planned I get a phone call...The tech cannot check tire pressure due to my "funny" valve stem caps... My RV Tire Pressure Monitoring sensors. I tell the service writer that they are part of the RV TPMS so do not check the pressures. "Well, it is part of our service as most people do not know how to check tire pressures". I told her I did know, I was a Ford Engineer in Light Truck Engineering so I knew how to check pressures...just ignore the tire pressure check. "Well...Okay" So during beer 4 of the two beers planned I get a call to come get the vehicle...we are only 2 blocks away....So wife drives me to the dealer and heads home. Service writer is busy but sees me. Then finally walks over to me, sitting there bored and tells me the Tech is just finishing up with my Ranger? 45 minutes in on the promised 15 minutes to deliver the vehicle. Get the paperwork and head to the cashier...pay and bring receipt back to the Service Writer. Get the keys and out to the Ranger...Dealer does not wash it for customers...Hop in and crank up the motor....display shows the Left Front tire is low at 24 lbs...Strange but okay...will air it up at the house. Then it is down to 22...and then 20 followed by 18 and finally 15 when I pulled into the garage.????? WTF???? So jack up the vehicle left front with my floor jack and search the tire for a nail etc. Tire is okay....so further puzzlement... Pull the RV TPMS sensor which has an antitheft set screw needing a 1/8" allen head wrench. Aired up the tire...again checked. All was well. So I get what happened....the Tech tried to unscrew the sensor but the antitheft set screw prevented removal but did unseat the sensor and create an air leak. Arrrrrrg! I hate not being able to do my own work....

Best,
Phil

So far Ive done my own - the whole covid delay thing got me started back in 2020 I use the my ford app log mileage and photos of receipts. my dealers quick lane is about 2 hours my time to do is about an hour (rotation of tires is the longest item) and im in no real hurry. 4200 miles? wow. gonna take it in for the 30k change coming up soon because I want to get the brake fluid flush done apparently thats a real thing to keep all the sensors pumps and all that clean ... progress eh???? at least you got a good burger and a couple of beers out of it..... why did they just not put "customer declines tire pressure check" on the slip and move on?

 

[Motorpsychology]

That is probably true but unfortunate. When I first started shopping for our Explorer, I went to a Ford dealership close to my place of work but did not like how they treated me. Happily, another dealership with no relation to the first was a couple of miles down the highway, different city, same state, and it was much better. So we bought our Explorer there in 2014 and our current Ranger in 2019. Isn't competition great?

Same story. The dealership 6 miles from me did a horrendous brake job on my '00 Focus wagon; right rear seized up and started smoking heavily a half mile from the dealership; another half mile and they might have caught fire. They towed it back and apparently there was some debris either in the line from the master cylinder or in the wheel cylinder and caused the piston to seize. I Should've known better. A year before, I had a 5 week wait to do a fuel tank vent recall on my '99 Cougar. The tore it apart and then realized they didn't have all the new parts on hand, and couldn't put it back together until they had the new parts. I got a loaner for the duration, but I should have seen a red flag. The Cougar went to my son for college, and I traded the '00 Focus for a new 2014 Focus, at a different store 17 miles away; different ownership. I've bought or leased three more Fords there including my Ranger, and they do all the repairs and almost all the maintenance on the Mariner and the Ranger.

I wrote all that to write all this.

A few weeks ago, I took the the Ranger out on some back country roads. We had some rain/snow mix earlier and the gravel roads were pretty muddy. I drove home using the back roads and when I got there I parked the truck outside, with muddy spray up to the windows. I took it to the DIY car wash in town the next day, and got all the big stuff off, or so I thought. A few days later, I noticed that at 60 mph and above there was a shimmy from somewhere, couldn't tell exactly.
Perused the Forum and read about Kumho tires, center bearing failures, rear axle problems and decided to take it to the dealership, and got a loaner.
They called and told me that the wheels had a lot of dried mud built up in them, and they wanted to do a rotate & balance on all four, which is not covered under warranty. I appreciated the heads up call and told them go ahead, Kumhos being last on my list for tires. Never dawned on me to look at the underside while I was at the car wash. They cleaned up the wheels rotated and balanced all 4. Got the truck back, used points for the $85 bill and she rides smooth again.

No charge for the demuddng, and they could've done the work without telling me it wasn't a warranty fix, or bushed me for a new set of Kumhos, but they didn't.

 

[D Fresh]

So far Ive done my own - the whole covid delay thing got me started back in 2020 I use the my ford app log mileage and photos of receipts. my dealers quick lane is about 2 hours my time to do is about an hour (rotation of tires is the longest item) and im in no real hurry. 4200 miles? wow. gonna take it in for the 30k change coming up soon because I want to get the brake fluid flush done apparently thats a real thing to keep all the sensors pumps and all that clean ... progress eh???? at least you got a good burger and a couple of beers out of it..... why did they just not put "customer declines tire pressure check" on the slip and move on?

Brake fluid flush is the new dealership snake oil dude.

 

[dtech]

Brake fluid flush is the new dealership snake oil dude.

So fuel cleaning service has fallen from the no 1 spot ? I know some dealerships sell a bundled rip off package that includes both .

 

[D Fresh]

So fuel cleaning service has fallen from the no 1 spot ? I know some dealerships sell a bundled rip off package that includes both .

Forgot about that one.

My dealership has backed off on that one.

But they tried the brake fluid flush on me at 30k. Not a hard push mind you, as he was talking about my service advisor saw the look on my face.

 

[dtech]

Forgot about that one.

My dealership has backed off on that one.

But they tried the brake fluid flush on me at 30k. Not a hard push mind you, as he was talking about my service advisor saw the look on my face.

I've only replaced brake fluid when pads are replaced and bleed out a sufficient quantity that replaces a portion of the fluid , can't hurt the we live in area of low relative humidity but brake systems today are very effectively sealed and one can certainly do a visual inspection of the fluid.

On oil changes I no longer do my daughter's in Denver, had her to go to Valvoline and they underfilled by nearly a full qt. - emailed them complaining and they didn't even respond. Next one was Big O Tire - a syn blend inc filter for < $25 , good deal and good work but it came with recommended replacement of air filters, wiper blades, coolant and battery (which did need replacing but had Wally Mart do it) the other stuff would have been a waste of money.

 

[D Fresh]

I've only replaced brake fluid when pads are replaced and bleed out a sufficient quantity that replaces a portion of the fluid , can't hurt the we live in area of low relative humidity but brake systems today are very effectively sealed and one can certainly do a visual inspection of the fluid.

On oil changes I no longer do my daughter's in Denver, had her to go to Valvoline and they underfilled by nearly a full qt. - emailed them complaining and they didn't even respond. Next one was Big O Tire - a syn blend inc filter for < $25 , good deal and good work but it came with recommended replacement of air filters, wiper blades, coolant and battery (which did need replacing but had Wally Mart do it) the other stuff would have been a waste of money.

Agreed whole heartedly on the brake fluid.

It really does just come down to being educated. People that can do the work, but just don't want to, are always going to fair better. I feel like the SAs know this and seem to be pretty good about reading which customer type they're dealing with.

Also, sometimes they aren't bullshitting. I've had conversations with fellow customers in the quick lane waiting area explaining to them that yes, Ford lugnuts are garbage and replacing them is not unheard of.

As with anything, it pays to have an idea if what's going on vs just trusting the "experts."

If your daughter is in north Denver she might want to try the Brighton Ford Quicklane. They've been good to me.

 

[dtech]

Agreed whole heartedly on the brake fluid.

It really does just come down to being educated. People that can do the work, but just don't want to, are always going to fair better. I feel like the SAs know this and seem to be pretty good about reading which customer type they're dealing with.

Also, sometimes they aren't bullshitting. I've had conversations with fellow customers in the quick lane waiting area explaining to them that yes, Ford lugnuts are garbage and replacing them is not unheard of.

As with anything, it pays to have an idea if what's going on vs just trusting the "experts."

If your daughter is in north Denver she might want to try the Brighton Ford Quicklane. They've been good to me.

Thanks - that's where I picked up my Ranger back in May 2020 - easiest purchase ever as we did all of the paperwork outside because of the pandemic, didn't have to meet with the finance guy. Did look at reviews and they are well regarded, IIRC family owned for decades with a lot of repeat customers. Hadn't been up that way in a long time and like everywhere else in Denver metro - perpetual growth and development. And now I see our neighbors from the southern border are arriving by the busload.

 

[D Fresh]

Thanks - that's where I picked up my Ranger back in May 2020 - easiest purchase ever as we did all of the paperwork outside because of the pandemic, didn't have to meet with the finance guy. Did look at reviews and they are well regarded, IIRC family owned for decades with a lot of repeat customers. Hadn't been up that way in a long time and like everywhere else in Denver metro - perpetual growth and development. And now I see our neighbors from the southern border are arriving by the busload.

They are getting what they apparently wanted.

 

[thewhiteranger]

Brake fluid flush is the new dealership snake oil dude.

that was my thought and opinion as well --- I never did it with any car in the past I first ran into it with my Subaru this year and thought it was BS like injection cleaner but looked into it and ford also recommends it every 30k its supposed to help keep the ABS modules / pumps calipers etc from wearing out or leaking as fast since and the truck (Subaru as well) uses the brakes for traction control etc its supposed to keep those pumps etc working longer and better..... for the Subaru it was about 199 and if ford is about the same, it seems like cheap reasonable maintenance every 30k miles, yes I could do it myself its basically bleeding the brakes until fluid is clear but its a PIA and I dont want to.

 

[AzScorpion]

Hey Dave, does your extended warranty allow you to do your own oil changes? It sounds like some do not.

After digging through the contract this is what I found. Looks like you're covered as long as you have all the receipts.

9. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CARE OF THE VEHICLE: To obtain coverage or reimbursement under this Agreement, You must: (i) properly operate the Vehicle and (ii) provide proof of Scheduled Maintenance Services. Proof of Scheduled Maintenance Services includes maintenance records that show mileage, date of maintenance service, VIN, and the maintenance that was performed. Please review the Owner’s Guide for Your Scheduled
Maintenance Service requirements that are provided to You at the time of vehicle purchase.

If You perform Your own Scheduled Maintenance Services, You must maintain a log including date, mileage and description of each maintenance service and provide corresponding receipts for purchases of parts and fluids.

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