It seems that, unlike most of the posts on here, I'm getting the "change oil" message sooner than I would expect. I've had my 08 FEH for just under 9 months/4500 miles. Should this be something to be concerned over? I do seem to recall that the oil status was only around 89% when I actually picked up the car new...

If I do need to get the oil changed, I've seen several posts on here saying that the first one was free at the dealer. Since I bought my FEH in Minneapolis, and I currently live in Seattle, will a local dealer honor this?

Thanks.

 

My free dealer oil change was a dealer campaign to try to get me to use their service center. I had nothing to do with the manufacturer. Dealers don't make a tremendous profit on the sales of a new car. They make more money on the used car lot than on the new car lot, but they make MOST of their money in the service center. That's why, when you get a new car, they usually want to introduce you to the folks in service, offer you your first service free, etc. They want you coming back for all your service.

So if you bought you car in one state, but now live in another, you'll probably find that your free oil change was really just an offer privately made by your original dealership. Your local dealers, and Ford, probably have nothing to do with that offer.

 

Isn't the first oil change at 5,000 miles and then subsequent ones at 10,000? If so, 9 months and 4,500 miles doesn't seem out of line to me.

The free oil change is probably something that was offered by the MN dealership to get you into the service center, unless they gave you a coupon that says specifically that it's good anywhere. We were not offered a free oil change with the MMH, we were offered one at the original dealership with the HCH, and I was given a coupon book with my Subaru good at any dealership (part of the extended warranty).

 

All oil changes are supposed to be every 10,000 miles, or 200 hours of engine operation. Since few of us have engine runtime clocks ( I do! ) most people go with the miles number.

A taxi, OTOH may get 200 hours in a month or two, with only 2500 miles.

Most people change the first oil at 5,000 miles for peace of mind, but it's not required, or recommended by the manufacturer.

So to the original post, you may have used the car for 200 hours, if it is telling you to change oil now.
-John

 

08 FEH Max Oil Change Interval is 10,000 miles or 12 months (ref page 293 for fist edition or page 300 for second edition owners guide) for standard duty. You're free to do them sooner and many choose to do so especially on the first one but the manual does not dictate that.

As best we can tell the oil life indicator is based on this interval (with some rounding involved so that ~89.5% seems to trigger the 10% life remaining warning). There is a provision to reset the counter to 100% and immediately reduce that in 10% increments until the desired interval is simulated (i.e. resetting to 50% life remaining after an oil change will simulate a 5,000 mile interval).

After having my 10,000 mile change at the dealership (not free but reasonably priced), they reset the indicator to 100% but put a windshield reminder with a 5,000 mileage number and 6 month date. I promptly removed it.

I find the oil life 10% and subsequent % warnings to be annoying and feel that a 5% start time would be more acceptable. Who needs 1,000 miles of warning for an oil change?

At least the gas light only comes on every 350+ miles.

 

Perhaps the indicator is linked to cumulative revolutions of the engine, not miles nor hours. My 1999 Trans Am kept track of engine revolutions, and depending on how you drove,it ranged from 3000-7500miles

 

Hey, that's only 2 days of warning for me!

( 770 mile "commute" and 7500 miles since Jan 5, 2008 )