arabski Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 Today I will hit the 8000 km mark on the odometer. The below is the list of findings after driving this (great!) car for the past two months: Pros: - amazingly smooth, comfortable and quiet ride (love it!) - great audio system - 115 mph governor (otherwise I would be driving this car even faster - you can't feel the speed in it) Cons: - some noise is already coming from the roof when the roof blind is open - windscreen wipers are bad already (!) after 2 months !!! - roof seal starts making noises when approaching 150km/h - servicing every 8000km (or 5k miles) or every 4 months (this is some sort of joke) - $ 130 to open the first service ticket (at Bahrain dealer - because the car was bought in KSA) - $ 130+ the first service... (I am paying for the stamp in my warranty card only, I guess...) - headlights are crap, seriously... just bad. Maybe when they level it properly it will be better - no RDS (the service guy said they can check if it is possible to enable it - I will find out soon) More cons than pros, but I really like this car. I didn't even suspect that it would be so nice to drive! First check on Saturday, I wonder how much I will be charged for extra things I don't need (like cleaning, topping up the washer fluid). Comparison - Golf GTI 2013 (I know, different idea, but I was actually considering getting it in the first place) - first service after 30 000 (18k miles) is free... second one, after 60k - less than $100... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omar302 Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 The recommended service by Ford in Middle East is 8K or 6 months (not 4 months). You can reset the oil life monitor to 50% & it will remind you at 8K or 6 months. You don't have to do the service as per Dealer's "Full Service" crap. Just tell them you need the Oil + Filter & multipoint inspection. Show them your owners manual & tell them you only need the items mentioned. (Don't forget the PTU oil every 15 or 30K, won't expect your dealer to remember) For RDS, I got the same reply, they will check. They once tried something, but still doesn't work! Still waiting for any other solution. Wipers, I bought TRICO Teflon Shields for their looks, but the are also very good even after nearly 1 year (still better than new stock!). Headlights: HID! Roof seals, I think you need to lubricate them with silicone spray, I am still looking for it here in Qatar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banditsrt Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 Check in your radio options to enable RDS. My 2012 has it with the base radio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arabski Posted January 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 Thanks Omar for the tip with wipers, banditsrt - when I select RDS ON, nothing happens - it changes to ON for few seconds and comes back OFF in a moment... (link to previous Discussion) As when it comes to 4 months - I took a picture of my warranty card (attached) It originally was 3 months - they just changed it to 4 :P it is riddiculous... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omar302 Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 That 8K or 4 months is part of Al-Jazeera's extended warranty, the 5 years/200k. The original Ford Factory warranty is 3 years/60K bumper to bumper & 5-years/100K for the driveline. Aljazeera provides the additional coverage as insurance policy, so you will have to abide by their terms, unfortunately. Here in Qatar, they still do the service every 5000 km. But since my MKX has premium care (from the factory for all Middle East Lincolns), they do the free service every 8000km or 6 months, as per Ford's terms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arabski Posted January 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) ...I got an offer to go for ESP to cover my upcoming 7 service appoitments for $ 1,000 (I asked about the deal here). They replaced something in braking system, but the guy was too busy to tell me - brake booster I suppose, because the brake pedal is so much more sensitive now... Not sure if I like it... Anyways, first service done. They cleaned the car even under the hood so it looks cleaner then when I got it from Saudi... BTW. They didnt want to do anything about RDS until the latest available sync update is installed, but since updates can only be downloaded during business week (Mon-Fri), I have to schedule another appointment to get it done... Edited January 26, 2014 by arabski Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwingeorgen Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Service interval in UAE is 10k kms or 6 months. Wonder why it is a shorter frequency in Qatar and Bahrain !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omar302 Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 More Money!!! That why! They are STEALERSHIPS!!! The Middle East owners manual specifically mentions 8k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Some U.S. dealers still try to get you to do 3K mile oil changes, which is ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arabski Posted January 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 it is all calculated somewhere - they do offer bumper to bumper extended warranty in this part of the world, right?... and on one hand I agree - have you seen the air filter after one week of driving in Saudi? But to require oil change every 3K ... no comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick61 Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Some U.S. dealers still try to get you to do 3K mile oil changes, which is ridiculous. ... cheap insurance/peace of mind, IMO... but I've always done my own oil changes at 3k intervals. I just sold my '04 Saturn Vue V6... had 82k on it & never a single problem with the engine. The inside of the tailpipe was as clean as the day I bought it. Is a 3k interval overkill? Probably, unless your vehicle usage is considered "severe service"... but I don't mind spending $25 a few times a year to keep my baby running right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 With modern engines, 3K is not just overkill - it's a complete waste of oil. 5K is overly cautious. 10K or whatever the oil life monitor says is perfectly safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 Does Bahrain quality for "severe-duty" conditions? Do they use conventional oil or part synthetic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arabski Posted January 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 It is not as severe as Saudi Arabia, but still hot, humid and can be quite dusty as well... but to go with semi-synth oil? I doubt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omar302 Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 Bahrain & other GCC countries are considered severe. Mainly because of the hotter weather & severe city cycle driver. Too much stop & go and it is normal to drive high speeds for short distances. A typical 10-15 minute commute can easily envolve many 0-62 mph accelerations. Ford's oil life monitor can get you 10k miles (16k km), so the recommended severe interval is recommended at half the distance, 5k miles (8k km). Hot weather means it is quite normal to see 120 ℉ in the summer, and our very cold winter is not less than 50℉. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick61 Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 I've run Motorcraft synthetic blend in my cars for nearly 10 years... is only about $18 for a 5 quart jug at Walmart here... no big deal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrinzII Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) Bahrain & other GCC countries are considered severe. Mainly because of the hotter weather & severe city cycle driver. Too much stop & go and it is normal to drive high speeds for short distances. A typical 10-15 minute commute can easily envolve many 0-62 mph accelerations. Ford's oil life monitor can get you 10k miles (16k km), so the recommended severe interval is recommended at half the distance, 5k miles (8k km). Hot weather means it is quite normal to see 120 ℉ in the summer, and our very cold winter is not less than 50℉. This also qualifies for Arizona. We can see 115℉ - 120℉ during the summer months. I change my oil every 5k and batteries commonly get changed every 2 years. Edited April 7, 2014 by PrinzII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omar302 Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 This also qualifies for Arizona. We can see 115℉ - 120℉ during the summer months. I change my oil every 5k and batteries commonly get changed every 2 years. We see 120F on a usual basis in Summer!! Believe me, it is sometime so hot, that some people, especially those who have to work outdoors, wear long sleeves & cover their faces because of the hot air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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