2009 Ford Flex: New Battery and Oil Change

"which cost $130 with labor."

They charge labor on a battery change???

What is the point of going to the dealership for a battery and oil change?

You spent $187 on something that would have taken 20-30minutes in your driveway and cost $80 if you went to Costco for the supplies.

Seriously, IL...whats the point of this?

"You spent $187 on something that would have taken 20-30minutes in your driveway and cost $80 if you went to Costco for the supplies.

Seriously, IL...whats the point of this?"

Inside Line is a business, not a person. It's common to yell at someone on a forum who spends this much on simple work, but as a business they probably aren't about to assign a simple task like this to a journalist to do at home when they have 30+ cars in service for the company. Time is money.

A Diehard Gold costs about $115 at Sears without installation. $130 (or even a bit more) is very reasonable for a battery replacement. Glad to see that Ford dealers are charging reasonable prices for minor services (oil change and tire rotation), as many "import" dealers are charging $100+.

No alternator issues I assume?

+1 bimmerjay

Nice perspective

Calm down guys. Yes he would have saved money by replacing the bat himself but this is about convenience to have everything done at once.

Those are good points but Dan always does DIY videos FOR the blog.

Usually oil changes, so why didn't he do a oil/battery change video?

What gives Dan?

Costco/Sams batteries in my experience have SUPERIOR warranty coverages and very good prices. I've had great luck with both. Folks should give them a shot....

IL likes to report on dealership network service too. They're not a DIY used car website ...

Why a new battery? What caused the drained battery? left the lights on or something...sounds fishy. I just got a new battery myself on a 2006 (other model of a car not to be named so as not to incite prejudices that remove the focus from the issue at hand) with 105K on it. What type of wear and tear caused this?

a diy video on how to change a battery? oh yeah, that's be REAL fun to watch...

IL using dealers for service is a good thing IMO. It gives consumers a baseline for measurement when their vehicles come up for service. If IL buys a battery for $130 but my dealer wants $150 I've got some ammunition for questioning the cost. Likewise, if I get the battery for $110 installed then I can feel good about the deal I got.

While that data would be true for comparing independent shops and national chains as well, the dealer service department will do the added service of checking for recalls and other manufacturer-reimbursed repairs. After all, they're qualified to do the work and they know they'll be paid by the manufacturer so there's little griping from the customer.

@thegripper:

It's probably just something wrong with the battery itself. Leaving the lights on wouldn't cause the battery to fail. Most of my batteries have lasted more than 5 years, but I've had a battery last less than 1 year before. Mine was replaced under warranty by the battery manufacturer since it was aftermarket. Since the Flex's warranty is up, the OEM battery isn't covered any more.

chirsch3 says:

05:44 PM, 11/ 9/10

"Those are good points but Dan always does DIY videos FOR the blog."

That was the perspective I was coming from, though the other posts do make sense to me. It is a full circle of ownership experiences, interacting with the dealer is an important one. Thinking outside of the box here; but would doing routine maintenance on the cars be a helpful, unique addition to the blog - widening its appeal?

When a vehicle is still under warranty, you should always take it to the dealer for as much work as you can stand. Not becuase you should help fund their pockets but more for your stress level when they tell you that a major repair that needs to be done is being denied by FoMoCo/GM/Mopar warranty department since there's aftermarket parts on the car that "could be interfering with the intended operation". I worked for Dodge and Volvo... saw it too many times and was a service advisor so I had to battle with customers.

Bottom line, if you wanna save a buck- don't be suprized if you have a little more headache come time for coverage from the manufacturer. Dont give them any more ammo than they need.

Also, with reguards to oil change intervals- unless the books specifically state that the "OIL CHANGE INTERVAL" is 7500 miles, still change it every 3000. "Service Interval" and "Oil Change Interval" are two seperate things. Service Interval are the scheduled checkups and they can deny claims for lack of lubrication history if you follow the "service interval" unless the car runs synthetic oils.

Just speaking from experience. I'm sure I'll catch flack from some of the DIY'ers here... but I promise that I am one as well. I've been on both sides of the counter and its a tough road.

3000 mile oil changes are good for one thing...the provider of said service person's pocketbook. Pure overkill in a modern engine using modern oil in most cases. IF you drive on dirt/gravel roads all the time I could see it being useful.

@ptcdawg

The majority of the people who worry about oil change intervals drive engines older than 5-7 years. Younger than that age, sadly- the majority of the automotive drivers solely rely on someone to tell them what's due and when.

Older engines + newer oils = still needing more frequent oil changes (5k miles or so.)

This is all based on personal preference, too. I only use Mobil1 Syn in both of my vehicles and still change it every 4500 miles. There's no such thing as changing it too often.

@coastielenn:

Old change intervals depend on the vehicle. My Freestyle goes 9,000 to 10,000 miles between oil changes (using full synthetic). I've had the oil tested after changing it, and it still had plenty of life left in it. My old Camry, however, only goes 3,000 to 4,000 miles on synthetic blend, and the oil is completely worn out.

There's no such thing as changing your oil too often, but there is such a thing as wasting your money.

@arumage

Right. I think the most well rounded number for the majority of American drivers is probably around 5000 miles but as you said, it depends on the engine. How many drivers actually get their oil tested? Most people (sadly enough) probably dont even know that this is a possibility, much less how to go about doing it. My comment about 3000 miles was simply geared toward the cars under warranty since at the end of the day, the only opinion or viewpoint that matters is the one of the entity footing the bill. Better to be "too often" than having an "insufficient history".

I still think its hard to waste your money when you are ensuring longevity if you're a "vehicle lifer". If you change vehicles every few years, meh... whatever.