The running in and early oil change was to get the cylinders rubbed down to a smooth finish. Modern manufacturing techniques can do that now.

You need to bear in mind that, just because there is a stamp in a service book from a main dealer, it doesn't necessarily mean that you got new oil and a filter. If the old filter is a bit stiff and the job is being done on a Friday afternoon, for example, it is not unknown for the old filter to stay on. My opinion though is that if it just needs an new filter and oil change, it's worth grumbling but not worth making a fuss.

Modern engines appear to need no servicing until at least 10,000 miles

What happened to the old oil change after first 500/1000 miles ?

Is it simply down to tolerances being finer nowadays or is there some darker, more sinister reason ?

hi

thanks for both of your responses. the idea of a letter to ford at this stage is great advice.......hopefully covering us in the future if a substantial problem is found.

i checked the oil on the dip stick last night and although the oil does still look "oily" there is some evidence of milky deposits. im not overly concerned at the moment because the car is driving fine with no symptoms of overheating or other problems.

i think i might get my usual mechanic to change the oil and filter and i'll monitor it afterwards. the car has covered little over a thousand miles since its last service but as you said the oil may have been poor quality or the workmanship at the service could have been poor allowing some moisture to get in. im sure if my mechanic thinks theres a serious problem he will alert me to it when changing the oil and filter.

i would hope that given the car is still relatively new and it has only covered less than 12000 miles we should not be experiencing any major mechanical issues with it at this stage.

best regards

L

What does the oil on the dipstick look like? If that is also milky, I would be concerned, but if it still looks oily, then don't worry unduly.

I think Maxtream's idea about writing a letter to the garage sounds like a good one. Perhaps an idea to send it recorded delivery.

Oil and filter changes are not covered by warantees. They are part of the normal maintenance of a vehicle.

Some condensation inside the engine is not a serious problem. It will soon get burnt away with a little use.

What could be a problem is if there is leakage between the coolant and the oil. You would be more likely to notice this by seeing oily deposits in the coolant rather than the other way round. If this is the case, you may find that the car overheats with the problem getting worse as time goes by until you need to replace the cylinder head gasket (a full afternoon's labour plus maybe £50 parts). If there are oily deposits in the coolant, you should write to say that you are concerned about the state of the cylinder head gasket so that, if things get worse, your letter will provide evidence that the problem existed while still under guarantee. Then you should drive the car as normal but keep an eye on the temperature gauge and fluid levels (you should do this anyway).

My guess is that there is nothing to be concerned about and the deposit came either from a bit of condensation or failing to have regular oil & filter changes or using a poor quality oil. An oil and filter change is certainly worthwhile. It will cost you maybe £20 plus the cost of the oil and the filter if you avoid the main dealer. If you use the main dealer, you are going to get stung with a big bill.

If you are concerned, you should write the above letter, be happy that the car drives well at the moment and hope that it continues to do so.

hi

wonder if anyone can offer any advise on fords warranty.......?

my girlfriend recently purchased an '07 plate ford fiesta which still has the remainder of the manufacturers warranty to run. we have noticed that there is a milky residue under the oil filler cap and I suspect there may be some water in the oil.

the car was serviced at approx 10300 miles and currently has only covered around 11800.

i phoned my local ford dealership and spoke with their service department who suggested that if the car is only used for short journeys (which most of the time it is) they often find that a small amount of condensation forms and emulsifies on the filler cap......this does sound plausible to me. however i am not a car mechanic and would prefer if ford look at the car given that it is still under warranty.

the service department said that they could investigate however if they found something outwith the cover of the warranty there would be a charge. this again, i suppose, is reasonable but i said i would expect to be consulted in this event prior to any works taking place......

if the car needs an engine flush and oil & filter change i would have thought the warranty should provide cover...anyone out there able to help me out on this one???

thanks in advance

L