Ford Mondeo Auto Gearbox Servicing
I have a 2015 Mondeo automatic. This has service intervals of every 24 months or 18,000 miles. I was recently told by a friend that he thought the gearbox also needed a service every three years or 36,000 miles. I have looked in the Service Portfolio and in the Owners Manual and can find nothing about this at all, neither was there an advisory note on the last engine service invoice. I have contacted the main Ford dealer that does my servicing and they have confirmed a service is needed. Is this just the dealer trying to make an extra rather large buck, (£195.00) or is it true that it needs a service? If so, why is there nothing in the Ford documents to alert me to the fact? Has anyone else with a Mondeo had to have this work done or does anyone know where-else I might look for official confirmation? Ford's Etis website seems to be for the trade only.
Thanks in advance.
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£195 vs the cost of a new gearbox?
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Parkers suggest it will be a "Powershift" auto, so not a "proper" TC auto.....
https://www.parkers.co.uk/ford/mondeo/
A quick look on the forums seem to find owners being told they need an oil change at anything from three to five years at costs up to £300. I couldn't see anything definitive from Ford either, obviously a bit cagey.....!
Although the OP doesn't say what actual mileage his has done, it looks like it's 3 years old & towing so probably due a fluid change.....
The price looks fair compared to quotes on the forums.......
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Hi use to be 3 years or 36000 miles mondeo Has changed to 2years or 18000 miles service gearbox oil now changed 4 years or 36000 miles about £200 for gearbox oil and filter a lot cheaper than new gear box if you use ford dealer will use right oil peace of mind
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The ford auto box is very reliant on the fluid being intact. I breaks down with use and can lead to failure of the box if in poor condition. I have no issue with this, it works hard and its a good gearbox. Change the fluid and it will last the lifetime of the car.
The thing that really annoyed me is that it is not in the service schedule. It is not accounted for when getting a major service quote and is not included in the quote for full service. You will be told it is recommended at about £300 and if you chose not to accept the recommendation then the warranty is void for the powertrain.
I suspect that this is due to the service cost figures for the vehicle being artificially low due to them not showing this in the service plan.
In fairness they didn't realise the fluid would not last as long as expected in real world driving, but it still is a bit of a low ball adding £300 to a service.
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We have 2011 S-Max 163 Powershift and it requires an oil change every 3 years (with filter) at about £200.
The oil is very expensive and there is a strict changing procedure (because there are 2 compartments, actuators and gears) so it is important that the Ford procedure is followed.
Despite this, the box (we feel) is excellent and deserves a regular change to ensure that we get the best life out of it.
We have found that different dealers charge different prices so it pays to shop around.
Unsure if normal garages understand what is required.
It could be a DIY job but as all wheels need to be off the ground to give access and keep the car level then it is potentially difficult.
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Thanks for all your replies and comments. It seems the service should be done but what still puzzles me is why there is no reference to the requirement anywhere in the car's handbook or service portfolio. DougS, is there anything in the S-Max handbook about the need for it? The car is 3½ years old and has done 38,000 but with only 4,400 miles towing so hasn't been overworked. The only comment I would make about the box itself is that when going from forward to reverse there is sometimes a bit of a lag before starting to move. Otherwise I'm very pleased with it. As Mitsi F says, £195.00 is a lot cheaper than a new box so I'll book it in on Monday.
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I had the SMax, and no there was nothing in the book about changing the fluid. I used the Ford extended warranty that was given as long as the vehicle was serviced by a Ford garage. You could only have the extended warranty only if you paid for the fluid change.
There are thousands of posts about this on the web, it is to do with the very clever chemistry of the oil, a bit too clever, very expensive and not a durable as Ford would like. This box was designed as sealed for life.
Apart form that no issues, it towed well and is a bit smoother than the VW DSG variant in both take-up and shifting.
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AFAIK, for 2011 model year, once out of warranty (3 yrs) there are two services scheduled Major and Minor in alternate years. The 3 year gearbox oil change is in addition to this:
Dealer minor service including gearbox oil change was £355 including MOT and 1 year Ford rescue cover (covers Europe and trailer/caravan but probably not when it isn't attached to car and suspect not for caravan breakdown - the small print is not clear)
Major service was £235 including MOT and the rescue.
May start to look for cheaper alternative for service but very dubious about letting anyone else do the gearbox oil unless they can prove they know what they are doing?
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It is almost certain the gearbox service is mileage related, it makes no sense to say every 3 years when one drivers mileage could be 10,000 and another 100,000 miles. 36,000 miles sounds about right. It is also highly unlikely you will find any independent garage will undertake the gearbox service. I cannot find a single independent VW specialist who will touch a DSG. Powershift was Fords version of same concept. Ford have now reverted to a TC auotbaox due to reliability issues......
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TBF Honest John seems to imply that it's the DRY clutch version of the Powershift that has been discontinued?:
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/askhj/answer/105798/is-the-ford-powershift-gearbox-reliable-
So the existing wet clutch versions may be OK (we have had no problems so far, touch wood)
As we do about 10k miles/year, the 3 year change is OK and I don't know if there is a mileage figure although the dealer should know.
I don't believe the procedure is rocket science, just a matter of following instructions but, as I said, the oil is expensive (£160 ish, including filter) and you have to keep the car level which is difficult without a lift so I'm letting the dealer do it.
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There was a very comprehensive response on HJ last week with a long list of all the VAG DSG boxes and their reliability - or otherwise. The HJ response suggested Ford have dropped all their DSG type transmissions but I agree it could be open to mis-interpretation.
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