No need for oil changes Ford Focus

Discussion in 'Other Vehicles' started by buttonbag, Jun 12, 2015.

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  1. buttonbag

    buttonbag Active Member

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    So if you go to Ford's website and look up the Focus, Ford is claiming that the electric version of the Focus doesn't need oil changes. I'm a little skeptical about that claim, but I wanted to see what everyone here think. Is this true? Is it not? Is there a fine print on this claim?
     
  2. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    This is true, the electric version has no gas engine. It is a pure battery powered car.

    No gas either...

    But there is a 76 mile range according to the EPA, not exactly good for traveling.
     
  3. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Ford Focus.... No oil changes.... Ever....??

    So there is no differential / transfer case?

    The electric motors are direct drive to the front wheels?
     
  4. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    It has a 1-speed automatic transmission.

    When one thinks "oil change" it is usually engine oil. Being this is has a Permanent Magnet Electric Traction Motor there is no need for an Engine Oil change.
     
  5. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Sooo at 150,000 miles when the one speed burns up the auto clutches.....

    The mechanic might say sumptin like...... "Oh yeah, you shuda changed the earl":D

    "A re-built plus installation will run you about $8,000.00 +tax":D:D

    Unless of course they use "Lifetime" Earl", then thats a totally different song...
     
  6. beken

    beken Well-Known Member
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    I would also suspect electric motors have shaft bearings so there is a distinct possibility that bearing needs to be lubricated from time to time. But no oil change.
     
  7. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    Craven Speed created an Electric MINI, maybe Kellen or Tristan will chime in with maintenance info.
     
  8. rkw

    rkw Well-Known Member

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    If you take a car to a shop and ask for an "oil change", they won't touch the differential. It is a marketing web page and they are using a common meaning of the term.
     
  9. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Craven Speed dipstick to check the depth of the electrons? Never changed the oil in our 2 stroke SAAB, but man did it burn it, a quart every tank full.
     
  10. ZippyNH

    ZippyNH Well-Known Member

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    If you can find a crankcase..... You can drain the oil...
    But no crankcase....no oilchange...
    You ever change the oil on your vacuum cleaner?!
    OK...maybe saying golf cart is more appropriate.....
    And the 76 mile range is under ideal conditions....
    Folks in the northeast found the electric LEAF could go less than HALF its rated range on cold days...batteries don't do well in the cold, then add that little electric HEATER running on a battery....
    VW tried a heat pump on a few models of thir electric car, but the extra $$$ vs the range was a killer....
    I see the day when electric cars have GASOLINE powered heaters like the old VW bugs....
     
  11. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #11 Metalman, Jun 14, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2015
    Earl is earl.... Either it got's it, or it don't...
    If it got's it.... At some point it needs changing...
    If it don't got's it.... Then it don't need changin....:D

    These guys are Earlmen..... Actually, early Earlmen....

    [​IMG]
     
  12. ZippyNH

    ZippyNH Well-Known Member

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    Notice they said "no oil change" not "no scheduled maintenance"....
    It still gonna need something....just not gas in the tank, oil in the crankcase...
    Kinda like what happened when railroads went from steam to diesel....
    Or folks " parked" their horses at the local dogfood plant and bought model "a" cars from that Henry fellow...they no longer had to muck a stall....
     
  13. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    All Electric Ford with one speed? That when I lost interest and don't care.
     
  14. _iD

    _iD New Member

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    Isn't the Tesla just "one speed" also? With all the torque available at like 0 rpm, there's no real need for gears.
     
  15. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Not a tesla fan either.
     
  16. _iD

    _iD New Member

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    You should drive one. The acceleration is unlike anything you've likely ever experienced.
     
  17. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    I'm sure if David.0 drove a Tesla.... He would trade in his MINI for one...
     

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  18. walshe_ian

    walshe_ian Member

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    Mini say the gearbox oil is lifetime oil lol and the fuel filter is lifetime aswell changed both at 45kk and they clearly needed changing
     
  19. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    "Lifetime" definition: the duration of a thing's existence or usefulness.....

    Sooooo..... With all the snickering about this "Lifetime" thing going on with BMW/MINI.... Perhaps their marketing people were very astute....

    Were we MINI owners thinking the oil or filter would last forever? Maybe BMW/MINI was really saying the lifetime of the item was only as long as it's usefulness.... Once you exceeded it's usefulness, you've exceeded it's "lifetime"...:idea:
     
  20. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    What they really mean is the engineered lifetime of the assembly using the fluid. They fully intend for automatic transmissions to be disposable after 100k miles. It's our stupid fault that we expect them to last longer, in their logic.
     

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