Below is the text of a letter received from the local Ford Service Manager. Clearly they are establishing a point that warranty issues will be argued if you don't use the severe oil change schedule. While my position is that I spent much of my traveling outside the glorious Pacific North West, it is concerning.
-Mark
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From: David Matayoshi at Ford of Kirkland [mailto:d.matayoshi.fordofkirkland@contactdealer.co m]
Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2009 5:58 PM
To:
Subject: Urgent: Critical Diesel information
Attention Ford Diesel owners this is critical information:
In November of last year, a Washington state law went into effect requiring that all fuel retailers sell B2 (2% Biodiesel mixture) as their consumer diesel fuel product. A similar mandate went into effect in the state of Oregon on August 5, 2009. Links to both pieces of legislation are included below.
That means that as you read this, all diesel vehicles in the states of Washington and Oregon are running B2 Biodiesel and the owners of these vehicles might not even know. While you might expect that signage would be placed on the fuel pumps alerting customers to this change, Federal law only requires disclosure of biodiesel mixtures of 5% or greater (B5). As a result, the new fuels have gone into gas stations with no disclosure to the customer.
What does this mean for you? According to the owner’s manual, any Ford 6.0L & 6.4L diesel engine running Biodiesel of any concentration must be maintained on the severe duty schedule.
Please contact your service advisor today 425-821-6611 to set up the correct service schedule for your vehicle.
Sincerely,
Tom Olson
Service Manager
Ford and Hyundai of Kirkland
425-821-6611
Link to Washington State Senate Bill 6508:
"Special fuel licensees under chapter 82.38 RCW, other than international fuel tax agreement licensees, dyed special fuel users, and special fuel distributors, shall provide evidence to the department of licensing that at least two percent of the total annual diesel fuel sold in Washington is biodiesel fuel, following the earlier of: (a) November 30, 2008; or (b) when a determination is made by the director, published in the Washington State Register, that feedstock grown in Washington state can satisfy a two-percent requirement."
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2.../6508-S.PL.pdf
Link to article about the Washington legislation from Biodiesel Magazine:
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/art...rticle_id=3144
Link to Oregon State House Bill 3463:
". . . a retail dealer, nonretail dealer or wholesale dealer may not sell or offer for sale diesel fuel unless the diesel fuel contains at least two percent biodiesel by volume or other renewable diesel with at least two percent renewable component by volume."
http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/mea...hb3463.en.html
Link to press release on the Oregon legislation from National Biodiesel Board:
http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/p...or_mandate.pdf