the accepted change interval for a fuel filter is 30,000 miles... that's pretty much industry wide, as far as I know...
I can't imagine changing it at 15K... that's ridiculous. And, if it's in the service guide, you are NOT obligated under any circumstances to do it more often. They ARE obligated to fix it if it breaks- IF you follow your maint. sched.
That's the biggest crock'a'crap I ever heard.
When the CEL light is FLASHING with no real pattern, that means you ar MISFIRING. This can cause big time damage to the engine. The smell you smelled was the iron aluminum and steel components melting together... okay, that's exaggerated, but still... misfiring is very bad for a car.
They should not have charged you for the fuel filter- FORD themselves say it isn't due. I would "ask" for a refund were it much more than $40, but hey- it may be worth it to you...
Ford dealers earn their reputation, in my experience...
Randy
