Lazy Daze Owners' Group

Re: Another Oil Change interval, data driven

Reply #25 – June 28, 2017, 11:31:10 am

Re-post of the link to the Ford maintenance schedules; the maintenance charts and the owner's manual provide a lot of valuable information: 

Maintenance Schedules | fleet.ford.com

I've followed the Ford owner's manual recommendations for all fluids. I change the oil and filter every 3000 miles; in the case of a 2003, the recommended oil is Motorcraft 5W-20 synthetic blend, but later models may list different specs/formulations. 

A 3000 mile oil change interval is old school, and possibly an "overkill" response to my Dad's vehicle fluid maintenance practice, i.e., allowing the oil in his field car(s) turn almost to sludge in the crankcase before changing it!    

I know that oil formulations have changed and improved over the years (thanks, Larry), but changing the oil and filter is cheap preventive "insurance" for longer engine life. Walmart sells Motorcraft 5W-20 and the Motorcraft FL-820S filter for about $30; the Ford truck center charges three times that to do the job. (Or, I get a stock of oil filters and air filters and other bits and pieces from Rock Auto.)

As ever, YMMV.

 

Re: Another Oil Change interval, data driven

Reply #27 – June 28, 2017, 12:16:40 pm

It cannot possibly hurt the engine to change the oil and filter early .
It cleans out any debris left by the manufacturing and break in.
The Factory does not a special break in oil.

Larry

Re: Another Oil Change interval, data driven

Reply #29 – June 28, 2017, 12:42:35 pm

"It is peculiar that the 2017 recommendation is for synthetic blend, with no significant mechanical changes in the engine.  Synthetic blend doesn't make much sense to me.  Go synthetic or go conventional.  But a blend?"
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Harold, AFAIK, Ford has listed the recommended oil as Motorcraft 5W-20 synthetic blend for many years; how many, I can't say without looking at the maintenance schedules for all model years, but I just checked the manual for my 2003, and that was/is the recommendation. The formulation of that particular oil may have changed in the intervening years, but since the oil in my 2003 is changed every 3000 miles, I've stuck with the recommended Motorcraft product with good results for 102k miles.  I know that some use a full synthetic, e.g., Mobil 1 , Amsoil, and some use a "dino" oil, e.g., Pennzoil, Valvoline, Castrol, etc., but I figured that following the manual's recommendations couldn't hurt!

P.S. I did vary from the manual and change the initial "break-in" oil and filter at 1500 miles; my reasons were what Larry stated, i.e., to clean out any possible debris, tiny metal shavings, and whatever else was lurking in a new engine.