I have a 97 Expedition with the 5.4L Triton, 165k on it now. Tried many different oils over the years. Always thought it burned a lot of oil (especially synthetic) but never paid much attention to quantifying it. So I tried mineral and synthetic to see if it would make any difference and kept track of the numbers. Here's what I found.

Using Penzoil Platinum full synthetic 5w-30, over a period of 5100 miles, it burned a quart in 800 to 1000 miles. Changed to Penzoil regular 5w-30 (it's in the engine now). I have 2480 miles on it and it's down 1/3 on the stick. Have not added any extra oil. Same new Purolator filter both times. Haven't changed any parts that would make a difference like the PCV valve. There are/were no leaks in the engine or the oil plumbing, and I generally take care of this vehicle cause it's got to last.

If I hadn't written it down and kept track, I would not have believed it myself. Maybe synthetic is 'slicker' and gets by the stem seals or rings easier, don't know. But there it is. Comments?

 

If I remember right useing a quart every 800-1200 miles is within Ford Specs. I have had the same issue when using Synthetic and to be honest,that is one of the main reasons I still use regular Dino oil. The extra cost,and sometimes engines leak,or use oil and that would mean adding extra cost on buying more oil to add. Most of the oil companies have motor oil that are far superiour than they were 10 years ago,so most Car Companies have extended oil changes out to 5 to 10000 miles on a oil change. I still like to change mine every 3 to 4000.

 

'99 ED BR 5.4 uses about 1 qt 5w-30 every 2000-2500 miles. I stick with pure dino as well. Seems like with the synth I go through a boat load more. Not worth the extra cash to me.
Bernie

 

You fellows are making me proud of my '02 Navi 32 valver.
When I got it I switched over to the MLM synthetic and change it once a year (cause the oil filter is impossible to get out of there without making a real mess!). That's usually 10-12k miles and never have to add a drop of oil between changes.

 

WOW!!!! That's incredible, I would keep your Navi forever. You've got a good runner there. What is in synth. that makes my engine burn oil compared to dino oil which barely burns it at all? Never have any drops on the garage floor but the synth dissapears.


Bernie

 

Check the oil cooler lines on my Old expo used to leak threw there and it took me 2 years to figure it out

 

I wonder if increasing viscosity would diminish consumption? i.e.10W40?

 

Nope, no leaks. I did this "test" because it seemed like every other week, the oil was down below the stick, and I thought I had a worn out engine. Very happy to discover this thing just burns more, A LOT more, synthetic oil for whatever reason.

The only benefit I did find from synthetic is that it is offered in a 0W-30 which did quiet down the cam chain tensioner knocking in very cold weather right after start up. But that's just the thinner cold viscosity doing that. But since it hasn't been that cold, and the knocking hasn't gotten any worse, I stopped worrying about it.

 

If your observations are correct, I would just suggest using non-syn oil, or maybe trying Motorcraft or another synthetic blend. So long as you are using the recommended weight (and 5W-30 would be right for a 1997), use what works.

I have an '02 E150 van with a 4.6 and about 111k miles on it. When it was new, it would use maybe a quart between changes, which I usually did at 3500-4000 miles. I always had the dealer change it early on to get face time with the svc manager and because it barely cost more than doing it myself. At about 60k miles when the warranty ended, I got a deal on 24 quarts of Quaker State full syn Torquepower for a buck a quart, in the same 5W-20 weight that the '02 models were specced for. I upped the change interval to around 6k miles and think it would go the full 6k without me needing to add oil. (A full syn change was costing me around 10 bucks including the filter...as a cheapskate this made me smile)

After I ran out of the sale oil, I have mostly gone back to Motorcraft syn blend, and I don't think it's using any oil between changes which I am now running out to about 5k miles.

One interesting observation is that when I put in 6 quarts (required for the 4.6--the 5.4 is 7 quarts), it reads halfway between the empty and full marks on the dipstick. I SWEAR that if I fill it to the "full" mark on the stick, it will actually go thru the first half quart a bit more quickly than it will if I fill it halfway up.

Good luck; the mod motors are really tight engines and I have heard of people tearing them down at 200k miles and still seeing the factory crosshatch pattern on the cylinder walls. I do remember the '97 5.4 as having a possible head gasket seepage issue at the rear of the right head. Maybe check that area just to be sure.

George

 

You know logically one would think that, but when I tried even going with 10w 30 it used more oil. So far the best for mine is a blend of 5w 20 syn and dino -- I usually do a couple quarts of syn and the rest dino. If I go full syn 5w 20 it uses about the same as dino 10w 30 (1+ qt in 5k miles), otherwise it's less than half a qt in 5k miles (that's my OCI).

It's a hell-uv-an engine

 

Interesting. My wife's old '98 Sable, which was a Duratec specced for 5W30, seemed to use more oil when we took it to the dealer and they put in 5W20 (which was retroactively approved for that year car). I believe the engine always used less with 5W30, which is what I put in it when I changed the oil. But that was a GREAT motor.

I almost think that oil usage is all based on superstition, the exact brand and type used, how level the measuring surface is, how long you wait to check it after turning the car off, and the alignment of the stars. So long as any vehicle I own uses less than a quart in 3000 miles, I am very happy.

When I started driving in 1970, I thought any vehicle that used less than a quart in 1000 miles was great. Problem is that I owned 3 English cars that used a quart every 200-300 miles. I am SO glad those days are over

George

 

George that made me laugh I think we must be close to the same age. I've had so many different brands and types of cars over the years it just made me go back and think of some of my real oil hogs...

My ex-wife's Fiat spider was built to resemble a British sports car so closely (IMO) that it even used oil like one! Right around late '80s and early '90s Ford used relaxed rings in some of their motors -- I think mainly for gas mileage, but man did those motors use some oil. My '91 F250 with a 460 I could get down to maybe a quart in a thousand miles if I went up to 15w 40 (to your point, it did work a bit for that motor). I had a '90 Chevy truck with a 350 that used oil from the day I bought it brand new. They replaced the valve stem seals (a notorious problem with those and the 305s), but they refused to do any more unless it used a Qt in 500 miles!

Right about the time the warranty ran out I made sure it did just that (they should have marked the drain plug ) and they put in a new short block -- found 3 bad cylinders in the old one (go figure).

The early 911s I had used oil but they also carried a lot too!

 

You rock, brother Dan. I have owned probably 40-50 cars including stuff like 426 Chrysler Hemis, English sports cars, 390 2-seat AMX's, Corvettes, bunch of vans and a pickup, and I've been there. I still have my 1991 BMW 318is which I have owned since 1994--now my garage queen because it is a GREAT car. My DD is a 2009 Subaru Forester, my wife's DD is a 2007 Honda Civic (which has NEVER used quart of oil in 98k miles and 8000 mile oil light changes), and I still have my Ford E150.

We have 3 of 4 cars that are either over 100k miles or close (wife's Civic is at 98.5k) which use almost no oil, and my brand new Forester at 60k uses almost no oil. Amazing place to be. My son's BMW 318ti is leaking oil and using a quart every 1000 miles and he thinks it's horrible . No, a quart in 200 miles, like my old Sunbeam Alpine or my old Healey 3000, or my old MGB, was horrible.

But I'd rather put oil in my car than be 60 years old And when I met my current (2nd and PERMANENT) wife, she was driving a SAAB Sonett, and I had a 900. Those were such great cars...but totally garbage too.

Old joke--"Why don't the Brits build refrigerators? Because they can't figure out how to make them leak oil." And don't get me started with Lucas electricals. ("the 3 positions on a Lucas headlight switch: off, flicker, and dim...")

George

 

Ahh yes my new friend, 60 does approach us, but as they say: it's better than the alternative! I know we are taking this thread so far off track we're likely to get in trouble but what the heck....

I don't have any over 100k cars/trucks right now -- part of the problem is we (okay, maybe it's more me) just have too many (is that even possible?!) for just two drivers. I'm guessing I'm in the 50 maybe even more car club with you, and hey: I had a '68 Mustang GT390 -- kinda' the AMX's brother (were they geared tall or what!?) I wish I had it back, but by far collected the most tickets of anything I've ever had with wheels in it...

I still have a '72 911 that you could call a "garage king" (the body has well over 100k), but he's more of a disgrace to me being a car guy. I bought it in the middle of divorce (also 1 of only 1) 23 years ago and can't seem to part with him. He sits all dusty and unloved in the shop and in still his last set up as an SCCA autocrosser/pro solo car (and a multiple national winner) -- I keep telling myself one day I'll set it back up for road track and race again (promises, promises). So for other rides besides the '07 PSD and Expy, there's my favorite but also not driven enough '03 S2000 (a total hoot), '96 Tacoma (Dad's old truck -- it'll hit 100k soon), '00 Jeep Wrangler, '06 GS430 Lexus (over the top for us but it's a cool, sleeper fast, ride), and then the two bikes: wife's Honda Shadow and my '04 Yamaha FJR1300A (it's the "slow" bike for once fast riders). Then there's several ranch machines to boot...

I (probably like you) have shelves of oil and cabinets of filters and just doing oil changes keeps me pretty busy -- don't go too much deeper than maintenance any more these days.

ok, it's been fun and I'll try and go back to topic for a redeeming sec: have you (or any others still reading) ever had a sudden oil consumption in a 5.4 that just came and went?? A friend of mine in TX had it happen to his Expy (a '99) and once and only once ours did it. Checked the oil and it had used 1.5qts and scared the crap out of me! I remember replacing or cleaning the PCV and changing the air filter (both seemed fine). But that was it, just one mysterious time...

Over and out...

 

I love my 4.6 in my 98 Expedition, the same 5 qts that goes in is the same that comes out when doing an oil change, never in any amount of miles do i have to add any, oh there are little over 174 miles on it.