I knew I had read somewhere that Ford not only defined severe operating conditions for oil service, but fuel service also. I found it at Ford Doctors Diesel Technicion Society (FDDTS) The link is below, along w/ the verbiage.

http://www.forddoctorsdts.com/articl...icle-06-04.php

Here is the official Ford Technician guideline
If the vehicle is being used in "Normal Service" the oil and oil filter should be changed every 7,500 miles. The recommend fuel filter change interval is 15,000. If the vehicle is being used in "Severe Operating Conditions", the oil and oil filter should be changed every 5,000 or 200 hours of engine operation whichever comes first. Under "Severe Operating Conditions", the fuel filters should be changed every other oil change, 10,000 miles or 400 hours of engine operation whichever comes first.

Severe operating conditions as defined by Ford

• Towing a trailer or using a camper or car-top carrier
• Extensive Idling and /or low-speed driving for long distances as in heavy commercial use such as delivery, taxi, patrol, or livery
• Operating in dusty conditions such as unpaved or dusty roads
• Off-road operation
• Use of BioDiesel, up to and including 5% BioDiesel (B5)
• Short trip in cold operating conditions

 

Another great find, thank you Bismic!!

 

So why is biodiesel considered severe duty? I thought it was better for injectors, and otherwise burned just as clean. What gives?

 

I think the tendency for bio to cleanse the tank and lines makes the filters more likely to get dirty a bit faster.

 

But that should be gone in a few tank fulls, I would think, if you used it regularly. Maybe they're concerned about potentially higher acidic index?

 

Bio also has a higher tendency to gel in colder weather.

 

I've also heard that it has a tendency to cause fuel dilution faster and create more issues when this happens (due to higher solvency content).

 

So by the sounds of things, if you use or intend to use your truck, you are operating under severe conditions......

 

Be careful of "I heards"...... Lots of mis/dis information about biodiesel. Kinda like ethanol when it was first intro'd. "It'll eat your seals" was a good one.
Someday soon, it'll be a blend, like ethanol, everywhere with a little sticker on the side of the pump saying so.

A local Marathon station had 'Alcohol Free Gas' on their marque before MTBE was finally outlawed. The oil companies lobbied hard for MTBE because they manufactured it. Sorry, a little

Take Care

 

As with most diesel engines, a small amount of fuel will sometimes make its way into the oil, mostly at cold idle. The greater solvent properties of biodiesel will break the oil down faster than petroleum diesel, thus shortening the life of the oil. I think Ford's applying the precautionary rule with 5% biodiesel, though.