Major step, actually drove to the dealer lot to look at the 2011s. Granted it was Sunday and no one was there and I didn't drive one but.......

I've narrowed it down to 4x4 EB SCREW with a 6.5 bed with bucket seats. Now don't know if I will go 2011 or wait for 2012.

Wondering if there are any special considerations regarding oil/oil changes etc? Does Ford recommend synthetic for the EB? What viscosity? Any other special considerations for normal maintenance schedule?

 

You can download an owners manual here:

https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenan...ls/results.asp

 

I think the 2012 Ecoboost gets 5W30 verses 5W20 Synthetic Blend factory recommended oil. The 2012 4x4 EB trucks have a standard 36 gallon fuel tank. As far as I know those are the only changes.

 

I would personally only use synthetic oil in a turbo charged engine after the sludge issues other turbo engines have shown. But they seem to have no problems when synthetic oil is used.
I think Ford recommends 5W-30 for the 2011 EB engine as well.

 

Yes it does.

 

That was my thought, synthetic oil because of the turbo. Ill download the owners manual and check quantity.

 

Care and feeding? As previously stated, 5w-30 oil and a motorcraft filter. My dealer strongly recommends 5K changes even though the manual ambiguously states "up to 10K".

 

The Ecoboost takes the Motorcraft FL500S filter and holds 6 quarts of oil. 5W30 is the recommended weight.

The original oil spec was WSS-M2C929-A but has since been superseded by oil spec WSS-M2C946-A.

The 946-A spec is brand new with the introduction of the SN class of oil. The 946-A spec is listed on the fresh bottles of Motorcraft 5W30 that I just bought at the dealer - it is THE synthetic oil recommended for the EB engine as per the dealer sheet indicating so (freshly downloaded sheet in the parts department).

Many use the Motorcraft Semi synthetic oil in their EB engines and it is recommended by Ford as well. The torture tested Ecoboost engine 448AA supposedly used the MC Semi syn oil, but I have yet to confirm or deny this fact. The MC full syn seems to be only obtainable at the dealer and costs me $7.59 a quart.

If you are interested, the MC full syn actually out performs Mobil 1 synthetic oil with respect to flash points and pour points: MC vs M1 flash points: 235 degrees centigrade (MC) vs 230 degrees centigrade for the M1. The cold temp pour points are: MC (-45 degrees centigrade) and the M1 (-42 degrees centigrade). This info was obtained by getting the online product data sheets published by each oil maker.

To hold down costs I am considering switching to Pennzoil Ultra because it is cheaper, meets all the necessary specs and carries the Honda - Acura spec HTO-06 which is a turbocharger spec initiated by Honda to protect their turbocharged engines. Very few oils meet this spec! Also this oil was tested in my 2008 Mazdaspeed 3 for 60k miles and passed with flying colors - no outrageous wear metals and it kept that engine clean as new.

So there you have it! I have 2 EB trucks I am taking care of so you can see why I am looking to cut costs as I still believe in changing oil every 5k miles.

Both my wife and I drive Ecoboost F150s, hers is a 4X4 Platinum and mine is an FX4; 18k miles on hers and 10k miles on mine - no trouble what so ever.
Cheers

 

Amascio,

Could you post your MPG with your trucks? I am in the process of buying and I have to admit I am having a difficult time deciding between the 5.0 and the ecoboost.

Thank you

 

Amascio,

Thanks for the detailed info.

Having 2 EBs, how did you pull that off?! I'm working on one right now, thought I had it narrowed down to a 4x4 SCREW Lariat w/nav, leather buckets etc but now looking into a FX4 and even maybe a lariat plus or Platinum. I need to go to the lot and check these out and narrow down my list of "wants".

Do you have different rear axles 3.73/3.55 in each of those? Any comparison for MPG? There are several 3.73s in my area but I was leaning to a 3.55 thinking of MPG - wondering if maybe it's not even noticeable.

 

Sorry it took so long to get back! OK here we go:

gjbeck: the mileage on both of my EB trucks runs the gamit from 16 mpg to 19.5 - what you get depends on what you do. When the Platinum was new the wife and I took it from Houston, Tx, to Bisbee Az. to visit her sister.

The truck was filled in Houston at the start of the trip and refilled in Kerrville Tx (16.1 mpg). Just getting out of Houston is hell.

The next fill up was in Fort Stockton, Tx, and the hand calculated mpg was 14.8. Lots of climbing grades at 80 mph and crosswinds to boot.

Please keep in mind that the whole time you are climbing from sea level in Houston to (ultimately) 5800 feet in Bisbee. Also, the speed limit from Kerrville to El Paso, Tx. is 80 mph and we did all of that and more.

The next fill up was in Las Cruces, New Mexico and the mpg was 17.8. Driving 80+ mph in desert crosswinds really makes the truck gobble it up. The constant climb didn't help it none either. The mpg on this tank was good because the 80mph speed limit stops outside of El Paso and the driving slows down to 65 mph. Just driving 65mph from outside El Paso to Las Cruces jumped the mpg for this tank up from 16.0 to 17.8.

The fill up in Las Cruces took us into Bisbee with plenty of gas left over. When we parked the truck that night the truck's computer read 19.5. We drove all week on what was left in the tank (very small town) and finally filled up getting a hand calculated 18.5 mpg. This tank took us around town a day or two more before we started back home. In El Paso we filled up again getting 18.2 mpg.

The next stop was Fort Stockton again where we got 18.6 mpg, going downhill so to speak, naturally doing 80 mph and more, much more (we found out the truck is limited to 100mph!) This tank got us to Kerrville where we filled up again and got 16.5 mpg.

The final leg from Kerrville to Houston was done at night so speed was kept to 65mph. When we parked at home in Houston the truck computer indicated 19.7 mpg

The final analysis of the trip: 35.5 hours running time
130.1 gallons used
2280.9 miles traveled
17.5 mpg for the whole trip (trip meter B was started when we began and not cleared until we got home.

A few notes: there wasn't a single grade climbed going or coming that required a downshift out of 6th gear. Besides us, the truck had roughly 600 lbs of stuff in it. When we left Kerrville in route to Fort Stockton, the truck shifted 6 times getting up to speed and never downshifted once until we stopped for gas in FS. Our old 5.4 Platinum had to downshift to 4th gear so many times on this same run, it used to scare me; and believe me, a 5.4 driving 80 mph in 4th gear guzzles gas like there's no tomorrow.

In normal driving around town her Platinum with 3.55 gears gets 18 -19 mpg (it's got 18.7 on it right now , half way through a tank). My FX4 has the 3.73 gears and I usually get a half to a full mile per gallon less than she does (it is reading 18.1 on 3/8 of a tank).

We traded in a paid for '09 Platinum and an '08 Mazdaspeed 3 for her new Platinum, wrote a $2,000 check and walked out with her Red Candy truck paid in full. Beings as I lost my Mazdaspeed in that process, I had to fill that turbocharged hole in my life with something and when Ford offered 0% financing, and Mac Haik Ford had the truck I wanted...BANG! we are a 2 Ecoboost family.

I'm sorry for the way too long post but I want everyone to get a feel for what an EB truck does mpg wise, and I figured this was the best way to tell that. I kept very exacting notes all during the trip because my posting this may cause someone to buy an EB and I want them to know EXACTLY how our trucks are doing.

One last thing on how well these things run: while in Bisbee we went to dinner in Sierra Vista, Az. around 35 miles from the house. Coming from SV to Bisbee you have to climb up to a 6400 ft crest before dropping down into Bisbee. On this two lane highway, we were climbing, probably around 5500-6000 ft when the wife tromped it to pass some lolligaging idiots. We hit 100 mph so fast it wasn't even funny and it prompted my wife's sister, who is NOT a car enthusiast, to question "what the hell kind of engine does this thing have in it??!!

She doesn't know much about cars but she knows they generally do poorly around 6000 feet elevation; well, that is until she jumped in her sisters' red candy 4X4 pick up!!!

Cheers all!

 

Very good info on your mpgs and comparing the 3.55 to the 3.73. I'm leaning more towards the 3.55 as a good medium based on what I plan to tow and type of driving I'll be doing. From what I can tell the FX4 comes standard with the 3.73 so that may just make it easier for me in narrowing the selection down.

 

New guy here, getting ready to pull the trigger on an EB 4x2 SCREW this weekend. I just wanted to say this is a particularly useful thread, with thanks especially to amascio for the detailed info on his trip and trucks. My decision is down to between a Lariat and a loaded XLT, and it's interesting to read about stepping up even beyond those. Thanks for the info.

Bill.

 

Welcome to FTE bill! A loaded XLT and a base Lariat will be similar in price. I really like the lariat grill and wheels better but the blonde wood grain inside made me chose the XLT. Drive them both, you'll fall in love with each of them, it's like dating gorgeous twins.

 

Thanks Tim. I've been driving a bunch of different makes, models and sizes for a month now as I get ready to replace my trusty old 96 Toyota T100 that I bought new back in the day. The F150 is clearly my preference for my purposes. I do like the Lariat, except for the bucket seats and center console, but I strongly prefer a bench seat with the open floor space in the middle. Plus, a pickup just ought to have a steering column shifter. So I've pretty well settled on a high-end XLT.

Thanks again, I'm glad a came across your forum. Great info.

Bill.