2004 FX4 5.4L engine issues?
Logistics Pro
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From: Detroit
No problem mixing at this point--being that low on oil is RED ALERT time and THAT is a serious danger. I would suggest transitioning to the 5W30 high mileage oil which *may* lessen consumption.
Get it to the full mark, check your mileage, and when it is down to the low mark, add a quart and note how many miles you have traveled. Again, this will establish a baseline to see how far gone your engine is. Two quarts below the add mark is scary....have you seen the low oil pressure light flickering, or the oil pressure gauge (basically a switch) bouncing from low to normal?
And I can build you a PC as well, or diagnose and fix one...been doing that since my first machine in 1991.
Good luck,
George
Get it to the full mark, check your mileage, and when it is down to the low mark, add a quart and note how many miles you have traveled. Again, this will establish a baseline to see how far gone your engine is. Two quarts below the add mark is scary....have you seen the low oil pressure light flickering, or the oil pressure gauge (basically a switch) bouncing from low to normal?
And I can build you a PC as well, or diagnose and fix one...been doing that since my first machine in 1991.
Good luck,
George
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Detroit
The gauges on Fords are fake. They sit at that single point above the midpoint unless the pressure goes below 5 psi or something--which is when a low oil pressure light would go on.
They dumbed the gauges down because people used to worry when their pressure got low during a hot idle, etc (which is normal). If you ever see the gauge go into the low area, or a low oil pressure light go on, stop the truck and get some more oil in it if the reason is low oil....
Good luck,
George
They dumbed the gauges down because people used to worry when their pressure got low during a hot idle, etc (which is normal). If you ever see the gauge go into the low area, or a low oil pressure light go on, stop the truck and get some more oil in it if the reason is low oil....
Good luck,
George
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The gauges on Fords are fake. They sit at that single point above the midpoint unless the pressure goes below 5 psi or something--which is when a low oil pressure light would go on.
They dumbed the gauges down because people used to worry when their pressure got low during a hot idle, etc (which is normal). If you ever see the gauge go into the low area, or a low oil pressure light go on, stop the truck and get some more oil in it if the reason is low oil....
Good luck,
George
They dumbed the gauges down because people used to worry when their pressure got low during a hot idle, etc (which is normal). If you ever see the gauge go into the low area, or a low oil pressure light go on, stop the truck and get some more oil in it if the reason is low oil....
Good luck,
George
Logistics Pro
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From: Detroit
And you took the time to post this because(?)
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Moderators Note: That was a spammer. I removed the quote you included so his spam would be deleted. That's why his post is gone too.
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Moderators Note: That was a spammer. I removed the quote you included so his spam would be deleted. That's why his post is gone too.
Last edited by Stewart_H; Feb 19, 2013 at 01:17 PM.
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I guess that comment was deleted. I do appreciate y'alls input. I will also look into replacing sensors (oxygen, knock) and the PCV valve. I assume it's time to do those. I also assume they are cheap.....enough.
Logistics Pro
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From: Detroit
With 173,000 miles on your engine, I would say your oil consumption is just fine, and so long as you don't let it get low enough to cause more damage (and make oil consumption worse), I'm guessing your engine will continue to remain dependable for many, many more miles. I would check it at least every 500 miles or so, and not let it get below the "add one quart" mark on the dipstick.
Again, you might want to switch to a 5W20 or 5W30 "high mileage" oil (the latter in higher ambient temps)--these formulations run just a bit thicker and are meant to reduce consumption a bit.
I'm using 10W40 high mileage oil in my '91 BMW and it seems to reduce a bit of gasket leakage--but note that my engine specifies 15W40 for basically all temperatures in my climate--I would not run such a thick oil in a mod motor.
Good luck for many more miles,
George
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From: Tennessee
It is much more complicated than that , but that is the just of it .The lower the first # , the thinner the oil . The wider the # , = less base oil and more addetives .
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