I have a 2003 F350 with the V10 with 199xxx kilometers on it. I bought the truck last November.

1st question:
I note it calls for 5w20 oil. This seems awful light for use in hotter climates. Does anyone use a heavier weight oil or is this ok?

2nd question:
After only 3000 kilomters since I got it (and the oil had just been changed) I found it was already down to the add mark. Is this normal for these engines? It does not appear to be burning oil as far as I can tell.

FWIW, I've been wrenching on vehicles all my life (now 70 yrs old).

Appreciate any input.
Thanks

 

You didn't say how many qts you used, but it does take 6qts to fill.

 

It is possible that the min/max markings on your dipstick is inaccurate (like my 2003). I change my own oil , so I measure how much oil comes out and goes in. My inaccurate dipstick shows in the middle of min/max markings when I charge 6 qrts. of engine oil (5W20). So, I have my own engraved min/max markings on the dipstick now. Check it out.

Good luck,

 

When I purchased the truck I checked the oil.... it was up to the full mark (I think).

When I had it changed yesterday, they put in 5.7 Litres which is 6 quarts US.

I'm going to monitor it and see if maybe I made a mistake when I first read it.

 

Use the recommended weight oil. It is needed for proper lubrication of the OHC and to provide sufficient drain back so the sump doesn't go dry and starve the pump.

The V10 has 2 extra cylinders' worth of blow by. It is not uncommon to use a quart of oil between normal oil change intervals.
The PCV system is critical to maintain. Make sure all the hoses, grommets and fittings seal well and do not leak. The correct PCV valve is Motorcraft 233. Some owners have reported excessive oil consumption with other brands of PCV valve. The Motorcraft EV238 kit contains the correct 233 PCV valve plus the grommet to seat the PCV valve into the valve cover.
There is a rubber PCV elbow on the non-heated PCV at the throttle body that is notorious for splitting and leaking.

 

All I run is 5w30 now and mine calls for 5w20. Ford cared about fuel economy back then and getting out of the warranty period, thats it. Now Ford is slowly switching everything back to 5w30, V10 included.

Its not uncommon to have a decent amount of consumption, especially if you do a lot of short trips. However you still could have an issue causing increased consumption like a bad PCV valve, cracked PCV hose, etc. It was not uncommon for my dads 03' V10 to use 2+ quarts in 3k miles driving mostly to work.(5 miles each way) On long trips of 1k+ miles there was no noticeable consumption. My 04' 6.8l uses at most 1/2 quart in 3-4k miles. I started using 5w30 in both a LONG time ago. Even use 5w30 in his 15' 6.2l and my sisters 04' 4.6l.

I always put the recommended amount of oil in and put a scribe mark on the dipstick. This gives you a good mark to go by. Usually on the 2V V10 I put in 61/4 quarts, especially if I know they consume some oil. IMO a 6 quart pan for the V10 is too small, would have much prefered an 8 quart pan.

 

Great info folks ... thanks a lot!

 

All the other guys above have given you the good advice I have


but one more thing: based on my experience with my 2007 E350 van V10. I got it 3years8months ago with about 113,000 miles and now have over 290,000.

I burn 2-3 full tanks of fuel every week. Mine uses about a quart every 1,000 miles. If I forget to check it for a couple weeks, the dipstick will be bone dry. One time I noticed the oil light flickering at idle and I added 4 quarts to get it full. Shameful. But I reviewed my memory and it had been about 4,000 miles since adding oil.

My doesnt smoke at all, and it has one small leak that doesn't even make a tiny puddle overnight. The oil consumption has been the same since I bought it.

Ok now the important part. Considering I have added 177,000 miles to it, I have bought about 177 quarts of oil over the years (rough estimate). In that time I've bought different brand names and different weights. And the only thing that has reduced consumption is when I run 30weight oil. By that I mean 5w30, or 10w30, and even straight 30 once. It reduces consumption, but the oil gets darker due to the fact that it isn't "changing" 16.66% of its own oil every week.

So ive switched back to 5w20. It keeps me under the hood 3-5 times per month. It's a good thing.

 

All of the above. Due to working a zillion hours a week, I don't change mine anymore, but rather I take it to a local shop. He used 5W-30 and I haven't noticed any change in MPG, or oil consumption. Here in Southern Oregon temps range from teen in winter to 110 in summer and so far, so good.

 

I now run 5W/30 synthetic blend oil in my 06 3V V10 with positive results and have no intentions of switching back at this point. Dad uses 10w/40 in his 00 2V V10 at 175k with no ill effects yet (i'm not recommending this)....

 

If he wants to run heavier stuff in his 2V you should talk him into a 5w40 instead. Easier to find and he'll get some of the benefits from a HD oil.

 

It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Lol.

 

You say one quart consumed per 1,000 miles is not normal/acceptable.
What oil do you run?

 

I'm running Mobil1 0-40. That decision came from a combination of a bunch of research and thinking I might be towing my 13k. Lb. boat with it this summer.

A good 5-20 should be fine, but I won't run any less than a 5-30. If I lived somewhere really cold then I might go lower.