We do a lot of long distance driving towing our 30' Airstream trailer ( 8,000#) so as you might expect the oil change minder chimes in sometimes when on the road. I change my
oil/filters when at home but have gone to the dealer 2x while traveling. The first time was the first change on my '16 F-350 when new and ran about $100. Second time was last summer in Alaska and included the fuel filters and was considerably more, obviously. I just changed it at home 2 weeks ago and with synthetic and a Ford filter the change ran about $70 or so. Of course Ford doesn't use synthetic when they do it. Main point is you just gotta do it when or soon after the minder tells you ( or sooner by your own schedule). I could, but just don't want to, carry the stuff with me and do it while traveling. I just don't think it's worth the aggravation. ( and some campgrounds don't allow it).

Safe Travels
Roger from NJ

 

The oil change interval on my 1/2 ton truck has been 5 figures (supported positively by lab tests). I've got some mind-adjustments to make to get it closer to 5,000 miles in my 6.7L. This is going to be interesting.

Anyhow, good conversation to follow and hear what folks are thinking and doing.

 

I'm sure we all have our own ideas about when to change oil, and what oil to use. Most of those ideas come from our histories and experiences. I like to change my oil at the 5,000 mile interval, probably because it makes me feel better--it may not be required for the truck. Because of the short interval, I am wondering if using dino oil in 15w-40 weight would not be just as good as using synthetic.

My concern is fuel contaminating the oil. I've heard of it, though never experienced it. My last truck, a Duramax, had 150,000 miles on it when I traded and it never had synthetic in it. I never had an oil related problem with it, either. I did have the oil tested by Blackstone Labs a couple of times and didn't think the knowledge gained was worth the cost of the analysis. My thoughts are the engineers who designed the reminder system did so with the least technical of us in mind.

I pull a fairly heavy 5th wheel from 10,000 to 15.000 miles a year. I, too, prefer to change oil at my interval, because it's not always convenient to change oil on the road.

 

I've been running full synthetic since the first oil change. Since my use meets the "severe duty" definition on nearly every count, I change oil and filter every 5000 miles, fuel filters every other oil change, air filter as needed. It generally occurs every time we are out on the road with the RV. 53000 miles and counting in 2 years, with 60% of those miles with either the RV or one of our other trailers.

-Mark

 

I change mine via the oil monitor. Mine is a daily driver, just to work and back, a few loads of gravel or wood in the back. towed a boat to the lake about a dozen times last year, never knew it was there. I DID use T-6 but now it seems that isn't a good oil to use, so I am going back to Ford Dino oil.


Fert

 

@OP: Your factory fill should be 10w30 to begin with so it's a synthetic blend. To switch to a full synthetic it's your call. People are so old school minded they do it when they get home after purchase. I waited till the system told me to do so, only to see it's right damn close to 5k.....hmmmmmmmmmm. Then every other time the system seemed to hit near 5k.....hmmmmmmmmmm. Could there be a mileage alert setting just like the CHECK COOLANT ADDITIVE alert? I think so.

You could run an analysis if you want to tell you when a laboratory says it's time to change the oil. During my 6.0L days I did quite a bit of reading and asking questions. Tried the OA labs, read more from other users....read more and more and more. In the end I stopped obsessing over it. I ran that 6.0 to 289k on the original injectors without any issues. In the end just use a quality oil, change at a regular interval of 5000-7500 miles using OEM filters. Listen to your motor, feel how it drives, watch MPGs, in the end you will know what works best. Also, do not get wrapped up in sticking with only one brand early on. Try a few different brands, a diesel motor isn't really ready till 30-50k miles anyway. After that you can settle on whatever you like to use since you have plenty of real world mileage on YOUR truck. Good luck!

 

I as well change my oil based on the IOLM. I also monitor the remaining "life" of the oil with Torque Pro so I can change it early, if necessary, before a long trip. Since the monitor keeps track of towing, hours in operation, idle hours, oil and coolant temperature, engine speed and torque and DPF cleaning cycles I change the oil when it tells me to.

 

thanks for the responses....I did first oil change at 2500 miles with no advice given to do so but thought it could not hurt to remove any break in contaminants....never ran synthetic nor imagined I would own a truck that told me change the oil ...my previous ride was a 2003 xlt 6.0 diesel and ran rotella 15w 40 (live in south tx).....so I will go synthetic on my 17 6.7 somewhere around 7500 miles or so and perhaps see what i get on the oil minder from there...but i can tell you i am a worry wart and may not wait to far past 5 or 6000 miles to change

 

As you can see, I think along the same lines. I look at it simply like this: there is only one way you can be wrong with oil life that doesn't damage your motor, and that is to change it before it loses its effectiveness (at lower hours and fewer miles). The downside to this approach is additional cost for the oil and filter. The downside to erring the other way is a new motor. And sure, Ford would likely warranty it if you can show you did what the IOLM told you, used the proper oil and filter and kept records of such, and if the motor failed from a lubrication issue during the warranty period. But what happens after the warranty period? It's on you now.

For me I would rather change the oil at 5k intervals, and fuel filters at 10k intervals, and make life easier on myself. Sure there is additional cost and time spent (from more oil changes than are actually required by the IOLM), but to me it is worth it. Others may see it differently. People have many different views on this subject, and they are entitled to that.

 

I grew up doing oil changes every 3000 miles. I graduated to every 5,000 miles about 20 years ago. With my 6.0L engines, I did Oil Analyst test and found that my oil was good to about 7,000 miles. So I did my changes at 6,000 mile intervals.

With my 6.7 L trucks I've been following the Oil change interval that the command center gives me. Or about every 7500 miles. Back in 2010, when these engines first showed up, There was a Ford engineer than came on the websites and said they had tested the interval and were comfortable with much higher mileage, but to be safe set the IOLM at around 7500 mile interval. I've put 145,000 miles on my 2011 truck and have almost 70,000 miles on my 2015 doing oil changes when ever the IOLM pops up and changing air and fuel filters every other oil change.

I did a couple Blackstone Oil Analysis on oil at 7500 miles from my 2011 truck and it was good. So I've stopped worrying about using a 7500 mile interval.

I do use Full synthetic oil in the winter months when it's cold. It just has a lower Cold Flow Point than Dino Oil. If I'm lazy, I sometimes let my dealer do the oil changes, and they use the Motorcraft Semi Synthetic oil. My dealer has a every 5th oil change is free program, So I can pay the $99 per change and average out to about $80 per change with the freebie.

 

I took my truck in to the Ford dealer today to have my oil changed, what with the fact that Ford doesn't like the new oil formulation, and I don't want a second career in chasing down oil. I knew they were going to use dino oil, but since I change it at 5000 miles, I don't mind. But...when I told them that I tow heavy and therefore need the heavier oil called for in the owner's manual, I was told that Ford now uses 10w-30 in severe applications as well. So...I've got 10w-30 in my crankcase. I'm sure it will work out well.

 

Have 18,500 +- or my 2015. Used Motorcraft 15W40 so far, always at dealer. 1st 3 changes were free. Do not use truck much week to week. Most usage is only when on longer RV Trips. In 2015 was longest RV trip approx 9000 miles, heavy grades in most of the western states. Changed once at Dealer after about 5,000 miles+-. Then again a month or so after getting home. If not traveling on long trips, I change oil twice a year. Changed to DeLo Syn CJ4 5W40 on Monday of this week. Leaving next week for Alaska. This will be 4th trip since 2006. Ran T6 primarily in my 6.0. Did lose 1 injector in Alaska in my 2006, 6.0 in 2014. Had been using syn for some time before then. No other engine problems up to when I sold it. No cold weather or heavy grades where I live, so no local extremes to deal with. Never have seen the IOLM monitor say anything since I have had the truck. Did reset monitor when I changed the oil on monday of this week and today had the "mileage since oil change gauge" showed the correct mileage since the change on Torque Pro screen; so TP gauge was accurate. We all have many different circumstances that affect our methods. At the core is we want what is best for our vehicle. None of us spent the $ we spent purchasing these vehicles to run them into the ground.

 

Your owners manual and message on your oil cap would disagree.

 

Assuming the tech was right I don't think ford can remotely change those from their headquarters.

Just saying....

 

You know what they say about assumptions...