Just got a "new to me" 03 excursion. After reading in here I'm convinced the it's first oil change is going to be to synthetic. What kinds are out there and what makes one better then another. Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

Mobil1 full sythetic, expensive but good stuff.

 

Mobil1 for me as well.

 

same every 6000miles

 

I still change mine around 3k or 3,500 miles.

 

I use Mobil One. I have used it since day one in my '97 V-10 and it still runs like a Swiss watch. My 2003 F-250 V-10 only has 10k on her, but the next change I am switching to Mobil One, too. The darn dealer slipped in Motorcraft dino oil when I picked it up from them last weekend.

 

Thanks all for your help! Is they any reason you picked Mobil 1 over any other full synthetic.

 

Truthfully, I would have to say at first I chose Mobil One for (a) it was the only one I had heard of made by a worlwide oil producer. There were those like Amzoil, but I wasn't impressed by their style of advertising or distribution. And (b) I chose it because it's available almost anywhere from Costco to Walmart, etc.

Since using it and doing further research, I now choose it for it's excellent qualities. It stacks up very well compared to Royal Purple and all the other 'private' labels.

Cold start-up rod knock has disappeared in both of my V-10's.....

 

I used Mobil 1 in the past but recently switched to Royel Purple. Right now I have it in the engine and the differential. I have read a lot of good things about it from several different sources. Cost is slightky less than Mobil 1.
I still use the Mobil 1 filters.

 

Just curious. Mobil1 doesn't make a 5w20, what about the warranty void if 5w20 isn't used? Thought about switching myself but that warranty issue bugs me.

 

I don't think that matters. When I took my Superduty in for an oil change, etc. I handed them the bottles of the Mobil One 5W30. No one said a word........It will not void the warranty.

 

A 5 quart bottle of Mobil 1 at Wally World is usually around $18, which is $1.50 cheaper than individual bottles. I buy 2, since I need 6.5 quarts for some reason to register between the lines on my dipstick. WW also carries the Motorcraft oil filters. I go 5K between changes unless I'm towing alot, or sitting in 100 degree heat in traffic. I went to 10W-30 and lost most all my piston slap but after doing alot of reading about lubricants I am going to go back to a 20W possibly. The mod motors are built very tight, and maybe a thicker oil won't penetrate into some of the tighter spaces that a 20W could. Although I'm nearing 100K on my trusty V-10 so I doubt it's as tight as it once was.

I believe the difference in synthetics is how the base is made, and what additives are used. There are some synthetic racing oils that are not meant to be used on the street because the additives are made for long term usage. I know the Vipers, Porsches, Corvettes and many other high performance engined cars require the use of Mobil 1. Some of that is a marketing gimic obviously, but there is substantial evidence that synthetics protect better and have a higher heat threshold, along with a colder limit while retaining viscosity. To me, the extra couple bucks for oil is cheap insurance. Ken

 

I quote directly from my 2003 owners guide, page 221:
"To protect your engines warranty use Motorcraft SAE 5W-20 or an equivalent 5W20 oil meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C153-H"

I know the reasons they changed their specs from 5w30 to 5w20. The odds are very long that any oil related failure would ever happen no matter the oil brand, weight, crude or synthetic, as long as the oil maintenance was kept up. However, there is that slightest of slight chances and I wouldn't want to be denied a warranty claim because I went up a weight in oil.

 

Used blended Synthetic for a while and put in Full Synthetic Mobile1 10w30 on my last LOF.

 

I know...I am just saying what my experience was with my local dealer. Perhaps someone can get that info from either Exxon-Mobil or Ford...