I have about 500 miles on my new 07 Explorer V8 and have a few quetsions about my first oil change coming up...

1) Is there any advantage to doing the first change now at 500 or should I go with 1000 or 3000? I have been told that some manufacturers specifically tell you NOT to do the first change early because they put special additives in the factory oil for break-in.

2) Should I wait a while to go with synthetic? If so, how many miles?

3) I used regular Mobile 1 on my last Explorer... but I see an SUV version and a Turbo Diesel version... what is the best syntnetic to use for my vehicle?

3) What is the best possible filter to use for best protection?

4) Are these magnetic drain plugs beneficial? How much do they really collect that a good filter would not already be catching?

Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated.

Jeff

 

Boy that is a diffucult question. Most of us are just dying to do that first oil change and temptation is great. But the usual recommendation is to wait at least 1,000 miles or what the mfg recommends. I don't know if they put in a special additive, but you want to let the engine parts "mate" to each other during breakin so leave whatever lubricant in there for awhile.

Some cars come with synthetic some don't. In the old days the advice was not to use syn until the first interval, due to the superior lubrication of syn not allowing breakin. However, plenty of cars now come with syn so either machining procedures are different, or oil is different or there is an additive pack. Don't know.

All my cars were convereted to syn at the first oil change. I will admit I did change my SS at 1000 miles, I couldn't help myself. Didn't hurt as far as I know.

I like Mobil 1 and have used it in all my personal cars since 1980. I use it just because that is all they had back then that was sold in the usual parts store. Also supposedly it is one of the "True" syns versus the highly refined dinos that pass as syn. If I am going to pay out the yin yang, I at least want the "real thing". I also like Valvoline syn and have used it in my 94 F250 which I use to tow my trailer. I use Valvoline because I liked Valvoline before I discovered syn and finally when Valvoline came out with syn I used it in my truck. I also liked Havoline syn for my wife's van since it was about a buck cheaper than others so I didn't feel as guilty using it in a lesser vehicle. I have not seen Havoline syn since I moved back to So Cal tho.

I use syn in almost every engine I own including yard equipment. Does it make more power, better mileage etc? I don't know. The differences are probably so small that they are lost in the noise level. I think the engine internals, those I can see, are cleaner, but I have not owned a high mileage dino engine for a long time, so I have no comparison.

I use syn for religious reasons, high temps, towing, premium lubrication, all the marketing pap. A good premium dino will probably work just as well in most applications. If I was to defile my engines with dino, I would probably use something like Chevron Supreme, Rotella or maybe Delo. All very good dinos so I have read.

The Ford Motorcraft filters are probably the best for our engines since they have the specified anti drainback valve. Many aftermarket filters do no have this valve and will leak a bit of dirty oil back into the engine when shut off. I personally use Purolators and Wix depending on what vehicle and availablility. Once in a great while I use Fram since I can't find anything else and they do see cheesier than the others.

The magnetic drain plugs will pick up metallic fuzz. I guess it doesn't hurt to have this extra level of protection. How much they pick up depends on how worn out your engine is and how good a filter you have.

Just my opinions.

Jim Henderson

 

Pull up a chair and sit down. This is going to be a looooooooong thread.

 

I'd do as your owners manual calls out, on the engine break-in.

For oil & filter, after break-in, there are many good choices.

How much better one brand oil, or type filter, compared to another, will perform, for a given engine, in a given area, for a given driving style, is difficult to measure.

For most of us, the difference probably wouldn't be noticeable.

If you choose a brand of oil & a filter that meets or exceeds Fords specifications, you should be good to go.

Motorcraft filters are designed with the bypass valves propely located for our filters mounting position.
The Motorcraft FL1A filter, for example, has a very large media area, over 400 sq inches & filters well, with low back pressure & for it's price, is a value thats hard to beat. I use them in all my Ford rides.

I've been using Havoline motor oils for more than 50 years, in all sorts of engines, under all sorts of conditions, & changed to the manufacturers specified intervals.
My engines are clean internally, no carbon, no varnish, no tar, no sludge, NO PROBLEMS!!!!! lol

So I don't hesitate to say I think Havoline dino or synthetic, are good values & have earned the right to be on your short list of choices.

I too, am now finding their full synthetic difficult to come by, but their dino is as good as, or better than, many so called synthetics, so I don't fret too much if I can't find their synthetic!!!

I have a 94 Taurus 3.8L that has been on a steady diet of their dino 5W-30, that meets Fords specs, since I bought it new & she's still nice & clean inside & no use between OCI's.

Same for my 99 Ranger 4.0L & it does some serious lugging & tugging in the Blue Ridge Mountains!!!!!

So I'm sure if you choose a filter & oil that meet or exceed Fords specs for your engine, weather conditions, driving conditions & driving style over the expected & change them as specified in your owners manual, you'll likely do just fine.

Do you need to pay $10 a qt for boutique oil & filters, to get top performance, nope, just check out the specifications. Many costly products aren't measurably better, or better enough, in one or two parameters, to justify the cost difference.

If money is no object & you just want to feel at ease & know your doing the best you can for your baby, then go for broke, with the highest specification, highest cost products you can find, but in all fairness, your engine won't likely know the difference!!!!!

I haven't been able to find a newer oil filter performance test, so I'll just post this dated one, as it's interesting reading anyway. http://www.mr2.com/TEXT/oil_filter_test.html

I know you didn't ask about air filters, but imo they are just as important over time, to our engines longevity, as oil filters, so here is a interesting air filter test, & nice graphs, done to ISO5011. http://home.usadatanet.net/~jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm

 

you can do the oil change anytime you want. fords OCI for these engines is 5,000 miles. the mobil turbo diesel oil IS NOT oil to use in your 4.6 it only comes in 5w30 and 15w40. You should use a 5w20 that meets the 930a spec. for filters i would just use the FL820s.

 

I just bought a 2.3 Ranger in May so this is my thoughts. I changed the oil at 500, 3500 and will be changing it again at 8500 with PP going with 7500 oci's. So far i'm averaging 26.6-27 with the winter gas, 27 when I had to use ac, and 28 no ac before the winter gas. I've heard of other 2.3's that are getting almost 30mpg and I think they kept the original fill longer than I did. Perhaps whatever little metal particles left over from the manufactoring process helps speed up the break-in process?? I think mine is on the verge of breaking in or starting to loosen up some at 8500 but my truck is moody so only it knows. If I was to repeat i'd probably do the same but keeping the original fill would get you better mpg quicker.

No one filter would give you better protection if you running 5k oci's, now beyond that use a premuim such as mobil, amsoil etc. You didn't say which engine but I don't think the 4.0 is as picky as the 4.6 on the drain back valves. Motorcraft is the best cheapy you can get in that case. A diesel oil has more zinc? and would posion your cats over time so I wouldn't use it, and void warranty. Instead of a magnetic plug stick a magnet on the filter.. keeps the metal where it belongs but the filter should catch it anyways.

 

Do not, repeat NOT, use the local Quickie Mart 40WT, non detergent, "SB" service oil.
The tips above are all you'll need.
Good luck, and Congrats on your '07 Explorer!
Ed
I have used a magnetic drain plug for years. They work fine, for what they do. The key is simply following your correct oil change intervals.

 

Thanks for all of the replies... I have looked more into the magnetic drain plugs... and also the fuel filter magnet wraps... it would appear to me that the fuel filter wrap magnets would be more effective at accumulating metal particles... BUT, is there any concern about the velocity of the oil in the filter not allowing the filter magnet to be as effective as the plug magnet where the oil is not moving as quickly and possibly dislodging particles from the magnet?

I assume that the most critical time to have one of these installed is during the first few thousand miles? Do metal particles in the oil decline as the engine breaks in? Even if they decline, are they still present through the life of the car?

Jeff

 

Are you sure that your current drain plug isn't magnetic?

Also, many manufactureres put a magnet in the oil pan.

 

I am not sure... I found nothing in the owner's manual about any magnet. Anyone know if Ford puts them in the Explorers?

 

1) I vote for instant oil/filter change on new engine. This removes any manufacturing debris along with initial break-in wear. Then follow up with a short 2k-3k run.

2) There is no need to wait any certain mileage for a synthetic. Use it whenever you want. Engines break-in and wear regardless of type of oil used.

3.1) Use the oil weight that is required. New M1 truck/suv is 5w30. The M1 TDT is 5w40. Doesn't Ford push MPG happy 20wts everywhere? Any synthetic, in the required weight, will work well. I'm ol' fashioned and still prefer thicker weights.

3.2) The best filter? there is NONE. Full flow filters all suck. Amsoil, Purolator Pureone, NapaGold, Mobil1, KN are excellent oil filters. But, its hard to beat the Motorcraft filters price and quality. Stick with it. If you truly want filtration, you want to install a bypass oil filter.

4) Magnetic drainplugs do work. Magnets, stuck to any oil filter you choose to use, will also work. Anything caught by the magnets frees up holding capacity in the oil filter. Plus, the magnet isn't 'micron' limited. It can and will grab any size. The only downside is that the material needs to be 'magnetic'.

5) So much time is wasted worrying about the oil when the antifreeze, rearend, transmission, power steering, and brake fluids, are overly neglected.

Ask yourself this, do you plan on keeping the vehicle forever? is it a lease? or do you trade up frequently?

Then, create a maintenance program that addresses that vehicles lifetime, your budget, allowed downtime, warranty recommendations, and known issues.

 

Magnets, I like extra magnets stuck on the oil pan near the drain plug. When I change the oil, while oil is draining, I remove the magnets hoping any metal is flushed out with the oil. Oil filter magnets if they are the only ones used, the metal has to go through the oil pump first and can score the pump. That's why I like the pan magnets with a magnetic plug, hopefully get it before it hits the pump.

I had my 05 5.4 changed near 1,000 miles for my peace of mind. Just my way of oil changes. Nobody will change my thought on interval 500-1,000 new truck first change, 2,000 mile afterward. It just makes me Happy! Also, dealer did first change, Factory filter sometimes is impossible to remove and I always let the Ford Dealer handle that! Motorcraft oil amd filter for me.