I drive my truck on the weekends and I have been towing around some ATVs for coulple of weeks now. I am close to 15,000 mile mark and this is what I plan to do during my service intervals.


15,000 mile:

1) Recharing my Volant air filter

2) 5qts of Mobil 1 Full Synthetic w. Motorcraft oil filter

20,000mile:

1) 5qts of Mobil 1 Full Synthetic w. Motorcraft oil filter

2) Tranny fluid flush and fill

3) fuel filter change

When should I change my T-case fluids, coolant, and my front/rear diff fluids? I like to play it safe and go earlier than what my manual tells me to do.

 

I just posted a simular thread. I was told the diff fluid is lifetime. Unless your truck sits in water or mud above the axle often it's not needed. At only 20k there shouldn't be any need to change the tranny fluid. I'd wait till about 60k.( and that's with alot of stop and go or heavy throttle driving) You can always have them check the condition of the fluid. Mine seems to be quite thin and darker than I remember thus the reason I'm changing it.

 

Tranny fluid at 30k, t-case at 30k, and the front and rear diffs at 60k. Coolant can wait until at least 75k. Make sure to replace your plugs well before the 100k mark so yo don't have to deal with siezed plugs.

 

First, if you plan on 5 quarts of oil, you will be a couple of quarts low. Why waste your money on Mobil 1? The engine will outlast the rest of the truck if you use the Motorcraft blend and keep it changed. Even if you want to waste the money on the Mobil 1, I would wait until it is fully broken in.

If you have the extra money you can change the transmission, fuel filter, etc. but you're not gaining anything.

 

I have a 4.6 and I was told to fill 5 quarts...



I changed out the plugs in my truck with iridiums at 10,000 miles. Even though the 5.4 engines are known with plug problems, I still did it.

 

Is that the service intervals from the owners manual or just your opinion?

 

[QUOTE=is300wrx]I have a 4.6 and I was told to fill 5 quarts...
QUOTE]

Pick up 6 qts. I read somewhere they take 6.

Did you change your plugs yourself? I haven't looked at them yet but the service guy said they need a special tool to get at one of them.

 

[QUOTE=4DOORSR]
Yes I changed the plugs myself and it requires you to remove the fuel rail (same on the 5.4 in an E-350...horrible design and have to replace the blue rings). Anyways, besides the removal of the fuel rail, it wasnt bad at all.

Oh jesus, it is 6 quarts....I put in 5 quarts the past 2 oil changes......Next one is coming up in about 1300 miles...Ill put in 6 quarts from now on I wont have any problems will i?

 

lol...You don't check the level when you're finished? I would check the dipstick and add as required. Should be fine.

 

While yall are talking about oil, I checked my 4.6 yesterday, it was to bottom of dipstick. I stopped by the ford place, they are doing an oil consumption test tomorrow. Guy at this ford place say these trucks are supposed to take 7 quarts, not 5 or 6. All my past oil changes have gotten 6 quarts. I wonder what is the right amount?

 

The 4.6L takes 6 QTS while the 5.4L take 7qts.

 

Regardless of what the manual says, check the oil with the dipstick after you change the oil and run it to make sure the filter doesn't leak. After you run it, let it sit for a ffew minutes so it has time to drain down. I've had vehicles that take more or less than specified.

 

The tranny and t-case is recommended in the manual at 30k, i don't think they even mention the front and rear differentials. The plugs are recommended at 100k but I certainly would rather spend the $16 on plugs to not have to worry about them siezing into the cylinder head. And as far as coolant, I believe that is slated for 100k in the manual, but again, I would rather spend they couple of bucks on coolant and have my cooling system not corrode.

 

I'm with MisterCMK on this one also . Diff's can wait till 100k. Remember it's gear oil in there, it won't break down as fast. Unless however you do a LOT of towing, then I would change it earlier. Everyone has there opinions though. On my 96 I changed trans and T-case at 30k, Rear diff at 100k. These newer trucks also use a synthetic gear oil, which will last longer than conventional oil.
Rich

 

So T case at 30k, rear and front diffs at 100k?