I know this probably has been asked before....I went from putting about 50 miles a day on my 04 FX4 to putting 5 miles a day on it. I have about 55k miles. I drive it on one decent trip a week about 25 miles one way, and maybe a few road trips a year.

Bottom line I'm looking at roughly 6k miles a year now instead of 16-17k.

Thoughts on 6 month intervals on oil changes? Everything on truck is stock, have been using recommended 5w-20 oil and Motorcraft filters.

 

Sounds like your doing it right.. I change all my oil and filters at 3K miles or less and they still run fine
Jim

 

6 months is the usual recommendation for low miles.

One thing about real short trips is the engine never gets hot enough to "boil" off the water that condenses in the oil. Sometimes this shows up as a pudding looking deposit on the underside of the oil cap or dip stick.

You should try to run the engine for at least 30 minutes straight at freeway speed every once in awhile to "burn it off". Even when the temp guage reads normal doesn't mean the engine is hot enough to "boil" the condensation out.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Sounds a lot like my drive cycle & OCI for the past 30 years, on my 78, 3.3L I6, 94, 3.8L V6 & 99, 4.0L V6, all pushrod Ford engines. All serviced with regular dino or synthetic Havoline & Motorcraft filters.

No problms to date, engines are clean inside & not using any lube between changes.

Your weekly 25 mile drive should get the oil warmed up real good & help keep the condensate in check, just make shure you keep a close check on the PCV system, especially the PCV valve, to make certain it's working properly & change it as specified, as it's responsable for proper crankcase ventalation, to help keep the condensate & blow by putrids purged out.

If your operating in humid, cool/cold country & condensation is a problem, then maybe using a lube with a higher Base Number, would be something to consider.
To know if you need to go that way, just send off a oil sample for wear analysis & a lube base number & fuel dillution check. Blackstone Labs is a site sponsor that many have used.

Just some additional thoughts for pondering.

 

You could easily go 6mo on your changes. I do less than 6k in the truck and am just going on a yearly change (or so) cycle.

Rather than drive my 10mpg F250, I bought a $875 '89 CRX as a beater and get 40mpg out of it. I put another $300-ish into it and it will still pay for itself in saved fuel costs before June.

If gas was cheap I'd rather drive my truck, but it isn't, so I don't.

 

thanks everyone for the input..I'm going to check the PCV this weekend, truck has been running great so far, just can't afford to buy another one so I want to take care of this one.

 

I have worked on boats. Rule of thumb, is change the oil every 50 hours of operation, and at winter layup.

 

With that kind of driving schedule, and annual mileage, I'd consider running Mobil 1 EP 5w-20 and changing once per year.

 

annual.
FL820s filter
Penzoil Platinum or Q-Power 4x4 synthetic

 

Ford recommends 200 hours in gasoline powered trucks. It is in the owners manual, but hard to find. 50 hours is normal for aircraft running non-detergent oil and leaded gas, but way excessive for gas trucks with modern oils and fuel injection. Marine engines running raw water cooling and carburators probably never warm up properly and lots of raw gas washing down from overly rich carb jetting may make 50 hours not too unreasonable.

Jim

 

On my boat engine, a MEFI 351, after about 50 hours, the oil has changed in color from transparent yellow, to dark brown, not yet black. It stays lighter colored longer, during the Summer, if I remember to open the motor box, and let it cool a little.
Pleasurecraft Marine, the company that converted the Ford engine to marine use specifically recommends NOT USING SYNTHETIC OILS. They do say if you use them, do not extend the oil change intervals. I have heard that there is a possibility that the synthetic oils drain off internal parts of the engine quicker than conventional oils. This is not a problem with cars, they usually get used regularly, whereas a boat, even during the Summer can sit, for a few weeks between each use.
For what it is worth, my boat, that I bought new in November 1996 has 1967 hours on it.

 

200 hours at 60 miles an hour is 12,000 miles. I would change my oil way before then.

 

That is not the reason for a 200 hour time change. The 200 hour time change is mainly for service vehicles that do alot of idling. Mainly contractor, ambulance and utility type trucks that do low idle all day, every day. That equates to changing the oil almost every 25 days for a 8 hour day idle. Fuel dilution of the oil is usually higher in vehicles that idle and hence the need for the 200 hour time change.

That is why to manual lists both a time and mileage recommendation. Whichever comes first is what you follow.

Hootbro

 

Synthetic oil will not drain off of engine parts any sooner than a quality dino oil. If someone told you that, it's a fallacy (falsehood)

Many top end cars that come from the factory using synthetic oil (Mobil 1 as an example) in some BMW's, Cadillacs, Dodge Vipers, Corvettes, ect. many of these cars are "pleasure only" vehicles. People buy these cars for their weekend getaway, weekend fun, vacation car. Their Explorer, Tahoe, Durango is their commute vehicle during the week, or a gammat of various 4cylinder sedans, v6's for daily use.
Hence, manufactures would not risk engine wear and damage in these types of expensive cars if there was a problem with synthetic.

Frankly, your boat motor would benefit greatly with synthetic, as this oil pumps much easier when cold, as compared to dino oils. Immediate lubrication of an engine that sits for a week, a month or more would be good with a synthetic oil.

Unless it's completely not recommended by a manufacturer, as say, Mazda, with their rotory engines, use synthetics with confidence.

Not to say quality dino oils are bad, all I am stating is that oil film from negleted engines are not comprised. In fact, an oil such as Royal Purple, leaves an amazing oil film and does not drain off parts when the engine is not used.

 

I really do not believe synthetic oils are worth the additional cost. I believe the main reason for frequent oil changes is that the oil gets contaminated with combustion byproducts, and dirt in the air that gets past your air filter, especially aftermarket high flow air filters.
If the company that marinized my boat motor says to not use synthetic oils, why would I want to?
What is so different about the bearings inside a Cadillac or a Corvette engine that is not in a Chevy Tahoe engine. What is the difference between a Viper engine bearings and rings, and the internal engine parts used in a Durango, or a Caravan?
As for the BMW, I an under the impression that they are the worst German made car as far as reliability and durability goes. Fun to drive, sure, but high maintaince.
I know enough not to thrash a cold engine.
As I mentioned, I have over 1967 hours on my boat motor, with conventional oils, changed per PCM's recommendations.
My Aerostar van has more than 152,750 miles on it, with conventional oils. Changed about every 3000 miles. It still runs good.
I have ran Datsun OHC motors well over 100,000 miles with conventional motor oils.
I have ran two different Ford F-250 trucks on conventional oils. No oil failures there either.
I am pretty sure that companies selling some high priced synthetic oils allow car companyies to use their oils as a promotional tool. Why do you think the weekend morning car shows use a purple brand of oil? Because is is a way to advertise, and people buy it. Why put overpriced oils in a high end car? Because that is the market that is most likely to believe the hype, and spend twice as much for oil than they really need to. Why are Fram filters so popular? Because people believe they are good. There are several threads on this board suggesting otherwise.

You are free to use whatever type of oil in your engine you want. I will continue to use conventional oils in my engines until I have information indicating that is a bad idea.
I first started getting interested in automobiles in high school. I was one of three students in my high school chosen to go to the GM training center that was in Tigard, Oregon. I remember a discussion about synthetic oils then. After high school, I took automotive classes at the local community college. Nothing I heard there convinced me that synthetic oils are worth the additional cost. That was in the 1970's
I recently took a class there again to rebuild a Ford 390 engine. The bearings in that engine showed normal wear, used with conventional oil. A discussion of type of oils occured in the class again, and I am still not convinced that synthetic oils are worth the extra cost. By the way, We did get into a conversation about the Dex-cool (the orange stuff) antifreeze that is recommended to have a five year change interval. Seems in some cases it starts to gel, and plug up the cooling passages in radiators, and heater cores, way before 5 years. If you are using it, change it more often.