I did a trip from NY to Florida and back ( 3000 ) miles I used a quart going down and 1/2 going back. I have a 06 King Ranch with 23000 miles on it. Is this normal oil consumption. I use 5W20 semi blend. Thanks.

 

I wouldn't say it's normal but, it does happen. Make sure you're using the correct motorcraft oil filter, FL-820S. You can also try switching to a full synthetic, that stopped my 5.4L's from consuming.

 

The 4.6 in my Expy didn't use any between Va and Maine then back to Va. I would not consider this normal, however you seem to be under warranty still. I would consult the dealer.

Tim

 

Ford considers consumption of a quart every 1500 miles to be within spec.

The reason being all engines consume oil, which is essential for normal lubrication of the cylinder bore walls and pistons and rings.

 

my 06 5.4 doesn't burn any. same amount comes out that goes in. is it leaking at the oil filter or drain plug?

I've had that happen to me before

 

Ive made 3 trips from illinois to florida and havent used a quart of oil at all, i make sure to visit the local ford dealer in florida as soon as i get there to have my oil changed right away!

 

I do not care what Ford's Specs are, that is not normal. I had a 2000 Expedition that used a quart every 750 miles and went round and round with Ford. Acorrding to Ford a quart evry 600 was acceptable. That was BS. I gave up and traded it in. A truck that is that new and with the miles you have should not consume that much oil.

 

i saw .5 qt in the first 5000 miles!

 

got 70,000 miles on my engine... uses maybe 1/10 of a quart in 3000 miles

 

Ya, I could see how a quart every 600 miles would lead one to believe the dealer is blowing smoke. I'm surprised they would even try to make that argument. On an '00 that would mean you'd be bone dry by 3600 miles (I assume a 6 quart fill, that's what my '01 called for).

I'm on my fourth modular engine and they have all had their own proclivities and predilections. I just changed my Wife's Expy's oil this morning and it was about a quart low. I consider that pretty normal for having gone 10K miles on a single change. I would be little concerned if every bit was left. If that were the case I'd be worried that the piston and cylinder walls were not receiving enough lubrication. It seems logical to me that if the cylinder walls have scoring/channels to provide lubrication and they are exposed to the combustion stroke, you're going to loose a small amount with every combustion stroke.

Here's what the service manual has to say about it:

Excessive Engine Oil Consumption

Nearly all engines consume oil, which is essential for normal lubrication of the cylinder bore walls and pistons and rings. Determining the level of oil consumption may require testing by recording how much oil is being added over a given set of miles.

Customer driving habits greatly influence oil consumption. Mileage accumulated during towing or heavy loading generates extra heat. Frequent short trips, stop-and-go type traffic or extensive idling, prevent the engine from reaching normal operating temperature. This prevents component clearances from reaching specified operating ranges.

The following diagnostic procedure may be utilized to determine internal oil consumption. Make sure that the concern is related to internal oil consumption, and not external leakage, which also consumes oil. Verify there are no leaks before carrying out the test. Once verified, the rate of internal oil consumption can be tested.

A new engine may require extra oil in the early stages of operation. Internal piston-to-bore clearances and sealing characteristics improve as the engine breaks in. Engines are designed for close tolerances and do not require break-in oils or additives. Use the oil specified in the Owner Guide. Ambient temperatures may determine the oil viscosity specification. Verify that the correct oil is being used for the vehicle in the geographic region in which it is driven.

 

I can't beleive that anyone would be satisfied with that. My '04 Expy uses a qt in 10k which is my oil change interval using fully synthectic oil.

My old '88 F-150 uses that in the summer when the I have the AC running, but it has 193K on the odo.

Tim

 

My o4, 4.6, does not need any oil added between oil changes (4,000).. It does go down ever so slightly in that intervel.. I know they Ford says a quart in 1500 miles is within specs. I guess those of us that their motors do not use oil should take time in to the dealer and complain, Ford will probably fix this for us. HA HA.

 

Other factors to consider here include when and how you check the oil and the type of oil you use. Obviously, you need to check on level ground each time and hopefully, you all know that the engine should be checked with the engine warm, after enough time has elapsed for the oil to drain down from the upper end. The manual says that (at least my '05 manual does). If you wonder why, do this as a test.

1) Check the oil after after the engine has been fully warmed up (at least 10 miles driven after temp reaches normal) but has been shut down for at least 5 minutes to drain down, but has not sat more than about 30 minutes (too much cooling off). Note, or mark, exactly where the level is on the stick. Make sure you can leave the truck parked on the same spot overnight, for #2 below.

2) Recheck the oil level first thing in the morning after the engine has had completely cooled. Again, note the level on the stick.

3) You will find a marked difference in the level between hot and cold states because the oil expands and contracts with temperature. The difference will be larger the greater the disparity between the two temperatures.

4) Why does this matter? Consistency for one. Let's say you check the engine oil warm one time and cold the next. When warm, you see it halfway between the top mark and "MIN"... cool... good to go. Then you check it a short time later cold and see it's at or very near "MIN" and you'll think, "OMIGOD, it's just slurping oil!" You add a full quart and start the cycle again.

5) Bear in mind that some engines will consume the upper half-quart between the marks quite rapidly but that lower part goes quite slowly That's why you shouldn't "Top-Off" above the "MIN" point. A wonderful lesson of this came from my old 6.9L diesel which consumes that upper quart rapidly (it's two quarts between add and full on that truck). I never fill it above the mid mark, checked hot. If I do, it will slurp that upper quart in about 200 miles running hard. It did that when it only had 9K miles on it and still does the same thing at 136K, 22 years later.

6) If you know approximately the difference in level between the hot and cold states, you can fudge when you need to for convenience's sake. On the old 6.9L Ford, it's just above add when cold and midway between the lines when hot. On the new "baby" '05 F-150, it looks to be at the full line when hot and about 1/3 down when cold. but I'm still fine tuning that. My truck (now showing just over 9K) has not used any oil yet.

7) The oil you use will have a big bearing on consumption. Some oil (cheaper oil) will vaporize sooner, which means it will be consumed sooner than if the oil vaporizes at a higher temperature. One indicator of this easily found in oil specs (google the brand of oil you use and look for the data sheet) is flashpoint. A higher number is better. Over 400 degrees Fahrenheit is the minimum for a decent oil and higher is better.

 

A quart in 1500 is indicative of a problem. Take it in and complain. They'll at least look it over for a leak. It could simply be a bad or loose oil filter gasket or drain plug.

'The reason being all engines consume oil, which is essential for normal lubrication of the cylinder bore walls and pistons and rings.'

I have not had a new vehicle in my life use oil. Technically, yes, there is always some consuption but it is usually not measurable on the stick. I have not had to add oil between changes since I ruined my 1978 Pontiac Sunbird Formula with 3.8L Buick V6 by using 20W50 in it like a *******. Vehicles since then would be a long list, from numerous makers, with all kinds of engines, and not one of them ever used a quart of oil.

Okay, we still don't know much about this truck using oil. My son gets his oil changed at the dealer on his Ford Escape. One time he drove here from Atlanta, about 500 miles, and when I casually checked his oil it was a quart low. I put a quart in and told him to check it when he got home, which he did and found it to be fine. Solution: the idiot boy at the dealer was trying to not put too much in and forgot all about the dry oil filter. This means for most of the time he had the car to that point it was always a quart low. Now he changes his own oil and if the book says five qts., that's what goes back in.
Beware of the oil change joints or anybody but you messing with your oil - they seem to think they have to add a little, check, add a little rather than just putting in what it's supposed to have. Hell, I don't even pull the stick after an oil change - Drain it, change out the filter - book says five quarts, I pour in five quarts. Always comes out perfect - how could it not? So anyway, 'flhr' needs to do a little investigating and some science before getting all flustered, by checking the oil on a level surface no sooner than five minutes after a hot run, and also checking the oil after somebody else messes with it.

 

Hey Saxman: I haven't had enough Ford modular engines to know about them yet (this is my first), but I have had many cars, trucks and tractors that used oil by nature. Don't know how old you are but most cars from the '60s and older most definitely used oil by nature from brand new. There were a lot of reasons for that, some the engine related and some resulting from the state of the lubricant industry of the day (more volatile oils). I've own many cars, new and old, import and domestic that used oil in a normal, OE accepted fashion.

On the other hand, most newer engines, don't. Our Honda Accord certainly doesn't. Oil consumption falls under the mandate of the EPA to an extent because excessive oil consumption can hasten cat failure. that's one of the reasons for the reduction of ZDDP additive in oils.

I'm not sure I'd be particularly worried if my 5.4L used a little oil... if I knew I was checking it properly... unless I also know that 99.9 percent of all others didn't use a drop. Again, I don't know that much about the 5.4L yet to be able to say. If Ford has published information that a certain amount of consumption is "normal" then I guess we need to not worry. If it were me, I'd try a better quality oil, checking it according to the methods outlined in my other post. If it was bad enough (and out of warranty), I'd consider upgrading to a more viscous oil, such as a 5W-30 or perhaps even a 10W-30 (maybe even a diesel rated 10W-30), to see if it slowed down a bit.