I was wondering why i can not find 5w-20 Motorcraft full synthetic oil for my truck. The sythetic blend is everywhere. I have been using full synthetic for my truck, can i switch to the sythetic blend? I heard its not good, but i would like to know if anyone else knows about this.

On a side note....my wife has a jeep liberty and has been getting her oil changed at the dealer. Since she has been doing this it started ticking. I was tired of the horrible service at the jeep dealership so i changed it myself today. I used the motorcraft synthetic blend and no more ticking!!! I will be using that oil from now on

 

I wouldnt advise it, I've heard of people having problems from switching back to conventional, so it could be possible switching to blend. Have you tried contacting your Ford stealeriship to see if they have any ? Unless you are stuck on motorcraft I would suggest mobil-1 5w-20 or Castrol even. I run Mobil 1 in my 4.6 and it runs like a dream, I also feel like I get better economy ever since I started using mobil 1 synthetic.

 

Urban myth.........sure some old motors (pre synthetic oil era) leaked using synthetic.....but semi-syn and synthetic are not going to cause leaks by switching in a modern motor.....

I think autozone might carry the full synthetic 5w20 if thats what you want...

 

There is NO problem switching between synthetic, blend, and regular oil these days. In the very early days of synthetic oil, it would swell the seals and a switch back to regular oil would in some cases shrink the seals and cause some leakage. But it is no longer a problem and has not been a problem for years--but old wives tales remain.

If you change oil at mfr intervals or more often, the Motorcraft syn blend is just fine in both your truck and your wife's Jeep. Alternatively, you can use any major brand synthetic in the correct weight and be fine with it as well. Most auto parts stores stock a ton of brands already, and probably just don't want to bother with yet another brand of full syn. (They don't stock GM, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, etc oils of any kind...)

George

 

I do find it a bit weird that ford is the only company that stocks its oils in stores other than its dealers....

GO FORD....

 

At least a part of this may be historic. Ford was, I believe, the first US mfr to change to 5W30 as a required/recommended weight (we got my wife a brand new '86 Escort GT that was an early 5W30 motor), and being a large volume mfr and wanting their vehicles to have the right oil--along with making the oil available to retail stores--this could be how they got their foot in the door. Likewise, I believe Ford and Honda were the first major companies to require/recommend 5W20. Honda wasn't gonna let their stuff be sold at auto parts stores, whereas again Ford had enough of a vehicle base that it made sense. I remember that auto parts stores were slow to pick up 5W20 in other brands.

In Detroit, it seems as though Valvoline has a monopoly on supplying even car dealers with oils. Through the 90's, my Ford dealer would normally use Valvoline (and some kind of crap filters) as their loss leader oil change and upcharge for Motorcraft 5W30 and Motorcraft filters. Then, when 5W20 came into being (right around the time I got my van in 2003), they FINALLY made Motorcraft 5W20 their "standard" oil--maybe because Valvoline was not yet supplying it in large quantities.

I do remember Murray's (now O'Reilly's) stocking a good range of Motorcraft, Delco, and Mopar oil and air filters in years past, and it seems like they now have no Mopar, very few Delco, but still a bunch of Motorcraft filter apps. Fine by me.

George

 

I have found Motorcraft full synthetic oil at Advance Auto if there are any in your area. It is about $5 in MS. Also, I have been using Mobil 1 5w-20 oil For the last 3 or 4 years because I could not find a Motorcraft full syn. oil. I usually wait to catch a special on oil and filter at Advance, Auto Zone, or Orielly's and stock up for future changes.

 

Ford DOES have a Full synthetic 5w20 oil. Part # is CXO-5W20-LFS12 unfortunately it only comes in 1L/1 quart bottles. If you go to your local Ford Dealership you can buy either the Motorcraft or Mobil 1.

 

Switching back and forth is not a problem at all. I have switched back and forth on my cars, motorcycles and tractor with no problems at all.

 

Absolutely no problem switching between synthetic blend and synthetic or back to synthetic blend. Both are great oils, and neither will cause seal leakage nor will switching.

Old days when most everything used dino oil, the grades were lower, like earlier in the alphabet .... motor seals were made of poorer stuff, cars were driven on dirteir roads over their life, then switching to new synthetics sometimes did show weaknesses in seals.

 

Well thanks for all the replies on this, you all have been a great help!

 

that ticking in the jeep may have been from the cheap oil filters they use. was it a pennzoil filter?

 

no the filter was a crystler filter it said jeep right on it

 

Motorcraft Syn Blend oil is excellent. I was using it in several vehicles after I discovered it after buying my 2007 F-150. We traded off one of the SUVs I was using it in, and the other one I have switched to Valvoline Max-Life because of the engine guarantee, but I also like this syn blend as much as the Motorcraft. The new mini-van has to use Toyota oil because of the dealer's engine warranty, so that only leaves the F-150 using the Motorcraft. Don't let anybody tell you its not good oil, because it is. Owners of many other kinds of vehicles have started using it, as many people are finding out that a good syn blend seems to do better for them than a full synthetic, and the Motorcraft is priced right. I have tried all the premium synthetics and have never been satisfied with them. The first syn blend I tried was Quaker State back when I still had my '96 Cherokee. Right away I noticed higher oil pressure and quieter start-ups (the same 10W30 as recommended and as I had previously used - the same is true for all my vehicles - when I talk about better performance, its always the same weight oil). Being mule-headed, I still tried more full-synthetic when we bought two Saturn VUE V6s in 2003. Once again, when I went to the syn blend, the engines started and ran quieter. These GM L81 engines are DOHC and four-valve and are known for start-up noise. Not only that, but they continued to run quiet for the full term of use, not just when the oil was fresh. Less noise (or no noise) on the start-up after an oil change, too. I am now totally a synthetic blend user Tell you something else - on the remaining VUE with 73,000 miles, the Valvoline Max Life dried up oil seepage that had started several years earlier. No dripping, just oiliness here and there. After washing the engine when I first started using it, it has remained clean.

 

Thanks a lot saxman...i am going to be using the syn-blend from now on i believe...