Oil - How Many Quarts?
 

My 99 F-250 V10 SD has 85,000 on it. Just bought it a couple of months ago and time for a oil change. I'm a Valvoline guy so that oil will be used. I was thinking of using Max Life but don't know if that engine really needs that. It runs good and strong. How many quarts of oil does a 99 V10 take?

6.5 should do it. :)

Some take 6 (which is what the manual calls for)

Some will take up to 7.

I always split mine so that the level was just below the top hashmark. 6.5 was the magic number for me.

You'll be just fine with 6.

As for the oil, MaxLife ain't a bad oil. Certainly can't hurt it by using it and changing it at the appropriate intervals.

Oil brands have been a raging debate here, and at every other forum on the web. It's my thought, and the conclusion of many others here, that at $1.50-ish a quart, the Motorcraft semi-syn 5W-20 is the best overall for value and for lubrication. Most the V-10 owners here find a happy oil level at 6.5 quarts with a new filter, and maybe half the V-10 owners will use .5 to 1 quart every 3,000 miles between changes. There are some die hard Amsoil users, the are some Mobil 1 full synth users, as I once was. But for the money, and for how much I drive my rig, paying $1.50 for Motorcraft makes the most sense. Summertime when I will be working the old girl extra hard towing up the mountains with the travel trailer and all the gear I will change to Mobil 1, although it seems to require more top off oil between changes as it evaporates or something, good luck with the new truck, glad to have another V-10'er here amongst us, Ken

IMHO, and what I've run since new, 6 qts and make a note were that puts it on the stick. Ford screwed up the stick so the hash marked area means little except for rough reference.

Take Care

The days of $1.50 Motorcraft (at Wal-Mart) are gone around here. Autozone carries it for over $2/qt. But it's wise to shop around. There's a local ag supply store that carries Phillips66 5W-20 semi-synthetic for $1.39/qt. I picked up 12 bottles today. :)

well got my 6 quarts of Valvoline Max Life 5W 30 put in today. Yeah I noticed after filling up up with all 6 quarts then starting it for a minute. I shut if off and checked the oil level. On my dipstick it just barely read above the minimum mark.

put in 6 start and recheck add to the line. my 05 takes 7.5 to the full mark. if you have the owners manual add a half qt. to what it states.

2000 and I run 6.5 Mobil 1.

My 2000 V10 takes 6 quarts. That puts it halfway up the crosshatches on the dipstick. About 1500 miles later it's at the bottom of the hatches and I add a quart. I don't mess with 1/2 quarts, when I open a bottle I put it all in. As long as the level is in the hatched area on the dipstick everything's okay.

"As long as the level is in the hatched area on the dipstick everything's okay."

It's hard for some to accept running the oil 'below the mark'. An extra 1/2 qt provides no benefit and is a waste of oil. IMHO, of course. An extra 1- 1/2 qts is a BIG waste of oil :-wink

Wow, charlie- I was nervous because mine takes 7 to get into the cross-hatching. I wonder if that hellaciously long dipstick introduces such variation in fill amounts?

On both my 2001 and this 2005 V10 6 quarts was too little and 8 is too much.

I prefill the filter and put the rest of 7 quart bottles in. On both trucks it was always about 3/4 way to top of crosshatch area.

I use 3000-4000 or 90 days as my change interval.... both my trucks were always dead in the middle of the crosshatch at change time.

I have dead level parking pads but the asphalt drive way in front of my shop has a slight slope.

I check and change on the level... but I do know this... if my truck is pointed EITHER way on the slight slope the dip stick level is down to bottom of the cross hatch

In other words these engines are very sensitive to error readings by a good amount unless on level ground... another thing consider when doing a leveling kit to raise front end to be level with the rear.

Last note... 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 will not hurt a thing as this motor has enough pan surface area to withstand slightly over full with no ill effects but I would caution to NOT fill to 8 full quarts... These are tightly closed atmosphere motors and the rear main seal has always been weak on Fords. It is an expensive PITA to replace the front or rear engine seal.

:-roll :-huh :-roll We have to do what we believe, and what makes us happy.

Take Care

Even, if you just purchased this truck used, it would be wise to follow the Manufactures Guide for oil Specks. 30W is getting a little thick for these modular motors. These motors are built very very tight clearence wise. Thinner oils are the way go. The Motorcraft oil and filter can't be beat for for quality and price. I said this before on the forum, the standard service oil at here in Phoenix at all Ford and Lincoln/Murcury dealers is now the 5W20. It's used here in the summer @ 115, so it's has to be good stuff.

Being a retired Ford Dealer employee of 20 years many tsb's have come down the line on this subject. It all comes down to this, believe what you want but ALL Ford trucks except the oil burners take just 6qts no more no less, Ford has never had a spot on dip stick. What you say, what are all of thoses marks for anyway? Well that just that, they're just marks. Ford has never spent the money to R&D a perfect dip stick.Yea, I know all you guys are rolling your eyes at this and thinking, hog wash. I'll tell you after many years of dealing with the John Q Public about oil consumsion that Ford would do something with the stick, but they haven't. Read this carefully, this is what happens to all of your oil that somehow disappears (evaporates?) when you over fill your crank case, the oil get whipped up into whats called windage, it's caused by the crank shaft rotation, windage causes power losses because the engine has to work harder to rotate when this happens, also this fine air/oil mixture finds its way to the PCV Valve and gets burned in the combustion cambers, (and you wonder where all of that carbon build up comes from) then it goes to the cat and finishes getting burned up in there, that why you don't see any blue smoke from the exhuast. The best thing that you can do for your engine is to mark the stick at the point where exactly 6qts fills the stick up to, and resist the temtation to fill it to the top of the stick, you are only wasting money on oil and building carbon deposits in yor engine. But hay, take my advise and do what you want. Its not my money or truck for that matter any way, just tring to help.