Help!!
I have a 2004 F-150 Lariet 4x4 non heritage with a 5.4 engine and its using a quart of oil in 2000 miles. i got it with 94k miles and i didnt ever notice it using oil at first. now it has 147k. i see no leaks and have not noticed smoking from the exhaust. the truck runs great and the only mods are a factory replacement k&n filter and hypertech programmer. is this amount of oil consumption acceptable with this many miles on the engine and is there anything i can do to stop/reduce the consumption. any replys would be greatly appreciated.

 

Ford considers that normal = using not burning.

But! If you install anything but a Motorcraft PCV valve. They will use more oil, sometimes -allot more.

 

Did you switch brands of oil recently? A quart of oil in 2000 miles is definitely not normal.

 

i have only used motorcraft since i got it (5w20). if that was a change from the previous owner i dont know.

 

Do you know what a PCV valve is ?

 

I have a 99 Expedition with 95,000 miles – (5.4 engine)
I lose a quart in between oil changes with no apparent leaks.
My mechanic used a Ford PCV valve.

 

You not really losing a quart, your using it - it's normal,-No worries.

BTW -That would be a Motorcraft PCV valve. Ford doesn't manufacture them lol.

 

You people that think the sky is falling if you use a quart of oil in 2k crack me up. No disrespect intended. I remember the days when I was happy to get 500 miles out of a quart of oil. I'm more concerned when an engine uses NO oil - I begin to wonder if the oil is getting where it needs to go.

 

jbrew -
not really, where is it and what does it do?

 

You have a heated type in the 3 valve. -



Positive Crankcase Ventilation

The def - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCV_valve

 

With a 147k mi.? And them's Texas miles, so they're hard miles! When do you think an engine should start to use a quart in 2k mi. ? I don't think that's abnormal at all, matter of fact I think that's pretty good at 147k mi.

 

Dont know, only had one engine that used that much oil and that was a 360 in a 40 year old F100. It was an old farm truck that had over 200k on it and not a very good maintenance record. So with a modern engine, I dont think its normal.

 

Ford seems to think anything less than a quart per 1000 miles is normal - and they won't do anything about it on warranty. With 147k, you are bound to have some cylinder wall and valve guide wear - and seal hardening.

 

Don't think. Listen, learn, overcome, adapt.

 

I would actually worry if my vehicle used NO oil. I change every 3k mi. (have all my life) I have owned quite a few new vehicles (among them, 4 F-150's in 9 years) and have never had one that didn't use a LITTLE oil between changes. About 1/2 a quart or so. That's why I considered a quart in 2k mi.good, on a vehicle with 147K mi. When I worked for Chevy a lot of years ago, GM considered it acceptable if it used a quart in 500 MI.!!! If it used a quart in 499 mi. they would put rings in it (the warrantee was 12 & 12 back then), and believe me they put rings in one every now and then. Doesn't that make your qt. in 2k at 147k mi. seem dry in comparison?