WHAT’S UP IN THE FORUMS: Changing the Oil in an F-150

Having trouble changing the oil on your Ford F-150? You’re going to want to check out this forum thread for solid tips on how to get the job done.

The 2015 F-150 is “Built Ford Tough,” and the truck has won numerous awards for being green, versatile and a step above the competition. But as one F-150 Online member brings up in our forums in a thread titled “Oil Change Rant,” the American automaker could’ve put a little more effort into making it easier for Ford truck owners to change their own oil.

As outlined in a thread by Divot, who is the owner of a 2016 F-150 XLT, changing the oil on the pickup truck is difficult because of a few things. Divot, who uses a pair of ramps to get his truck raised for servicing, claims the damper shield is the culprit.

“I know I’ll sound like an old fart whining (which I am…an old fart), but everytime I change oil in my ’16 F-150, I cuss the Ford engineers for a good 20 minutes,” says Divot. “I’ve got an Explorer, and a diesel tractor, and it’s not nearly as difficult to change oil in them as it is in the F-150.

‘I know I’ll sound like an old fart whining (which I am…an old fart), but everytime I change oil in my ’16 F-150, I cuss the Ford engineers for a good 20 minutes.’

“They obviously don’t understand that not all of us DIY’ers have hydraulic lifts built into our garages,” adds Divot. “I’m not 35 years old anymore, and can’t contort myself at will, to remove the damper shield. …Don’t get me wrong. I love the truck otherwise, but this is a major pain in the patoot.”

“I have the 2.7L Ecoboost engine,” he clarifies. “The oil filter sits on top of the motor, and it takes a weird filter, and a 1-1/16″ socket to remove it. …The shield under the truck is the real hassle. Even up on ramps, it’s not as easy as it should be. …I’m tempted to leave the shield off. Would probably help the airflow around the exhaust anyway.”

Luckily for Divot, other members have come to the rescue with helpful hints for F-150 owners. However, the conversation is first interrupted with a slight change of topic, with many forum members mentioning that they prefer to take their Ford trucks to get serviced at a local garage rather than changing their own oil, because, they claim, there isn’t much savings involved in doing it yourself.

Roadie, who’s a senior member on the forums, disagrees with the oil change cost issue and answered the call with a solid solution.

“I do save a little [money] doing my own oil changes,” says Roadie. “I collect the oil in a 5-gallon gas can and when it gets full, I empty it at Autozone. …I’ve used a couple of short pieces of 2X10s to raise my truck to give me more room to change the oil. Ramps would put it up rather high.” Apparently, the short blocks help raise the truck to the perfect height, making it easier to remove the damper shield. Plus, Roadie also offers advice on how this senior still manages to handle the challenges of a DIY oil change.

“So far, at age 73, I can still get under my vehicles and do what I need to do,” he says. “I exercise to try to stay that way.”

Forum member Scott91370 has a better reason for changing his own oil on his F-150: “After having two oil changes botched by shops, I quit trusting in them,” he says. “I [spend] under $35 for a full synthetic oil change when done here at the house. Plus, I know it’s been done right and how much oil drained out of the engine. This way I can tell if I’m losing any between changes. Then I just pour the old oil into the container I just filled up from.”

Echoing Scott91370’s sentiments about not trusting a stranger to work on your F-150 is Mkosu04, who says, “I don’t trust anyone to do as good a job as I do. You just have more care when it is your own vehicle.

“Two factors you may not be considering – sales and workmanship,” he adds. “Costco regularly runs the full synthetic oil on sale. Add on a filter and you are still under $20. Yes, I know, many people will respond, ‘Yeah, but I found this great mechanic and trust him/her explicitly.’ OK, maybe if that mechanic is running a small garage you are OK. But anywhere else that has more than one mechanic (or even one mechanic and a high school kid working part-time), then who do you think is doing the oil changes??? HINT – it’s not the mechanic with 30 years experience.”

“I spend under $35 for a full synthetic oil change when done here at the house.
Plus, I know it’s been done right and how much oil drained out of the engine.’

Paul888 suggests: “Remove the composite shield and the oil drain plug is right there. The filter is easy to get to from the bottom. Why the problem? I’m 59 years old and have no problem.”

Another F-150 Online forum member, FordGuy24, suggests getting a better equipment to make the oil change task easier, mentioning: “I have ramps made out of wood. They’re 8 feet long and have a gradual climb.

“I just did the first one on mine today — wasn’t bad,” adds FordGuy24. “I’ve never had to put one of my trucks on ramps to change the oil though. The air dam under the bumper makes it impossible to get under and the truck overall seems to sit lower. I added one of those Fumoto drain valves so I won’t have to deal with the oil pan plug anymore.”

However, if you are planning to use a mechanic to change your oil, GLC has some excellent advice: “Trust is important. The guy I take mine to is a Ford-certified master technician that used to be the lead tech at a Ford dealer. He quit and opened his own shop.”

F-150 Pilot is also a big fan of leaving the project to the professionals: “May I suggest taking it to a Ford dealership for a semi-synthetic oil change and Motorcraft filter for about $34. My dealership sends me coupons all the time. I eat their donuts and drink their coffee while I wait. I’m usually out of there in less than an hour. An oil change is not rocket science and I’m not worried about them doing it incorrectly. Drain oil, change filter, replace oil. …My local Quickie Lube charges $25 for labor with my supplied oil and filter, and I watch them do it. Now, $25 seems very fair for me to avoid getting on my back and doing all the labor, getting dirty and oily, etc.”

No vehicle is perfect, but having to go through hurdles just to change the oil is an annoying inconvenience. If you have any advice on changing the oil on a 2016 F-150, head over to the F-150 Online forums and help out a fellow Ford truck owner.