I got a 2001 F150 5.4L Triton V8, Lariat edition back on May 1st from my dad. I've noticed that since I got it, it has consumed a lot of oil. I have been reading that these motors consume alot of oil, to me, that doesn't sound normal. No other vehicle that I've ever had did this. In the span of a month, it was down a quart of oil. I think around 2K miles, but cannot remember for sure. I checked the level back at the beginning of the month, and its down 3/4 of a quart. I'm seeing alot of soot in the tailpipes but no blue smoke. It's not running rough.
I have been told possibly it could be bad valves/valve guides or rings? I have not had it taken to a mechanic as I am not working at the moment, I am starting a new job at the beginning of July. My parents say to just keep oil handy.
Should I be really concerned about this? The motor has 161K miles on it, and the guy my dad got it from apparently didn't take very good care of it.

 

Mine has close to 200k on it, and it sure doesn't consume that much. I'd get it checked out.

 

well mine does not use a drop.. But I have had others that did. try replacing the pcv with a FORD one. In the end a quart in 2000 miles is NOT excessive! My old van that had 250k on it did burn some oil. Any leaks?

 

A quart every 2000 miles is not a lot. You might have a set of stuck rings though. These engines use a low tension ring pack that is subject to stick if not properly maintained. You can do one of two things. One, buy a bottle of Auto-Rx and follow the cleaning cycle. Good side- it's a great cleaner and it works. Down side- it's expensive. Or two, use an oil that is high in detergents like Pennzoil yellow bottle or Delo 400LE. The Delo would be my pick but you're only going to find it in 15w-40 which is fine in the summer but it may cause issues with extreme cold startups in the winter. You only need to run it long enough to clean the engine and then go back to a name brand oil in 5w-30. Make sure to use a quality filter like Motorcraft or Purolator, avoid Fram. This is a fairly cheap fix and would be worth the try before spending any major money.
Another area to check is the PCV system. Frankly, on your engine at that mileage, I'd replace the entire system. That's the valve and the hose. The hose is a known issue with cracks and holes in the area where it turns. As I remember, that's about a 50 dollar fix. Parts are dealer only.

 

I have not noticed any leaks anywhere. I did look inside the tailpipes, and have noticed a lot of black smudges. Not sure if that is any indicator of anything? The oil is not milky, and not noticing any smoke coming from the tailpipes.
I am not sure what maintenance the previous owner did, the guy that my dad got the truck from. He said he had a lot of electrical stuff that needed fixed when he bought it, so I am assuming it wasn't well taken care of.

 

My new 2000F150 5.4 SCAB 4x4 used a quart of oil every 2500 miles when new and continued until about 80,000 miles. Then it would go 5,000 miles without needing a qt. My 2002F150 5.4 SCAB 4x4 was bought used at 69,000 miles. The week after buying it I drove it to a new job in Wisconsin, 1250 miles away. It used a pint of oil on the trip and stopped. Afterwards, I can go 5,000 miles without having to add oil between changes.

A quart of oil in 2,000 miles is not excessive.

You didn't say how many miles were on your truck.

 

The odometer says 161k. The electrical connection to that odometer is iffy because it will come on and go off intermittently. The guy who owned it before my dad put a crappy looking 'flames' instrument cluster cover in there, and so I am not sure how accurate the mileage may be?

 

Still, your consumption is not excessive. Next time it gets down to the ADD line, only add 1/2 quart and see how long that lasts.

 

https://www.f150online.com/forums/ar...er-repair.html

Your mileage should be pretty accurate despite the flaky display.