So i visited my local dealer (www.fordofmontebello.com -internet serachable inventory) today and they had 17 new 2004 F-150s. I got to test drive a fully optioned out FX4 5.4L. I know, I should have taken pics. I can always go back if anyone really wants a picture of something they have in their inventory.

As I am am thinking about buying my own, I was just curious, does the new 5.4L F-150 use synthetic motor oil or regular motor oil? And what is the maintenance schedule? I really hope it is synthetic because from what I've heard, you don't have to change the oil every 3000 miles with synthetic.

 

I am not sure about the F-150, but all other Ford products that I know of are now using a 5w-20 synthetic blend.

 

Synthetic. I just picked up a 2004 last night. I have the feeling these are going to be real expensive oil changes.

 

Ford did something right by making the oil filter very easy to reach. This way, at least you will be able to do your own oil changes. There almost appears to be a little ramp or window in the lower right side of the engine compartment that gives you access to the filter. The truck sits so high you won't even need to jack up the front. Just lay down and slide under the front and you will see the ramp leading to the oil filter. Simple. Good job Ford..... Synthetic all the way. Go with Mobile 1.

 

How does the cost of synthetic compare to regular motor oil? I'd rather pay someone to do it, that way if they screw it up in any way, they pay for the damage. Plus, you get stuck with disposing of the used oil in a responsible way, and knowing my luck I'd spill it on the way to Jiffy Lube.

 

You will pay $4 a quart if the oil is not on sale. However, if you can find a sale you should be able to get 6 quarts for around $22. Synthetic oil is the only way to go with these new high tech engines. If you are not towing anything real heavy you should be able to go around 5000 miles between changes with no problems at all. I know people who push that to 7500 miles, but why risk it with your brand new truck. I will change my oil every 4000 miles as a compromise. The area I live encourages recycling so I can put the used oil right out curbside with my trash and the recycler comes and picks it up. Happy oil changes.

 

My dad's Mercedes CLK320 doesn't need it's first oil change until 30,000 or 50,000 miles or something ridiculous like that. i want that kind of oil in my engine....

 

Originally posted by BrewMaster
My dad's Mercedes CLK320 doesn't need it's first oil change until 30,000 or 50,000 miles or something ridiculous like that...

Yeah but when it comes time to changing it he'll need to take out a 2nd mortgage LMAO. Typical Mercedes program..

 

I'll have to double check, but I don't remember seeing anything in the manual that said to use synthetic. I do remember it saying to change the oil every 5000 miles (My old rangers said 3000). Maybe I'm wrong but I hope not. I don't want to have to pay for synthetic and I dont' like going more than 5000 without an oil change.

 

Personally, I have a hard time believing that anyone would take care of my vehicle as well as I would. I have a very hard time trusting that some guy making minimum wage at "Jiffy Lube" or wherever will do the job as thoroughly as I will. Maybe I'm paranoid but I'd rather do it myself and know that it's done right, as a bonus I save a little money too.

 

Just because someone may screw up does not always mean they will end up paying for all the damage. Even if you had good evidence of the fact it still could take a LONG time to get any money out of them. You could be out of a truck during that whole time. Then there are limits to what small claims will allow someone to sue for. Here I believe it is up to $5,000 so that may not pay for everything involved if someone screws up.

The bottom line is, even if you think you have the law on your side, don’t count on it making everything better and taking care of “everything”. It is best to limit your risk as much as possible and that would be to NOT let some Jiffy Lube change your oil. If your going to have someone change it have the dealer do it.

You do NOT have to use synthetic motor oil. Yes it will last longer then conventional but, in my opinion, I have not seen any evidence that it protects the motor better IF you change your oil when recommended for either the synthetic or conventional. I change my oil every 3,000 miles and I am confident that my oil will protect my engine from wear and tear just as good as any synthetic oil changed at 10,000 miles.

Use a good brand of oil like Mobil One, Valvoline, Royal Purple, Red Line and I am sure there are some I am forgetting. Any how, if you use a good brand be it synthetic or conventional and charge when recommended your engine will last just as long.

Look at synthetic oil like this:

It allows you to go longer between oil changes, other then that there is really not much advantage over a conventional quality motor oil, at least in my opinion. When one of the big boys manufacturing and selling synthetic oil buys 500 motors and runs 250 of them on conventional and changes at 3,000 or 5,000 miles and runs the other 250 on synthetic and changes at the intervals they recommend and after 200,000 miles of life on the motors tears them all down and can give good solid evidence that the synthetic motors had less wear then maybe I would buy into the hype. Since none of the manufactures are confident enough to put their oils to the test that tells me something as well…

 

It's in the owners manual, in the spec section in the back of the book. I always get mine changed after the first 1000 or so miles, just to clean up any odds and ends that could be loosened up after the manufacturing process. Then it's every 4000 miles or so. At 4 bucks a quart, I may have to start doing my own, except I don't have a garage, and the ground gets pretty chilly in Chicago in January.
My favorite car I've had for oil changes was my Rabbit, because the filter screwed on vertically instead of horizontally, so you could prefill it with oil before you put it on, and I never had to run it without oil pressure for the first 15 seconds.

 

I've always had good, usable benefits aside from the main reason people switch to Synthetics (wear).

In my Jeep Liberty, it always had a subtle shimmy when it idled prior to using Mobil 1 in it. Put the synthetic in there, and no more shimmy/shake, always nice and smooth. Just to further that... I took my Mobil 1 oil into the dealer and asked them to put it in for me on one particular change (saves me making a mess). Came back a hour later, oil change done, but the Mobil 1 was still sitting in the back seat!!! Made big stink, got free Break service out of the deal. More importantly, my little shimmy/shake was back within a couple hours of driving with the dino oil back in there.

Also, I'm certain my milage went upwards of 1-2 MPG with the synthetic. I certainly noticed a bigger difference with the change over to synthetic oil versus the change over to a K&N Air Filter.

Anyway, my new Dakota is due for it 15,000km (9000 mile) oil change right away. I'm making the move over to synthetic now that the seals have oil been well conditioned using mineral/dino oil. Look forward to the improvment with my new truck. Lord knows I could use some better milage!

Later

 

I like synthetic because of it's ability to cling to the piston walls better than dino...giving you better protection at start-up.


Having said that, you still have to contend with fuel contamination, and contamination from combustion by products...no oil can eliminate that. I wouldn't wait 100k to change my oil, no matter what the claims said.

 

Actually, I beleve its recomended to use Motorcraft 5w20 Premium synthetic blend. This isn't that expensive and it's what all other (excluding 4.0L V-6 and Power Stroke) Ford vehicles use. We sell it for $1.75 a quart and I think Wal Mart even carrys it. I saw a parts store selling it for like $1.49 a quart (sad as a dealer, we our cost is $1.59 a quart).