First I am new to the board, just brought a new 2006 F150 crewcab,
(I'm in Austin, Tx)

I was looking thru the owners manual and it says to use 5W-20 synthetic.

Can you go longer ....say 5000 miles before oil change

Also what is the 20 designation, since the 5 is the weight what is the 20
since I've always used 10w-30. Is this for hotter climates or for the closer
tolerances of the newer cars/trucks.

dirt_dobber

 

First of all, welcome!! I am in San Antonio!!

The 5w20 is a thinner oil than 10w30. If your not off roading, towing or racing alot, 5K miles is fine for an oil change... Motorcraft is recommended for our trucks and is synth blend I believe. I have liked it in the 3 ford trucks I have owned.

Again, Welcome to a wealth of knowledge on these boards... Don't be too scared of the search button (or else you will be given a hard time!!)

 

It's mainly for the closer tolerances. It does work quite well. So far in 2 trucks, 120k with no problems. One think to do is make sure you have a filter with a good anti-drainback valve. If not you will get valve clatter on a cold start. So far I have found no reason not to use the MC FL-820S that Ford recommends. You can get it cheap at Walmart. Same with Fords oil.

Oh, and welcome to the board.