I asked my Ford dealer if they offered a longer dipstick set up. They say nn. Are there any aftermarket dipsticks out there?

 

It's a dipstick, go to parts store and pull yours out. Find one thats similar but longer?

Get a step stool to reach it?

 

Be a man, jump up in there and pull the dipstick out.

 

While I would agree with you to a certain degree. Bearing tolerance is very critical to a oil choice. However the difference we're talking when switching to something like a 5w30 or even 10w30 isn't all that different. A good friend of mine is a oil engineer at a fairly large oil company that primarily deals with motorsports and automotive oils. My last car a 4.6L 3V S197 spec'd 5w20, which was actually designed to run 5w30, but I ran 10w30 under his advice due to the high hp application and the lack of cold temperatures in Florida. A lot of oil specs that the manufactures put out there have one thing in mind, mpg and CAFE standards.

 

For what it's worth, on my '11 EcoBoost the recommended oil grade is 5w30 not 5w20 (Ford had been going with 5w20 for a few years, so this was something I definitely noticed). And like someone else mentioned, I'd also read that Ford had gone with 5w20 in order to squeak by the CAFE mpg standards for that year (it was about 2002, if I recall right), not because it was somehow better for the motors.

 

Keep in mind that Ford also has to consider all of the environments a truck will be used in when they make an oil recommendation as well. I like in an area where it can hit -60 degrees-I would never consider using 10w in my vehicles.

 

If I lived where you did I'd be using a 0w something true synthetic such as Amsoil Signature.

 

Yes indeed. In my view, this is the biggest advantage that synthetics have over the standard dino-juice -- great flowability even at insanely low temps.

 

Xx2^^ @ modular engines using more oil.

 

200 miles on mine now....better go check!!

 

i would at every tank fill up ... but thats me ... oh and i wouldn't call it a warning to the op

 

So all you oil checkers, been under the vehicle to check the transmission yet. lol