The monitor in my new truck shows I'm 81 percent of the balance of the oil life, at 2k miles, and I'm thinking that's quite a stretch for the stock oil. The TBN of the Motorcraft oil is 7.5 and it seems counter-intuitive to run it that long, say 10,000 miles here in this driving scenario.

In the spolier I copied part of the explanation of how it works from the manual, and it uses external inputs and seems to generate an algorithm to peg where the oil life is at. It must also determine that the owner might also be using E85 and track that, and record it, and shorten it up from there using another algorithm?

In my old Triton it is was done at 5-6k according to UOA's reports.

The 3.3 engine has a large oil sump volume, as much as the bigger Tritons, so that plays out in its favor, but....

Has anyone here used an oil analysis report and checked to see if the engineers are close?

Any comments are welcome.

Thanks.

 

I don't trust those. I go by the standard 100 hours or roughly 3k miles.

 

When the first 3.5 EcoBoosts came out in the F150, many were pumping a lot of gas into the oil. The oil was toast at 2500 miles. With the newer engines, it's not a problem. Unless there is a mechanical malfunction, there's no reason to change oil at 3000 miles with any of the currently produced engines. All will easily go 5000 miles and then some. All of my engines are now on 5000 miles intervals. It's due to better formulated gas and the engine technologies just doesn't make the contaminants like the older engines. That's why the longer change interval. With the high heat from the turbo engines, the base oils are stronger than ever and oil break down from heat isn't a factor anymore. Fords spec calls for a double time length test of 16 hours at 302F with no change in viscosity and only half of the API allowable high heat deposits (35g) is allowed. Your engine won't last that long with oil temps running that high. Remember, oil is also a coolant and imagine the internal heat required to have the oil at 302F for any length of time. You'd probably open the hood and see pink jelly instead of an aluminum engine.

 

https://owner.ford.com/how-tos/solut...itor-work.html

OIL

How does the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor work?

The Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor™ (IOLM) system alerts you when it’s time to change your engine oil.3

If your vehicle is equipped with the IOLM feature, here’s how it works:

IOLM analyzes your vehicle’s data and calculates the recommended time to change your oil, so that you don’t have to remember to change it based on mileage intervals.

The monitor gauges your oil's life capacity and alerts you when it's time to get an oil change with one of the following messages, which will appear in your information display:

• ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE indicates you have about 5 percent oil-life left, and you should change the oil and filter soon.
  
• OIL CHANGE REQUIRED means you have 0 percent oil-life remaining, and you should change the oil and filter now.
  

Be sure to reset your IOLM after engine oil and filter changes.

Ultimately, it comes down to how much you trust the OEM.

What the car does not do, is actually test your oil. At best, it is a guessing game. The car's computer is more or less guessing that you need an oil change. If you don't reset, the car has no way of knowing that there is fresh oil either. The car also has no way of actually knowing what type of oil you have in the car, or how well your filter is working.

If you don't trust the engineers to write an algorithm with enough sophistication to monitor your driving and calculate oil life, then by all means, use your best judgment based upon your own training and experience.

Go ahead and have your used oil analized. That information would surely be of use to other members with questions. Perhaps you could help everyone else establish some sort of baseline for the oil change interval.

 

^ Yeah i was going to post a Blackstone report on the second oil change after break-in. I'm going to change the first one at 5000 and the second one at 7500 with a UOA. I'll use Motorcraft oil on the UOA for a baseline, and thereafter Pennzoil Ultra. Ultra has around 10 TBN, plus a lower NOAAK right next to the lowest: Amsoil. Also, I usually see one of the best UOAs with it, posted-up on other forums.

Re: Ecoboost. Yes, i ran fuel across dilution problems with the turbo'd engines looking at UOAs from an oil forum. It looks like the boost creates a lot of blow-by past the rings and into the oil. I was there originally ( at the oil forum) looking for UOAs on the 3.7 F150 looking for TBNs and gauging it against the IOLM' and using it as a rough baseline for my 3.3. I found one report at 5k miles and it had some life left: > 2 TBN. But almost everything else there is Ecoboost related.

Thank you for the ideas: Knowledge is power. ( A little bit of wordplay here )

 

I usually go 4000-5000 range which usually shows around 50% life remaining.

I dont trust it the oil going that long. Not with everything being "hinged" on having good oil pressure to drive cam phasers, timing chain tensioner, etc. All through narrow passages in the block.....


Oil and filter is relatively cheap insurace/peace of mind compared to the alternatives of accelerated wear and premature engine failure

 

My point exactly. What did you spend on your truck? $30,000 - $50,000? Now you want to squabble over a couple of dollars per quart for oil? Nonetheless, there are still going to be people who say that you are throwing good money away......without actually factoring in how much of that good money vs cost of the truck.

 

It's about time:

I drive 20k a year, and my wife is 15k and if i can cut an oil change or two out, that means i will have more time for other things. I'd rather not change the oil if i do not have to. I have 2 vehicles to maintain with tire rotations. Her car shows a wrench at 8.4k miles, sometimes a little more.