The owners manual specifies 10W20 for my 2003 F150. Is anyone aware of a change to this?

 

10W20??

Are you sure? It probably is 5W20 which is now the standard for most (but not all) Ford engines.

Steve

 

It is 5W-20

 

It is 5W20.

I'm in the same boat. I'm trying to decide what oil to put in my 03 Mustang GT.

I bought a case of Amsoil XL7500 at my Ford dealership, but tomorrow I will be bringing it back so that I can switch to Mobil 5W30.

Ford's marketing of 5W20 is complete BS. They want better CAFE numbers so they tell all their staff to say that 01 or newer cars/trucks NEED 5W20. As a friend pointed out, there have been no internal changes to our engines that would justify this change. The 4.6L started out "requiring" 10W-30 in the first Town Cars. Then in 97 Ford started recommending 5W30. Now it's 5W20.


Once again, I have decided after 1000 miles that I will be running Mobil 1 5W30 at 5,000 mile intervals with an FL820S Filter.

 

Yes, the manual does recommend 5W20...just one of those senior moments, I guess.

 

Ford Came out with a lighter viscosity for their entire line to help meet CAFE ratings(fuel economy.)

You will not damage your engine by running an Xw30 oil. The F150 have not changed in specs since 1997. Don't let anyone tell you, that you have to run 5w20 because the engines are built tighter.

 

The Amsoil product is of execellent quality and will exceed the specifications of the requirents of Ford. The XL7500 line is API certified as well.

Another note, if it were my truck I would run either Amsoils 5w30(ASL) or the Series 2000 0w30.

If you are buying the XL7500 at the ford dealer, they should be able to get you any of the Amsoil products you like.

 

I have the same year and engine and have been using the Motorcraft 5W-20 Premium Synthetic Blend Motor Oil. It's not full synthetic and fairly easy to get at Walmart or your dealer. Or, you can usually find 5W20 from a few companies now since Honda also recommends it for some of their engines.

 

MSparks!

You're one of the people that helped me out. I agree that Amsoil is an excellent product, but I just want to run a group IV, true synthetic. My father has been on Mobil 1 for about 200,000 miles (97 4.6L), so I'm hoping for his good luck.

Whick Amsoil lines are true synthetic? I would actually feel more comfortable running the Amsoil true synthetic over Red Line.

Also, thanks for the email. I'll be contacting you in the future!


-Matt

 

You can use either 5W-20 or 5W-30 and no worries about warranty. Ford dealers use both oils, some only 5W-20 and others only 5W-30.

Since NOTHING has changed in the design of the motor from when Ford use to recommend 5W-30 (when not worried about meeting CAFE specs) there is NO reason why you can not use the 5W-30.

I personally use 5W-30 in my truck and have been since the first oil change done by the dealer who also uses 5W-30 and my 01 manual "recommends" 5W-20...

 

If you ever have an oil related warranty issue and Ford refuses to fix the problem because you didn't use the spec'd oil, you know who to go to for your coverage, all the people on this board who say it doesn't matter what weight oil you use.

 

All the dealership that I have been to (6 in all) say that as soon as the engine breaks in there will be no problem running a 5W30 viscocity. Of course, Ford has been telling the public that clearance issues prevent a 30 weight oil from reaching all the important parts. This is total corperate BS. The 97 4.6L's "required a 5W30" viscocity. The pre-97 Town Cars (with the 4.6L came with a 10W30 suggestion. How is it that the newer vehicles require such a light oil when the engine design has not changed at all? The triton engine is not new, nor are the car counterparts.

As others have stated, ask a Ford mechanic, dealer, service advisor, or parts man/woman what clearances changed. I did today, and no-suprise, they couldn't tell me because they didn't know.

You have to remember that our engines are mass produced on an assembly line. They are not race engines and they certainly are not Ferarri (sp?) engines with precision cut clearances.

There will be no damage done to an engine that "requires" 5W20 if you decide to run a 5W30 oil.

Mobil 1, for instance and from what I've learned at www.bobistheoilguy.com, is a light 5W30 oil, just on the otherside of the 20 weight line. Motorcraft is a heavy 20 weight oil, just shy of a 30 weight.

There are more considerations than I have even learned about, but I am in the process.

 

Ok, let me makes this more CLEAR for others:

Many Ford dealers ONLY use the 5W-30. My dealer ONLY uses 5W-30. The dealer IS a Ford Representative, they are in partnership with Ford, an extension of Ford, SO if the dealer is ONLY using 5W-30 that means it is APPROVED by Ford themselves. Since I have 2 Ford dealer service orders with 5W-30 right on the work order I have NO worries of Ford EVER refusing warranty work based on a oil that was spec’ed to meet CAFÉ standards. The reason neither I nor ANYONE else has reason to worry is because a QUALIFIED Ford (means Ford approved them to work on their vehicles and that they are following Ford standards) service department.

Because of that and the FACT that nothing has changed with the motor requiring a thinner oil means Ford has NO LEGS to stand on to deny a warranty repair. It is so simple…

Something else to think about, when is the last time you ever heard of an engine failing due to an oil velocity problem? Sure someone may not put any oil in, or never drain it and cause a problem, but to the best of my memory I have NEVER heard of a motor failing due to oil velocity (within reason, not using straight 50 or WD-40)…

Now, on the other hand I have read (do not know for a fact) but have read in a few different places that IF you use to thin of an oil it will cause “premature” wear of the motor. What does that mean, it could mean a motor that may have lasted 200,000 miles may only last 100,000 or 150,000 miles on a thinner oil.

So as I have stated before you CAN use either 5W-20 or 5W-30 and you have NO worries about any warranty issues…

 

My 2007 F150 5.4 liter is due for an oil change. (I just got it). It has 124k on her. Is synthetic high mileage oil recommended or a blend 5 weight 20?
Thanks

 

According to a forum member Labnerd, Amsoil currently is not a true synthetic. It's a Group III oil with some expensive synthetic additives. Almost all "100% synthetic" oils now are Group III such as Mobil 1 and everything else on the shelf at Walmart. Redline may be one exception. I think it is a Group V ester oil.