I have 2003 F150, 5.4L - about 29,000 miles and recently started noticing that my oil was low when I have went to have it changed. It's .5 to 1 qt. low at each change.

I cannot find where it's leaking anywhere, it doesn't smell like burning oil (like it's got a leak), and it doesn't have any blue smoke from exhaust.

The only thing I can come up with is......the quick lube that I've been using is not filling it up completely. I've asked them about this and they swear that they are.....

Opinions???

 

Sounds to me like they're shorting you at the quick lube.Make sure you check it before you leave there.Also watch them put the 6quarts in I've seen some take 6.5 and keep an eye out for any other possibilites,good luck.

 

Are you saying immediately after they change your oil it's low? Or do you mean right before you have them change it?

If you mean before the oil change, I would say thats about normal. A little bit of oil will get burnt, but it doesnt necessarily give out blue smoke.

Otherwise,
Our trucks take 6 qts. They might not be giving you the full 6 qts (they might only give you 5).

Also, the dipsticks arent horribly accurate either, so you might have 6 qts but it doesnt show the correct level on the stick.

What I would try to do is get 6 quarts of oil, watch them put it in, then note where the oil lines up on the stick.

 

another thng also, check your PCV. my wife's expy was doing the same thing. we'd get an oil change and like the next time we get it done, it would be nearly empty. the ford service guys told her to change the PCV. it is only like 10 bucks maybe and that is way over. might want to give it a shot. hope i helped ya! willie

 

6qts? Every 4.6 or 5.4 truck engine that I have seen takes 7qts. Kind of interesting. You might want to check the oil level after you start the truck and let the oil fill the filter. Maybe I'm just

 

Sounds about right. When I change my oil, it takes 6.5 qts, and about every 1,000mi I need to add 1/3 qt.

 

Look in your owners manual

Like I said, the dipstick isnt horribly accurate...you can put too much oil or maybe too little if you go solely by it.

 

my 2000 4.6 is always a quart low when I change the oil @ approx 5000.everytime it's low.no problems though.

 

If you could have a look in your intake manifold I think you would see where your oil is going. Even with a new PCV some oil will make it through. I believe that it is considered normal on most engines to consume a small amount of oil.

Change that PCV and it should consume a little less.

 

I'm using about a quart per 2500 miles and wonder if it could be bad valve seals, guess I better change the PVC and see how it does??? 69,000 miles.

 

specs say "5.7 litres or 6 U.S. quarts"

 

I have also had great success with new PCV valves. I recommend you get the right one from the dealer. I don't often recommend Ford only parts, but my observation is that the parts stores seem to sell more "universal" ones that fit many applications. They don't always flow the right amount and can even make the problem worse.

Another thought is to keep track of the oil usage over a few oil changes. If you start out full and slowly decrease then fine. If you start out without using any and suddenly drop after many miles it may say something about the quality of the oil.

 

If you are taking it to a quick lube place how are you measuring the amount of oil you have at the change?

I do not reccomend putting more than 6 quarts in. the 6 quarts called for does account for the filter. full is in the middle of the hash marks on the dipstick and not the top. if you put too much oil in (7 qts) you will get more blow by, air in the oil (very bad) and your PCV will clog faster.

1qt or less at 3k is very common and considered normal. you will only see blue smoke if the engine is burning it really bad because the cats clean the exhaust so well.