All engines use some oil, they just do. 3/4 of a quart is pretty much ideal as it keeps the valves nice and lubed

 

No. I am sorry. I am not that old. That must have been from before I was born. But how would that comparison be relevant? Today's vehicles use a different engine building technology.

 

Todays engines still use oil. There is a gap between the ends of the piston rings, there is some used in valve seals, there are other small losses here and there.

 

Do what I do, don't check it between changes and you'll be happy

 

My 06 5.4L has 25K miles on it. I noticed today that it was a quart low with about 3,200 miles on the oil since last changed. Got me worried because it doesn't blow smoke or leak anywhere. This is the only vehicle I've had that uses oil between oil changes that does not smoke or leak. On my cars, the oil level is still full when oil change time comes around.

 

Nope. It's entirely normal. Think about it: All modern motors experience blow-by. All modern motors have a PCV system that recycles the blowby gasses into the intake manifold. Along the way through the crankcase, block, heads, and valve covers, it's bound to pick up *some* small portion of the oily mist that's generated by parts slinging oil at obscenely high RPMs seen by the internal components of the motor. Those vapors get carried into the intake through the PCV system and subsequently get burnt. ALL Ford engines do it and have for a couple decades now. It's just the way the system works. They will all consume some small percentage of oil all the time. It's inevitable.

As someone else mentioned, you need to quantify the amount it's using and the engineers that set the spec need to determine what volume is within tolerance. I'm quite sure they didn't just pull a number out of the air. It's likely based on some calculations along with some extended testing of the engines. They don't just make these things up.

 

All engines burn/use an ammount of oil. There is a space between the valve and the guides, and another space between the piston, rings, and cylinder. Another between even the oil pan and the gasket, the main seals and the crank, the oil filter and the block. The block, head gasket, and the head all have a space. Not to mention GIJoeCam's PCV reason.

If you have excessive (or what you feel is excessive) oil consumption, and it is driving you crazy, just switch oil brands until you find a brand that your engine doesn't drink.

 

Until I bought a ford none of my cars used any oil that could be detected between changes. that is old hat thinking. Shoot even the Ford Windstar I have doesnt use any oil between changes. And My Lexus has not used any oil and it has 148k miles on it.

 

Apparently it's not just the old way of thinking... Otherwise there wouldn't be a published acceptable spec and an analytical procedure to measure the consumption.

Look, the engineers in Dearborn that designed, engineered and tested these engines made the determination that some oil consumption is normal. Unless you know something about these motors that those engineers don't, the entire discussion is completely moot. It's like arguing over the proper spark plug gap... It's just pointless.

The spec has been published. If you don't like it, you don't have to. But you'll never convince anyone at Ford that there's a problem so long as the consumption rate is within their published spec.

 

i gaped my spark plugs to .97 Because thats the year of my truck!! and its a bigger spark for more effetive burn haha

 

What is your driving style? Do you drive it gently or drive it like you stole it? Where do you live and what has the weather been like? What has traffic been like for the last 13,000 miles? Your engine may not have been thru enough cycles to seat the rings and some of the Tritons won't seat until they get around 18,000 miles.

 

Id have a fit if my $35k truck burned a quart in 3000 miles. Knock on wood, mine hasnt started burning any yet. And no, old cars didnt all burn a lot of oil, I had a 68 Galaxie 500 with the gas hog 390 in it, it didnt burn a drop - it leaked it, but didnt burn any. Same with my 68 F100. If its new and burning that much, something is wrong in my opinion.

 

This is straight from the Ford Service Manual. Their are alot of effects from different conditions. Hope this helps

Excessive Engine Oil Consumption
The amount of oil an engine uses will vary with the way the vehicle is driven in addition to normal engine-to-engine variation. This is especially true during the first 16,100 km (10,000 miles) when a new engine is being broken in or until certain internal engine components become conditioned. Vehicles used in heavy-duty operation may use more oil. The following are examples of heavy-duty operation:
trailer towing applications
severe loading applications
sustained high speed operation
Engines need oil to lubricate the following internal components:
cylinder block cylinder walls
pistons and piston, pin and rings (6102)
intake and exhaust valve stems
intake and exhaust valve guides
all internal engine components
When the pistons move downward, a thin film of oil is left on the cylinder walls. As the vehicle is operated, some oil is also drawn into the combustion chambers past the intake and exhaust valve stem seals and burned.
The following is a partial list of conditions that can affect oil consumption rates:
engine duty cycle
operator driving habits
ambient temperature
quality and viscosity of the oil
Operation under varying conditions can frequently be misleading. A vehicle that has been run for several thousand miles on short trips or in below-freezing ambient temperatures may have consumed a "normal" amount of oil. However, when checking the engine oil level, it may measure up to the FULL or MAX on the oil level dipstick due to dilution (condensation and fuel) in the engine crankcase. The vehicle might then be driven at high speeds on the highway where the condensation and fuel boil off. The next time the engine oil is checked, it may appear that a liter (quart) of oil was used in about 160 km (100 miles). This perceived 160 km (100 miles) per liter (quart) oil consumption rate causes customer concern even though the actual overall oil consumption rate is about 2,400 km (1,500 miles) per liter (quart).
Make sure the selected engine oil meets the current recommended API performance category with SAE viscosity grade as shown in the vehicle Owner's Guide. It is also important that the engine oil is changed at the intervals specified. Refer to the vehicle Owner's Guide.

 

So basically Ford says they have such lousy tolerances, that burning oil is ok. What a crock. I have owned GM, Ford windstar, Dodges, Hondas, Mercedes, And Lexus, Buick, And even the famous Triumph British junk, and none of them burned oil. So basically Ford is no better than the British junk from the 60 era.

 

Any piston engine burns oil it can not be stopped. Some just burn more than others under different condition and may burn less than others undder different conditions. I work on aircraft and they use oil and most use 50 weight (owners option multi grade cost more)
Think thats bad you should read the Oil Consumption Test.