6 qts is the capacity of a dry engine. If you do it quick enough with the truck at a given angle, there could be as much as a 1/4 qt still in the engine.

The hash lines are to indicate the normal operating range, not so much a "full" indicator.
I am not sure if the hash marks are like the cars of the 70's where that is a 1 qt range.

Also the 5.4 had a tendency to vibrate like mad at high speeds if the level is to the top hash mark on the dip stick. I recall some threads on that topic from '02/'03 time frame.

That might be why you did 5.5 ? 5.5 + what was left in the engine = normal operating range + no vibration ?

 

6 quarts and a filter puts mine between 1/3 and 1/2 of the way up the hashes. Book says 6 with a filter.

 

While that may be true for a lot of lube joints, it is not the case for Jiffy Lube. They use only Purolator filters and they don't just give you 4 qts of oil. They give you whatever amount your vehicle requires, but only 4 or 5 qts is included in the price. And they give you whatever oil the factory says you should use, unless you request something different. They have a lot of precautions in place to make sure your engine gets what it's supposed to. However, the employee's lack of caring is what makes it a crappy place.

 

I had a nissan pickup bad about 20 years ago I had jiffy lube change the oil and about a day later My skid plate fell off they didnt tighten it.. I've found they are ok if you watch them for some things. I had them drain and fill the tranny and rear in in my Mach I and I take it there for inspection. It never leaves My sight though. They like it when I come in they treat me good.

 

i work at a quick lube, and theres a reason i do my own work lol, the only reason i work there is because its all i can get at 19 and still in college, some of the stuff we (basically they do, i dont screw people) is just rediculous

 

Shame on you for not checking the oil, I check mine every 2 weeks religiously!

 

The only time my vehicles go to the lube places is when I drop off the used oil. Went last week and brought them 18 gallons. They were pissed. I laughed and drove away.

 

I dont understand what a pcv valve has to do with using oil?

 

A PCV valve that restricts flow can become clogged with sludge and varnish deposits and trap blow by gases in the crankcase. This degrades the oil, promoting additional formation of deposit material.

If left uncorrected, the result is plugged oil rings, oil consumption, rapid ring wear due to sludge buildup, ruptured gaskets and seals due to crankcase pressurization, oil thrown out around the filler cap and consequent rough engine operation.

Certain replacement valves promote this, such as Fram, Yea, a new Fram doesn't have the proper spec or Margins the Motorcraft valves do. In fact anything Fram is bad news for these modulars. The company doesn't design their replacements to spec. = To cheap, - one size fits all frame of mind.

 

I worked at a quick lube for 8 months before i joined the Air Force. One guy we had was a squirrel he didn't care at all and i had only been on the job a few days, we would have to check the levels in both diffs and the transfer case on 4x4's and while doing this he pulled the drain plug out of the transfer case on an f-150 and id say about half the capacity drained out and all over his uniform before he got the plug back in and he quick changed and nothing was ever said about it, i was brand new and still to timid to say anything. I regretted it terrible who knows if that guys t-case burned up down the road. He quit a few weeks later thankfully, the rest of the time i was there i did everything in my power to make the customer happy and satisfied even go above and beyond cleaning leaves out from under the hood, wiping everything down, check and recheck everything was on tight and nothing was left under the hood, pretty sad when an 18 year old kid does a better job than a grown man, i guess consideration is a dying trait.

 

My 2005 5.4 has a 7 qt engine oil capacity. $11.50 for a 5 qt jug of Motorcraft 5W20 Synthetic Blend, $2.77 ea for 2 qts, about $3.50 for a FL820S Motorcraft oil filter........so for about $20 I change my oil every 3k. The stories I've read here are exactly the reason I have changed my oil and the oil in all family vehicles for almost 40 years. Its not hard, but needs to be done exactly right to insure no disasterous results follow. Only takes 20 mins max after you get used to your particular vehicle and know what tools to use. Time under the vehicle also gives me a chance to inspect for any leaks or other problems and hopefully catch them early. Walmarts and just about any chain auto parts store will accept your used oil for recycling.

 

My new 2000 F150 5.4L burned about a qt. of oil in 2500 miles. I talked to a cab driver who used to work at a quick lube place and she said that all the Ford trucks that came in were low in oil, 2 or 3 qts.

I used 5W30 Havoline in it for about 10k miles (3 changes) and then switched to Mobil 1 and changed every 5k. It continued burning that same amount of oil until 80k miles when it quit. I suppose it took that long for the rings to completely seat. After that it wouldn't be low at 5k miles.

My 2002 5.4L that I recently bought appears to be using a qt or less in 5k miles.

 

Mobile one is crap to begin with, Havoline was a good choice, but what's wrong with using the recommended Motorcraft oil ? I run that to begin with OR Castrol, - the manufacturer knows more than I about their product , so...I think if I was having these problems I would run what's spec'ed. No brainer.

 

Roadie- I would say the only reason the Fords (and probably all the rest of the vehicles that had their oil changed there regularly) was because they didn't put enough oil in last time they changed it. I personally think she's full of ducas. I have bought 4 new Ford F-150's in 10 years and not one of them burned more than a pint or less in the 3k mi. between changes. Course I change my own oil and I put in what it recommends so that might explain it. I'm not easy on 'em either. I sometime think "oil change", to a quick lube place means take the oil out of one vehicle and put it in another. They're not for me.

 

Even the Dealership told me that after I had put my airaid system on