My best friends son has a 2002 Supercrew and he changes his oil and filter every 3000 miles. His oil is Amsoil 5W-30 and oil filter is a $12 Amsoil filter.
I use Mobil 1 and a Purolater filter every 5000 miles and I thought I was overdoing it when conventional ($1.49 a quart) motor oil has additives that will last long past 5000 miles.
How many more here overdo it?

 

I use Royal Purple and use a Mobil 1 filter on my 2001 F150, 4.2 and on my wife's 2002 F150 4.6. I change at 5000 miles. That may be too soon according to some, but if it makes me feel safe than its worth it. I do my own oil changes of course.

 

I use Valvoline Durablend 5W-30 motor oil, and Motorcraft oil filter. I change the oil and filter every 3,000 miles. I use Royal Purple Max ATF trans fluid in my manual trans, and Royal Purple 75W-140 gear oil for the rear-end. I change both of those every 30,000 miles.

I think it comes down to what do "you" feel good about using and how often. Changing sooner then may be needed will most certainly not hurt anything. Myself I look at it like cheap insurance in the hope's of getting as many miles out of my truck as possible. Some think I am ****, but I look at it as good maintenance for the truck.

My personal opinion is that Amsoil is a great quality product but "overkill" especially if changing at 3,000 miles. It cost way more then other top quality brands that will perform just as well as Amsoil. Vavoline, Red Line, Mobile 1, Royal Purple to name a few work just as well as Amsoil regardless of what anyone says.

 

Hi, There are many on this board obsessed with over maintaining their vehicles; wasting money and natural resources. Even conventional dino oils will easily do the 5,000 mile interval. My BMW monitors its own oil and usually calls for an oil change at about 9,000 miles. That motor is pristine; runs smoothly, and consumes absolutely no oil. BMW would not risk this if it was a problem. The German engineers scoff at 3,000 mile oil changes and call it a waste of natural resources. I'm using Amsoil XL7500 on my F150 and am changing every 5,000 because of warranty considerations. Once the warranty is up, I will go to 7,500 mile intervals. Does this work? Absolutely!! I ran a VW GTI with this maintenance schedule for 250,000 miles on Mobil 1.

 

I only use Quaker State. I change the oil ever 3500 miles. I use Fram oil filter. Do you think this is alright or should I use a beter grade of oil? By the way, I have just under 32,000 right now.

 

Speeder, No offense intended here. There probably isn't anything wrong with your choice of oil but my opinion of Fram's standard filters could be better.

 

So far I have seen nobody on these board that are obsessed with over maintaining their vehicles; wasting money and natural resources. What people like myself do is called “routine preventive maintenance”. It is generally an acceptable practice to change oil somewhere around 3,000 to 5,000 miles. That is neither obsessive nor wasting natural resources. If you don’t believe that they are many repair manuals that will give you the same information. For example the Haynes Repair Manual recommends changing engine oil at 3,000 miles along with the filter. NEVER change the oil and then NOT change the oil filter. To do so is a waste since you will contaminate the new oil with the old oil that is left in the old filter.

Ford is a great truck, but it is not a BMW. So what BMW has to say about American engineered vehicles is MUTE.
I bought a Ford F150 truck not a BMW truck. Even if BMW had one I would not buy it, first because I would not be able to afford it and second it would be overkill for what it is used for compared to Ford and how long they last with the proper routine preventive maintenance.

Now if there was someone on here talking about changing their oil and filter every 500 miles then you might have a point with someone being obsessed.

 

Gearhead,
None taken. I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to hear. What would be recomended? Keep in mind I'm not rich. Would probley do alright except i'm married with two curtain climbers.

 

speeder214:

Don't mean to jump in, but I use to use Fram filters till joining these boards and learning how crappy they really are. I use Motorcraft filters and buy them either at Autozone and a few other auto places here. They are just about the same price as a Fram, maybe just $1 - $2 more at the most.

From what I understand Puralotors (sp?) is the same thing, or that they are the ones that make Motorcraft. If I am wrong someone please jump in a correct me.

 

Thanks. I need to buy new oil and filter's now. I usually wait until they are on sale and buy three or four and a case or two of oil.

 

Speeder--->
FRAM oil filters have a gasket at the top of the filter made of cardboard. Guess what happens when that cardboard is exposed to hot oil--it decentigrates, and where does it go? You figure that one out. Saw it first hand at autozone.

 

If I didn't have a overhead cam engine I probably wouldn't have noticed a problem with the Fram. I noticed startup noise and the mechanic at the Ford Dealer told me about Fram........the info I have read on it certainly backs it up.

 

I go 5,000 miles between filter and oil changes, all done by the dealer. I'm on my 4th F-150 since 1987. It doesn't make any sense for me to change the oil any sooner.

The way others here turn their trucks in every two or three years, it just doesn't make any sense to change the oil more often than your dealer says is fine.

Most people here are wasting their money with 3,000 mile oil changes. 30 years ago, 3,000 mile oil changes made sense. These days, 5,000 miles is being conservative.

 

a motor is a motor man. 3,000 mile oil changes are a waste of money and resources; pure and simple. of course aftemarket manuals and maintenance shops recommend 3,000, it keeps their coffers flowing with cash.

 

That's true.......If you trade your truck in every 2-4 years it makes no sense at all to use synthetic. The next owner of the truck is the only one who'll benefit.