RedDragon777

i change by month no matter how many miles, the car right now only has 8000 miles since i bought it in march of 2006 and already has had 3 oil changes out of the 6 i get free from ford then i will swap to Mobil 1 or Royal Purple and change it myself

davisinla

I find it real odd that a dealer is tryinig to talk you out of work. My experience is that they usually try to talk you into doing something:
"So when was the last time you changed the air in those tires?"

Glenn

i say 2k first change is fine. use mobil one after that change every 8k miles

NYNY53

OK I changed mine at 310 miles to Mobil 1 5w-20. I've used Mobil 1 for 20+ years now and I wouldn't use any other oil.

Rapture

I do 5000 miles or every six months. First one was at 4500 miles, but it was six months after I purchased the car.

kevinb120

3400 miles here, going in Friday for an alignment 200 miles after springs and an oil change(more for convenience then mileage). Factory synthetic blend going right back in with a Motorcraft filter.

davisinla

IMHO, three oil changes in 8000 miles is a little excessive - if for no other reason, enviromentallly.

Are you going to keep the same schedule with Mobil 1?

Cheese302

thats all i have used in the 17k miles i have had my car. no reason to change over yet. i am sure ny city taxis arent running mobil 1, and they last for years!!

LBJay

For EPA emission certification the manufactures are required to run the car 50,000 miles with only topping off of fluids and then they're tested. After the first test they can change the fluids but have to run it another 50,000 miles and be tested again.

I DO NOT recommend this but it's an example of how tolerant todays engines are of poor servicing.

officespace56

I also have the service plan where it says change at 5,000. I brought mine in to ford right before winter, bought the car in july, and just paid 20 bucks for an oil change at around 3,000 miles, and then had it changed again on the plan at 5,000

kevinb120

Not to mention they run constantly for 12 hours+ at a time

Johny5ltr

I go 4 months /4000 miles on synthetic in all my vehicles [Mobil1 of course]....but the simple truth....oil,regardless of type,can only hold so much dirt.So,no one is wrong in the intervals that they do it...but i wouldnt go anywhere passed 5000 miles

metroplex

Ford recently OK'd 7500 mile intervals for the semi-synthetic 5W-20.

davam1

Guys, back to the original question. Seems the consensus is that waiting until 2k for the very 1st oil change seems ok. I will do it earlier, however, to be on safe side in what I've learned.

officespace56

I have the basics one my car, intake, tune, and axle-backs. Just wondering when i go into the dealer for a, lets say 5,000 mile check-up, do i have to do anythign about my mods or can i just leave them on?

theedge67

You should be fine, they will notice, but if you are not having them fix anything it won't matter. You should tell them not to flash the computer though, that will delete your aftermarket tune and really mess you up when you go to try and reload it.

WayneA

Okay,

In my opinion, here’s the reality of oil change maintenance. Any oil regularly changed, including filter, when needed, will work and with current new engine tolerances and no engine mod it will last 100,000+ miles.

Ford and other auto manufactures are not in the business of making cars that last for 2-3 hundred thousand miles. They are more concerned about meeting the CAFÉ standards and as a result switched to 5w20 in 2001, another topic. The switch allowed them to meet the CAFÉ standard and provide adequate engine protection. By sticking to the manufactures recommendations you get adequate engine protection and lubrication, not the best.

When to do your first oil change? Well, if the car came with non-synthetic oil wait 3000 miles. Why, for a number of reasons. The rings need to seat properly and using synthetic oil will delay this. I know some cars come from the factory with synthetic. Remember the manufacture has other reasons why they might do something.

I’ve been using a magnetic oil trap on my filter for about 3 years and yes I cut open the filter and yes there were metal particles trapped by the magnet. I suggest using this ASAP since the most engine wear happens when new. One thing to keep in mind is that if it’s not secured correctly the accumulated metal partials could be released all at once and do more damage then if you never had one.

If you’re **** about you oil you would do an oil analysis before every change to see how your oil is doing. I’m not that ****.

Oil Filters

Just as important as the oil if you want more then adequate protection get a “high efficiency” full flow filter. Everyone has their favorite. If you are **** you can install a by-pass oil filter and get extended oil life and a longer lasting engine. No I don’t have one…maybe one day, probably not.

I know everyone has their own opinion, this is mine. I just felt like posting it and seeing if any one agrees.

-Wayne

NYNY53

Lets open up the 5w-20 topic. Please share your thought and opinions if you would, I'm very interested in hearing them.

I also used to run to the not changing your oil the first time until at least 1K miles on the engine, but I've changed that thought process and change it usually between 300-500 miles. Guess its all personal preference.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinions with us Wayne

stangster

Lets open up the 5w-20 topic. Please share your thought and opinions if you would, I'm very interested in hearing them.

I live in Arkansas where the summers are hot, and I use 5W-20. I was originally concerned, thinking it seemed too light. So I asked a friend of mine who is a mechanic at the local Ford garage (who also owns a 2006 Mustang GT) and he recommended using the 5W-20. I did additional research - here are some of the reasons I have come across why to use 5W-20:

1. It is recommended by Ford. (Ford Specification WSS_M2C153-H) Oils that meet this specification exceed the GF-3 standard for the Thermal Engine Oil Stability Test. (Bullitt Archive) I take it this means it won't break down when it gets hot.

2. Tighter engine tolerances require it. (according to mechanic referenced above)

3. Improved fuel economy. (likely negligible) It makes sense to me that if this is because of lowered friction, that means less wear, which is a good thing.

4. Improved high tempature deposit performance. (I have no idea what this means, but this also is according to a post on the Bullitt Archive)

metroplex

The Ford modular engines made in the US but sold overseas can use 5W-30. The Ford Falcon XR8 and FPV GT both use 5W-30 in their 5.4L quad-cam V8s. The S197 GTs shipped to Germany generally don't use 5W-20 unless the owner imports 5W-20.