Oil

I am just wondering people's opinions. i am running Synthetic oil in my Explorer and have been told I cvan run it for 15,000 miles changing the filter every 3,000 and adding a quart. Is this true? WIll it harm the engine? I have 78,000 miles and want to keep the Explorer for at least another 7 years. I would like to take the best care of it possable. Also can people recommend intervals for changing other oils, such as transmission and transfercase? Any help would be appriciated! Thanks!


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TravisN1@AOL.COM
1995 XLT 4x4

Your best bet is to change your oil every 3000 miles. Although, I have herd you can get 15,000 miles plus out of synthetic, I would rather not risk it with a $20,000 + vehicle. Oil is the most important thing in your engine. If you ask anyone with an old, high mileage car, they will tell you to change the oil often.

My two cents.

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Rock'n 97 Sport 4X4

I definitly agree with Cameron. It can't hurt to change your oil, no matter what you use, every 3,000, it can only help. Especially if you want to get another several years out of your Explorer. I am interested in hearing responses to tranmission and transfer case fluids, and also oil in the axles.

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Tim Y.
1996 Ford Explorer

I believe the Chilton manual suggests changeing automatic transmission fluid every 60,000 miles. I've heard different mileages from different people. In fact a friend of mine is a mechanic at a local Ford dealorship and he said the guy who's in charge of transmissions there told him not to change the fluids at all in the automaic in his Crown Vic. He said depending on the automatic it could burn them up. I don't know how much of that is true. I strictly follow the Chilton manual and have had no problems with mine. I check my trans fluid at every oil change to make sure it's still a reddish color and at the propper level. If it is any shade other than red I'll change it. Remember to check the trans fluid when the engine is hot and on a flat surface. Also make sure the engine is in the Park possition.

The transfercase fluids should be changed every 30,000 miles and it takes ATF. Consult a Chilton manual for exact amounts. You'll want to fill the T-Case up till it runs out. The levels should be checked at every oil change and fluid should be added as needed.

Joe Dead Link Removed
94 Explorer XLT
4" Superlift Suspension
Superlift Steering Stabilizer
33X10.50 BFG AT KO's
KKM Tru-Rev Intake
Flowmaster II exahust

I don't use Synthetic oil in my Explorer, but my Lexus dealership uses Mobil 1 Full Synthetic in all of its oil changes. In fact when the cars are delivered they are drained, flushed, and refilled with Mobil 1. Lexus recommends a 7500 mile interval. I still wouldn't run Synthetic for much longer than this. True it may not break down like normal oil, but it gets full of sludge and metal dust.

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Stephen Withrow
StephenLS400@aol.com
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97 Explorer Limited
98 Lexus LS400

I will not take that chances. I rather change it at 3,000. I rather spend $$ with the oil than harming my engine. Besides I enjoy doing it myself. Dead Link Removed

Yeah, I used to love changing my own oil, doing my own maitenance, and washing my own cars. Its a shame I can't do it anymore.

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Stephen Withrow
StephenLS400@aol.com
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97 Explorer Limited
98 Lexus LS400

I do my own oil and stuff too, but i put about 1,500 miles on my truck a month and sometimes I don't have time to do the maintnance since I work Sundays and saturday i am busy a lot. i really want to do the best for this Explorer because it is my first car that I have owned and i want to get as many years out of it as I can! we got rid of the last car in october with 100K and it still ran great...hopefully the story is same with an Explorer with 200K! Dead Link Removed

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TravisN1@AOL.COM
1995 XLT 4x4

Travis,
I just had my rear axle fluid changed at a quick lube shop. My Explorer has 138,000 miles on it. The fluid was almost as clean as new. The mechanic had trouble loosening the fill plug though. So if anyone does this at home I'd loosen the plug before you drain it. I also got a 4 oz bottle of limited slip fluid Ford recommends, and had them put it it too.
As for my oil, I run Valvoline 10 W 30 summer and 5 W 30 in the winter. I change it and the filter every 3000 miles. A lube shop near me has a lifetime oil change for $112.00
You pay a $6.00 enviromental fee every time you have your oil changed though, but if keep
the vehicle more then 10 oil changes it pays for itself.
I also just changed the power steering fluid too. The pump is factory ..but was starting to squeal (no leaks) after I changed the fluid is't quiet.

Hi Travis
I have a 1996xlt sohc 5speed auto and i use penrite pedigree 15w60 , changing filter and oil evey 5000km as i live in the outback of australia 45c plus temp all year round .
I have changed my transmission oil by pumping it out of the cooler .
Ford recommend mercon 5 but i used redline high temp instead and the gearbox has never changed better and its been in for 30000km now and it still changes like new .

run hard or run home


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I was just wondering if anyone runs Quaker State 4X4 synthetic in their explorers? I had my oil changed the other day and I think that's what they put in it, this is the first time that they havn't asked what kind of oil I wanted in it. I wanted a different kind of oil but oh well! Any way is this a good oil for the explorer?
Thanks.

Hold on a minute. If you're driving 1,500 miles a month then you're changing you're oil every 60 days. Save a little money (not a lot, but enough to matter) by switching to semi-syn like Castrol and a new filter every oil change. I don't want to start an oil brand debate but find a brand that suits you and stick with it. Changing brands isn't worth it because of the mixing of different additive formulations. But if you're getting an oil change every two months you can easily change down to a semi.

Ok...thats sounds good..thanks for your suggestions..if anyone wants to add anything go ahead..anything is welcome!

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TravisN1@AOL.COM
1995 XLT 4x4

Not sure if this helps, But, I change every 3K miles ( Unless I forget, and then change it quick) I have gone upt to 6K once. My 94 XLT has 157K miles and the engine is still strong, no smoke. I put 5W30 in and I don't care which brand. On the tranny, I change fluid at 80 K and am getting ready to do it again. Diffs & T-case, I don't remeber, So I'll do them again too. So far things are still running very good. I would rather incur a little more operating cost than risk motor & tranny problems.

Happy Trails
Rob Robertson
McKinney TX
"It's an Explorer thing, You wouldn't understand"

Hi Travis,
Just one question. What does your oil look like when you get towards your 15K change.

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Happy Wheelin'
Ray L.
97 XLT 4X4 4.0L SOHC

Guys....I just can't see waiting 15,000 miles to change my oil, synthetic or not. Maybe I'm just an old coot set in my ways but I hate to wait 7500 miles on the Lexus, although thats what they reccomend.

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Stephen Withrow
StephenLS400@aol.com
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97 Explorer Limited 4X4 SOHC V6
98 Lexus LS400

Hey Guys,
It doesn't matter if it's synthetic or not I'd be changing it at 3K miles. I'd venture to say that it doesn't matter when you change your oil or what brand it may be, but depending on your style of driving and how often you drive your car and to what distance you drive it; all of those factors together would gauge when to change your oil. I'm open for comments.

Joe Dead Link Removed
94 Explorer XLT 94K Miles
Penzoil Every 3K Miles
Tough Guard Fram Oil Filter
KKM Tru Rev Intake
Flowmaster II Cat-Back Exahust
Custom Cat
4" Superlift Suspension
33X10.50 BFG AT KO's

Hey everyone, guess I'll move over to chime in on this oil thread. I tried to get another one started after someone mentioned doing 25,000 mi. changes using synthetic and only changing the filter every 5,000 mi or so.The person who posted the 25k mi oil change habit listed several of his vehicles that had made it to extreme mileage with no problems. He also reminded us of the original Mobil One commercials claiming you could take their synthetic 100,000 miles (remember that commercial? I do) before they yanked it off realizing they couldn't sell oil if no one ever changed it. Then again, that person with the 25,000 mile oil changes hasn't reappeared on this board, either.

I've always changed at 4,000 (not 3,000) with non-syns and have always taken my vehicles to stratospheric mileage with never an oil related problem. I now run syn in my new Explorer.

The bottom line for all of us is that none of us REALLY know the answer. We just do what we feel comfortable and safe through past experience. I am willing to say, however, that I do not know how applicable my previous experience (several hundred thousands of miles using 4,000 mile old non-syns going back to twenty seven years ago) is when forecasting the effect for a new-design engine and vastly improved oil, both non-syn and (especially) synthetic. I can make a qualified opinion from my experience only apples-to-apples; for example, I think my past experience can prove that all you guys that insist on changing at 3,000 miles are wasting at least another 1,000 miles of good use out of your oil.

There was a very old thread I tried to search up and couldn't find. Maybe it was one of the lost Modified Forum threads. Anyway, in it, one of the members mentioned working with 2,000 hp industrial engines of some sort and said that they changed oil based on chemical and particulate analysis taken at certain engine-hour intervals. He said that is the only true way to do it right, but of course that would be cost-prohibitive for an auto application.

We have to face it, until one of us does something like run their Explorer for 10,000 miles on Mobile One and then send it to a lab for testing, we're all (me included) just spouting nonsubstantiated opinions and falling back on what we feel safe with, with no real CURRENT basis for our opinions.

Just thought I'd throw my peso's worth in the ring.

Gerald
'99 EB 4x4 with not a clue to the real answer yet



[This message has been edited by GJarrett (edited 02-10-2000).]

Ray,
i have only had my Explorer for 5,000 miles. i changed the oil right when I got it and the oil is darker, but not as far as being black. i think I may change it this weekend or next, depending if i have time. Thanks

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TravisN1@AOL.COM
1995 XLT 4x4

LISTEN UP EVERYONE!

OK, I'm tired of listening to all of this... and I've thought about it all day.

Belly up to the bar and ante up, people. I want to find out how many of you REALLY want to know the answer to this question. And I'll offer to be the guinea pig.

Over the last year I have read multiple threads every single month over and over and over and over asking for opinions on this very same question: and it always ends up with us only being able to state something like "well I've always changed it at 3,000 miles and never had a problem so that's what I advise". But as I have already stated, there's not a one of us that REALLY knows when we should change oil though.

HERE'S MY OFFER: you guys can consider taking me up on this.

Here goes....
I changed my oil at 25,000 miles and have 27,000 on it now. Mobil One synthetic is currently in my engine along with the better-grade Castrol oil filter.

I will run this oil 10,000 miles in my Explorer (till it reaches 35k miles) if one of you will do the research to figure out what lab I can send the oil to for analysis (I'll change the filter midway at 5,000 mi on the oil).

We will send it in for analysis: but you have to tell me where to send it and you have to shell out the bucks for the analysis. I am, after all, betting my engine on this. At my current rate of mileage I'll be at the 35k mile point around Memorial Day. We can find out then. If it comes out clean I'll keep it in there and go to 15,000 miles (with another filter change). As long as it comes out clean I'll keep going up. We can make this a group project over the next year and we will all learn a lot with PROVEABLE RESEARCH TO BACK IT UP. Understand that I won't be totally stupid about this; if something reads a little worn at 15,000 I'm quitting right there and not going to try for 20,000. This is not a "see how far it can go before it breaks" test but a "see how far we can safely go" test.

Any takers? It's my engine.

Gerald
'99 EB 4x4
4.0 liter SOHC



[This message has been edited by GJarrett (edited 02-11-2000).]