Switching to Synthetic Motor Oil

[peterk9]

We just bought out EX and plan on changing to full synthetic at 3k miles. What interval should it be changed after that? I did notice that there isnt even a selection for 3k on the vehicle report page. It has 5, 7.5, and 10k

There is a 15 page thread on that. Basically it's up to you to decide if you do not wish to follow the Owner's Guide recommendations.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309598&highlight=oil+change

Peter

 

[tinner]

There is a 15 page thread on that. Basically it's up to you to decide if you do not wish to follow the Owner's Guide recommendations.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309598&highlight=oil+change

Peter

Bill #4 Explorer started that 15 page thread almost 3 years ago, I still say let's all agree to disagree

This just shows you not to talk about religion, politics, and oil.

 

[midnightsun]

Synthetic oil can be good for well possibly 100,000 miles+. Big rig owners can go 100K on the same oil. Amsoil offers mail in oil analysis, a service to test the oil for you. If you dont want to see how often your oil really needs to be changed, to be safe at 5000 miles change the filter and top off the synthetic oil. At 10,000 change the filter and the oil. Repeat.

We race so i try to support Amsoil. (I use motorcraft's full synthetic from Fords quick lane in mine till warranty is up)

 

[Motoarzan]

My vehicle came in late November and had 20km on it so there was obviously lots of start/stop transferring from lots, trucks, trains ect...and it was cold winter weather here.
90% of metal material during break-in is going to occur right away within the first 50km but you do have a filter to catch all that crap.
Anyhow, I dumped my oil after 1000km...and put in Full Synthetic which I will run until the oil life monitor tells me to change it.

Many people don't trust that computer calculated oil monitor and others change their oil way too frequently wasting money and the environment. What I do is this. The oil life monitoring systems is "calibrated" to a "semi" synthetic blend. I simply follow the monitor but use a "full" synthetic instead of the "semi" just to be safe. the cost difference from semi to full is really not that much more...especially if you wait and buy it on sale.

 

[peterk9]

My vehicle came in late November and had 20km on it so there was obviously lots of start/stop transferring from lots, trucks, trains ect...and it was cold winter weather here.
90% of metal material during break-in is going to occur right away within the first 50km but you do have a filter to catch all that crap.
Anyhow, I dumped my oil after 1000km...and put in Full Synthetic which I will run until the oil life monitor tells me to change it.

Many people don't trust that computer calculated oil monitor and others change their oil way too frequently wasting money and the environment. What I do is this. The oil life monitoring systems is "calibrated" to a "semi" synthetic blend. I simply follow the monitor but use a "full" synthetic instead of the "semi" just to be safe. the cost difference from semi to full is really not that much more...especially if you wait and buy it on sale.

It would seem strange to calibrate the monitor on a semi synthetic when the manual does not show that as an oil for the Canadian Explorers. Are you sure about that?

Peter

 

[Lewisra]

My vehicle came in late November and had 20km on it so there was obviously lots of start/stop transferring from lots, trucks, trains ect...and it was cold winter weather here.
90% of metal material during break-in is going to occur right away within the first 50km but you do have a filter to catch all that crap.
Anyhow, I dumped my oil after 1000km...and put in Full Synthetic which I will run until the oil life monitor tells me to change it.

Many people don't trust that computer calculated oil monitor and others change their oil way too frequently wasting money and the environment. What I do is this. The oil life monitoring systems is "calibrated" to a "semi" synthetic blend. I simply follow the monitor but use a "full" synthetic instead of the "semi" just to be safe. the cost difference from semi to full is really not that much more...especially if you wait and buy it on sale.

Did you reset the monitor after the change?

 

[dtr]

Synthetic oil can be good for well possibly 100,000 miles+. Big rig owners can go 100K on the same oil. Amsoil offers mail in oil analysis, a service to test the oil for you. If you dont want to see how often your oil really needs to be changed, to be safe at 5000 miles change the filter and top off the synthetic oil. At 10,000 change the filter and the oil. Repeat.

We race so i try to support Amsoil. (I use motorcraft's full synthetic from Fords quick lane in mine till warranty is up)

An ISL engine in a motor home takes 7.3 GALLONS of oil not quarts of oil and is rated for 20,000 miles with nonsynthetic oil.

100,000 miles+ seems a little optimistic even though big rig engines have even more oil than an ISL.

Your mileage seems high and misleading and it is really misleading to those that do not understand the large oil capacity in the Big Rig vs the few quarts in an EX.

Yes I agree synthetic oil can last longer if you are willing to void your warranty or are out of warranty and base your decisions on oil testing. But your comparisons could ruin someones EX if they believed the optimistic numbers and comparisons that are inappropriate.

 

[midnightsun]

base your decisions on oil testing.

Please explain how this is incorrect?

You think 10K per oil change is long for a full synthetic? When replacing the filters?
Amsoil recommends 25,000 on some of its oils....that's without oil analysis to be safe.

 

[midnightsun]

SERVICE LIFE
AMSOIL Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil is recommended for extended drain intervals in unmodified(1), mechanically sound(2) gasoline-fueled vehicles as follows:

Normal Service(3) – Up to 25,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first.
Severe Service(4) – Up to 15,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first.

 

[swshawaii]

FWIW, these oil companies suggest changing their full synthetic oils at the owners manual recommended interval.
I believe Amsoil may be the only brand encouraging extended intervals. Here's just three, I'm sure there are more.

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Oils/Mobil_1_FAQs.aspx#FAQs6

http://www.valvoline.com/faqs/motor-oil/full-synthetic-motor-oil/

http://www.pennzoil.com/learn-about-motor-oil/changing-your-own-oil/

 

[dtr]

Please explain how this is incorrect?

You think 10K per oil change is long for a full synthetic? When replacing the filters?
Amsoil recommends 25,000 on some of its oils....that's without oil analysis to be safe.

I agree with the correct part of your message about basing decisions on oil testing.

I find other comments misleading as an EX does not have a huge oil reservoir of 7+ Gallons and 100k miles+ may lead a noob to delay starting testing until 50 or 75k miles based on your suggestion it could possibly go more than 100k miles.

people do not always absorb everything. one or two good comments do not necessarily make up for a lot of miss information or information that is not applicable to an suv.

 

[Motoarzan]

Did you reset the monitor after the change?

Yes.

 

[Motoarzan]

It would seem strange to calibrate the monitor on a semi synthetic when the manual does not show that as an oil for the Canadian Explorers. Are you sure about that?

Peter

I believe the factory oil and the recommended oil is a semi-synthetic blend, therefore the systems would be calibrated to that.

 

[dtr]

I believe the factory oil and the recommended oil is a semi-synthetic blend, therefore the systems would be calibrated to that.

I have no idea what the motorcraft oil is. but they say 5W-20 or 5W-30 in capacities in the manual depending on engine and else where they say must be API certified for gas engines. So you can use standard oil of any brand and it does not need to be synthetic or a blend.

Magnuson-Moss Act of 1975 requires they not require motorcraft parts to keep your warranty.

In general today's engines will last hundreds of thousands of miles using standard oil so the extra money spent on synthetic is likely better spent on lottery tickets for most people.

 

[peterk9]

I believe the factory oil and the recommended oil is a semi-synthetic blend, therefore the systems would be calibrated to that.

I don't really know what the Ex came. If what the manual shows is considered the 'recommended' oil, then for Canadian models it is either Premium Motor Oil or Full Synthetic Motor Oil. Both being 5W-20. Now that is in the 2011 Owner's Guide. The 2014 Owner's Guide is different. It shows WSS-M2C945-A which apparently is a synthetic blend. So it appears that specs have change a bit.

Peter

 

[peterk9]

.......In general today's engines will last hundreds of thousands of miles using standard oil so the extra money spent on synthetic is likely better spent on lottery tickets for most people.

I tend to agree with you. Before there was synthetic, many engines ran for several 100,000 miles. I'm sure that the modern day owner can expect the same out of today's engines with the advancements made to the regular oils, if they follow regular maintenance schedules.

Peter

 

[182RG]

FWIW, these oil companies suggest changing their full synthetic oils at the owners manual recommended interval.
I believe Amsoil may be the only brand encouraging extended intervals. Here's just three, I'm sure there are more.

These companies don't want the liability of encouraging people to void their warranties, even though a good quality full synthetic will go beyond warranty limits. Amsoil markets to "enthusiasts", who understand the need for filtration, testing, and that with a warning, will assume any warranty risk.

Actually, Amsoil's wording online is this:

Formulated for up to 10,000-miles/six month intervals, or longer when recommended in owners’ manuals or indicated by oil monitoring systems.

Anything short of factory recommendations is environmentally criminal in a modern gasoline engine. There is no conspiracy to run too light of an oil for EPA ratings, or to wear out cars so you'll buy another. Pure bunk. The one that makes me laugh out loud are those who dump perfectly good oil and filters at 1,000 miles on new cars cause "grand daddy always told me you need to get the particles out early....". Comedy gold right there!

Maybe one day we can get an (environment) tax on motor oil to drive a quart to $20 or so. The Europeans did, and new cars on full synthetic go 2 years, 20,000 miles. Might stop some of this Billy Bob, Old Wives Tale, non fact based nonsense.

 

[dtr]

Maybe one day we can get an (environment) tax on motor oil to drive a quart to $20 or so. The Europeans did, and new cars on full synthetic go 2 years, 20,000 miles. Might stop some of this Billy Bob, Old Wives Tale, non fact based nonsense.

Why does everybody always want a TAX?

I would switch to a synthetic oil change every other year or 20,000 tomorrow if the auto companies allowed it under warranty. NO TAX REQUIRED.

But until it is adopted by the auto industry there is no reason for me to switch to synthetics or void my warranty.

 

[1995E]

Every oil is different. When you first put in the oil, feel the thickness and slipperyness of the oil. Look at the color. Then, after some thousand miles, feel the difference and see how easily the oil moves. Check the color too. You should notice the difference. Ecoboost engines will require an oil change sooner because the oil runs through the turbocharger so the oil breaks down more easily because of higher temperatures. My serviceman said his Focus ST had straight up sludge at a 5K oil change. This is with city driving. It all depends on your RPMs, load, high heat in the engine, etc. You might need to replace your oil sooner. I feel like an engine wears no matter what. Keeping good tip top shape oil inside the engine prevents any unnecessary friction and really delays that wear. I really wouldn't go past 10K miles no matter what anyone says.

I have decided I'll switch to synthetic after my oil life monitor tells me to change my oil. Now Mobil 1 or Amsoil. I am having trouble deciding which one actually has better wear protection.

 

[midnightsun]

1 extra reason to switch to a Good Synthetic oil. At -40 its still liquid. For us in the north this is a big thing. Old days you would need to plug in your car or use a dipstick heater to keep the oil from freezing. Running a car or truck with frozen oil is bad news.

FILTRATION

You can all run the best oil in the world but if the filter does a bad job at collecting the super small particles the oil pump will continue to circulate the particles with the expensive oil. Most filters are rated to collect 20 & 10 micron sized particles. The water you drink for instance passes through a 1 micron filter.... injectables a .25 micron filter. This is why changing the FILTER is very important. Even with a full Synthetic oil lasting 25K miles , one should change the filter multiple times over that 25K.
The only oil wasted is the oil in the filter...so after the filter change you top off the oil....it shouldn't be much considering you filled the NEW filter with oil right before you installed it.