Blackstone Oil Analysis

[V8 Yankee]

Yes, 10000 miles interval.

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[V8 Yankee]

Was the coolant being sprayed out somewhere into the engine compartment or onto the under hood insulation material? One owner reported both the alternator and the water pump had to be replaced (the spray hit the alternator and eventually caused it to fail)

Seems like a black light would have been useful for the dealership to detect where the ~24oz coolant every 5k miles was going

There was no visual sign of the leak. I even purchad a endoscope to look in the places I couldn't see. I occaisionally smelled a faint coolant odor while driving but so faint I wasn't sure if it was my car or one near me. The overnight test on a cold engine thankfully confirmed it.

 

[V8 Yankee]

Final Post on Oil Analysis and Water Pump Replacement

First, regarding the oil change. I’ve moved away from the old-school mindset of changing oil every 3,000 miles. With my V8, I’ve extended that interval to 5,000 miles, mainly due to advancements in oil and filter technology—and because I can now afford the "good stuff." Given that my 1.5L engine only has three cylinders, it makes sense that the oil change interval can be extended even further.

My Blackstone oil analysis showed that the Amsoil I used was still performing well, so I’ve decided to go with 10,000-mile oil changes. My 390ci engine oil capacity is the same as my 92ci (1.5L). I believe that if I had tested the oil in my 390ci at 10,000 miles, the analysis would have shown depleted additives, higher PPM of carbon and fuel, and significantly more particulates from engine wear. Three-cylinder engines, even with a turbo, are easier on oil—even when consistantly driven hard and fast.

Now, on to my recent water pump replacement. I’m happy to have finally resolved the vanishing coolant issue and caught it before my Powertrain Warranty expired. However, I’m not as pleased with the handling of my serpentine belt replacement.

I asked the dealer to replace the old belt with a new one, which I was willing to pay for, as it wasn’t part of the water pump replacement. Since they had to remove the belt to do the repair anyway, I assumed it would be a simple swap. The dealer agreed—but only if I paid $300 in labor, the standard charge for a standalone belt replacement. After I questioned the excessive cost, they offered a $150 discount. However, I was told that policy required them to separate the two repairs.

I believe some dealers would have simply replaced the belt for the cost of the part, without an additional labor charge. Out of principle, I couldn’t accept even the reduced $150 fee. Instead, I’ll just replace it myself at my convenience.

 

[Mark S.]

My Blackstone oil analysis showed that the Amsoil I used was still performing well, so I’ve decided to go with 10,000-mile oil changes.

Data is king.

 

[ATLAS BLUE BADLANDS]

Yes, 10000 miles interval.

What is the maximum number of months you would go between changes? I had a 2007 GMC 2500 Duramax V-8 diesel truck and tried some Blackstone oil tests with it. Showed it could go easily 12 months or 10,000 miles with just occasionally towing. The oil tests opened my eyes to how wasteful 3 months and 3,000 mile oil changes are.

With these little hard working Ford 4 banger engines I stick with the recommendation of 7,500 or 6 months. 1 year or 10,000 just seems way too much. But you bet the oil can do it.

 

[Mark S.]

But you bet the oil can do it.

He's not betting, he had it tested. It's not a wager if you have the data.

BTW, I'm pretty sure your manual says change the oil when recommended by the IOLM or at one year, whichever comes first.

 

[ATLAS BLUE BADLANDS]

He's not betting, he had it tested. It's not a wager if you have the data.

BTW, I'm pretty sure your manual says change the oil when recommended by the IOLM or at one year, whichever comes first.

Yes it does around page 415:

"Your vehicle comes with the Intelligent
Oil-Life Monitor system, a message
appears in the instrument cluster display
at the proper oil change interval. This
interval may be up to one year or 10,000 mi.

When the oil change message appears in
the instrument cluster display, it is time for
an oil change. Make sure you perform the
oil change within two weeks or 500 mi
of the message appearing. Make
sure to reset the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor
after each oil change. See Resetting the
Intelligent Oil Life Monitor (page 289).
If your instrument cluster display resets
prematurely or becomes inoperative, you
should perform the oil change interval at
six months or 5,000 mi (8,000 km) from
your last oil change. Never exceed one year
or 10,000 mi between oil change intervals ."

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/Catalog/owner_information/2024_Ford_Bronco_Sport_Owners_Manual_version_1_om_EN-US.pdf

 

[ATLAS BLUE BADLANDS]

Interesting read from Bronco Nation:

"Ford recommends changing the oil in your Bronco Sport every 7,500 miles or at least once per year, whichever comes first. It is important to conduct regular maintenance and not rely solely on the oil life indicator, and it's important to note that driving conditions can vary, and certain circumstances might require more frequent oil changes. For example, if you frequently drive in extreme weather conditions, take your Sport off-road, or tow near your capacity, you may need to change the oil more frequently.

Here is a video that discusses oil changes and their importance, especially with turbo engines like the Bronco Sport. In this video, Brian Makuloco of the Ford Tech Makuloco channel recommends scheduling an oil change at 5,000 miles and to run a full synthetic oil."



https://thebronconation.com/news/bronco-sport-oil-change-keeping-your-vehicle-running-smoothly-t.18323/

 

[V8 Yankee]

What is the maximum number of months you would go between changes? I had a 2007 GMC 2500 Duramax V-8 diesel truck and tried some Blackstone oil tests with it. Showed it could go easily 12 months or 10,000 miles with just occasionally towing. The oil tests opened my eyes to how wasteful 3 months and 3,000 mile oil changes are.

With these little hard working Ford 4 banger engines I stick with the recommendation of 7,500 or 6 months. 1 year or 10,000 just seems way too much. But you bet the oil can do it.

I won't go past the 6 month mark but the fact is I will hit 10K before then. The good thing with having the analysis done is knowing I can extend my intervals. A three cyclinder engine no matter how hard you drive is nothing conmpared to a V8 driven hard. I have a 390 in a 62 Galaxy that has never been rebuilt. I believe it has lasted as long as it has because of my 3 to 4K oil changes. Concerning the 1.5 I am confident I could even go to beyone 10K by a couple of thousand and still test out good using Amsoil. Not sure about other brands without getting testing done. It's to expensive to do it at every change but I am going to test the Pennzoil Ultra Platinum at the next change to see how it stacks up against the Amsoil.

 

[Mark S.]

Interesting read from Bronco Nation:

"Ford recommends changing the oil in your Bronco Sport every 7,500 miles or at least once per year, whichever comes first.

I'm not sure where the author came up with that. She spends the first part of the article explaining how the IOLM works, then suggests you ignore it in favor of 7,500 mile intervals. Confusing.

it's important to note that driving conditions can vary, and certain circumstances might require more frequent oil changes. For example, if you frequently drive in extreme weather conditions, take your Sport off-road, or tow near your capacity, you may need to change the oil more frequently.

This is covered in the Owner's Manual:

I've opined on Brian Makuloco's recommendations in the past. While he may not do it consciously, his opinion is that of a maintenance person who makes his living performing maintenance. Of course he will err on the side of the equation that brings him the most business. If I were to give him the benefit of the doubt I'd suggest that Brian is perhaps attempting to find a middle ground between the normal and special operating conditions maintenance schedules on the assumption that owners will not read the manual and understand when they should NOT follow the IOLM.

My recommendation has always been to simply follow the recommendations in your Owner's Manual--including those covering special operating conditions. This, of course, requires that owners read and understand the manual, which is not something many owners seem willing to do. If you tow, spend a lot of time idling in hot weather, or frequently operate in dusty or sandy conditions you should change your oil more frequently.

 

[ATLAS BLUE BADLANDS]

I won't go past the 6 month mark but the fact is I will hit 10K before then. The good thing with having the analysis done is knowing I can extend my intervals. A three cyclinder engine no matter how hard you drive is nothing conmpared to a V8 driven hard. I have a 390 in a 62 Galaxy that has never been rebuilt. I believe it has lasted as long as it has because of my 3 to 4K oil changes. Concerning the 1.5 I am confident I could even go to beyone 10K by a couple of thousand and still test out good using Amsoil. Not sure about other brands without getting testing done. It's to expensive to do it at every change but I am going to test the Pennzoil Ultra Platinum at the next change to see how it stacks up against the Amsoil.

Wow - How many miles on your Bronco Sport?

Another thing that comes into play on the Duramax V-8 - it holds 10 quarts of oil aka dino crude. ?

 

[V8 Yankee]

I just crossed over the 57K mark. At my next oil change I will do another transmission drain and fill and do the PTU as well. I had the RDU replaced at 40K so I might do it also to get everything in-sync with a 30K interval but keep with the 10K intervals for the engine.

 

[Mark S.]

I won't go past the 6 month mark

What is the reasoning behind this?

 

[V8 Yankee]

Six months is beyond my current miles driven timeline. I put 10K on my vehicle at around the five month mark. I would like to test oil that is one year old and has 10K on it to see how it compares with a fresher oil that has 10K. Testing is a great tool but its not cheap, for now I'll stick with a straight 10K interval. The age of the oil doesn't apply in my case.

 

[Mark S.]

Six months is beyond my current miles driven timeline. I put 10K on my vehicle at around the five month mark.

I get that. I'm just wondering how you decided that you would not exceed six months even if you didn't exceed the mileage mark before then. I understand the reasons for a one-year limit, but not a six-month limit.

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