sajohnson

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The oil below all complies with Ford's warranty requirements for the 2.0L engine.
Most mfrs also make a 0W-20 API-SP that complies with Ford's warranty requirements for the 1.5L:

Quote from Ford:

""We recommend Motorcraft motor oil for your vehicle. If Motorcraft oil is not available, use motor oils of the recommended viscosity grade that meet API SP requirements and display the API Certification Mark for gasoline engines."

This is what I've found in searching for what's commonly available in full-synthetic 5W-30 API-SP oil. I did several searches here on the forum and found no similar lists, so I figured I'd post this as a reference.

A majority of these different brands of oil also have Ford "WSS-M2C961-A1" approval. Presumably their 0W-20 has WSS-M2C960-A1 approval as well, but I did not look at 0W-20 oil. The Ford specs are not mentioned as being required in the warranty statement (above), but it doesn't hurt that most of this oil has that approval:

1) Mobil (not Mobil 1) Full Synthetic -- Costco sells it for $33 for 6 quart case ($5.50 per quart):
https://www.costco.com/mobil-full-synthetic-motor-oil,-1-quart6-pack.product.100654565.html
Specs:
https://www.global.mobil.com/en/lubricants/products/products/mobil-full-synthetic-5w-30
(Scroll down, check 5W30 column for 961-A1 approval)

2) Amazon has 5 quart jugs of Mobil 1 for ~$30. (It also has 961-A1 approval):
https://www.amazon.com/Mobil-120764-Synthetic-Motor-5W-30/dp/B00I4E91GI/ref=sr_1_2
https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/for-personal-vehicles/our-products/motor-oils/synthetic-motor-oils
(Helpful application chart):
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b3a7808a9e028bc6c646986/t/606203f084590e35271596d1/1617036273543/EM+SGA+-+Mobil+1+Oil+Selector+Chart+CA+V4+-+1.29.21.pdf

3) Kirkland Full Synthetic (Costco, $50 for 12 quart case, <$4.20 per quart). Blended by Warren:
https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-1-quart-5w20-%26-5w30-full-synthetic-motor-oil,-12-pack.product.100677202.html
https://pqia.org/kirkland-full-synthetic-sae-5w-30-motor-oil/

FYI: Kirkland vs Super Tech:
"Is Costco's Kirkland Motor Oil Safe for Your Car? Let's find out! SuperTech Synthetic vs Kirkland"
Spoiler: They're both good, both from Warren, probably the same oil. Both are the same as Warren's "Mag1": https://mag1.com/products/33/pds/ Ford specs listed, but not 961-A1

4) Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic SAE 5W-30 Motor Oil 5 QT ($27) Meets 961-A1. Dexos1 Gen.3
https://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-SynPower-5W-30-Synthetic-Motor/dp/B00GZKC6DS?th=1
https://team.valvolineglobal.com/full-synthetic-motor-oil

5) CASTROL GTX FULL SYNTHETIC 5W-30 (Meets 961-A1) (About $27 for 5 quart jug).
https://www.castrol.com/en_us/united-states/home/motor-oil-and-fluids/engine-oils/motor-engine-oil-brands/castrol-gtx-brand/castrol-gtx-full-synthetic.html#tab_5w-30

6) Pennzoil Platinum ($26-$27 for 5 quart jug). Ford 961-A1 is not listed in spec sheet or on jug. It's labeled Dexos1 Gen2 (not Gen3 like most others).
https://www.shell-livedocs.com/data/published/en-CA/3770d3e0-4de4-402f-bc0a-90bf7a08a724.pdf

7) Quaker State (~$23 for 5 quart jug). Ford 961-A1 not listed in spec sheet or on jug. It's also Dexos1 Gen2.

It's possible that #6 & 7 have 961-A1 approval but containers and spec sheets have not been updated.

~~~

Needless to say, there are plenty of other brands of oil. This is not meant to be a complete list. I stuck with reasonably priced and readily available oils.

If I find more I'll add them.

I hope it's helpful.
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Mark S.

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For the record, Wally World's Super Tech is the cheapest retail oil I can find. It's $21 for a 5qt jug, or $48 for a 12 qt bag in a box.
 
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sajohnson

sajohnson

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For the record, Wally World's Super Tech is the cheapest retail oil I can find. It's $21 for a 5qt jug, or $48 for a 12 qt bag in a box.
Kirkland (Costco) is right in the ballpark -- $4.20 per quart ($50/12qt. case).

While you're there, you can get a great roasted chicken for $5 or a huge 18" pizza with everything for $10. :cool:

FWIW -- it does seem like they are the same oil. My head is swimming after doing the research, but I recall seeing a claim that Warren's MAG1 -- as well as Kirkland and Super Tech -- do have 961-A1 approval, but I haven't been able to find it.

EDIT: IDK where the prices in the video came from. It was made 3 years ago, so that would account for a slightly lower price, but $12.50 for a 5 quart jug of Kirkland is crazy low, and whatever the prices were, they should have been closer than $12.50 vs $17.50. The current prices are much higher, but close to identical.
 
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Mark S.

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Kirkland (Costco) is right in the ballpark -- $4.20 per quart ($50/12qt. case).

While you're there, you can get a great roasted chicken for $5 or a huge 18" pizza with everything for $10. :cool:

FWIW -- it does seem like they are the same oil. My head is swimming after doing the research, but I recall seeing a claim that Warren's MAG1 -- as well as Kirkland and Super Tech -- do have 961-A1 approval, but I haven't been able to find it.
I can't find a reference for it online (Ford puts its Material Specification documents behind a paywall), but FoMoCo is among the manufacturers that advise the International Lubricant Specification Advisory Committee (ILSAC) on the development of minimum standards for automotive oils. GF-6 is the latest ILSAC standard, and you'll note that Super Tech meets it.

If you want to go completely crazy you can view ILSAC's ready reference guide (you'll need to supply your name and email address). It contain more information about motor oil than you'll ever want to know.
 


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sajohnson

sajohnson

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I can't find a reference for it online (Ford puts its Material Specification documents behind a paywall), but FoMoCo is among the manufacturers that advise the International Lubricant Specification Advisory Committee (ILSAC) on the development of minimum standards for automotive oils. GF-6 is the latest ILSAC standard, and you'll note that Super Tech meets it.

If you want to go completely crazy you can view ILSAC's ready reference guide (you'll need to supply your name and email address). It contain more information about motor oil than you'll ever want to know.
I believe (without looking) that all of the oils I listed meet GF-6.

I just checked the Kirkland, and it does meet ILSAC GF-6A (not sure how that differs from GF-6??).
It is Dexos1 Gen2 (not Gen 3):
https://pqia.org/kirkland-full-synthetic-sae-5w-30-motor-oil/

I'll check out ILSAC's guide later -- right now my brain is kinda fried. :cool:

For now I'll just say that my impression is that essentially any 5W30 API-SP oil is fine -- esp if it is full/100% synthetic -- after all, the Motorcraft oil is only a blend, and from what I've read over the years, most blended oils are only about 20% synthetic.

One last note -- people have pointed out that bottlers typically use up any existing stock of containers that they have. So it's possible (for example) that even if a bottle or jug does not have 961-A1 (or other specs) listed, that does not necessarily mean that the oil does not have that approval.
 

mikldom

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I have always used Supertech oil. Currently my OBX is up to 23,000 miles. Supertech Full Syn at 5w-20 every 3 to 4k miles. New Supertech 3614 filter. The Supertech Full Syn is about 22 bux for a 5 quart if I recall correctly. For good measure I put in Liqui Moly supplement. Can't Hurt. My last ride that I still have is a 2015 Ford Fiesta that is up to 360,000 miles. Still runs perfect, no oil burning or drips and changes every 3 to 5k miles with full synthetic and Lucas at every oil change. Proof is in the pudding. I need my OBX to get to 300k miles. It will in about 6 years with the amount of driving I do using it for work..
 

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961-A1 is intended to address issues Ford has had with premature timing chain guide wear (a big issue on a few models of Ford ecoboost motors) as well as improving low speed pre-ignition. The second one is to help prevent engine damage and carbon buildup. Ford put the spec in place for a reason and it's not just a matter of oil manufacturers paying for the spec. I personally don't care what people use for oil, it's your $8k engine after all but to ignore this important oil specification just because you think you know better seems a little naive to me.
 
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sajohnson

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961-A1 is intended to address issues Ford has had with premature timing chain guide wear (a big issue on a few models of Ford ecoboost motors) as well as improving low speed pre-ignition. The second one is to help prevent engine damage and carbon buildup. Ford put the spec in place for a reason and it's not just a matter of oil manufacturers paying for the spec. I personally don't care what people use for oil, it's your $8k engine after all but to ignore this important oil specification just because you think you know better seems a little naive to me.
It's deja vu all over again...

You posted basically the same comment on another thread. I said there, and I'll repeat, that I intend to use oil that has 961-A1 approval -- even though Ford does not require it.

FWIW -- the description of API-SP is essentially what you said: "...to reduce premature timing chain guide wear as well as reducing low speed pre-ignition." Those are 2 improvements from API-SN/SN+. 961-A1 mirrors that.

Ford's official policy is:

"We recommend Motorcraft motor oil for your vehicle. If Motorcraft oil is not available, use motor oils of the recommended viscosity grade that meet API SP requirements and display the API Certification Mark for gasoline engines."

Period. There is absolutely no mention of 961-A1.

Still, I am using oil that meets that spec for 2 reasons:

1) It's easy to find, and relatively inexpensive -- so why not? If it was expensive, and/or only available from Ford, and a few select mfrs & vendors (to avoid felony charges for violation of Magnuson-Moss) THEN I would just follow Ford's policy and get 5W30 API-SP.

2) Even though it is not mentioned in Ford's warranty policy, using oil that has 961-A1 approval gives the dealer and/or Ford one less thin straw to grasp at if they attempt to deny warranty coverage. But that is really a minor consideration because a) the chance of having an engine blow up is extremely slim; if it did happen there's no way an arbitrator would side with Ford when their own policy specifies: "...oils of the recommended viscosity grade that meet API SP requirements...", and does not mention 961-A1 at all.

It really is a non-issue. There is plenty of reasonably priced oil that meets 961-A1. That said, if someone wants to save a few bucks and uses (say) Kirkland Full Synthetic 5W30 API SP then, according to Ford, they're completely covered.

Personally, I have two 5 quart jugs of Mobil 1 being delivered tomorrow, and I have some Motorcraft 910-S filters. Once the Mobil 1 is gone I may switch to another full synthetic.
 


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sajohnson

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GF-6B is only for SAE 0W-16 viscosity grade oil, and unlike GF-6A it's not backward compatible with older specifications.
Thanks Mark.

I was just wondering about the difference between GF-6 and GF-6A. I've seen both on 5W30 oil containers and spec sheets.

<Later>

Will GF-6 apply to every kind of viscosity grade?
"Almost. There will be a split between 0W-16 viscosity grade engine oils and all other existing ILSAC viscosity grades. GF-6A will represent existing ILSAC viscosity grades and GF-6B will represent 0W-16 viscosity grade oils only."
https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/about-us/mobil-1/mobil-1-modern-engines/ilsac-gf-6

So apparently, originally, there was only GF-6, then at some point GF-6 became 6A and 6B.

That would explain why I've been seeing both GF-6 and 6A.

No point in making things easy I guess... IOW, if they knew they needed 2 standards, why not skip "GF-6" and start with 6A and 6B?

I'm surprised there isn't an SP-1 and SP-2. :rolleyes:

I also found this, from Pennzoil:

What is “GF-6”?
GF-6 is the name of the next ILSAC standard for passenger car motor oils. Drivers for its development include the ongoing push for greater fuel economy and the resulting engine downsizing that has grown the application of Turbocharged Gasoline Direct Injection (TGDI) engines. TGDI engines require increased protection against Low-Speed Pre-Ignition (LSPI) and timing chain wear.

Much like the current American Petroleum Institute (API) specifications for heavy-duty engine oils (CK-4/FA-4),GF-6 will be split into two sub-categories. The distinction between the two is as follows:

GF-6A: Backward-compatible standard for SAE 0W-20, SAE 5W-20, SAE 0W-30, SAE 5W-30, and SAE 10W-30, but not SAE 0W-16. This standard will continue to utilize the starburst symbol for licensing.
GF-6B: New standard for SAE 0W-16 ONLY, developed to meet the needs of specific modern engines. This standard will not be backward-compatible to previous categories and will have a new licensing symbol for bottles.

Why is a GF-6B standard necessary?
"ILSAC has always tried to make its standards “evergreen,” which means they are backward-compatible. Thus, when a new standard is activated, the previous standard becomes obsolete because the latest standard meets the needs of both new and prior engine technologies. However, the new 0W-16 viscosity grade has not been specified for most older engines, as most older engines are not equipped to operate with a lubricant at such a low viscosity.

For this reason, ILSAC determined the need for an ILSAC GF-6A standard, which is backward-compatible, and an ILSAC GF-6B standard, which is ONLY used for SAE 0W-16. Oils meeting the GF-6B standard will NOT be backward-compatible unless specified by an OEM, and this distinction will be noted clearly on eligible Pennzoil Platinum motor oil labels."

See? Simple. :cool:
 

O Nelly

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I think the information is great that has been provided on oils.
But, I've been a Ford owner since 1972, and I've used Ford Synthetic Blended oil ever since it came out. That said, I've never had engine oil related issues in any of my cars. I typically change oil every 4500 to 7000 miles...the longer time if I'm on an extended vacation and headed home. I just feel comfortable using Ford's oil.
 
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sajohnson

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I think the information is great that has been provided on oils.
But, I've been a Ford owner since 1972, and I've used Ford Synthetic Blended oil ever since it came out. That said, I've never had engine oil related issues in any of my cars. I typically change oil every 4500 to 7000 miles...the longer time if I'm on an extended vacation and headed home. I just feel comfortable using Ford's oil.
Nothing wrong with that, O Nelly.

I'm sure Ford's Synthetic Blend oil (and essentially any oil with the proper API rating and viscosity) is perfectly adequate for all but the most extreme conditions -- very hot/cold ambient temps and/or heavy loads (full GCWR or more), etc. Even then it may be OK.

As a practical matter, for almost all of us, there probably isn't much difference between Ford's Synthetic Blend and a full/100% synthetic. In most cases people who take reasonable care of their vehicle find that it begins to fall apart long before the engine dies.

I have a 1993 Nissan NX2000 with 250,000 miles and a 2002 WRX with 200,000+ miles. Both engines run great, but both cars have similar problems -- A/C inop; steering rack issues, etc. That's almost always the case. I used 100% synthetic in both of them, and went with the longer change interval (7,500 miles), but had I used dino oil (and the 5,000 mile interval) I'm almost certain they would have lasted just as long.

My thinking about synthetic oil is that it's 'cheap insurance'. In fact, these days, it's basically 'free insurance'. There is synthetic oil that costs $4 per quart (mostly store brands). Even name brand synthetic oil only costs about $5-$6/quart (of course there are 'boutique' oils that cost more). Point being that using 100% synthetic can cost no more (and sometimes actually less) than conventional (or blended) oil -- so why not?

This may be somewhat of a mute point since the advent of oil life monitors (OLM) but in the past, I felt that using the longer oil change interval was reasonable when using synthetic -- since, for my driving (moderate temps, almost all highway) I could have gone that far with conventional oil (according to the mfrs). So, going 7,500 miles with synthetic vs (say) 5,000 with dino oil meant using synthetic actually cost less. -- less oil, fewer filters, less time, less frequent recycling.

Of course, it's not like we're talking about a huge amount of money...
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