Ford Bronco Sport Badlands How To Change The Oil Video

[sajohnson]

It's precisely this kind of (intentional?) confusion that prompted passage of the Magnuson-Moss Act. Manufacturers are expressly forbidden from "tie-in" sales provisions that state or imply that a consumer must buy or use an item or service from a particular company to keep their warranty intact. The "specification" listed in the manual is a Ford specification, not an industry specification, and under the act Ford cannot require you to use it. This is why your owner's manual contains the following statement under the section titled, "Oil Capacity and Specication."

The highlighted section in the above quote defines the oil requirement for warranty purposes. If it's an API-certified 5W20 oil that meets API's SP standard then Ford cannot deny warranty coverage. Any attempt to do so by Ford would be a violation of Federal law.

Good reply.

I am as big a fan of Magnuson-Moss as anyone -- and my comments over the last year+ here show that I am hardly a Ford fanboy.

That said, it's possible that a mfr "spec" or certification that does *not* require the purchase of parts and/or supplies from a specific mfr or vendor may not be a violation of Magnuson-Moss.

For example, MB has an oil spec (229.51) for the oil used in our RV's Sprinter chassis. There are literally dozens of oil companies that make oil that meets MB 229.51 (several in the US, many others world-wide). None of them are associated with MB (AFAIK).

Anyway, that's an area that's unclear to me. It seems like as long as the owner has at least a few choices (unrelated to the vehicle mfr) that's probably legal.

Now, if it turned out that the Ford spec oil was only available from Ford dealers, then it would clearly be time for a smack-down.

One game that gets played is that oil companies must *pay* for certification from auto mfrs. Some simply decide it's not worth it. One oil mfr (Amalie) rep told me that they paid MB the fee for a few years, but had recently decided it wasn't worth it. It was the exact same oil, but because they did not cough up the money, they could not use the official wording -- like, "MB Approval 229.51" (or similar). Mfrs who do not pay MB, must use alternate wording, similar to, "Complies with MB 229.51".

In short, it gets pretty ridiculous.

Personally, if I can get Mobil 1 or some other synthetic that that meets API's SP standard *and* Ford's '961-A1', great. If not, I agree that any 5W30 oil that has API SP certification should satisfy the warranty requirements.

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[sajohnson]

The following relatively inexpensive oil is 5W30; API-SP. All except #3 also meet Ford #961-A1:

1) Mobil (not Mobil 1) Full Synthetic -- Costco sells it for $33 for 6 quart case. Specs:
https://www.global.mobil.com/en/lubricants/products/products/mobil-full-synthetic-5w-30
(Scroll down, check 5W30 column for 961-A1 approval)
$5.50 per quart. Name brand, meets all requirements.

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
$6 per quart. Name brand, meets all requirements.

3) The following oil is 5W30; API-SP; but does not specifically claim to meet Ford #961-A1. By definition though, any API-SP should meet (or exceed) Ford's 961-A1:

* Kirkland Full Synthetic (Costco, $50 for 12 quart case). Blended by Warren:
https://pqia.org/kirkland-full-synthetic-sae-5w-30-motor-oil/
<$4.20 per quart(!) Meets Ford's warranty requirements.
FYI: Kirkland vs Super Tech:


Spoiler: They're both good, both from Warren, may be the same oil.
Both are said to be the same as Warren "Mag1" (same license #): https://mag1.com/products/33/pds/
Ford specs listed, but not 961-A1


EDIT to add:

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
$5.40 per quart for name brand full synthetic that checks all of the boxes.

 

[FakeCowboy]

Good reply.

I am as big a fan of Magnuson-Moss as anyone -- and my comments over the last year+ here show that I am hardly a Ford fanboy.

That said, it's possible that a mfr "spec" or certification that does *not* require the purchase of parts and/or supplies from a specific mfr or vendor may not be a violation of Magnuson-Moss.

For example, MB has an oil spec (229.51) for the oil used in our RV's Sprinter chassis. There are literally dozens of oil companies that make oil that meets MB 229.51 (several in the US, many others world-wide). None of them are associated with MB (AFAIK).

Anyway, that's an area that's unclear to me. It seems like as long as the owner has at least a few choices (unrelated to the vehicle mfr) that's probably legal.

Now, if it turned out that the Ford spec oil was only available from Ford dealers, then it would clearly be time for a smack-down.

One game that gets played is that oil companies must *pay* for certification from auto mfrs. Some simply decide it's not worth it. One oil mfr (Amalie) rep told me that they paid MB the fee for a few years, but had recently decided it wasn't worth it. It was the exact same oil, but because they did not cough up the money, they could not use the official wording -- like, "MB Approval 229.51" (or similar). Mfrs who do not pay MB, must use alternate wording, similar to, "Complies with MB 229.51".

In short, it gets pretty ridiculous.

Personally, if I can get Mobil 1 or some other synthetic that that meets API's SP standard *and* Ford's '961-A1', great. If not, I agree that any 5W30 oil that has API SP certification should satisfy the warranty requirements.

By all means, you do you but when it comes to a potential $8k warranty repair for an engine I'm not about to go with any "should" statements especially when there are plenty of good, relatively cheep full synthetics out there which DO meet Ford's specifications.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Thanks for the video. I use Mobil 1 meeting Ford spec and and save receipts.

Dealer Service Pack of 12 Motorcraft filters available at Rockauto. Great price.

 

[sajohnson]

By all means, you do you but when it comes to a potential $8k warranty repair for an engine I'm not about to go with any "should" statements especially when there are plenty of good, relatively cheep full synthetics out there which DO meet Ford's specifications.

I've said in other posts that I plan to use oil that has Ford 961-A1 approval. That said, Ford's warranty statement 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."

There is no mention of the internal Ford spec (961-A1) -- just SP.

Again, I plan to use oil that has 961-A1 approval, but it is not necessary to maintain warranty coverage.

I've been working on cars for almost half a century. Car guys have always been fanatical about oil change intervals, and brands of oil and filters. That's a good thing, but at the same time, from my experience and what I've read over the decades -- under normal use, engine failure is extremely rare to begin with, and engines essentially never fail due to some deficiency in the oil -- that's assuming that it is changed at appropriate intervals and is the recommended viscosity and API service classification (e.g. not 40 year old API-SF or something).

In short, if 961-A1 approved oil was hard to find, or very expensive, I would just follow Ford's advice and use any 5W30 API-SP oil -- except I'd use full synthetic, which is almost certainly better than their 20% 'blend'.

If some owners want to save money by using a 5W30 API-SP 100% synthetic oil without the Ford spec, there's nothing wrong with that. They would be complying with Ford's requirements. Using oil that meets the Ford spec (which is essentially API-SP) just gives the dealer one less straw to potentially grasp at. In the highly unlikely chance that there is engine failure that is covered (not the owner's fault) the dealer should know better than to try and deny the claim because the oil does not meet Ford's internal spec. If they did, the arbitrator would laugh them out of the room. That said, as you pointed out, "...there are plenty of good, relatively cheep full synthetics out there which DO meet Ford's specifications." So my personal choice is the same as yours -- to go with an oil that meets Ford's spec -- but only because it's not difficult or expensive to do.

 

[sajohnson]

To supplement the OP video...

I just changed the oil in the BS BL yesterday. It went pretty smoothly, except:

* I searched quite a bit and could not find any torque specs. They're like a state secret.
* I could not even find tightening instructions for the 910-S filter! Nothing on the box or the filter.
* This can't be helped, but for anyone who is unaware, when the filter is loosened, some oil runs out. I was ready for that possibility because my 2002 WRX does the same thing.
* When removing the skid plate, it is best to try not to be under it, or if you are, keep it level because dirt accumulates on top.
* Operator error: I absentmindedly slid the skid plate onto the two rear bolts and started securing it. I had the other 4 bolts installed (part way) before realizing -- D'oh! -- I had forgotten to slip the plate on top of the plastic piece first. Just something to keep in mind.

It's not difficult, but it does take longer than a typical oil change.

A cynical person might think Ford does not appreciate owners doing their own maintenance. I tried 3 times to create a service record at https://www.ford.com/support/service-history/
and kept seeing:
"Oops! Something went wrong adding your entry. Please refresh and try again later."

Of course when you refresh the page you must start from scratch. I'll try again tomorrow.

 

[PaulOinMA]

I also received the same message when I tried to add service records on my previous Escape. I gave up.

 

[Jrl]

To supplement the OP video...

I just changed the oil in the BS BL yesterday. It went pretty smoothly, except:

* I searched quite a bit and could not find any torque specs. They're like a state secret.
* I could not even find tightening instructions for the 910-S filter! Nothing on the box or the filter.
* This can't be helped, but for anyone who is unaware, when the filter is loosened, some oil runs out. I was ready for that possibility because my 2002 WRX does the same thing.
* When removing the skid plate, it is best to try not to be under it, or if you are, keep it level because dirt accumulates on top.
* Operator error: I absentmindedly slid the skid plate onto the two rear bolts and started securing it. I had the other 4 bolts installed (part way) before realizing -- D'oh! -- I had forgotten to slip the plate on top of the plastic piece first. Just something to keep in mind.

It's not difficult, but it does take longer than a typical oil change.

A cynical person might think Ford does not appreciate owners doing their own maintenance. I tried 3 times to create a service record at https://www.ford.com/support/service-history/
and kept seeing:
"Oops! Something went wrong adding your entry. Please refresh and try again later."

Of course when you refresh the page you must start from scratch. I'll try again tomorrow.

I found this .

 

[Mark S.]

* I could not even find tightening instructions for the 910-S filter! Nothing on the box or the filter.

Clean the sealing surface on the engine filter mount, apply a bit of oil to the filter seal, tighten by hand until the seal contacts the filter mount, then another 3/4 turn. If you have gorilla hands you don't even need a filter wrench, but it's a lot easier having one.

 

[sajohnson]

Clean the sealing surface on the engine filter mount, apply a bit of oil to the filter seal, tighten by hand until the seal contacts the filter mount, then another 3/4 turn. If you have gorilla hands you don't even need a filter wrench, but it's a lot easier having one.

Thanks Mark -- that's exactly what I ended up doing. 1/2 turn after contact was easy by hand, then it became more difficult so I switched to the wrench to go to 3/4.

Based on the literally 100+ oil changes I've done since the mid '70s, I figured that was a good ballpark.

They can vary though. I've seen anywhere from 1/2 turn after contact to 1 full turn.

This is the first time in almost 50 years that I have seen an oil filter without instructions on the filter itself or the box.

 

[sajohnson]

I found this .

Thanks Jrl.

That's essentially what I did:

"Support>Service History >2022 Ford Bronco Sport"

Then my VIN was auto-filled and the screen looks like this:

I clicked on "Add Record +" and saw this (partial image):

There's not much more to it, except clicking "oil change" under "scheduled services"; your notes (I listed oil and filter used); and the box that indicates you agree that Ford is not responsible for anything, ever.

Then click submit. I just did that and got the same error message:

"Oops! Something went wrong adding your entry. Please refresh and try again later."

I'm surprised they don't say: "Give up and go to your local Ford dealer."

 

[PaulOinMA]

Yup. Very easy to enter everything.

 

[sajohnson]

More info on service record entry.

According to this thread, the "adding a service record" feature has been discontinued:

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/fordpass-app-removes-adding-a-service-record-option.60950/

There is not 100% agreement that's the case, but the OP said 2 different CSRs told him the same thing.

<Later> I just used the FordPass app on my phone and it worked. Now though, I cannot see the complete record (on the phone) -- only a page that has 2 options: edit record, or delete. I clicked on edit and the rest of the entry came up, but there is no record of the VIN anywhere, which seems strange.

Now I see that what I entered using FordPass on my phone is showing up on the webpage:
https://www.ford.com/support/service-history/

I tried to add to the notes using my laptop (I hate typing on a phone so I cut them short). At first it looked like I was going to be able to but when I clicked "Submit" I git the dreaded error message.

Other than that, the record is complete, although for oil I just wrote "Mobil 1 5W30 API-SP" (and Motorcraft FL-910S for the filter).

 

[sajohnson]

It's one year later and I just finished another oil & filter change.

Just a few brief additions:

* When reinstalling the skid plate, I left the 6 bolts loose so i could line up the holes for the 4 T-30 machine screws that secure the plastic to the plate. Even though the skid plate was free to move, and the holes in the plastic are relatively large, the speed nuts did not line up well with the holes in the plastic. The nuts can move a bit, but not enough. I was able to get the screws installed but it was tight. Oddly, I don't recall that being an issue last time.

* One of the screws would not tighten up. It's probably snug enough, but unlike the other 3, it feels like the nut is not fully engaged with the screw. If I make it more than just snug, it slips a thread.

* I mentioned this above, but just a reminder that when the filter is removed quite a bit of oil pours out.

* When the drain plug is removed, most of the oil shoots forward, but some drains straight down -- so a large diameter drain pan is handy.

* Contrary to last time, I was able to enter the oil change info in the Ford Pass account using my laptop.

* Tools required:
13 mm socket for 6 each skid plate bolts (remove front 4, loosen 2 in rear slots).
15 mm socket for drain plug

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