Synthetic vs. Conventional Oil

[RSH]

I have my Badlands dealer serviced, they use Motorcraft synthetic blend oil and Motorcraft oil filters.

 

[rdxland]

As I thought, there are a ton of thoughts on this thread. As for our vehicles we are using full synthetic, both are eco-boost engines. (F-150 and Bronco Sport Badlands).

Now for a couple of questions:
1) What is a solid recommendation for span between oil changes for full syn? Ford looks like they recommend 7500, using the recommended synthetic blend. Seeems like it would be higher using full syn. Is 10K miles too much? I have 30K miles on the F-150 and just got the '21 Badlands with 10K miles. Our miles include a high amount of freeway, we live in a small town in Montana.
Oh, full desclosure on the f-150, we use it for towing a 5000lb travel trailer for about 1/3 of its miles. Otherwise, it is a "passenger" vehicle.

2) Using the engine life computer in the vehicles, they are calibrated to the synthetic blend, is there a way to recalibrate, or is it not worth checking into?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
rdxland

 

[Mark S.]

2) Using the engine life computer in the vehicles, they are calibrated to the synthetic blend, is there a way to recalibrate, or is it not worth checking into?

There are two primary reasons to change the oil. The first is loss of lubricity as oil ages. The other, and IMHO more important, is the amount of contaminants the oil holds in suspension. Using a full synthetic will extend the time you may use an oil before lubricity is decreased enough to affect how well it lubricates. A full synthetic cannot, however, hold more contaminants in suspension--that's mainly limited by the sump capacity.

If you use a full synthetic oil and follow the intelligent oil life monitor you will have the best of all worlds: Oil that retains more lubricity throughout its service life, and a change interval that ensures you never have enough contaminants to cause an operational issue.

 

[RSH]

A number of synthetic and synthetic blend oils are so good these days and still relatively cheap that changing them in the 5000 to 7500 mile range doesn't break the bank. If you want maximum usage out of your oil, follow the vehicles oil life monitor.
I have a Badlands, it's dealer serviced and I've been getting the oil changed at 7500 miles, it's not using any oil between changes and I'm running Motorcraft synthetic blend.

 

[Jmuns]

I use full synthetic and have it changed every 5000 along with tire rotation at my Ford dealership.

 

[Mrmike]

Just meet the spec. I had some leftover Mobil1 5-30 full synthetic around but it was petroleum graded for SN service and the book calls for SP. I picked up some newly crafted SP spec even though the oil is probably identical.

More important is probably the filter. You really don't want a filter to either fail or fill up. All modern filters have something for a bypass so you don't lose oil pressure. That means if the filter material fills with crud, you won't know it. It's designed to deliver oil no matter what. You can buy better filters with more material surfaces or a bigger filter. I haven't looked into it much, but a lot of filters have another size that is identical thread and seal but longer (i.e. more material) body. Something like that may exist for these engines.

By the way, I'm using 5-30 because the 2.0 calls for it. I think the 1.5 calls for 0-20. Don't get mixed up and don't just pick another viscosity unless you've done more engineering that the designer has.

My '23 OBX 1.5 calls for 5W-20

 

[PaulOinMA]

The son of friends of my parents did his masters' thesis on oil years ago. The protection offered by synthetic oil is worth the upcharge in cost. Superior protection. Especially cold-weather performance. Things like snowblowers greatly benefit from synthetic oil.

 

[Blue oval fan]

Do my own oil changes every 5k. Motorctaft synthetic blend and motorctaft filter. I get the oil and filter at Walmart for around $35 total. With 5k intervals I'm not concerned about the oil breaking down or fuel dilution with these direct injected engines.

 

[Outback Texan]

...and remember. Ford recommends every 5,000 miles if towing, really hot climate, dusty off roading, etc! I have no trailer hitch on my Badlands, but live in south Texas, and do some off-roading, so I use their synthetic blend very 5,000 miles.

 

[PaulOinMA]

... Motorcraft synthetic blend and Motorctaft filter. I get the oil and filter at Walmart ...

My Walmart doesn't carry Motorcraft anymore.

Looked in the box of a Mobil 1 filter before I bought it, and it had the cheapo blue filter. Gave it to an employee stocking shelves in the next aisle. They picked up a Mobil 1 box on their cart, "and this one was empty."

I bought a sell pack of 12 Motorcraft filters at Rockauto.com last year. $44.64. $3.72 each. Tax and shipping brought it to $54.27. $4.52 each.

Still just $3.74 each as the 12-pack.

2021 FORD BRONCO SPORT 2.0L L4 Turbocharged Oil Filter | RockAuto

 

[Meanderthal]

My Walmart doesn't carry Motorcraft anymore.

Looked in the box of a Mobil 1 filter before I bought it, and it had the cheapo blue filter. Gave it to an employee stocking shelves in the next aisle. They picked up a Mobil 1 box on their cart, "and this one was empty."

I bought a sell pack of 12 Motorcraft filters at Rockauto.com last year. $44.64. $3.72 each. Tax and shipping brought it to $54.27. $4.52 each.

Still just $3.74 each as the 12-pack.

2021 FORD BRONCO SPORT 2.0L L4 Turbocharged Oil Filter | RockAuto

It's more expensive, but every teardown of oil filters I have seen has the WIX oil filter at, or near, the top. Still pretty cheap from RockAuto if you are willing to buy a half dozen or so.

For oil, I have decided to use the Castrol Edge Extended because of the lower NOACK volatility rating I found somewhere for Castrol. The lowest that I saw was for Amsoil but that is harder to get and more expensive. The NOACK is important in a Direct Injection engine to help keep intake valves clean.

 

[GoHack]

The turbocharger runs extremely hot, as well as at high RPM's, so a good Full Synthetic engine oil would be the best option to use now-a-days.

Upon break-in, say at 1000 miles, the oil is still OK.
If anything, simply change the oil filter, and add any missing oil in doing so, since it contains the break-in particles.

Another important issue here though, stay away from the cheap oil filters like Fram for example, and use an OEM Ford Motorcraft, NAPA, Wix, Purolator, just to name some.

 

[GoHack]

After driving some 200 miles Friday, w/1290 miles on the odometer, I decided to stop at my local Ford Dealership when I got home and have my first oil change done. It cost me $99.

Normally on a new vehicle, I would do just the oil filter at that mileage, adding replacement oil as needed, when I use to do my own oil changes, since the oil is still perfectly OK, but I wanted to switch over to Full Synthetic Oil, especially w/the Turbocharger.

I also wanted to get a good look under my vehicle up on the lift in order to get a better look, as well as pictures, at what the underside really looked like on my Badlands, as well as what skid plates that it had.

On my 200-mile trip above, I average around 24.5 - 25 MPG w/Cruise doing 70 MPH, w/my new 235/65/17 Falken Wildpeak A/T Tires I had just purchased, installed.

The following day, I did the same trip, w/the Motorcraft Full Synthetic Oil installed, and I average 27.5 - 28 on the same road, and same speed. That's around a 3 MPG improvement.

I've been using 91 Octane Chevron Gasoline since I purchased my Badlands.

 

[GoHack]

It's more expensive, but every teardown of oil filters I have seen has the WIX oil filter at, or near, the top. Still pretty cheap from RockAuto if you are willing to buy a half dozen or so.

For oil, I have decided to use the Castrol Edge Extended because of the lower NOACK volatility rating I found somewhere for Castrol. The lowest that I saw was for Amsoil but that is harder to get and more expensive. The NOACK is important in a Direct Injection engine to help keep intake valves clean.

The NAPA Gold are said to be manufactured by Wix.

Just how much do you see as being expensive when it comes to an oil filter?

Over the years I have read, heard, and talked w/mechanics of many the horror stories of people using cheap oil filters like Fram's, especially on their brand new, and expensive vehicles. Of filters that have totally disintegrated, leaving filter material in the engine.
If you look at the cut-a-ways of these filters, they are held together w/glued on cardboard on each end of the filtering element. That's junk as I see it.

Please, at the very least, stay w/the Motorcraft OEM filter.

Another point, stay the HELL away from the quick lube places. There too, I have heard countless horror stories. From using the wrong oil filters, not tightening the filter/drain plug, using the wrong oil, including one story of using transmission oil in the engine.

 

[Mrmike]

I use full synthetic and have it changed every 5000 along with tire rotation at my Ford dealership.

Perfect combination in my opinion. That's exactly how I do it myself. Only difference is that I still do it myself. I'm 79 though, so I might have to start going to the dealer soon.