Oil Use?

[PeteInCT]

Well said !

 

[ihatepotholess]

Went to the dealer for an oil change just now. The tech only put in 8 qt of oil, should I put another half in there? Or am I ok?

 

[PeteInCT]

What does the dipstick say? Just don't overfill...

 

[ihatepotholess]

What does the dipstick say? Just don't overfill...

I only let the car cool off for about 5 minutes, but it is right by the top hole.

 

[PeteInCT]

Then you are fine. When oil is drained there's always a little but that remains in the engine and oil pan.

 

[ihatepotholess]

Then you are fine. When oil is drained there's always a little but that remains in the engine and oil pan.

Thanks!

 

[PeteInCT]

Its a good idea to watch the level regularly. Once a week is a good start. Some of our engines seem to eat oil faster than others. Driving style is a factor but not the sole driver if oil consumption. Try not to let it go below the bottom mark. The difference between the top and bottom marks on the dipstick is about 1 qt. Its a good idea to change it at least every 5000 miles. Much sooner if you track the car.

 

[dabossinnne]

No problem. First one for me also. You can see that others are not using 5-50 and not seeing issues. Its entirely possible that Ford 'strictness' on the proper oil weight is overstated but I'd rather be safe than sorry. As for the brand/ formula of oil used, if you change the oil as much as a lot of us do it's hard to believe there are vast differences in impacts to the engine IMO. I stay away from Royal Purple due to their graphite additives which supposedly can build up in the engine. Other than that I'm not sure how much it really matters ;D

I believe that the "graphite" used in RP (and many other synthetic oil brands) is actually "Moly" (molybdenum disulfide) which, in raw mineral form looks like graphite. From what I've read it's a very common and very beneficial lubricant/oil additive/modifier because of its very low friction properties. It's been used for decades and there is no mystery about it or its properties.

As with anything, there is lots of info out there online discussing moly and its properties, but from what I understand, when used in the right particle size and the right PPM formulation to avoid deleterious interactions with other chemicals and elements in the oil, moly does not present an issue in regards to engine buildup.