96 Linclon Continental

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Hi,

I searched lots of places to get the answers for the following questions but I couldn't, so thought of posting it here.

I own a 96 Lincoln continental (120k miles) (used car), manual says I need to use Ford Motorcraft synthetic blend oil or engine oils that meets Ford specification ESE M2C153E and of vicosity 5w30. And never to use oils labelle API SA, SB...SG. The questions are -

1. Can I use fully synthetic oils of 5w30?
2. Can I use oils like Valvoline/ Mobil/ Castrol or they don't meet these requirements? As some of these oils do mention about API SG SH etc
3. Can I use the Walmart brand oil?
4. Can I use regular conventional oil (given the mileage on the car)?
5. Can I switch between synthetic, synthetic blend & conventional oils back and forth?
6. I drive about 6 miles everyday, how often do I need to change oil & oil filter? Would it vary if I were to drive 100 miles a day?
7. Does using a 5w20 or lesser viscosity oil increase mileage but provide the same protection to the engine? If my geographic location would matter then I live in Atlanta GA fyi.
8. In general, what are the general checks we need to do in order to drive the care for as many miles as possible? I only change the engine oil regularly.
9. Do the continentals hold upto 300k or 400k?

Thanks,
 
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to BITOG!

Oils have come a long way since '96 and today's "off the shelf" oils are very very good and suitable for use in 99% of vehicles on the road.

1. Can I use fully synthetic oils of 5w30?
YES

2. Can I use oils like Valvoline/ Mobil/ Castrol or they don't meet these requirements? As some of these oils do mention about API SG SH etc.
You can use these brands with confidence, but I would stick to the latest rating of SM/GF-4 to ensure cleanliness and superior performance.

3. Can I use the Walmart brand oil?
YES as long as it meets the SM/GF-4 Specification for the reason mentioned in #2

4. Can I use regular conventional oil (given the mileage on the car)?
YES, keep it SM/GF4 Rated for the same reason as in #2


5. Can I switch between synthetic, synthetic blend & conventional oils back and forth?
YES, or you could try making your own 50% mix between Syn & Conventional as this can be much better than some Syn-Blends IMO. I would also stick with the same brands when doing this eg: Valvoline Dino & Valvoline Syn


6. I drive about 6 miles everyday, how often do I need to change oil & oil filter? Would it vary if I were to drive 100 miles a day?
Every 5K Miles or 4 Months if Dino, and every 7K miles if Syn. If you drove 100 miles a day then you could increase the Dino to 6K miles and the Syn to 10K miles if using a quality syn because the oil would be getting up to temperature and burning off any fuel or moisture that engine start up and short trips can cause. Make sure you use a quality oil filter for any of these applications because a good filter goes a long way.



7. Does using a 5w20 or lesser viscosity oil increase mileage but provide the same protection to the engine? If my geographic location would matter then I live in Atlanta GA fyi.
If Ford says 5w20 is suitable for your climate and your engine then the answer is YES and you shouldn't listen to the rhetoric sometimes posted on BITOG. Otherwise the answer could be NO


8. In general, what are the general checks we need to do in order to drive the care for as many miles as possible? I only change the engine oil regularly.
Keep an eye on all fluid levels and their condition and change according to the owners manual or when they show signs of degradation. Regular tune-ups and required maintenance coupled with proper fluids and level will make a car last a very long time trouble free

9. Do the continentals hold up to 300k or 400k?
With proper maintenance any car should hold up to 300K, especially this vehicle. You could probably get 400K out of that engine if you are meticulous about its upkeep. Write these down and post them in your Garage:

"Look after your car and your car will look after you!"
_
"Pennies today mean dollars tomorrow"
_
"Healthy topped up fluids is 99% of the battle."

Also spending up to $1200/yr ($100/Mo) to keep a car in tip-top condition and on the road beats the $6K/yr in your average vehicle payment! Taking this saved money and putting it into retirement savings is even smarter
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Steve
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1. Yes
2. Yes, these oils probably meet a current/recent API rating that supercedes those you listed. SM is the most recent, you may also use SL or SJ rated oils.
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. Yes
6. 6 miles per day is considered severe service, according to Ford you should change the oil every 3k. If you drive 100 miles per day, Ford recommends every 5k. You could probably bump that to 5k/7.5k with today's oils. Does your continental have an oil life monitoring system? My '95 Mark VIII did...
7. This topic is subject to much debate, according to Ford you can gain 0.06% in fuel economy with 5w20 and not reduce engine durability. Personally I would stick with the 5w30 in your climate.
8. You are on the right track, keep all lubricants at the appropriate fill levels, and change as needed, especially the transmission. This would be a good question for the mechanical/maintenance section.
9. I have seen them with 300-400k on ebay. The transmissions and air suspension normally need attention well before the 300k mark.
 
StevieC , Rob_Roy Thanks much for your replies!

Rob_Roy - I do have an oil level indicator however I don't think it takes into consideration the quality of the oil, it just shows up whenever the oil level is low.

StevieC -
how many months is it when Syn is used? - Every 5K Miles or 4 Months if Dino, and every 7K miles if Syn.

I will check and update the thread about the Walmart Brand rating.

And the manual states I need to use Ford's specification Motorcraft Mercon ATF for power steering fluid, does it mean I have to use the Automatic Transmission fluid for the power steering too or is it a different one exclusively for power steering?

Thanks Again!
 
Most companies that manufacture synthetic engine oil recommend that you change it at least every 12 months.

The 4.6 in your car is typically very easy on oil...but can be fussy about oil filters. Motorcraft oil filters are a great choice for your car, the anti-drainback valve works very well and they are inexpensive. Do you have any clatter from the timing chains when you first start it after being parked overnight?

You should use a transmission fluid that meets Ford's Mercon V spec. in your transmission, you can also use it in the power steering.
 
Originally Posted By: youngking21
StevieC , Rob_Roy Thanks much for your replies!

...

StevieC -
how many months is it when Syn is used? - Every 5K Miles or 4 Months if Dino, and every 7K miles if Syn.

I will check and update the thread about the Walmart Brand rating.

And the manual states I need to use Ford's specification Motorcraft Mercon ATF for power steering fluid, does it mean I have to use the Automatic Transmission fluid for the power steering too or is it a different one exclusively for power steering?

Thanks Again!


You're welcome!
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As for the Syn oil time I wouldn't go past 6 Months.

As for the Transmission / Power steering. It's the same fluid for both. I would recommend that you change your transmission fluid/filter at no more than 30K Miles as you could save yourself a huge overhaul job later. Use only the correct specification fluid, and I would recommend a synthetic like Amsoil, Mobil-1, Castrol or Valvoline. (Amsoil is my first choice and what I use. It has been great in all transmission I have used it in.)

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Hi guys,

I found the following prices/qt -

1. Walmart conventional oil - about $2
2. Walmart synthetic oil - about $4
3. Motocraft synthetic blend - about $3
4. Valvoline - about $5
5. Castrol - about $5/$6

Now all of the above have SM classification,

1. Is Castrol synthetic oil with SM classification better than Walmart synthetic oil with SM classification? If yes, then why?

2. For my car, what would you suggest me to use? If it's synthetic then is it just as a rule of thumb or for my engine that's what is good?

3. And the oil level goes low after about 3 months, I put about 7 Qts of oil in April 1st week, now when I changed the oil only about 5 Qts were drained. Is this normal? I don't remember seeing oil leak, I'll look for it this time though.

I'm getting the following codes - P1071 & P1074 of late, do you guys know if this is something we can do ourselves or what they are or how much it might cost if given to a mechanic? Can I ignore those codes or do I need to get it fixed soon?

Rob_Roy,

Do you have any clatter from the timing chains when you first start it after being parked overnight?

No. I sometimes get the screeching noise from the belt, for which my friend told me to just rub it againt soap to make it soft.

Thanks,
 
As far as the codes I can't find 1071 or 1074. I think you mean 0174 and 0171. These are lean codes that can cause pinging. I had that problem with my Merc. Just clean the MAF sensor and it may clear them up.
 
Yes, you're right I meant 0171 & 0174, they are lean codes, I had cleared it before but they came back after a few days. Can I ignore them?
 
Originally Posted By: youngking21
Yes, you're right I meant 0171 & 0174, they are lean codes, I had cleared it before but they came back after a few days. Can I ignore them?


I would not ignor them. It,s easy to clean the MAF sensor. If you need help with that we can advise.Try it again.
and clear out the codes.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all your help!

Could you tell me how to clean the MAF sensor please? And if you could answer the other questions it will be great.

Thanks,
 
Originally Posted By: youngking21

Thanks for all your help!

Could you tell me how to clean the MAF sensor please? And if you could answer the other questions it will be great.

Thanks,



On my Grand Marquis it's simple.
Loosen the
air intake hose from the MAF sensor.
Remove the air cleaner housing, top half.
Remove the power lead that plugs into the MAF sensor.
Aquire MAF sensor cleaner from auto parts.
Spray the tiny wires in the sensor, you can see them, but do not touch them. That's important.
Let the sensor dry and re install.
Clear trouble codes from computer.

I apologize for being a bit disjointed. If you have further questions send a PM. Be glad to help.
 
Thanks much for your reply!

I will try this next weekend, already planned up for this weekend
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Thanks again and I'll PM you if I have any question.
 
Yeah, not a good idea to run around with those codes. I had to replace my MAF when I had a 94 T-Bird with the 4.6 HO. It ran better with it unplugged in the meantime.

Either way, when it's dirty/bad, running lean makes your engine ping/valves chatter. You can hear this under mid to full acceleration. Not a good sound. I wouldn't wait any longer than you have to, it's a 10 minute (10 minute tops) fix.
 
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