Cold Feet - PP @ 5k miles

[meborder]

2006 expedition 5.4 with 130k miles.

The plan was to use a quality Synthetic to get through the winter months, run it 7500 miles and change it when the weather is warmer.

I'm currently at 5k and the motor just sounds noisy.

If it were summer, I don't think I'd get this feeling like it needs to be changed, but since I last changed the oil, the average low has been 0°F or lower (nov, dec, & jan). So I've had lots of cold morning starts, some of which were -15°F or lower. I went back through the weather log and there were about 28 days that were below zero for the morning low.

I'm just questioning my plan to extend OCI's over the winter months. With the cold mornings and copious warm up times ..... I guess I'm getting cold feet.

the weather is supposed to be almost 30°F tomorrow, so it wouldn't be a bad day to do an oil change.

the last time I tried to do an extended OCI with synthetic over the winter the numbers did not come back so good. (NAPA 5w20):

Code:


OIL Trop 5w30 NAPA 5w20

Artic Synthetic

SynBlend



MILES IN USE 4,989 6,447

MILES 125,086 114,429

SAMPLE TAKEN 10/23/14 06/01/14





Metals (ppm)

IRON 10 45

CHROMIUM
LEAD
COPPER 1 2

TIN
ALUMINUM 4 22

NICKEL
SILVER
TITANIUM
VANADIUM



Contaminants (ppm)

SILICON 8 10

SODIUM 17 278

POTASSIUM


Additives (ppm)

MAGNESIUM 14 118

CALCIUM 2044 1792

BARIUM
PHOSPHORUS 690 627

ZINC 761 730

MOLYBDENUM 15 6

BORON 70 9



Contaminants

WATER
Coolant No No



Physical Tests

Visc (cSt 100C) 8.9 9.0



TBN (mgKOH/g) 2.6 2.5


what says the group?

Currently filled with PP 5w30 and a Bosch D+ filter.

the motor just sounds noisy to me ... more so than normal.

if I change it now there won't be a UOA. if I change it in another month, i'll probably do a UOA.

seems like a waste to dump the PP, but oil is cheaper than an engine.

 

[jk_636]

Dump it and replace it with a 0w20. Oil is cheap, motor is expensive, your weather is too cold. Don't gamble but still do a UOA

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Sounds like a filter issue - but foirst have its had a good long (1 hr) hhigh load highway run in the past month? High % water I the oil will cause engine noise.
Ive only had reasonably quiet sub zero start and run with in winter QSGB for Mineral and Motul EcoNErgy 5w30. Proper viscosity and good VI is only one part of a lubricant's job. I doubt you oil is toast. Try a Champion non-ecore filter or a big wix.
Looks like your engine doesn't like 20 grade oils. But you could drain 1 qt and add a fresh qt of PP 0w20. That might be the economical thing to do and easily get you o spring and 7K miles for 6 bucks outlay and put you near the 20 grade viscosity.

I feel for you , Im BREAKING IN and engine with scores of near zero and sub zero starts with 5w30.

 

[Doog]

I always change my PP in my cars at 5000 like the manufacture suggests. But I am all severe service with a 2 mile commute to work.

I'll be changing 2 cars tomorrow here because its supposed to get to 39F. Dump & run baby!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Try changing the filter first.

 

[meborder]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Sounds like a filter issue - but foirst have its had a good long (1 hr) hhigh load highway run in the past month? High % water I the oil will cause engine noise.
Ive only had reasonably quiet sub zero start and run with in winter QSGB for Mineral and Motul EcoNErgy 5w30. Proper viscosity and good VI is only one part of a lubricant's job. I doubt you oil is toast. Try a Champion non-ecore filter or a big wix.
Looks like your engine doesn't like 20 grade oils. But you could drain 1 qt and add a fresh qt of PP 0w20. That might be the economical thing to do and easily get you o spring and 7K miles for 6 bucks outlay and put you near the 20 grade viscosity.

I feel for you , Im BREAKING IN and engine with scores of near zero and sub zero starts with 5w30.


as usual I don't seem to add enough detail ... sorry.

I live 20 miles from work, so there are no "short trips" by the time I've dropped off my kiddo at daycare it's been running for a solid 30 minutes.

it also has been using 1 qt every 2k miles, so I've added 3 quarts of oil so far this OCI.

I think I'm going to walmart on my way home and getting 10 quarts of something else. maybe QSUD, maybe Syntec ....

the Bosch D+ should be good for 15k miles (or so I hear), but I think it's going to get dumped and replaced with either a NAPA gold, or Motorcraft. I normally use MC filters, but i'll pick up a NAPA Gold filter on the way home Just in case I don't have one.

well ... I tried.
not making it to 7500. maybe this summer.

 

[147_Grain]

Cold winter months are harder on the engine and oil than in the summer. Cold starts at lower temps increase wear, so it's prudent to shorten the OCI in the winter months.

 

[Oily_hair]

I went through the same thing as the OP with PP 5w30 and with 5000 miles on the oil. It was definitely sounding noisier while warming up. I switched the oil a couple of days ago to Valvoline Synpower 5w30 and this morning which was one of the coldest days of the year was very quiet and smooth sounding,

 

[otis24]

Do you have a Dodge/Chrysler van? I use one quart every 1k miles. I changed oil in late Sept or early Oct. With Pennz Platinum. I have about 5k on the oil. There was a Mobil 1 study where they ran the oil about 18k miles. The study showed that as little as a half quart of top-off oil did a lot to replinish the additives. Changing the filter also did a lot to extend the oil's life. I am debating whether or not to push the oil to 10k, given the fact that I will have added about 8quarts of oil by the time I reach 10k. The second option would be to change every 6 months; April 1st and Oct 1st. If i could afford it, I would do a UOA after 6 months just to see how topping off is extending the oil life. If I decide to go10k, I may change the filter (Napa Gold). i am in Chamberlain, BTW. I do drive short distances, 2 miles to work, 2 miles home. The wind coming off the Missouri River gets mighty cold!

 

[meborder]

it was 40 degrees out today so i took off from work an hour early, hit wally world and NAPA on the way home. people in south dakota don't often squander a 40 degree day in february (or they shouldn't)

got 10 qts of Castrol Edge (black bottle) 5w30 and a napa gold filter. i was actually going to get QSUD, but it was $21/5qts and the Edge was $25/5qts, so i figured i'd get an oil i DO like, instead of one that i DON'T like since the price was so close.

MUCH quieter!

i drove it another 40 miles here tonight after the oil change and it is definitely making less noise all around.

sorry, SOPUS. i tried. i've never liked pennzoil, and i guess i just never will. i drank the koolaid and didn't much care for the taste.

maybe the Edge won't be any better, but i've been happy with it in the past, so we'll see.

I live outside of sioux falls. work right across the street from the new walmart on marion ... handy (sometimes TOO handy).

 

[otis24]

The new Wally World on Marion is handy for us too. So nice just to buzz off the interstate, or hit it on the way home. Where do you work?

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Try changing the filter first.


x2

Do these engines really get noisy when they need an oil change? Assuming the level is correct, I would imagine they would sound the same regardless.

 

[SilverC6]

Doesn't look like that NAPA Valvoline was working very well for you.

You'll feel better with Castrol in the Ford.

5W-30 may be the right choice for your engine.

 

[meborder]

Originally Posted By: otis24
The new Wally World on Marion is handy for us too. So nice just to buzz off the interstate, or hit it on the way home. Where do you work?


i work at the Department Of Transportation straight west of walmart.

nice to see someone somewhat local on the boards.

 

[meborder]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Try changing the filter first.


x2

Do these engines really get noisy when they need an oil change? Assuming the level is correct, I would imagine they would sound the same regardless.

realistically .... no
normally i would agree with you.

however, mine has been noise prone since i bought it. switching to 5w30 made the engine much less noisey and cut my oil consumption in half as compared to the 5w20. (except the Penz Plat, which it consumed at the same rate as the 5w20 ~1qt/2000 miles)

all i know is that it was much quieter after the oil change.

if i were to guess, i'd say that the 5w30 had sheared solidly down into the 20wt range, which i've found to make much more noise in my engine. but, without a UOA, i guess i can't prove it.

that 5w20 from NAPA was the worst.... VERY noisey with that oil.

I'm going to keep an eye on the consumption with the Castrol. hopefully it will go back down to the 1qt/4000 miles i was seeing with the Trop Artic 5w30....

oh .. the filter ... really?!?!?
it was a bosch distance plus .... supposed to be one of the best, i thought. good for 3 times the interval i did, i thought .... really?!?!?

i'm just asking, cauz the filter never crossed my mind.

 

[Oily_hair]

Originally Posted By: meborder

i'm just asking, cauz the filter never crossed my mind.


Replacing only the filter was something that I didn't think of doing too. I have the cartridge type filter (easy to get to) and the pleats were pretty distorted when I pulled it out. I was using a Bosch Premium filter. Anyhow, the new filter and different oil went in and the car starts pretty quiet again in the cold mornings. Dunno if the filter was the culprit but I am sending a sample of the oil for a UOA.

 

[Oil Changer]

Coincidence [again].

Originally Posted By: SilverC6
Doesn't look like that NAPA Valvoline was working very well for you.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Likely the filter. That's been my experience for excessive noise. Ols will have noise difference, but an order of magnitude less than the filter issues.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Now you say cartridge, it may be ???.

Its not overfilled? Wonder wher the bypass is? - In the filter mount assy?