Focus ST strategy

[xr650boy]

I picked up a new Focus ST last summer. So far so good. Fun car.

Normally, I like to change my own oil, but it's a bit of a hassle to pull the panel from under the engine. Also, my dealer will provide 3 free oil changes a year. They use conventional oil, but it's Chevron Supreme, so it's decent stuff.

I'm on pace to put about 13k miles per year on the car, maybe 15k-18k in a busy year. What's everyone think about doing 3k mile OCIs with Chevron, then throw in some lower cost, on sale synthetic (Havoline Synthetic, Castol Magnatec, etc) to cover a 5k mile OCI? Am I pushing my luck running conventional oil in a turbo, DI engine?

thanks.

 

[jigen]

Hello, I also have an ST. Saw a lot of UOA's on the 2.0L ecoboost. They all look pretty good considering it being a DI turbo. But the oil does shear. I would go for a heavier than average 5w30 synthetic and run 6k oci's and be done thinki about it.

If you want to go longer I would just get a UOA around 6k to see how far you might want to push it. Not worth the 8 dollars per Oil change in savings to not go synthetic IMO.

 

[Old Mustang Guy]

The panel under my Mustang will drop from the rear side after just removing two nut screws from the back. Then it drops enough to get the filter out. It may not be as much of a chore as you think.

 

[dparm]

Why not just buy your own oil and let them do it for free? I think the off-the-shelf 5w30s would be fine for 5k.

 

[ccap41]

Originally Posted By: Old Mustang Guy
The panel under my Mustang will drop from the rear side after just removing two nut screws from the back. Then it drops enough to get the filter out. It may not be as much of a chore as you think.


No, the Focuses suck real bad. It's something like 10-12 torx bit screws to get it off and you can't just take the back off and bend it down either..they just suck.

As for a recommendation.. I think 3k is too short to be honest. I've finally convinced myself that oil and engines today are plenty good going an easy 5k miles on almost any oil. That's what I do in my Escape with the 2.0T(less aggressive tune than the STs). As you can see in m sig what I use. I went with the 0w-40 because of the shearing/fuel dilution and turbo..

 

[tojo1968]

MC 5w30 and filter every 5-6k and call it a day. Thats what i did in the 14 ST I owned

 

[Mr Nice]

No way I want someone doing my 'free' oil changes.

 

[jigen]

The under panel is a bit of a pain on the focus but honestly after you do it twice you're used to it. It's really not that bad. It does take longer than the actual
Oil change taking it off though lol.

But with saying that, the drain plug and filter are so easy and nice to do when it's off I'd go with your own oil changes.

 

[CT8]

Conventional aren't the same as the conventional oils of the 1970s.

 

[rodinator1234]

It's really not that bad to do. I had a Focus ST for a little over a year and changed it twice. I posted a UOA on here for the car and I agree 3k is overkill waste of money and time. 6k on Castrol Edge 5w30 was too short as well.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: CT8
Conventional aren't the same as the conventional oils of the 1970s.


And oil no longer serves as a means to cool the turbocharger.

 

[jigen]

Off topic, but you might have the best sig on BITOG ^^^ lol

 

[slo town]

Originally Posted By: ccap41
Originally Posted By: Old Mustang Guy
The panel under my Mustang will drop from the rear side after just removing two nut screws from the back. Then it drops enough to get the filter out. It may not be as much of a chore as you think.


No, the Focuses suck real bad. It's something like 10-12 torx bit screws to get it off and you can't just take the back off and bend it down either..they just suck.


Really?! They "suck real bad"? With the car on ramps it takes 3 or 4 minutes to remove that undertray. Literally 3 or 4 minutes, if that long. I do it all the time.

Scott

 

[deoxy4]

I have run Chevron Supreme and Exxon Superflo 5W-20 for 12 years at 6K mile intervals. I had the valve cover off to adjust the valves. There was not a speck of sludge and the cam lobes were perfect.

Here is a link to a member with a Focus using dino oil at 5-6K mile OCI with the valve cover off. Looks like a new valve train to me.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2219932

 

[deoxy4]

Here is a 15 year old Ford 2L with 140K miles run on a synthetic blend. These engines aren't hard on oil.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3942642/Re:_2001_Ford_Zetec,_140k_Valv#Post3942642

 

[Diego3336]

The engine on the 2001 Focus above is the Zetec and this engine isn't the same of the OP's Focus. Despite of some visual similarities, these engines aren't even from the same engine family as the Zetec is a proper European Ford design and the EcoBoost on the ST is actually a version of the Mazda MZR engine, but I agree about both engine not being hard on oil, but even so I would not use conventional oil in this engine, just a matter of piece of mind as this is a turbocharged direct-injected engine in a hot hatch. I would use at least a good syn blend like MotorCraft or Castrol Magnatec 5W30.