I need a 'severe service' oil

[04SE]

Vehicle is the Ford in my signature.

Ok, I currently drive 2.2 miles each way to work with stop lights. I never really get over ~40 MPH. That is M-F. Now, it does see the occasional grocery store or shopping trip, but again, they are all in town stop-n-go miles. Maybe once a week it gets out for a highway journey of 15-30 miles to go visit friends/family.

With this driving I am accumulating between 1,500 and 2,000 miles in a 3-4 month period. The car sits in a heated garage at night but in a parking lot during the day.

I need an oil that can withstand the short trips, moisture & fuel. Plus, it has to have good cold weather performance. Oil must be an Xw20. I am leaning towards Amsoil XL or ASM in 0w20. Current fill is MC 5w20. OCI will either be yearly or twice a year. I am 99.9% confident the MC can handle it but just wonder if I can do better.

 

[spasm3]

If you were not limiting it to a 20w, i'd say and hdeo like rotella t-5. Since you are getting longer drive in once a week, you should be okay with what you are doing.

 

[nwjones18]

I personally don't see any problem with continuing to use the motorcraft and just change it two or three times a year. I'd just change it every six months and call it good.

 

[Jakegday]

you are right, the motorcraft should be handling it with absolute 0 issues. if you want something better tho just step up to any major name brand full synthetic.

 

[saberz]

I have roughly the same commute(3 miles to work one way). Sometimes I'll hit the highway and go the long way around. I run it till my OLM says 10%, only last time I changed it at 14% because I had a trip to Virginia and wanted some fresh oil in there.

 

[The_Jeff]

They make HDEO in 10w which is really a 10w20. My boss bought a 5 gal pail for his snowblower--an odd choice, I know.

Weird, I know. I'd stick with the MC.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: nwjones18
I personally don't see any problem with continuing to use the motorcraft and just change it two or three times a year. I'd just change it every six months and call it good.


I agree with sticking to the Motorcraft for sure...Motorcraft is cheap enough [5W20 blend at Walmart] so even if you change it out every 3 or 4 months it should not be a big deal...Since your driving is extremely severe [IMHO] I would do it that way.

I have a independent who charges me 10 bucks to change it as I always bring my own Motorcraft oil and filter.

 

[shrooms]

No such thing as "severe service" oil. Use MC with confidence.

 

[ChiTDI]

I'd use a Motorcraft filter as well as the MC 5w20 and change it twice a year. Good match.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: Jakegday
you are right, the motorcraft should be handling it with absolute 0 issues. if you want something better tho just step up to any major name brand full synthetic.
5w-20 is a stable oil - I dont think he would be getting anything significantly "better" with a fake syn - maybe just 20% more detergency.

 

[lipadj46]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: Jakegday
you are right, the motorcraft should be handling it with absolute 0 issues. if you want something better tho just step up to any major name brand full synthetic.
5w-20 is a stable oil - I dont think he would be getting anything significantly "better" with a fake syn - maybe just 20% more detergency.


what no snowmobile oil recommendation?

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: lipadj46
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: Jakegday
you are right, the motorcraft should be handling it with absolute 0 issues. if you want something better tho just step up to any major name brand full synthetic.
5w-20 is a stable oil - I dont think he would be getting anything significantly "better" with a fake syn - maybe just 20% more detergency.


what no snowmobile oil recommendation?

 

[lyle]

I also have an '04 Taurus with the 3.0L Duratec. It sees about 7k a year, mostly the daughter driving it to school and back (12 miles/day). It just turned 100k, and for the past couple years has seen once-a-year changes with Amsoil ASM (0W-20). If I don't have to crawl under it more than once a year, that's fine by me. It sees cold start temps as low as -20F, and the ASM just flat out works.

 

[kballowe]

Motorcraft 5W-20.

What else could you ask for?

 

[FL_Rob]

Fuel dilution is one of the major concerns here.Changing the oil more often ,given your commute, is the only viable answer.Not even a boutique oil can compensate/absorb gasoline saturation,a used oil analysis would back me up on this I believe.Secondly ,why waste an expensive oil? The price you're paying is literally being washed out with gasoline.Smell the dipstick with either brand and you'll know right away.

 

[sangyup81]

Stick with the MC and change every 6 months. It doesn't look like you are going over 5000 miles.

If you really want to use 0w20, I like Castrol EDGE

 

[901Memphis]

Ford went to 5w-20 recently for very minuscule CAFE number boost, you can use a 5w30 in there and i would recommend it in your setup, more in the summer if you want.

But just knowing you can use a 0w30 or 5w30 will give you many more options with oil.

The Motorcraft oil is fine as long as you are changing the oil frequently enough, those engines aren't too hard on oil anyways.

On one of the Ford Taurus boards i am on i know people who have used nothing but 10w30 and are going between 200-300k miles without rebuilds, so you have some options as far as that goes, although i recommend 5w30 for that 2004 bull.

I am using the 5w30 Mobil 1 with my 99 Vulcan engine.


By the way are you using the FL400s filters for that engine or aftermarket? Also is it the DOHC Duratec or the OHV Vulcan engine, because the Vulcan is even easier on oil able to go 5k on that MC syn blend easily.

 

[stuntboy79]

Originally Posted By: 04SE
Vehicle is the Ford in my signature.

Ok, I currently drive 2.2 miles each way to work with stop lights. I never really get over ~40 MPH. That is M-F. Now, it does see the occasional grocery store or shopping trip, but again, they are all in town stop-n-go miles. Maybe once a week it gets out for a highway journey of 15-30 miles to go visit friends/family.

With this driving I am accumulating between 1,500 and 2,000 miles in a 3-4 month period. The car sits in a heated garage at night but in a parking lot during the day.

I need an oil that can withstand the short trips, moisture & fuel. Plus, it has to have good cold weather performance. Oil must be an Xw20. I am leaning towards Amsoil XL or ASM in 0w20. Current fill is MC 5w20. OCI will either be yearly or twice a year. I am 99.9% confident the MC can handle it but just wonder if I can do better.


If only I lived that close I would be biking each way to get some exercise,but unfortunately I have a 70 mile round trip.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: lipadj46
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: Jakegday
you are right, the motorcraft should be handling it with absolute 0 issues. if you want something better tho just step up to any major name brand full synthetic.
5w-20 is a stable oil - I dont think he would be getting anything significantly "better" with a fake syn - maybe just 20% more detergency.


what no snowmobile oil recommendation?
Go ahead and chuckle. The yaris has gotten very sick lately and the fill was the magical mystical Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w30 with wix oversized filter. NOTHING beat the snowthrower oil I ran last year. Stout stuff in a light weight, a hard combo to find on the shelf at your locale zobie world home centre.

Go ahead and chuckle. The yaris has gotten very sick lately and the fill was the magical mystical Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w30 with a wix oversized filter. May be nothing can protect my car with my hard driving but, NOTHING beat the snowthrower oil I ran last year - Stout stuff in a light weight - a hard combo to find on the shelf at you local Zombie World home centre.

Heres your magic elixer hdeo syn 5w30 for $2.50/28oz

http://www.idealtruevalue.com/servlet/the-56313/Detail

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: lipadj46
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: Jakegday
you are right, the motorcraft should be handling it with absolute 0 issues. if you want something better tho just step up to any major name brand full synthetic.
5w-20 is a stable oil - I dont think he would be getting anything significantly "better" with a fake syn - maybe just 20% more detergency.


what no snowmobile oil recommendation?


You mean like the special Chavez blend (that VIP has on sale periodically)

http://www.mystiklubricants.com/do/product/Snowmobile/663081002