mc to synthetic for longer oci on short trip car

[taurus_sable]

my last oil change was at 106150 miles, 9/4/2010, today I changed it
again using mc 5w20 at 109000 miles which is about 3000miles and
10months later.

the oil looks bad, pretty dark. and I wonder when I should change the
oil next time because I drive mostly short trips. manual says 6months maximum oci
or 3000 miles for severe condition use. I don't want to change every 6
months because it has only about 2000 miles when I change it.

I want to change the oil only once a year. will mc 5w20 be alright or I
need to switch to a full synthetic like PP 5w20 or others?

Pls advise..

Thanks!

edit: mc 5w20 5qt jug now is more than $17 after tax in NJ right now,
cost a fair amount more than before.

 

[saberz]

Oil color means nothing in terms of longevity/oil life. You could test the oil with a UOA to see how much further you could push it.

Given the low mileage per year I wouldn't bother(personal opinion) with a synthetic, you could push your current usage out to 12 months(and 4-5k). MC is some stout stuff.

 

[taurus_sable]

Originally Posted By: taurus_sable
my last oil change was at 106150 miles, 9/4/2010, today I changed it
again using mc 5w20 at 109000 miles which is about 3000miles and
10months later.

the oil looks bad, pretty dark. and I wonder when I should change the
oil next time because I drive mostly short trips. manual says 6months maximum oci
or 3000 miles for severe condition use. I don't want to change every 6
months because it has only about 2000 miles when I change it.

I want to change the oil only once a year. will mc 5w20 be alright or I
need to switch to a full synthetic like PP 5w20 or others?

Pls advise..

Thanks!

edit: mc 5w20 5qt jug now is more than $17 after tax in NJ right now,
cost a fair amount more than before.



add: short trips mostly weekly 20miles grocery round trip on local roads. occasional
longer travels and even shorter drives to nearby parks etc.

 

[hardcore302]

The oild could be dark because it's doing it's job.

 

[Hallmark]

You are facing the classic OCI dilemma of months vs mileage.
If you are resisting the 6 month (twice annually) OCI, I can only advise that you give some thought to the condensation issues that accompany your driving style, i.e. many short drives and NJ harsh winters. Sump condensation=acidic oil when coupled with short drive distances & inadequate warmups.

I encounter similar issues with a FoMoCo vehicle and Motorcraft 5W20 oil/FL-500 filter usage, but I find 6 month OCIs comforting, especially with a vehicle under warranty.

Bottom line, if y'all want to throw the 6 year old Sable with 109,000 miles to the wind, that's your choice (to save $25 a year), but if you still value your car & peace of mind, change the oil at 6 month intervals, especially in NJ.

 

[chubbs1]

Originally Posted By: Hallmark
You are facing the classic OCI dilemma of months vs mileage.
If you are resisting the 6 month (twice annually) OCI, I can only advise that you give some thought to the condensation issues that accompany your driving style, i.e. many short drives and NJ harsh winters. Sump condensation=acidic oil when coupled with short drive distances & inadequate warmups.

I encounter similar issues with a FoMoCo vehicle and Motorcraft 5W20 oil/FL-500 filter usage, but I find 6 month OCIs comforting, especially with a vehicle under warranty.

Bottom line, if y'all want to throw the 6 year old Sable with 109,000 miles to the wind, that's your choice (to save $25 a year), but if you still value your car & peace of mind, change the oil at 6 month intervals, especially in NJ.


+1 or as you alluded to in your post you can spend the extra money and get PP,PU,M1 and go the full year. I personally would go with 6mo. intervals to have fresh oil around winter and summer and to clean out any fuel and particle buildup. It is up to you.

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted By: taurus_sable
my last oil change was at 106150 miles, 9/4/2010, today I changed it
again using mc 5w20 at 109000 miles which is about 3000miles and
10months later.

the oil looks bad, pretty dark. and I wonder when I should change the
oil next time because I drive mostly short trips. manual says 6months maximum oci
or 3000 miles for severe condition use. I don't want to change every 6
months because it has only about 2000 miles when I change it.

I want to change the oil only once a year. will mc 5w20 be alright or I
need to switch to a full synthetic like PP 5w20 or others?

Pls advise..

Thanks!

edit: mc 5w20 5qt jug now is more than $17 after tax in NJ right now,
cost a fair amount more than before.


My wifes car has the same dilema. Right now, she is at 6mo/2200 miles on 2qt syn/3qts dino. Changed the oil 1-18-11. I may push it out to OCT 2011, IDK!

 

[fdcg27]

I don't think a synthetic is going to help you extend your OCI.
A synthetic won't do any better at preventing the fuel dilution and water content your use of the car probably exacerbates.
If I were you, I'd probably just change 2X per year, once in the fall and once in the spring using any SL/SM/SN dino with a quality filter, like a Motorcraft.
I'm guessing that Ford had some reason for recommending six months as a maximum time interval.
You can get very good deals after MIR and AAP discount code on P1 or D+ oil filters as well.

 

[WANG]

Why not do a UOA with all of the bells and whistles at 6 months to see what kind of condition the oil is in?

 

[taurus_sable]

Thanks for all the replies.

actually I like the feel of having fresh oil in the motor. It is a lot
more smooth( call it psychology, Idk). If switching to synthetic won't
fix the issue, I'll stick with mc 5w20 and change twice a year. Yes I
value this car, it has high miles but in very good condition.

 

[mechtech2]

I'd stay with the MC for these and similar conditions.

 

[OldCowboy]

I think you've made the right decision.

Trips of less than 10 miles are really hard on oil because of fuel and water dilution and the oil not getting hot enough to boil these contaminants off. The only way to tell if you can extend your OCI would be to sample after 6 months and include a TBN test.

I think it's likely that you can't extend your OCI interval, even with a synthetic.