Motorcraft 5w-20 or Mobil 1 in 03 Ford Van?

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I am about to take a long trip from California to the mountains of Colorado. Heading through the hot deserts of Nevada and Utah. My 03 Ford E350 4x4 van has 7,500 miles on the 5.4 liter V-8 engine. I have been using Motorcraft 5w-20 oil. With the heat and mountain terrain, I would value opinions about switching to Mobil 1 5w-30 or 0w-20 oil. My previous 2 Ford vans both went 200K+ miles without engine problems, and I hope to get the same out of this new 5.4 liter engine. Thanks!
 
quote:

Originally posted by agprint:
I am about to take a long trip from California to the mountains of Colorado. Heading through the hot deserts of Nevada and Utah. My 03 Ford E350 4x4 van has 7,500 miles on the 5.4 liter V-8 engine. I have been using Motorcraft 5w-20 oil. With the heat and mountain terrain, I would value opinions about switching to Mobil 1 5w-30 or 0w-20 oil. My previous 2 Ford vans both went 200K+ miles without engine problems, and I hope to get the same out of this new 5.4 liter engine. Thanks!

I'd go with the Mobil 1, and I think either the 5w30 or 0w20 would serve you well. (I'd probably use the 0w20.)
 
Go with M1. I feel if your going to bother to change the oil yourself, you should use the best. I'd use 10w-30.
 
Out of all the weights that M1 makes the most consistent and good UOA have all been from vechiles running M1 10W30! Sure their have been good UOA with 5w30 and 15W50 and 0W20 but 10W30 consistently posts good numbers!! If I was going to limit my self to thin oil I would not go anythiner then 10W30 for a trip through the Rocky's!
 
Go with 5W-30 or 10W-30 if you're not in a warranty situation. Mobil 1 is an excellent choice. If you are in the warranty, use Mobil 1 0W-20, or use Motorcraft 5W-20 with shortened oil change intervals for the hot, hard trip.

If you purchased an extended service contract, which the sleaze-ball finance guy probably led you to believe was an extension of your warranty, follow the fine print in your contract.


Ken
 
If you are going to stick with the 3k changes, don't bother with Mobil 1. You are throwing money out the window if you do.

We haven't seen how well the Mobil 1 0w-20 holds up yet. The motorcraft 5w20 has shown itself very well in short intervals (3000 - 4000 miles)in engines ranging from the 4.6l V8, the 5.4l V8, the 6.8l V10, and the 5.4l Supercharged V8 in a Lightning.

Based on Mobil 1's performance in other weights, I'm sure the 0w20 will hold up fine and I'd be comfortable with a 5,000 mile interval (which is likely the normal service interval recommended by Ford).

Either will do fine - just decide if you will keep doing 3k changes. If so, stick with the Motorcraft. If you want longer, then I;d consider the M1.

FWIW, I am running 5w20 in both my F150's - one with 160,600 miles on it and the other with 85,000 on it. Both ran 5w30 until last month. Neither has shown any consumption issues to date - and it has been upper 80's - low 90's most of the time.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Ken2:
Go with 5W-30 or 10W-30 if you're not in a warranty situation. Mobil 1 is an excellent choice. If you are in the warranty, use Mobil 1 0W-20, or use Motorcraft 5W-20 with shortened oil change intervals for the hot, hard trip.

Ken


Thanks to all that have responded with helpful information... Yes I am still under warranty (no extended warranty though). Between the Mobil 1 0w-20, or Motorcraft 5w-20 - which might protect better, and how long on the oil changes. I usually change oil and filter every 3K miles.

[ July 05, 2003, 12:22 PM: Message edited by: agprint ]
 
I use Motorcraft oil in my 4.6L 2002 truck and during this past cold winter I had NO starting problems. It cranked and started fast and very quietly, no clacking or lifter racket, instant oil pressure with the "dummmy" oil gauge. I'm in North New Jersey and we had far too many temps in the single digits and slightly below 0. Of course if the temps ran colder, ie in the negative teens and below I'd be looking at a true syntetic oil.

Whimsey
 
I thought I was going to be the lone dissenter, but MNgopher beat me to it. The Conoco-made Motorcraft 5W-20 is a Group-III/Group-II based "semi-synthetic". You won't be running into sub-freezing temperatures, and these dino-based hydrogen-isomerized "conventional" oils are showing flash points often as high or higher than PAO based oils, now. At about $1.70-something/quart at Wal*Mart, Motorcraft 5W-20 is a steal. I also suspect it's quite capable of more than 3,000 miles, but, like you, I like 3,000 mile changes as insurance. I just wish there was an identically formulated Motorcraft semi-synthetic 10W-30 weight oil for my Hyundai V6 motor...
 
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