My 17 Escape

[mrjlube]

So.. I let my factory fill go for 2,800 miles then I changed to Valvoline 5w20 synthetic oil. My question is why would the oil be so black at 700 miles into the change? I understand synthetic cleans but.....is that true even on such a new motor? Thanks all,happy new year!

 

[Danno]

DI engines can get the engine oil dark in a hurry. Sounds normal.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Turbo or normal aspirated FI?

 

[CharlieBauer]

What did you factory fill look like at 700 miles and when you changed it?

 

[mrjlube]

The factory fill was getting dark, but no where near how the Valvoline synthetic is now. Also it is the 1.5l Turbo. The reason I bring this up is because I am driving it from Michigan to Florida and back next week. I was expecting nice clean oil today when I checked it.

 

[KL31]

Dark means it's doing the job correctly. Transmission fluid going dark in 700 miles; I'd be worried about that because transmissions in cars are sealed and don't see fuel, dirty air, or combustion. The engine will see all of those and being direct injection, it will see fuel getting into the oil too. I wouldn't think too much of it at all.

 

[irv]

Originally Posted By: mrjlube

The factory fill was getting dark, but no where near how the Valvoline synthetic is now. Also it is the 1.5l Turbo. The reason I bring this up is because I am driving it from Michigan to Florida and back next week. I was expecting nice clean oil today when I checked it.

Maybe one more change before you go? Personally, I'd be concerned with dark oil with only 700 miles on it. I am unsure how well Valvoline cleans compared to others like Pennzoil, which I thought was the best at cleaning, but this does sound odd to me.

 

[Danh]

Just to ask the obvious question, did the fresh oil look nice and clean when you put it in? Was the bottle seal intact? There have been instances of people returning jugs for a refund filled with used oil. Unlikely, but very dark at 700miles does seem odd. Also, is this the dexos1Gen2 formula? We don't have much experience with these reformulated oils.

 

[jongies3]

Engine shouldn't be dirty at all being that new. Synthetic suspends contaminants better than regular oil so that's probably why you're seeing it darken sooner.

 

[CharlieBauer]

Could it be moly paste? How long was the factory fill supposed to be left in?

 

[Black_Thunder]

makes me curious as my Parents just bought a 2015 with the 1.6 turbo not too long ago and i was thinking about running the Synpower 5w20 after the stash of Pennzoil Plat 5w20 that I have. I've run Synpower 5w30 in several vehicles and never had the oil turn dark that fast. maybe just a combination of the additives and the turbo? who knows. I think it'll be fine

 

[mrjlube]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The oil looked normal pouring from the bottle. Its just weird a motor woth only 3,000 miles,so dirty right after a change. The temps have been below zero all week,dont know if that would have something to do with it. Question is would you change again before a cross country trip or leave it. Car has 3,000 miles and only a few hundred miles on the Valvoline synthetic,but very black?!

 

[CT8]

The oil in My 2015 2.7 Ford pick up was really black at the first 1000 miles.

 

[Whimsey]

Originally Posted By: mrjlube

Thanks for the replies everyone. The oil looked normal pouring from the bottle. Its just weird a motor woth only 3,000 miles,so dirty right after a change. The temps have been below zero all week,dont know if that would have something to do with it. Question is would you change again before a cross country trip or leave it. Car has 3,000 miles and only a few hundred miles on the Valvoline synthetic,but very black?!

Our 2017 2.3 EB Explorer also turns the oil dark, almost black relatively quickly, even at a 3,200 mile OCI. I did an UOA on a 7,000 mile OCI and while it was "black" the wear metals were real good and there was usable life left in the oil according to the TBN. Engine oil color isn't the sole determinate of the used oil quality and life left. And with the transmission you have the color of the ATF can turn from pink to charcoal quickly and still be completely serviceable. It's the nature of Motorcraft Mercon LV from what I've seen. Though I feel that more frequent ATF changes than what Ford recommends is a good idea. Their 150,000 mile ATF first change seems to be really stretching it if you want transmission longevity greater than the warranty. Whimsey

 

[MParr]

Run it! Then change after 5,000 miles. Use an oil filter with the base end bypass valve, Motorcraft 910s, WIX 51348 or NAPA Gold 1348. Continue using a high quality 5W20 synthetic blend or full synthetic. DO NOT use a High Mileage formulation. I ran my factory fill Motorcraft 5W30 blend for the first 5,000 miles. For other questions on your new Escape, go here. http://www.fordescape.org