New 2011 Ford Focus

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint


Ford did plenty of testing with 5W20 and it is fine for your engine even in Vegas.


Agree 1000% with this. I see all the time test fleets going down the road and stopping for fuel. Sometimes they will talk (the Nissan guys are the worst ie.. Snobs) and they do something different in a few of them just to see how they perform. Then once they get something that works correct in their testing, they go do it again!

Talk about a job I'd love to do...

I'd use any 5w-20 and get on with it! Enjoy the new ride.

Bill

 

[Herz]

use motorcraft 5-20 and a Motorcraft/ST filter and your good to go. I do 5k mile changes in my focus. good little cars

 

[gfh77665]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: addyguy
You were told wrong. 5W-20 will work just fine in your new Focus, even in LV. It will also keep warranty hassles to minimum.

Trust us - don't listen to what you are being told!


+1! Ford did plenty of testing with 5W20 and it is fine for your engine even in Vegas.


I know 5-20 is the greatest product in the entire history of mankind, but, lets use our brains just a bit (perish the thought!) before we throw bouquets of roses to Ford for testing 5-20.

Think, do you really believe Ford is "proving" 5-20 to be the absolute best for your engines protection...or...perhaps... are they seeing if 5-20 is "good enough" to maintain their engines until the warranty period safely passes?

 

[tig1]

I started using Mobil 1 5w20 in the 70s in engines that normally used 10-40. I didn't have any problems at all other than the Dodge Slant 6 I had at the time in a 77 Dodge pickup used a little more oil.

 

[HM12460]

Hey Tig, how about an update on your sons Ranger? I just bought a 2007 2.3 powered.

 

[SuperFast]

Originally Posted By: HM12460
Hey Tig, how about an update on your sons Ranger? I just bought a 2007 2.3 powered.


they made ranger right up through 08, 09, or 10 i forget. they kept not killing it because so many people bought it, so why did they stop makin it.. lol

Mazda B2300 what was last year for that pointless vehicle ?

 

[Nick R]

The MC is a good oil, but after trying a few I like how Edge plays with my focus engine so I think I'm going to stick with that.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: HM12460
Hey Tig, how about an update on your sons Ranger? I just bought a 2007 2.3 powered.


The Ranger has the 3.0 V6 and has 354K. Starts great in the cold weather we have had lately. Engine still sounds great and doesn't use any more oil now than when I bought it in the early 90s. Qt. every 3.3-4K.

 

[kkreit01]

As others said, you were told wrong. I would only run 5w20 which meets Ford's spec. There is nothing wrong with changing it early. I did mine (Focus) around 1500 mi. I would put MC5w20 + FL910S filter for the first change. Next, follow Ford's schedule of every 7500mi OR 6mo.

 

[Old Mustang Guy]

My 01 Escape has 160k on 5W20 in Texas heat, still doesn't use any between changes.

 

[SLCraig]

Before joining BITOG I would have had the mentality of the people telling you those things too. The truth is, Ford specs that oil for a reason and you will not have a problem using it. There are many many vehicles out there with 5w20 or even 0w20 in them and they last just as long as other vehicles with xw30 or xw40 in them.

 

[VegasDan]

I will do. I heard the "5W" part is most important, as that is the cold "start-up pumpability" figure, which is the most protective at the crucial start up point.
90% of wear is when you kick it over, and the 5W is there to flow right off the bat. Some say that Ford and others just say the light oil is specified only to improve CAFE mileage ratings. That might be a part of it - but so what. If 5W-20 IS specified, then you can't go wrong using it, or at least fall out of warantee compliance. A 30 or 40 weight might save you IF you're way overheating the engine, but if that occurs, you've been neglecting maintenance badly anyhow.
My wife's car, an '07 Hyundai Accent, specifies a range of oils based on the minimum outdoor temperature, so we can go with a 10w30 or even higher, and still be "by the book." But that's the Hyundai's book, not Ford's spec for the Focus.
I'll do this:
1. Focus: 5W-20 MotorCraft or ST every 5,000 miles.
2. Accent: 10w30 ST, Pennzoil or Rotella every 5,000 miles.
3. If anything overheats for ANY reason, - do an Oil change too.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: VegasDan

3. If anything overheats for ANY reason, - do an Oil change too.


Changing the oil will be the least of your worries. Pretty well overheat any modern engine these days and they are toast. No matter what oil you have in the engine.

Neighbor overheated her Fusion the other day (blew a defective hose) saw the steam and temp gauge/light then check engine light came on pulled over and shut the engine off. Towed it to Ford and they say the engine is gone. Block is warped, needs long block.

Ford is looking into the defective hose and what they can do.

Back to your plan, looks great! My Cousin lives in Henderson and all he ever runs is Mobil 5000 5w-20 in his Caravan and its running great with well over 100k+ on it. He does 5k OCIs also.

Take care, Bill