OCI adjustment input requested.

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Recently I posted a thread with pictures of the FL820s filter I cut open from my wifes F150 when I changed the oil over the weekend. Various posters pointed out that running synthetic for only 5,000 miles as I tend to do on both of my vehicles is simply a waste. I thought about this for a while and decided that I wouldnt be against extending out OCIs but first I want to post a few lines about both the F150 and the Ram and the reasons why I chose this interval and get opinions on how long I could SAFELY run these oils. I refuse to pay someone to analyze my oil so that is out of the question, I would rather spend that money on 6 more quarts of oil and a filter as the whole idea IMO of extending OCIs is to save money.

2005 Ford F150. 4.6 liter engine, 108,xxx miles currently on clock. Currently running Mobil 1 5w20 and a M1 filter.
This truck is drivin mainly short trips. My wife drives it to work, which is a few blocks away from the house, at least every other day. She also drops off/ picks up my daughter from school which is a few blocks from the house in the other direction. So at the very least 4 short trips a day where the engine doesnt even get up to operating temp much less the oil. 2-3 times a week she will drive it to whatever grocery store in town and the furtherest one is about 5 miles away, stop and go the whole way. So, severe service if I ever saw it. Maybe, the truck might see highway speeds once every 2 months or so, and that is a huge maybe.
This is why I chose the 5,000 mile OCI and mostly this gets changed on time rather then mileage. She has accumulated 4,000 or so in 6 months or so this year, but that is only because of a few out of state trips when my dad was sick. He has passed on by now so this service is likely what this truck will spend the majority of its life doing.


2002 Dodge Ram 1500. 4.7 liter, 159,500 miles currently. Current oil is Mobil 1 5w30 and M1 filter.
This is the one I am having trouble with. I was originally going to run conventional in it, but read about problems these engines are prone to with sludge. Therefore I decided on synthetic and 5,000 mile intervals. This truck does short trips around town 2 weeks out of the month and mixed trips the other 2 weeks (my work vehicle, I work 7 days on, 7 off). As stated on my weeks off it does short trips around town, and a trip here and there. On work week it will see 3 days of 142 mile round trips, and the other 4 days are a highway run of 20 miles in the morning, several short trips and idling, and another 20 mile highway trip in the afternoon. Sometime this week the oil will be changed in here, but with a Mopar M0-090 filter this time.

Any input is welcome and I am sorry about the long post. Of course I like the 5,000 mile OCI because its easy to remember, and the tires get rotated and zerks get greased at the same time, but I am willing to consider another way if its better (10,000 would be ideal too but dont know if regular M1 could handle it). Thanks in advance for any advice or opinions.
 
So $35 one time to determine if you could save $35/year is out of the question? I'm afraid I don't understand your logic. I would gladly spend a bit of cash once to save a lot down the road.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
So $35 one time to determine if you could save $35/year is out of the question? I'm afraid I don't understand your logic. I would gladly spend a bit of cash once to save a lot down the road.

+1
 
For the type of use your vehicles see the OCI's you are at should be about right. Though you might be able to stretch out a little more to maybe 7 or 8K with the Ram.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
So $35 one time to determine if you could save $35/year is out of the question? I'm afraid I don't understand your logic. I would gladly spend a bit of cash once to save a lot down the road.


The $35 I would spend to have the oil analyzed could be $35 to buy another oil change set up. This also may not be a one time $35 either. If I run 10k and analysis comes back and says to run 8 that the oil is worn out, then my OCD will kick in and I will have to do it again at 8k, and even then may be too long etc etc. And of course this will be an analysis with 1 type of oil and 1 type of filter, eventually I may want to try something different. What I am trying to say I guess is that I would rather not deal with it. I fail to see why I am wasting $$$ and oil running 5k, but anything over 5k and an analysis is recommended. I just dont want to play with it.
 
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Originally Posted By: 97f150
What I am trying to say I guess is that I would rather not deal with it. I fail to see why I am wasting $$$ and oil running 5k, but anything over 5k and an analysis is recommended. I just dont want to play with it.

Well, what do you want us to say? Nobody in their right mind will give you assurance that 10K miles is perfectly fine. There are just too many variables. And even if someone did give you that assurance (based on what?), would you comfortably accept it and follow it? Keep in mind, the advice is worth what you paid for it.

Sometimes the best thing for an OCD (you're not the only one) is to do what helps you sleep better at night. If it means sticking to 5K OCI, so be it. You can find cheap synthetic on sale at many places, so whether you do 5K or 7-8K OCI shouldn't make that much of a difference from a cost perspective.
 
Just so my previous post isnt taken the wrong way, that was not stated with an attitude intended. Expression is hard to present in type. A little confusion is the proper expression here. I understand that no one can stab in the dark at what is safe, but I have been doing what makes me sleep better at night, and I posted it recently and was told that was too short of an OCI for a synthetic oil, and that dino can go 5,000 miles. As mentioned there are too many variables to consider, which is why an analysis needed to extend these intervals. This also makes me wonder how it is known and quickly pointed out that 5k is too short of an OCI for Mobil 1.
To me, gaining an extra 1500 to 2000 miles on synthetic versus dino is not worth is and if thats all I can get I can just switch to dino. Double the change interval and now we are cooking, but I have tried to send in an analysis before, bottled and packaged it and everything. Its just letting go of it that stops me short. $35 isnt a lot of money, but I can see that $35 doing a lot more other things.
 
If anything the major money loss comes from having a gas guzzling F150 doing grocery duty. You're losing $35 bi-weekly by owning that instead of something reasonably fuel efficient.

I couldn't suggest an OCI for the Ram, but I would say that your wife's truck should be fine with 5,000 mile OCIs. Ford has a very strict recommendation for what is severe service and her service actually doesn't qualify as severe. She would basically need to be towing, using it as a taxi, going off-road, using E85 or driving on unpaved roads for it to count as severe. You can find more information here: http://www.motorcraftservice.com/pubs/content/~WO5F12/~MUS~LEN/41/05frdmg4e.pdf
 
I'd use M15W-20 EP for starts in the F150 and stretch it out to 7 or 8K. I don't know if that engine is easy or tough on oil, but I can't imagine running a bit more than 1/2 the "guaranteed" service life would be a great risk.
 
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Originally Posted By: cmf
If anything the major money loss comes from having a gas guzzling F150 doing grocery duty. You're losing $35 bi-weekly by owning that instead of something reasonably fuel efficient.


That $35 is the easiest I have ever had to spend with the piece of mind that there is more of a cushion around my wife and daughter. This truck replaced a Sentra that I just couldnt get past the fact that the only thing keeping space between my daughter and whatever large vehicle may rear end them was 3 feet of hollow trunk space.

I get kicks off of Fords schedules though, they dont recommend flushing or changing the transmission fluid OR gear oil unless the transmission or diff was submerged. BTW does anyone know what kind of gear oil Ford uses in their diffs?
 
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My point was that spending $35 one time could potentially prevent you from spending an extra $35 several times in the coming years.

Sounds like you're pretty set on a 5k OCI. Maybe you could do 7.5k. No way to tell.
 
I think your OCI is fine especially if your comfortable with it, you could look into AMSOIL or RP to run 10k intervals and sleep good knowing that it is Top of the line oil...Not sure on the gear oil question should be in the owners maual though there is usually couple pages of reccomended fluids...I hear you also on the extra gas for a piece of mind
 
With the short trips, i'd run synthetic for 5k. but do what you want, if you don't want to run 10k, don't run 10k, if you don't want oil analysis, then don't get it. 5k may not be wasteful to you, that's the oci i do with our 4.6 ford truck, it pulls alot of weight and tows, so i do what i feel comfortable with and you should too
 
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