Quandary

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 5, 2004
Messages
3,052
Location
Back in Arizona. Finally
The wife will be taking her ‘17 EB Expedition to Houston and back from here in Az. The trip there and back plus her driving around while there will probably be 3000 miles. The car is currently at 5k into an oil change of 5w30 Magnatec with 500s Motorcraft filter. I'd love change the oil prior to her leaving but the weather here is pretty dreadful with temps just above freezing, wind and snow etc, ie really bad, no garage. Plus Ecoboost oil changes aren't real easy: jackstands, shields have to removed, break your arm in 2 places to do the filter etc. Really sux.
I'm inclined to let her go w/o an oil change and just do it when she gets back. Hopefully we'll be out of this weather pattern by then. Of those 3000 miles I figure most of it will be highway miles with speeds ranging from 65 - 80 mph. The has Expy has 3:15 gears if that makes any difference.
KJSmiths used oil analysis tell me it'll be ok to let it ride but the over maintenance fiend in me says I need to man up and change it.
Dealer or oil shop changes are not on the table for reasons we all know here.
Your thoughts?
Thanks guys!
 
What does the Oil Life Monitor say for how much life is remaining?

If your OLM routinely suggests 10,000 mile changes (as mine does in my 16 F150), I'd have no problem running this one out... On top of that, a long extended trip as being described is typically easy on the oil...
 
Highway miles are very easy on oil. I would probably run it like it is and change it when she gets back, or let her have it changed somewhere on the road if the OLM dictates When I need a change on the road it's always at walmart, never had a problem, always use synthetic so if I need to extend a change I don't worry about it.
 
I use that oil in my vehicles. It's a good oil. My OCIs are around 6000 mile give or take. In my Impala, the oil seems like it could go a while longer. However, in the Colorado, you can tell it's getting close to time for a change. It's even starting to burn a little oil. So it varies from vehicle to vehicle. Check your oil and see what you think. I would likely leave it and keep an eye on it if I were making the trip. If it were my wife, I would change it or have it changed. It's all part of our responsibility as family protector and garage master.
 
With the 3.5 eco's timing chain and turbo/DI tendency to build up small abrasive soot, I would get on my winter clothes and change it out. Easy miles or not, the filter isn't removing that particulate as it is too small.

Quote
The particle number concentration emitted by GDI engines are generally higher than conventional PFI engines and Diesel engines equipped with Particulate Filter (DPF). Most of the soot produced is expelled from the cylinder with the exhaust gases but a small proportion is transferred from the cylinder to the lubricating oil. Soot is likely to migrate into the oil film early during the expansion stroke [8]; consequently, the morphology, agglomeration and other characteristics of soot-in-oil are likely to be rather different to exhaust soot. Soot-in-oil has not been subject to oxidation processes to the same extent and hence the outer shell structure is more likely to remain intact. Although only a small proportion of the soot formed in the combustion chamber transfers to the engine oil, it contributes to the lubricant degradation. This is certainly a new challenge for the modern GDI engine as soot-in-oil raises concerns upon wear and engine durability. It is well established that oil thickening has a complex dependence on soot [9]. Various investigators [10], [11] have shown that diesel soot build up in oil gives rise to increased engine wear rates; Gautam et al. [12] reported that wear increases with higher soot concentration. Soot reduces the effectiveness of anti-wear additives and its effect on wear depends upon the characteristics of the particles and agglomerates of soot. Abrasive wear occurs and wear scar width closely matches the primary particle size [10]. Oil thickening was found to enhance timing chain elongation due to abrasive action of soot on pins and bushing [13]. Bardasz et al. [14] studied the influence of high number of engine cycles on lubricant oil and that of oil characteristics on engine wear, comparing direct injection and port fuel injection engines and finding increased wear for the first category. There is also a growing interest within the automotive industry to better understand the complex interactions between soot morphology and properties of lubricating oil.


https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301679X15000432
 
Last edited:
Well, if I can get a calm day ( no wind ) when the driveway isn't wet I'll change it. I agree with tcp71 about soot and timing chain damage, that's why my ‘11 EB is rolling with Castrol EDGE 0w40! 125k original chains and quiet. However hers is 6 years newer than mine and I'm sure Ford has done some changes (the intercooler is different with a pipe that makes changing the oil filter all that much more fun). The only reason I'd even consider not changing the oil is KJSmiths excellent extended lused oil analysis with his Ecoboost engine. Magnatec works well with these later EB mills.
 
Originally Posted by philipp10
Change the oil leave the filter...
Beat me to it-I just did the same thing on the MGM in my sig, only 7500 miles on a new Ultra, it stayed on.
 
Ok so if the 10 day weather report holds, the last day of snow will be tomorrow, New Year's Day. Thursday or Friday look good. Oil will be changed and that will still give me a couple of days before she leaves to make sure all went well. I've never had to re do any oil change ever, just call me superstitious...I distrust the oil filter most of all; in an Ecoboost you put it on from underneath, into a hole can't see. Never had a problem, just like being cautious - something you don't get when it's done for you. Hers is the 4th EB we've had so I'm getting the hang of it.
Thanks guys! Happy New Year everybody!
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by philipp10
Change the oil leave the filter...


Better yet, change it by sucking oil out the dipstick hole with a vacuum unit, either pneumatic if you have air, or manual if you don't. Never have to mess with a drain pan and crawling under the truck.
 
Originally Posted by double vanos
the weather here is pretty dreadful with temps just above freezing, wind and snow etc, ie really bad, no garage.


[censored], I do brakes, exhaust, engine work, in colder than that. Now if it was 80+ with 80%+ humidity, I could understand.
 
Originally Posted by philipp10
Change the oil leave the filter...


had a similar situation on my wifes sienna where I could not get the over torqued canister filter off without a special tool and we had a trip. Just dropped the oil and refilled. Once the tool came in I did a full change at my leisure.
About 12K miles on the OEM yzza1 toyota filter and no problems. It dirty but still very sound.

There is plenty of margin build into these things. You could just drain a few qts then refill if you like. I think even with no change at all she will be fine.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom