2019 Ranger Ecoboost Oil Change Interval

[19Walt93]

I think everything should get at least 2 changes a year, if you drive long distances the engine gets hot enough. long enough to evaporate the moisture and a warm engine doesn't dilute the oil any where near as much as a cold engine. Short trips with an engine not up to temp are the engines worst enemy, if you live where it gets cold that makes it even worse. If you change the oil "too often" it will cost you the price of the oil & filter, not often enough costs extra engine wear. Keep in mind that the people who set the ridiculous 10k/1 year interval only stand behind the engine for 60,000 miles. If a customer asked me if they really need to change the oil that often I'd tell them they don't need to change it at all because we sell engines. If I didn't know them well enough I'd word it differently but say the same thing.

 

[sgtsandman]

I drive long enough distances daily that stuff should burn off no problem, not to mention I drive across PA regularly enough that the entire engine gets a good work out. Part of the reason I do Spring and Fall changes is because I also do a complete look over the entire vehicle, including a thorough brake inspection and lube. Over kill? Probably. But I rarely ever have a surprise component break down as a result.

 

[acsnowrider]

Short trips with an engine not up to temp are the engines worst enemy, if you live where it gets cold that makes it even worse.

100% accurate!! Not so bad, with the synthetic blends/full synthetics available now, but I always told my customers/friends, "if its clean inside, it will usually last--if there's dirt in it, take your chances!

 

[19Walt93]

NH isn't like Arizona. On winter mornings the outside of the block is apt to look like an old freezer that needs to be defrosted and the inside is the same. Once it starts warming up all that frost melts and dilutes the oil and foam is often found on the oil cap. It doesn't matter if its petroleum, synthetic, or baby oil, water is bad. Water plus the combustion byproducts that blow by the rings when the engine isn't up to temp is much worse. synthetic oil lubricates better but stretching out the change interval when using it is like going longer between washing your designer jeans than you do your wranglers. Go ahead if you want to, I don't still sell engines but I have friends who do.

 

[acsnowrider]

Ya, never ran across anything like that in more than 30 years in Alaska. Was just lucky, I guess, being busy inside, washing my Wranglers.

 

[heptofite]

6 months/3k as it was and forever shall be. It freaking cost less than 30 bucks to change your oil. Go out there and change it! I'll wait...

Man, this ain't 1988, lol. synthetic oils last way longer than 3k, but if you like throwing money away, i guess you do you.

 

[Dirtman]

Oil is cheap. Engines are expensive.

 

[sgtsandman]

That’s my thinking. Though, I would say my change intervals are more than 3,000. Since I do them by time instead of mileage, I really don’t pay attention. I know there has been a couple years where my vehicle(s) were exempt from emissions testing because the mileage since the last test was less than 5,000. Usually during a big deployment year.

 

[Ranger850]

My 08 Sport Trac listed oil change intervals @ 6,000 miles. I normally had it done @ 3,000. Until my Uncle (ex master mechanic @ Crossett Ford in Crossett Arkansas) told me to do what the manual said, so I started going to 6k, and guess what? Right at about 5800 miles, I got a "change oil Soon" light. @ about 5950, the light changed to "Change oil Now". I owned that truck for 2 years before I ever saw that, very specific indicator light come on. So now I just do what the little lights on the dash say to do. They really make these vehicles for Idiots that have no clue how to PM a vehicle, and have warning indicators for almost everything now a days.

 

[Dirtman]

Those lights tell you when the oil needs to be changed based on how dirty it is... the point of changing your oil is to change it before it gets dirty. And if that sensor fails do you just never change your oil again?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I don't put a lot of miles on my '85. I change it every spring.

F-150 I aim for every 3k and usually hit around every 4k.

An turbocharged direct injected engine engine? Often.

 

[Dirtman]

Exactly... oil has improved but engines have gotten way more complicated. Cam phasers, direct injection, turbo chargers etc all need immaculate oil to function properly. And oil filters are still the same technology they were 100 years ago so your filter is going to be bad before the oil anyway. Now if you find a way to change oil filters without changing the oil...

It cost me 24 bucks to change my oil with pennzoil ultra and a motorcraft filter. That's less than 50 bucks a year in my case. I'll pay 50 bucks a year so I dont need to replace an engine every 10... in fact that's still cheaper than an engine after 100 years.

 

[fastpakr]

I don't think there's a sensor directly measuring the quality of the oil, is there? I thought it was just an estimate based on run time, RPM, etc.

 

[Dirtman]

If they were based solely on time or miles wouldn't they all just come on at the same time? I've seen people go almost 10k before the light came on, and others come on at less than 4k? Maybe it is all computer factors but I always thought there was an actual sensor reading the oil on the modern systems.

That's something @adsm08 would know... he's the only one I know who actually takes that stupid nonsense apart.

 

[fastpakr]

Reread what I said... Not that time is the only factor, but that it's an estimate based on engine speed, run time since the last change, etc. A calculation that factors multiple components, not a sensor physically looking at the oil.