Back in August 2012 I purchased a used 2003 Ford Escape with the V6. It was a one owner vehicle that looked to be taken care of. There was a small oil drip I noticed but nothing too bad at all. The oil change sticker on the windshield was from Pep Boys and called out
Pennzoil. No grade was speced but I guessed it was PYB 5W-20. I changed the oil and installed PP 5W-20....thinking that PP would be a better oil and also keep the engine clean. The drip has not gotten worse since the oil change....until now. I have lost about half a quart over the maybe 1,000 miles it has been driven thus far. The vehicle is used by my son to drive to and from school so it sees less then 10 miles of total driving each day.
The last 2 days I have been driving it and noticed a burning smell coming from the left side of the engine (standing facing the vehicle) after driving for a few minutes. I know it is the oil dripping on the pipe and burning off. It has gotten cold here in Atlanta - cold for us anyway - with temps at night ranging from the high 20s to the low 40s. I am thinking that the colder temps are making the seals and gaskets shrink which is letting the oil through. I am considering replacing the PP for a 5W-30 High Mileage oil. I am hoping the thicker grade oil and the HM with its seal conditioners will slow or stop the leak. Is this thinking flawed? 5W-20 seems like thin oil, this is the first vehicle I have ever owned that calls for it. Will a 5W-30 have negative consequences or shorten the life of the engine? SHould I stick with 5W-20? Small leaks on the Ford Duratec engines with this kind of mileage are not uncommon. From what I have read on other forums these motors have gone over 200K with these small drips/leaks.
I have read good things here about Valvoline Max Life. Is this the best choice for the driving described above? I have never used a HM oil so I am looking for input from the group. I was thinking of doing an OCI of 6 months and using a NAPA filter.
Pennzoil. No grade was speced but I guessed it was PYB 5W-20. I changed the oil and installed PP 5W-20....thinking that PP would be a better oil and also keep the engine clean. The drip has not gotten worse since the oil change....until now. I have lost about half a quart over the maybe 1,000 miles it has been driven thus far. The vehicle is used by my son to drive to and from school so it sees less then 10 miles of total driving each day.
The last 2 days I have been driving it and noticed a burning smell coming from the left side of the engine (standing facing the vehicle) after driving for a few minutes. I know it is the oil dripping on the pipe and burning off. It has gotten cold here in Atlanta - cold for us anyway - with temps at night ranging from the high 20s to the low 40s. I am thinking that the colder temps are making the seals and gaskets shrink which is letting the oil through. I am considering replacing the PP for a 5W-30 High Mileage oil. I am hoping the thicker grade oil and the HM with its seal conditioners will slow or stop the leak. Is this thinking flawed? 5W-20 seems like thin oil, this is the first vehicle I have ever owned that calls for it. Will a 5W-30 have negative consequences or shorten the life of the engine? SHould I stick with 5W-20? Small leaks on the Ford Duratec engines with this kind of mileage are not uncommon. From what I have read on other forums these motors have gone over 200K with these small drips/leaks.
I have read good things here about Valvoline Max Life. Is this the best choice for the driving described above? I have never used a HM oil so I am looking for input from the group. I was thinking of doing an OCI of 6 months and using a NAPA filter.