New to me 2015 F150

[autoapprentice]

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a high mileage (190,00 miles) 2015 F150 XL SuperCab 4x4 with the 6.5 foot bed. Blanca (the truck), has the 3.5L V6, non-turbo engine. When I checked the oil at the dealership, it appeared overfilled. When I got home, I changed the oil and put in 6QTs. the manual calls for 6.3, but I still cannot get a good reading on the dip stick, it still appears overfilled. I also noticed these dark specks on the dipstick, and paper towel.

I attached some photos. I will be doing some minor upgrades here and there. I have installed the CravenSpeed Stubby Flex antenna, and will soon install the OEM dampener for the tailgate (received for free with my Ford Accessories account points).

I will complete a UOA and post it under this thread in the future. That's why I posted it here instead of vehicles for example. If this is wrong, please let me know.

Any ideas what may be going on with this engine?

Thanks!

 

[fantastic]

I used to sell custom truck accessories stuff like that stubby antenna..nice touch.

I'd say follow the manual and put in another 0.30 it's of oil.

Congratulations on the buy and looks really clean for 190k so probably highway miles.

 

[himemsys]

Congrats! That is a lot of miles for such a new vehicle. Over 21,000 miles a year on average! On the plus side, that probably means those were easy, highway miles.

What kind of oil did you put in? Did you change the filter? That might also affect the oil level on the dipstick if you left the same filter on. Some dipsticks are really hard to read. I would let it sit overnight and check it cold in the morning. Might get a better reading...

 

[autoapprentice]

Congrats! That is a lot of miles for such a new vehicle. Over 21,000 miles a year on average! On the plus side, that probably means those were easy, highway miles.

What kind of oil did you put in? Did you change the filter? That might also affect the oil level on the dipstick if you left the same filter on. Some dipsticks are really hard to read. I would let it sit overnight and check it cold in the morning. Might get a better reading...

I used motorcraft 5w20 and changed the filter as well. FL 500S.

 

[meep]

What a nice truck! Ours are very similar, mine is an 18 with the 2.7. The 3.5 is highly regarded as a “go forever” motor which is perfectly suited to run with if you’re not towing something large regularly.

There’s no evidence anything is going wrong with the engine. If you aren’t sure, run that oil for a shorter interval and then change it again. If it were me, after the 2nd oil change I might switch to a name brand synthetic AND go one grade thicker. The synthetic will slowly, over lots of miles, encourage a little cleaning activity. Another thing I would consider is with oil one grade thicker, add 1/2 can of seafoam in every oil change for the next 15k. That has been effective with my used vehicle purchases.

Any plans to refresh the transmission and driveline fluids? T case, 2 diffs, transmission? Which transmission does this have?

Edit - dipstick accuracy. I’m not sure about the 3.5, but the owners manual says the 2.7 dipstick needs 15 minutes to settle before taking a read. It can’t be used “in real time” for an oil change. One must put in the stated amount of fluid by the book. If the dipstick must be used, it says to wait and let the level stabilize first.

 

[D60]

Yeah agree with above. Let it sit a few minutes and leave the dipstick out while you do to keep the tube dry.

In my advancing age I pretty much always wear a headlamp when wrenching and prefer this for checking dipsticks if I really care. For me it can help show the contrast between oil and the dipstick. However I pray you don't have MLC (mid-life crisis) vision like me.

edit: also, love the plain Jane white and factory steelies!

 

[Fordiesel69]

I have gotten a stern liking to the aluminum 2015 ~ 2021 body style as they simply do not rust (except the frame). Gone are the days of cab corners, rocker panels, and floor pans.

The reason you are getting the black specs is there is a channel internal to the cylinder head and engine block that does not get any oil flow. The oil just builds up and turns to varnish. This dipstick channel is superiour to the external ones that stay cooler, and do not get buildup, but tend to rot out.

The 3.5L V6 think of it as a early 1990s diesel. Not powerful, but has durabilty to go 300k easily. The jury is still out on my 3.3L. MAke sure to do two transmission pan drops and fills with mercon LV, and make sure to do both axles and transfer case.

Also get the coolant exchanged for the new motorcraft yellow. Yours will be timed out.

I really like my 2018 and would have been more than happy to have a 2015 as well. I got lucky and the 2018 dropped in my lap for cheaper than the 2015s were going for.

 

[autoapprentice]

What a nice truck! Ours are very similar, mine is an 18 with the 2.7. The 3.5 is highly regarded as a “go forever” motor which is perfectly suited to run with if you’re not towing something large regularly.

There’s no evidence anything is going wrong with the engine. If you aren’t sure, run that oil for a shorter interval and then change it again. If it were me, after the 2nd oil change I might switch to a name brand synthetic AND go one grade thicker. The synthetic will slowly, over lots of miles, encourage a little cleaning activity. Another thing I would consider is with oil one grade thicker, add 1/2 can of seafoam in every oil change for the next 15k. That has been effective with my used vehicle purchases.

Any plans to refresh the transmission and driveline fluids? T case, 2 diffs, transmission? Which transmission does this have?

Edit - dipstick accuracy. I’m not sure about the 3.5, but the owners manual says the 2.7 dipstick needs 15 minutes to settle before taking a read. It can’t be used “in real time” for an oil change. One must put in the stated amount of fluid by the book. If the dipstick must be used, it says to wait and let the level stabilize first.

I’m not sure which transmission it has. I have already researched how to do the difs and plan to soon. The transmission is a bit daunting to me but we shall see. I never know if I should actually change the fluid. I’ve always been told if it hasn’t been changed don’t do it. Are you recommending the 5w30? I checked the oil after it sat for a week and it still looks high.

 

[autoapprentice]

Yeah agree with above. Let it sit a few minutes and leave the dipstick out while you do to keep the tube dry.

In my advancing age I pretty much always wear a headlamp when wrenching and prefer this for checking dipsticks if I really care. For me it can help show the contrast between oil and the dipstick. However I pray you don't have MLC (mid-life crisis) vision like me.

edit: also, love the plain Jane white and factory steelies!

I have aging eye sight in my early 30s so I will be trying the headlamp idea! I love it too. My favorite part honestly is the manual windows, mirrors, and locks. My son will inherit a relic!

 

[autoapprentice]

I have gotten a stern liking to the aluminum 2015 ~ 2021 body style as they simply do not rust (except the frame). Gone are the days of cab corners, rocker panels, and floor pans.

The reason you are getting the black specs is there is a channel internal to the cylinder head and engine block that does not get any oil flow. The oil just builds up and turns to varnish. This dipstick channel is superiour to the external ones that stay cooler, and do not get buildup, but tend to rot out.

The 3.5L V6 think of it as a early 1990s diesel. Not powerful, but has durabilty to go 300k easily. The jury is still out on my 3.3L. MAke sure to do two transmission pan drops and fills with mercon LV, and make sure to do both axles and transfer case.

Also get the coolant exchanged for the new motorcraft yellow. Yours will be timed out.

I really like my 2018 and would have been more than happy to have a 2015 as well. I got lucky and the 2018 dropped in my lap for cheaper than the 2015s were going for.

Great advice. Thank you! This was the only truck in my price range that was in good condition. It’s not a daily driver. She gets me to the dump, and Home Depot on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

 

[autoapprentice]

Here are some photos of the underbody. I’m not sure how the oil ever got changed due to the amount of rust and fluid caked on to the underbody covers. I trashed those. Pointless I feel like.