Oil Recommendation

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I'd like to get some opinions on oil rec's for 2 different vehicles. I think it'll be easier to make 2 threads.


1. What kind of vehicle you have? 2013 F150 4x4 5.0 20100 miles.

2. What your owner's manual says -- not just viscosity, but certifications and change intervals as well? Manual calls for pretty much any API approved 5W20 and OLM which would call for 10k mile changes judging by OLM % left when I have changed the oil previously. For example I change at 6k every time and the OLM is at 39%-40% every time. I have used MC FL500S filter and MC SynBlend 5W20 since I bought it new. Change oil every 6k miles. Air filter at 18k.

3. Where you live? Northeast Ga. Fairly predictable weather: 3 months of High 80's to mid 90's, 3 months of 40's to 70's Spring and Fall, and 3 months of 30's to 50's. Snow a couple times of year for less than a week. Occasional single digits and teens, probably several weeks per Winter.

4. How you drive (easy? hard? fast? slow?)
5. What your daily drive is like (short trips? long trips? city? highway?)
I get on it pretty hard at least once a day. Takes me 20 minutes to travel 9.6 miles to work every day from 30-50mph. I come home on the interstate doing 75 -80mph at least once a week which adds about 5 miles to my trip. Low speed driving and idling, less than 5mph for a half hour 4-5 times a week down through the bottoms at the river. Use 4wd 4-5 times a week up steep hills and boggy areas. 1-2 times a month interstate 75-85mph for an hour or so.

6. Whether your car has any known problems? No problems. No oil consumption.

I plan to keep this truck for a very long time. Hopefully forever. I would use MC Full Synthetic if I could find it and if it were a reasonable price. I would like to use full synthetic at my next oil change at 24k miles. No need for Extended Performance or anything like that as I enjoy changing oil too much to go past 6k. I put about 12k miles a year on my truck with just about every imaginable driving style. Any reasonably priced oil is not an issue but I'm not willing to pay $10/qt for oil. Full disclosure: I can get Kendall Full Synthetic 5W20 or 5W30 at a reasonable price and that is currently what I plan on running. My wife has a 2011 Buick Enclave and I just switched it to Kendall FS 5W30. Since her vehicle uses the same oil filter as my truck it sure would simplify things to use the same oil and filter on both. Though her vehicle calls for 5W30 and mine for 5W20. If I did switch oil weights on one of the vehicles I would switch mine to 5W30 before I switched her to 5W20. (Coincidentally my riding mower uses the same filter, though I use the shorter version and Mobil 1 High Mileage 10W30). I'm gonna start another thread on her vehicle as well. Thanks for the input. Great forum.
 
If that vehicle was mine I would probably use something like Pennzoil (yellow bottle) 5W-20 if I intended to change oil at 6k-mile intervals. Using a full synthetic is a bit of overkill for that engine based on your usage and intended 6k OCI. I tend to use Amsoil full synthetic and extend the OCI to 15k or more miles, but I don't do that on my Saab due to its sludge-forming tendencies. On a truck like yours I would probably use Amsoil Signature Series 0W-20 and shoot for extended intervals based on used oil analysis.

You seem to have already made up your mind to use Kendall synthetic. I'm sure that will work fine. I would stick to 5W-20 or 0W-20 viscosity. No reason to use 5W-30 in my opinion.
 
Getting on it hard at least once a day is smart. Keeps any carbon at bay. IME not so much a WOT run, but high speed, and possibly WOT. Good strategy.

I think 5W-20 is good for your truck. As to which one? The choices are endless.

The Kendall Full Syn 5W-20 you were inclined to go with should be good.. Really, any oil on the shelf at Walmart will do a "good" job, as there is no "bad" oil except possibly the wrong viscosity, like if you were to put 20W-50 in there (disclaimer: I am saying DO NOT do that, and it doesn't sound like you were going to. On the flip side, other older cars with different and older engines that haven't been locked in to a thin oil by design could probably take it like a champ, but that's irrelevant to your truck.)

I don't think your inclanation to use Kendall 5W-20 is a bad one. I would use 5W-20 over the 5W-30, since 5W-20 is officially an accepted and normal thing now. People were on the fence about all this thinner oil (20-grade) a decade or so ago.. Use the 20.
 
Originally Posted By: Joel_MD
If that vehicle was mine I would probably use something like Pennzoil (yellow bottle) 5W-20 if I intended to change oil at 6k-mile intervals. Using a full synthetic is a bit of overkill for that engine based on your usage and intended 6k OCI. I tend to use Amsoil full synthetic and extend the OCI to 15k or more miles, but I don't do that on my Saab due to its sludge-forming tendencies. On a truck like yours I would probably use Amsoil Signature Series 0W-20 and shoot for extended intervals based on used oil analysis.

You seem to have already made up your mind to use Kendall synthetic. I'm sure that will work fine. I would stick to 5W-20 or 0W-20 viscosity. No reason to use 5W-30 in my opinion.


I haven't made up my mind but I am leaning toward the Kendall. I may just get a UOA at my next OCI and continue with the MC Synblend.
 
^^ Also, as mentioned by Joel_MD in second post: If you can find 0W-20, get it. Just by default of it being a 0W-20 it has some pretty good chemistry to get it there, and 0W-20 *SHOULD BE* marginally better than a 5W "on start up" whether you are in Alaska or Downtown Miami Florida, or the Keys. I don't know about Alaska, but.. Pretty much everywhere else, turn the key and go.

Of course, some 5W oils flow better than 0W, so, so as not to jam up this thread.. Again, your Kendall 5W-20 choice may be a good one.

And the W number has nothing to do with the number after it, though that also is an oil-specific thing.
 
OP, I have the same truck - F150 5.0L Coyote engine.

I run Pennzoil Platnium Pure Plus 5W20 with either a MC FL500S filter or NAPA Gold Filter and OCI as per the IOLM.
 
Originally Posted By: Scum_Frog
OP, I have the same truck - F150 5.0L Coyote engine.

I run Pennzoil Platnium Pure Plus 5W20 with either a MC FL500S filter or NAPA Gold Filter and OCI as per the IOLM.


Have you been running the PP since the first oil change? Do you change at about 10k miles?
 
With only 6K OCI's.....I would put a 5w20 syn-blend (either Motorcraft, Pennzoil Gold or Kendall). Full syn is just overkill at 6K OCI's. Both (Motorcraft & Pennzoil) can be found at WalMart.

For a filter, I would use a Fram ULTRA (also at WM), and use it for two OC's. The ULTRA is he best filter for the money in both price and efficiency. This saves you the messy job of changing the filter each time you change he oil.
 
Kendall is made by the same company as Motorcraft (ConocoPhillips) and is very good oil. 6k would be under utilizing it but whatever, do what makes you feel comfortable.

As far as using 5w-20 or 5w-30...you're not going to hurt anything going to the 5w-30 and contrary to what is often said on BITOG it will not automatically void your warranty.
 
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