oil change interval on '09 Crown Vic

[synthetic_crazy]

I will be changing the oil in my newly acquired Crown Vic this weekend and need some input on the right interval to use. I will be using Mobil 1 5w-20 and a Motorcraft FL-910s filter exclusively for the life of this car. I looked down the oil filler hole and the internals are absolutely spotless. The engine has no visible varnish. The car has about 62k miles and is the police package. It holds 6 qts of oil.

I want to run 5000 mile intervals, but was wondering if I should shorten the first oil change with the Mobil 1 just in the slim chance it cleans things up a bit. As a side note, I think these 4.6L engines are fairly easy on oil.

What do all of you think?

 

[AlienBug]

That seems like an unnecessarily short interval.

 

[KD0AXS]

I would do 5000 mile OCIs......if I were using dino. You can certainly go longer on M1.

Are you sure that 4.6 uses the FL-910S? Every modular V8 I've ever seen uses the FL-820S, which is much larger than the little 910S.

 

[UncleS2]

The 08 Crown Vic takes a MC FL-820S oil filter. And I'd run that mobil 1 for at least 7000 miles or 1 yr, whatever came first. Those engines may not be the most powerful, or get 35 mpg, but WOW do they last!

 

[earlyre]

^+1
afaik it should be the fl-820s, the fl-500s should be fine as well.
many engines that originally spec'd the 820, now spec the FL-500s.
which is a little skinnier, and a little taller.

 

[synthetic_crazy]

I thought the same thing about the FL820s filter but the police package takes the FL910. The 910 is smaller than the 820...I was surprised. I did notice on the filter box that the 910 is "high efficiency and high capacity". I guess 5000mi is pretty short an interval for this engine combined with the Mobil 1.

 

[901Memphis]

5k/1 year conventional, 10k/24 months most synthetics

You should see the abuse some police fleets put those through and they still look clean.

M1 EP, Edge, PU probably closer to 13-15k range.


I found some older 4.6 uoas.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2099670

Here is 20k on Amsoil SSO with only 17-19 ppm iron.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1390412&fpart=1

PP 5w20 - 8k
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2807958

 

[KD0AXS]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis


You should see the abuse some police fleets put those through and they still look clean.


And once the police are done with them, taxi drivers abuse them for a few hundred thousand more miles. Or where I work, they're in courier vans that are abused and neglected all day, every day and still last over 500K running on cheap bulk dino.

 

[tig1]

On my old Merc GM 4.6 I did 10K OCIs with M1 10-30. After 218K the engine was very clean.

 

[spasm3]

I think you have to base your oci on how you drive i.e typical trip lengths and the oil type. Short trips less than 10 miles i would go 5000 or less on mobil 1 . If highway driving and always more that 12-20 miles you could go 7500-10k miles.

 

[901Memphis]

I think 10k is only a starting point as proven by the 20k uoa with SSO.

Conventional is obviously fine in this engine if you want, but don't i recall a synthetic comparison with tear down on those taxi fleets and it made M1 vanilla look amazing?

 

[Roadkingnc]

The fl-910 is the correct filter for that application.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: Roadkingnc
The fl-910 is the correct filter for that application.


Sorry, but that is incorrect. The 910 fits 4 cyl Ford engines. The 4.6 V8 requires the FL 820. Here's a link.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_motorcraft_FL-910_fit

 

[dave1251]

Way too short of a OCI IMO. 5K OCI? Is the Crown Vic being used as a Taxi?

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Roadkingnc
The fl-910 is the correct filter for that application.


Sorry, but that is incorrect. The 910 fits 4 cyl Ford engines. The 4.6 V8 requires the FL 820. Here's a link.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_motorcraft_FL-910_fit


actually...he's right... if the fram catalog can be trusted for cross referencing...

the fl-910 crosses to a fram **3614, and in the "aplications where used" section, under ford, Crown Victoria
V8-4.6L F/inj. (16V) SOHC Flex Fuel (V) [2011-2009]
as well as the : 2.3l 4cyl, and most of the new eco-boost 4cyl engines.

that makes it the same Filter my Neon takes...and my dad's Cub Cadet riding Mower...huh...

 

[earlyre]

Motorcraft Buyers Guide listing of applications for the FL-910

first one on the list, 2009-2010 Crown Victoria.

we all learned something today.

 

[MuzzleFlash40]

I'd still stick with the 820, I see no benefit with putting a smaller filter on the car. Seems ford just did it to simplify things. Probably wont hurt anything, but why not use the larger filter.

 

[earlyre]

You CAN'T use the 820 on the 09+ Vic. unless you change the filter mounting plate.
the 820 has a metric thread, while the 910 is a 3/4-16 thread.
if you want a larger filter, use the Fl-400s, or the Fl-1a if you have the room

 

[HM12460]

Nice car. Motorcraft oil and filters are hard to beat in the 4.6

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: earlyre
You CAN'T use the 820 on the 09+ Vic. unless you change the filter mounting plate.
the 820 has a metric thread, while the 910 is a 3/4-16 thread.
if you want a larger filter, use the Fl-400s, or the Fl-1a if you have the room


And there you have it...

Since the engine is clean with no visible sludge, I'd go with whatever OCI you prefer... I run both my 4.6 1 yr or 10K mi on M-1, the one year always comes first...