2006 F150 5.4L short trips

[db500]

I have a 2006 F150 with a 5.4L and 110k miles on it. My recent driving habits have changed. I drive it 1.5 miles to and from the train station during the weak. In the Upstate NY weather, the temp gauge doesn’t even move. I park outside too. On the weekends I don’t drive it much, maybe a 15 minute ride each way. There is the occasional 45 minute drive. I don’t think I put more than 2k on it now per year.

I’ve been running Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 and a motorcraft FLS820 filter with an annual change. Would I be better off changing more frequently and running just regular 5w20 dino oil? I know the short drives are hard on the oil. Maybe oil only changes with leaving the filter for annual only changes?

 

[eyeofthetiger]

I would stick to synthetic due to the cold weather driving. Short trips are okay, but you need to warm it up fully and give her the beans once a week or so.

 

[04SE]

I would be more concerned with cam phasers, VCT solenoids and exhaust manifolds.

 

[eyeofthetiger]

Originally Posted By: 04SE
I would be more concerned with cam phasers, VCT solenoids and exhaust manifolds.


Cam phasers and solenoids are inevitable on a 5.4, but a good synthetic oil with regular changes will help.

 

[FermeLaPorte]

The problem is that it is a Ford. Do yourself a favor and better use a bike or walk with that short of a trip.

 

[db500]

Originally Posted By: FermeLaPorte
The problem is that it is a Ford. Do yourself a favor and better use a bike or walk with that short of a trip.


Very helpful....thanks

 

[1JZ_E46]

Originally Posted By: db500
Originally Posted By: FermeLaPorte
The problem is that it is a Ford. Do yourself a favor and better use a bike or walk with that short of a trip.


Very helpful....thanks


I don’t know why I found this exchange so funny lol.

I’d run a 0W oil. WM has a couple to choose from.

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: db500
Originally Posted By: FermeLaPorte
The problem is that it is a Ford. Do yourself a favor and better use a bike or walk with that short of a trip.


Very helpful....thanks


Yeah, that really isn't called for here.

 

[Dallas69]

Just change once a year using any namebrand syn and MC filter.
I love my old Ford trk by the way.

 

[bigt61]

With synthetic, you'd be fine changing it every two years - that's only 4000 miles. Even dino would likely do that, just keep it topped off.

 

[Bambam]

Originally Posted By: FermeLaPorte
The problem is that it is a Ford. Do yourself a favor and better use a bike or walk with that short of a trip.

 

[4WD]

Your oil is fine … give it a few minutes more in the driveway on colder days …

 

[blupupher]

You need to take it out once a month for an hour long highway drive, especially in the winter. You will have a ton of moisture build up in the oil and it will turn into a milky mess.

One other thing is if you do an annual change is to do it in late fall, that way the initial fill is in when the moisture problem is highest (winter), and spring and summer driving will hopefully burn off the moisture.

This is my oil cap from my '02 5.4 (similar, but not same engine as yours) after ~5000 miles/10 months. It was mostly short trips (~3 miles) with monthly highway drives of at least 1 hour. It also includes 3 qts of top off oil (every 1500 miles)



The oil cap on these is a prime moisture collection place (highest and coolest part of the engine), so while it may look nasty on the cap, internally it will not be as bad, but still, not something I like to see.

 

[db500]

Yeah, that looks just like my oil cap. I'll continue running PZ Plat 5w20 High Mileage synth and do it once a year in the fall like i've been doing. I just wanted to make sure i wasn't stressing the oil given the Cam Phaser weaknesses and timing chain tensioner issues.


Originally Posted By: blupupher
You need to take it out once a month for an hour long highway drive, especially in the winter. You will have a ton of moisture build up in the oil and it will turn into a milky mess.

One other thing is if you do an annual change is to do it in late fall, that way the initial fill is in when the moisture problem is highest (winter), and spring and summer driving will hopefully burn off the moisture.

This is my oil cap from my '02 5.4 (similar, but not same engine as yours) after ~5000 miles/10 months. It was mostly short trips (~3 miles) with monthly highway drives of at least 1 hour. It also includes 3 qts of top off oil (every 1500 miles)



The oil cap on these is a prime moisture collection place (highest and coolest part of the engine), so while it may look nasty on the cap, internally it will not be as bad, but still, not something I like to see.

 

[tmorris1]

The oil cap on the 5.4L always look like that. They are high up away from heat and they have a lone fill neck, so they look worse than the oil in the engine will. Mine looks like that in the summer here in MN and I have 200k on mine. The body will fall apart before they engine will give out.

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted By: FermeLaPorte
The problem is that it is a Ford NEWER FORD. Do yourself a favor and better use a bike or walk with that short of a trip.
FIFY-if you're going to short trip it, you've got to get it hot on the weekends-otherwise the condensation is going to build up in the oil & cause all sorts of havoc. Good news is, you're likely out of warranty, which means no more trips to the "charming" Ford dealer service department! I'm jealous!