The engine oil change is an activity that every ford F150 driver has to do after regular intervals as recommended by the manufacturer. It is essential for lubrication and the smooth running of the engine.
What Kind of Oil Does a Ford F150 Take? Recommended oil type for Ford F-150 is SAE 5W-20 for all engine types except the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, which uses a slightly heavier SAE 5W-30 engine oil. Therefore, it is better to use Ford Motorcraft brand oil available in full synthetic and a synthetic blend as OEM replacement.
This article will guide the Ford F-150 owners regarding recommended oil types for their pickup trucks and their essential properties.
What Kind of Oil Does a Ford F150 Take?
Ford recommends using SAE 5W-20 synthetic blend engine oil for all 6 engine variants available in F-150 except a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine.
Ford also recommends using Motorcraft oil that is a registered oil brand of Ford Motor Company.
Using this recommended oil will ensure better engine performance and energy conservation resulting in better fuel economy.
However, you can use any oil of specific viscosity or weight grade without a loss of warranty.
Things to consider when selecting Ford F150 engine oil
To ensure the fuel-efficient performance of the Ford F-150 engine with the longevity of its service life, the engine oil used for its lubrication should have the following properties:
Less viscous
Viscosity is one crucial parameter used for the classification of engine oils.
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) rates them based on their resistance to flow under varying temperature conditions.
For example, SAE 5W-20 means the oil’s viscosity at cold conditions is 5, and it is 20 during engine operation at high temperatures.
Therefore you should select the same viscosity for better engine protection. Higher viscosity oils will not be able to flow efficiently at low-temperature conditions.
API/ILSAC approved
Another critical feature to check for engine oil is its certification and approval from American Petroleum Institute (API) and International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC).
Therefore, purchase the oil with API certified circular symbol mentioning its performance level, viscosity grade, and energy-conserving properties.
Good temperature range
Ford recommends using multigrade oil for the F-150 because of its better temperature range and engine protection from cold conditions to high temperatures.
At lower temperatures, there are chances of gelling of engine oil due to the freezing of its molecules. Furthermore, at higher temperatures, it can suffer oxidation resulting in its deterioration.
A low initial number in the SAE grade indicates better oil capability to flow faster and reach critical engine components during startup and cold weather conditions.
After W, the second number is the viscosity value crucial for engine protection and its lubrication during operating conditions at higher temperatures.
Do all types of Ford F150 use the same engine oil?
No, all variants of the Ford F-150 have the same engine oil requirements. SAE 5W-20 is the recommended oil for most of its V6 and V8 engines in pickup trucks after 2002.
However, one exception is the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine that uses slightly heavier SAE 5W-30 oil for its lubrication.
Moreover, all models of F-150 before 2002 also require the same 5W-30 oil.
You will also find the recommended type on the cap of the engine oil reservoir under the hood of the truck.
Quantity of engine oil
Different engines in the Ford F-150 have varying engine oil requirements. It depends on the engine design, its size, and fuel injection methods.
| Ford F50 Engine Type | Availability in Trim Levels | Number of Cylinders | Quantity of Oil |
| 3.3-liter V6 base engine | Base model | 6 | 5.5-6.5 quarts |
| 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost | XLT, XL, Lariat | 6 | 5.5-6.5 quarts |
| 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost | Lariat, Platinum, King Ranch | 6 | 5.5-6.5 quarts |
| 3.5-liter High Output EcoBoost V6 | Limited, Raptor | 6 | 5.5-6.5 quarts |
| 3.0-liter Powerstroke Turbo Diesel V6 | Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum | 6 | 6.5-7.5 quarts |
| 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine | XL, Lariat, XLT, King Ranch, Platinum | 8 | 8.5-9 quarts |
How often to change the engine oil?
It is recommended to change the oil every 5000-10,000 miles or 6-8 months, whichever comes first.
However, you will find varying figures according to the truck’s engine type, oil type, condition, and age.
We have conducted a survey on our website regarding the average oil change duration for Ford F-150 trucks.
About 720 drivers having F-150 as their primary vehicle participated in the survey. According to the study results, 42% of drivers changed the oil after 5000 to 6000 miles.
About 30% of the drivers mentioned 4000-5000 miles as average engine oil change duration.
15% of the drivers changed the oil after 3000 miles that show their consciousness towards the maintenance of their truck.
Surprisingly 13% of the drivers took 7000 miles to go for an oil change.
The most probable reason can be efficient driving and new models of trucks as they conserve oil.
Should I use synthetic oil in my Ford F150?
Manufacturers produce synthetic oil using a chemical process by adding high-performing additives instead of extracting from crude form.
Therefore, it has a purified composition and uniform molecules. Moreover, it offers better lubricating properties than conventional and reduces the wear and heating of engine parts.
It also has a higher temperature range to operate without deterioration in its chemical properties.
Blending the two will create oil with oxidation resistance and good performance at lower temperatures.
It also helps to reduce engine waste deposits and metallic debris as a result of wear and tear.
Moreover, it prevents gel formation at low temperatures, corrosion of metallic parts, and foaming due to mixing with air. Finally, due to excellent lubrication, it conserves energy resulting in better fuel economy.
Should you use Single grade or multigrade engine oil with Ford F-150?
Single grade oil will provide lubrication of the engine for a single temperature setting, while multigrade oil has a better temperature range.
In addition, it offers less viscosity at low temperatures during the engine ignition and cold weather conditions to reach all the engine parts to prevent friction.
Moreover, at high temperatures, its performance is also significant during engine operation to reduce resistance in moving parts of the engine without deterioration.
Therefore, I would highly recommend using multigrade oil of approved SAE rating in Ford F-150.
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