Would love some folks thoughts on this, regarding oil changes on this engine.

[Ellison Brown III]

Are those filters on all the ecoboost engines? Seems like if it were a high failure item we'd have heard about it by now on some of the higher mileage engines.

I spoke with a Ford tech awhile back about getting these replaced. He told me he’s yet to change any. Told me it wasn’t as necessary as I might’ve thought. I was a bit shocked to say the least.

Thought he was blowing me off at first. Turned out he was in the middle of something. As soon as he was done wit that task he jumped on a computer to look up the part/ area to verify we were talking about the same item. He assured me it wasn’t a regular maintenance item.

The problem I have with that is the fact it has a screened surface that could definitely get clogged at some point. However, we’ve been given no guidance as to what, if anything, should be required of this part.

 

[JamaicaJoe]

Would it be possible to backflush those filters by opeing the line near the turbo and pouring some cleaner into the line before an oil change?

 

[Benztech]

Blackstone Lab or some other lab could answer the OCI interval for you, but I don't need that for me. By 5k miles my oil looks and smells roasted with regular driving so 5k is max for me. As others have said I would only do the turbo filter if doing turbo work or at a high mileage mark- say 100k-150k.

 

[Pancho258]

No one has really commented on oil types or weight which is interesting. After the first 3,000 miles I switched to Mobil 1 synthetic.

Are you still recommending frequency of oil changes to be 5K even with synthetic?

 

[Benztech]

I use 5w-30 Kirkland Synthetic & factory filters and change it at 5k. There's no way based on color and smell I would let it go longer for me. Maybe if I only drove highway I would consider it, but most of my driving is mixed.

 

[Mr Big]

Regarding oil changes, a lot depends on driving habits and environment.
I regimentally change my oil and filter every 5000 miles or less, with 5w-30 full synthetic oil and a Motorcraft FL500S oil filter.
Also, twin turbos need clean oil and can also cause contamination faster in the oil and pan, due to poor maintenance.
For me, it is important to change my oil at shorter intervals.
Me being a do-it-yourselfer, it's an inexpensive task to push back the more expensive repair.

 

[BMW2FORD]

I’m also in the 4000-5000 opinion after seeing how it looks and smells at that point. Also don’t forget to use an API SN rated or better oil for spark knock. Ford does have good info in their maintenance manual about using a 5w-30 oil and does state about that rating as well as many other companies with turbocharged engines.

 

[JasonH]

No one has really commented on oil types or weight which is interesting. After the first 3,000 miles I switched to Mobil 1 synthetic.

Are you still recommending frequency of oil changes to be 5K even with synthetic?

I think that number is used because it's fairly conservative. So much depends on driving conditions. An engine that spends most of its time out of boost and at operating temps will be easier on oil than one that gets short tripped and driven in boost often. These engines are also known for having issues with fuel dilution, so more frequent changes mitigates that issue as well. I've had my oil tested by Blackstone between 7K and 8K and they said it was still good, but I've also had timing solenoid issues that may or may not be related, as my water pump was failing and the oil may have been getting too hot. So it's hard to know the right answer for every operating condition.

 

[GlennSullivan]

We have a 2007 Tahoe (81K), a 2011 Expedition (63K) and a 2017 Expedition (44K). I have done the oil changes on all 3 between 3500 and 4500 since new and definitely see a big difference in the look / smell of the oil in the 2017 vs the other 2. The oil in the N/A Tahoe and Expy comes out looking like new and the T/T Expy oil comes out dark with a slight odor. Turbo engines are really hard on oil and engine components - increased cylinder pressures, temperatures as well as the engine oil being circulated through the super hot turbo units.

 

[Mr Big]

We have a 2007 Tahoe (81K), a 2011 Expedition (63K) and a 2017 Expedition (44K). I have done the oil changes on all 3 between 3500 and 4500 since new and definitely see a big difference in the look / smell of the oil in the 2017 vs the other 2. The oil in the N/A Tahoe and Expy comes out looking like new and the T/T Expy oil comes out dark with a slight odor. Turbo engines are really hard on oil and engine components - increased cylinder pressures, temperatures as well as the engine oil being circulated through the super hot turbo units.

This is why it is so important to change oil regularly. Like I said I always use full synthetic. blend is fine but full synth is just that much better, for not much more. And always use a Motorcraft filter.

They have , anti-drain back valves to help prevent dry starts, (Anti-drain back valves that are made of silicone provide greater cold/heat resistance )(down to -75 and up to +450 degrees F), Pressure relief valves help maintain supply of oil to the engine under extreme cold conditions or if the filter gets clogged, (Location of relief valve in the majority of Ford application filters prevents settled debris from entering and potentially damaging the engine).​