Oil change schedule / interval? Synthetic oil?

[Bird2112]

I won't be running synthetic in this thing. It's not a race car.

Synthetic isn't about racecars. It's about service life and durability. Turbo Motors run hot...the 2.5 has a 13:1 compression ratio. Good luck with a warranty claim if you're not running factory spec fluids.

Sponsored

 

[Wire4money]

Synthetic isn't about racecars. It's about service life and durability. Turbo Motors run hot...the 2.5 has a 13:1 compression ratio. Good luck with a warranty claim if you're not running factory spec fluids.

The 2.5 does NOT run that high compression. In an Atkinson engine, the intake valve stays open for a portion of the compression stroke lowering the compression. Compression ratio does not equal compression.

 

[ColoradoShooter]

I won't be running synthetic in this thing. It's not a race car.

Doesn’t have to be a “race car” to use a superior quality oil like a full synthetic. I started using full synthetic in my daily drivers after the oil pan on my race car was punctured and the engine lost all oil pressure. After I removed the main and rod caps, the bearings looked brand new with Royal Purple 20W-50 oil in it. I was a convert after this.

 

[Bird2112]

The 2.5 does NOT run that high compression. In an Atkinson engine, the intake valve stays open for a portion of the compression stroke lowering the compression. Compression ratio does not equal compression.

Read the owner's manual...13:1 is the static compression. The factory specs 0w20 full synthetic oil. Weight for operational economy and synthetic for durability and shear strength.

 

[fbov]

Read the owner's manual...13:1 is the static compression.

Geometric compression ratios are pretty meaningless in engines with boost or modified intake volume, as in Atkinson engines. @Wire4money is spot-on.

 

[Wire4money]

Read the owner's manual...13:1 is the static compression. The factory specs 0w20 full synthetic oil. Weight for operational economy and synthetic for durability and shear strength.

The key word is static. Static compression means nothing when the engine is moving (dynamic).

 

[73bluebronco]

But is not pH the thing they're trying to control? I see TBN and AN as indicators of remaining pH control system capacity.

As someone how got a Volvo to 330K miles with no engine work, doing 10K oil changes with synthetic oil 20 years ago, I trust the oil monitor Ford puts in these cars, and I trust that the synth-blend is just fine. That's why I test the used oil. That said, the Gen4 hybrid oil monitor only counts engine run hours, not total vehicle miles. My first change on the monitor was at 16,500 road miles, but only ~10K engine miles. That's about 40% EV.

My used oil analysis is posted; anyone see a rational reason to change oil sooner than the car asks?

PH measures strength of an acid, so you could have a low acid number, meaning a low concentration of acid, but a high strength acid at the same time.

I haven't gotten into the weeds on the engine sensors on the Maverick yet, but most vehicles with an "oil life remaining" indicator have a dielectric sensor in the oil pan as well as measuring mileage and driving habits. There are a few things that can affect the dielectric constant of an oil though.

I'm with you on the oil changes, don't get me wrong. We got 400k+ miles out of a '90 f250 with a 460 in it and just used regular old mineral oil in it. Oil tends to not be "bad" when it gets changed most of the time, but it usually is dirty. OEM filters typically only filter down to about 25-40 microns with a nominal capture efficiency. So better filtration will help with oil change intervals just as much as using a blend or full synthetic.

 

[Rkbrumbelow]

On a side note, TBN and AN are not the same thing as PH. AN is the concentration of acid in the oil and TBN is value given for how much more acid concentration the oil can still mitigate.

Technically TBN is mg KOH/g KOH would normally be considered a salt or Lewis Acid (electron pair donor) it is a specific additive left remaining which will neutralize the TAN. Theoretically, so long as the TBN is over 0, TAN is 0. But that’s only in an ideal world (which we ain’t in)

AN is meaningless when paired with TBN, rather it should be TAN.

 

[73bluebronco]

Technically TBN is mg KOH/g KOH would normally be considered a salt or Lewis Acid (electron pair donor) it is a specific additive left remaining which will neutralize the TAN. Theoretically, so long as the TBN is over 0, TAN is 0. But that’s only in an ideal world (which we ain’t in)

AN is meaningless when paired with TBN, rather it should be TAN.

TAN was replaced by AN because of this. This is why when most people are using AN/BN to schedule oil changes now (at least in industrial equipment) both numbers will be charted and the change will take place just before those two numbers cross on the chart.

A good article that covers this fairly well in depth https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/1052/acid-number-test

 

[Rkbrumbelow]

TAN was replaced by AN because of this. This is why when most people are using AN/BN to schedule oil changes now (at least in industrial equipment) both numbers will be charted and the change will take place just before those two numbers cross on the chart.

A good article that covers this fairly well in depth https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/1052/acid-number-test

<—- is trained as a chemist though mostly Biochem and Physical Chem

 

[fbov]

PH measures strength of an acid, ...

But what controls oil pH?

I'm familiar with aqueous acid/base solutions using buffers to absorb excess H+ or OH- ions to maintain pH in a narrow range. This is not an aqueous solution, but I expect acid/base neutralization chemistry isn't vastly different, given TBN test methodology.

 

[73bluebronco]

<—- is trained as a chemist though mostly Biochem and Physical Chem

<---- https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/31414/high-mileage-oil I might know a thing or two about oils

 

[73bluebronco]

But what controls oil pH?

I'm familiar with aqueous acid/base solutions using buffers to absorb excess H+ or OH- ions to maintain pH in a narrow range. This is not an aqueous solution, but I expect acid/base neutralization chemistry isn't vastly different, given TBN test methodology.

My understanding comes from the tribological side of it, but as I understand it acid in oil travels more in pockets rather than being an actual solution. This is why the AN is used more prevalently than TAN, since it is more representative for machine surfaces.

I am no chemist though.

 

[dldsm7]

Damn you guys are really getting into it.

I am getting a 2.0T - for safety of my engine, I prefer to change more frequently than required. It is cheap insurance in case what I view my use is heavier than what is typical for the truck.

I plan on using 5W-30 full synthetic. I have used Pennzoil Platinum and never had an issue in my focus over the last decade.
I will change oil after the first 500 miles to that full synthetic. I was told by a few mechanics to do that that during the break in process, but that may be an urban legend at this point. Either way, I will swap out my synthetic blend for full synthetic at that point, and not look back.
I plan on changing at 5,000 miles. I will be doing light towing and some stop and go, so that should put me in the 7500 mile range, but again, oil is just cheap insurance for a motor. Plus changing on the 5's and 0's is easy to remember vs at 7500, 15,000, 22,500, etc etc.

 

[73bluebronco]

Damn you guys are really getting into it.

I am getting a 2.0T - for safety of my engine, I prefer to change more frequently than required. It is cheap insurance in case what I view my use is heavier than what is typical for the truck.

I plan on using 5W-30 full synthetic. I have used Pennzoil Platinum and never had an issue in my focus over the last decade.
I will change oil after the first 500 miles to that full synthetic. I was told by a few mechanics to do that that during the break in process, but that may be an urban legend at this point. Either way, I will swap out my synthetic blend for full synthetic at that point, and not look back.
I plan on changing at 5,000 miles. I will be doing light towing and some stop and go, so that should put me in the 7500 mile range, but again, oil is just cheap insurance for a motor. Plus changing on the 5's and 0's is easy to remember vs at 7500, 15,000, 22,500, etc etc.

I like it. I will likely go with the same 500 mile flush and fill myself. After that, I will use whatever the manual says needs to have in it. Once the warranty is out though, I will likely move to a blend that has the titanium additive since it shows great potential for reducing engine wear.

Sponsored