Oil Change

[joe]

Are C-Max owners waiting for 10,000 miles for first oil change or changing the oil sooner?

[darrelld]

Are C-Max owners waiting for 10,000 miles for first oil change or changing the oil sooner?

 

I am waiting for 10,000 for mine, same schedule as my VW's.

[plus 3 golfer]

10 k miles.

[JAZ]

1 k miles, then perhaps every 6-8 k.

[roninsd]

I always figure it's good to follow the manufacturer's guidelines: 10K

[Bubbasmith]

I'm doing mine at 5k, then every 10k after that. Same as my vw.

[Hatchman]

Changed mine at 600 miles.  Cost was 30 bucks for Mobil 1 and a Motocraft filter from wally world. 

 

Oil was very dirty, a brown greenish color, very murky.  There were also several very small metal flakes present in the drain oil.  

 

The front/underside of the motor was also very dirty, as if the car was towed on a trailer on a salty roadway.  Since we got the car the same day it arrived at the dealership, this salt residue had gone unnoticed and uncleaned.  Good thing I got up under there and sprayed it all off before too much corrosion took place.  My fault for not popping the hood the night we picked up the car at the dealership, it was at night, but I might have noticed though most of the dirt/salt/road grime was down low. 

 

For piece of mind, knowing I got that dirty oil out, got the metal out, and cleaning the salt off, it was worth it to me.  

[C-MAXER]

I normally do a first change at 1k but dealer is offering a free on at 3k so I'll just wait for that, then change again at 10k and 10k intervals after that with mobil 1 extended performance oil and filters.

[Tom]

I normally do a first change at 1k but dealer is offering a free on at 3k so I'll just wait for that, then change again at 10k and 10k intervals after that with mobil 1 extended performance oil and filters.

My dealer has the same offer and I took them up on it.  I don't drive a lot of miles so am more concerned about time between changes.

[lowbar]

The Works (oil change and tire rotation) every 5k.  I wouldn't argue with someone waiting for 10k or the computer to say 'now' but it is inexpensive and I feel better doing it my way.

[Laurel]

Our service sticker says May or 6000 kilometers which ever comes first.  So that is 3600 miles or six months.  I wonder why the US standard seems different than the Canadian one?  I have about 2300 km on my car and it should be about 3000 km when we go in.

[zhackwyatt]

It's not a standard, the old adage is 3000 miles for a oil change or 3 months whichever comes first.  With most modern vehicles, that's just unnecessary.  Dealers and "Jiffy Lubes" will put that down because it's more business for them.

 

For my explorer, it's 5000 miles per the owner's manual.

 

I'll be getting service when my C-Max tells me to.

[Laurel]

I am umber obedient and will follow the sticker that they slapped on Tip.  I haven't had a change oil light yet, but my mileage is super low.  Didn't the dealership put one of those stickers on your dash to say when to come back?  They did before I drove away.

[C-MAXER]

I am umber obedient and will follow the sticker that they slapped on Tip.  I haven't had a change oil light yet, but my mileage is super low.  Didn't the dealership put one of those stickers on your dash to say when to come back?  They did before I drove away.

 

Follow the owners manual not your dealership service program.  Just like oil change businesses, they will shorten the interval for more return business.  

[zhackwyatt]

I am umber obedient and will follow the sticker that they slapped on Tip.  I haven't had a change oil light yet, but my mileage is super low.  Didn't the dealership put one of those stickers on your dash to say when to come back?  They did before I drove away.

Nope.  

 

 

Follow the owners manual not your dealership service program.  Just like oil change businesses, they will shorten the interval for more return business.  

There's no downside to going more often other than cost and oil.  I go every 3K in my explorer even though the interval is 5K because it has over 150K miles on it and is 15 years old.

 

The manual also states:

Never exceed one year or

10000 miles (16000 kilometers) between oil change intervals.

 

My guess is the oil life monitor would fire off after a year even if you didn't reach the miles.  Remember also that the gas engine in the C-Max runs much less than a conventional car, 

[C-MAXER]

There's no downside to going more often other than cost and oil. 

 

Sure there are downsides; the additional running costs as you pointed out and, just as importantly, waste.  Most folks buy a hybrid to lessen their use of oil as much as possible.  Changing early is shooting yourself in the foot.  LOL   

[JohnnOhio]

Dealer told me bring in for first oil change at 5M then every 10M after that

[wamba2000]

Great topic.

 

Ha-Ha, my dealer set an appointment for my first oil change and emailed me the date/time in May, because " they knew I was in need of service".  I think this is called a "Dealer Revenue Enhancement Program"  with no clue how many miles are on the C-Max or if I need it or not.

 

I think I will go with the first change at 5000 miles, and use Mobil1, then go every 10,000 thereafter.  I've used synthetics for over 20 years and Mobil 1 has been a consistent value.

[plus 3 golfer]

joe, there is a general lack of understanding on motor oils (including me since I'm not a tribologist).  You'll hear anecdotal claims on type of oil to use and the frequency of oil changes relative to the life of the engine and so forth.  But, why would one deviate from the manufacturer's recommendations?  Many believe that more frequent oil changes than recommended reduce wear rates and are "better for the engine".  Studies show just the opposite including one that I recall reading where Ford was a participant.   Here's a good summary from BobIsTheOilGuy. 

 

 

....

5)    There is a “sweet spot” where the equipment and lube perform better together

6)    That start of that “sweet spot” is unique to each piece of equipment, and lasts much longer than many people would suspect

7)    Wear rates will generally shrink as the oil is used, contrary to popular belief

8)    Changing oil frequently does not reduce wear in healthy engines with healthy oil

9)    Changing oil too soon is a waste of product, regardless of what brand/grade/base stock of lube you choose to utilize

...

[Hatchman]

Well I got metal shavings out on my first "early" oil change.  I guess I should go add some metal shavings back to my engine oil to make sure I don't shoot myself in the foot.

[plus 3 golfer]

Well I got metal shavings out on my first "early" oil change.  I guess I should go add some metal shavings back to my engine oil to make sure I don't shoot myself in the foot.

I don't know what to make of your "green oil" if I recall correctly.  Something was amiss like Ford forgot to drain the oil-used for engine run-in at the factory and refill with proper oil.  That's why one should check ones oil regularly (I checked mine at the dealer before driving off the lot) and if it doesn't "look right", change the oil.   When I got free dealer oil changes with other vehicles, I always checked the oil before driving away.  

 

My oil at 4 k miles and my guess virtually everyone else's will look to be a golden color (not a murky green).  The filter will capture all particles large enough to cause damage and particles small enough to pass the filter will be suspended by the dispersal additives in the oil and will pose no problems.  Early oil changes are not needed nor are they recommended by Ford.

[JAZ]

I changed at about 600 miles and oil was also murky green, though no metal flakes were visible.  4,500 miles later the Mobil 1 is dark brown on a white rag and there's been no discernible consumption.

[Adair]

Just crossed the 5,000 mark and had my *The Works* oil change/tire rotation today. Got all green check marks!

[zhackwyatt]

I'm thinking about sending some of mine into Blackstone for analysis.  Anyone else ever do this?

 

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

[plus 3 golfer]

I'm thinking about sending some of mine into Blackstone for analysis.  Anyone else ever do this?

 

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

Why? I've never done one but have reviewed 100's.  

 

I can see doing a few UOAs for fine tuning the OCI but only if one operates their car in extreme conditions or wants to extend the OCI.  UOA will tell you the condition of the oil and then one can decide whether to increase / decrease the OCI.  My guess is that if one uses Mobil 1 (don't know enough about Ford oil), the OCI can be extended beyond 10 k miles.  But it costs about $25 to do a UOA, so one might as well just change the oil at 10k and for go the UOAs to "fine tune" the OCI.  

 

Secondly, (I believe this is why most want to do UOAs), is the worry about wear rates.  If one gets a higher than "normal" wear rate what is one going to do?   People will say that well they can monitor the wear rates, change oil trying to reduce wear rates, and preemptively take action  -- what does that mean - tear the engine apart?  How do wear rates correlate with the life of engine?  Blackstone doesn't know. 

 

UOAs are very beneficial to equipment that runs virtually continuously / lots of miles as once one has a history, one can optimize OCI and save $ since an OCI likely involve gallons of oil (not quarts) and equipment overhaul can be done perhaps before a catastrophic failure occurs.  

 

From an expert on BITOG:

 

 

UOAs are a great tool in the Management of any machinery that uses liquid lubricants. Unfortunately, their real value is often misunderstood by those who contribute to BITOG.

 

Firstly, it is important to realize that you get what you pay for. The most common forms of UOA are limited in their scope. It is a case of if you pay more you get more. So my comments here relate primarily to the “simple” UOAs – the cornerstone of those appearing on BITOG

 

Secondly, it is easy to assume that by carrying out a UOA you will be able to determine how quickly the engine is wearing out. As well, if you change lubricant Brands you will be able to compare the wear metal uptake results and then make a balanced best lubricant choice to make your engine last longer.

 

Sadly that logic is seriously flawed.

 

Single pass (random) UOAs will provide some information regarding wear metals but unless you have a history of your engine’s performance up to around 1 million miles the results are simply that – UOA results! As an example a limit of 150ppm of Iron is a reality – after say 100k it means the lubricant should be changed and all is well. But what is the situation if you have 150ppm of Iron at 5k? Where would you look what would or could you do? So UOAs are really a diagnostic tool – one of many!

 

The other parts of the UOA Report will be much more valuable to you – it will tell you about the CONDITION of the lubricant and its suitability for further use. This will enable you to get the maximum safe use from the lubricant saving a valuable resource in the process.