When to Change Your Oil

The interval to change the oil in your Ford F150 is between every 7,500 - 10,000 miles that you drive for synthetic oil, and every 3,000 - 5,000 miles if the oil is non-synthetic. Furthermore, if you have gone more than 12 months without changing your synthetic oil, or 6 months without changing your non-synthetic oil, you should get it changed regardless of the mileage. Luckily, Ford makes this guesswork easy with their Intelligent Oil Life Monitor system on newer models. This system lets you know at 5% oil left a change should be done soon, while at 0% that an oil change is required. Once alerted by the system you can plan your Ford F150's oil change accordingly.

Synthetic vs. Non-Synthetic Oil

We mentioned both synthetic and non-synthetic oil above, but what exactly is the difference between them? Synthetic oil, just like non-synthetic oil, has a crude oil base. However in synthetic oil, this crude oil base is chemically engineered to be more resistant to the high temperatures of the engine. It also has various additives to provide better stability and function. Thanks to this extra refinement, synthetic oil is less viscous when coming in contact with the engines heat, allowing it to last longer without needing to be changed. Non-synthetic oils meanwhile, are made up of unrefined crude oils, lending them less resistance to heat and becoming more susceptible to forming sludge over long periods of time. This necessitates more frequent oil changes for non-synthetic oil vehicles.

Why Get My Oil Changed?

To answer this, we'll start with what oil does in the engine. Simply, oil helps keep your Ford F150 engine run at its best by keeping it lubricated while in use. As the various parts of the engine all run, they are constantly generating friction as they collide into eachother. As a result, friction occurs and begins to wear down the various engine parts. Oil helps mitigate this by keeping the different engine parts lubricated, so when they collide as a part of their function, less harmful friction is generated. With less friction, the engine will wear down slower and increase its lifespan. Oil also has secondary benefits for the engine, such as preventing harmful particles like dirt and debris from entering the engine. When you go to long without an oil change, your engine will eventually run out of oil to perform these crucial tasks and start to wear down.

Next Steps

It is important when taking care of your Ford F150 to always be keeping up to date with its maintenance, especially if your Intelligent Oil Life Monitor is telling you an oil change should be done soon. Ignoring your cars general maintenance can lead to major problems later on as worn parts may then also damage other nearby components, compromising the vehicles ability to drive. If your Ford F150's oil needs to be changed, or you just haven't brought your car in for maintenance in a while, schedule using the link below and our team of expert technicians will make sure your ride stays safe and smooth.