Oil Change Timeline, sticker or dash?

[tsigwing]

Dealer service centers are a profit center. The more often they have you come in the more money they make. Service writers are pressured to have you do more "stuff", whether it is needed or required or not.

There is a difference if your 5k miles is heavy towing or cruising on the interstate. Your dealer doesn't know, your truck does and takes it into account

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[nvabill]

I get my oil changed at the dealership, I know more expensive, but it's official in my record. My question is when do you change the oil, when the little sticker they put on the windshield shows or when the engine/oil indicator gets low percentage? They seem to differ greatly. The sticker is usually 5000 miles but the percent indicator is more, like 7000 miles or so. Is the sticker just a petty money grab or is the indicator off? Thanks, Bill

I always throw the stickers away on the rare occasion the dealer changes my oil and then I always go by the manufacturer recommended oil change interval.

 

[walnutF150]

I get my oil changed at the dealership, I know more expensive, but it's official in my record. My question is when do you change the oil, when the little sticker they put on the windshield shows or when the engine/oil indicator gets low percentage? They seem to differ greatly. The sticker is usually 5000 miles but the percent indicator is more, like 7000 miles or so. Is the sticker just a petty money grab or is the indicator off? Thanks, Bill

All I know is that 3.5 EB turbos LOVE clean oil. I try to feed them clean oil every ~4000 miles. That recommendation came from a very good friend who was a Ford dealer mechanic for 38 years. I use the trip odometer for my "memory" of when the next change is needed. Just my $.02.

 

[Azstroke]

If you DIY, you can put it in the FordPass app, yes, it would just be “your word”, but I strongly doubt someone taking the time to put it in the app is lying about actually performing the maintenance.


Not sure if it shows in the carfax reports or not, but it doesn’t look any different than the “Dealer Entries” to me, just says “Owner Entry” instead.

Yep, I do the same, every 5 thousand miles and because I'm old as dirt I also keep a written maintenance log in the center console.

 

[Kanuck]

When it comes to oil changes, my OCD kicks in..... Oil changes are cheap compared to a new or rebuilt motor. If a motor is $10,000, and even if an oil change is $100.00 ... simple math is 10000/100 × 5000=500,000 miles before you spend the cost of a motor.

Dealer change every 8000 km or 5000 miles. Oil change recorded in a software vehicle log program. Dealers invoice, scanned, added to log folder on my, use for truck only laptop. Paper invoice put into binder. And every 6 months, all data backed up onto an external hard drive.

What can I say, I am retired and have the time to do all this....?‍
Software also logs fuel, maintenance, inspections, insurance and parts/upgrades.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

I get my oil changed at the dealership, I know more expensive, but it's official in my record. My question is when do you change the oil, when the little sticker they put on the windshield shows or when the engine/oil indicator gets low percentage? They seem to differ greatly. The sticker is usually 5000 miles but the percent indicator is more, like 7000 miles or so. Is the sticker just a petty money grab or is the indicator off? Thanks, Bill

Do whatever you feel is best.
Personally, oil change interval not beyond 5k

Oil is cheap, engines aren’t.

 

[zx6roclet]

Conventional / semi syn - every 3k
Full synthetic - every 5k

 

[brokenarrow]

If you DIY, you can put it in the FordPass app, yes, it would just be “your word”, but I strongly doubt someone taking the time to put it in the app is lying about actually performing the maintenance.


Not sure if it shows in the carfax reports or not, but it doesn’t look any different than the “Dealer Entries” to me, just says “Owner Entry” instead.

You can make DIY maintenance entries on Carfax as well as FordPass. You can also add a screenshot of the receipt. Just download the Carfax app and set up an account with the VIN.

 

[Aonarch]

Lol the biggest dead horse topic on car forums.

I do 7500 miles with Amsoil, but I do monitor the oil life meter. It is very intelligent based off of a ton of different parameters. If I hit low life on the oil monitor before 7500k, I'll change it.

The best way to know is to send out an oil sample to a lab, this is what I do.

 

[CowboyJohn]

With my older vehicles 06 Altima and 08 F150 (both gone now) I would go 3-4 K. With our new 23 Altima and 24 F150, 5K is my limit.

IMO there are other benefits besides the fresh oil and filter. Your car is viewed from the bottom by someone with at least basic automotive skills and is inspected for other issues.

I found out about a cracked oil pan on the 06 Altima from the oil change guys, before it became a major issue.

With the cost of cars these days, it just makes sense. Even more so for people that don't keep an eye on things themselves (like my mother). Especially if it sits low to the ground and is difficult to look underneath yourself.

Now for who does it:
Dealer until free oil changes are up
F150 will then be myself
Nissan will be oil change center, because it sits so low. (can barely get a drain pan under it.)

 

[tsigwing]

All I know is that 3.5 EB turbos LOVE clean oil. I try to feed them clean oil every ~4000 miles. That recommendation came from a very good friend who was a Ford dealer mechanic for 38 years. I use the trip odometer for my "memory" of when the next change is needed. Just my $.02.

Can you expound on this?

 

[UGADawg96]

I do every 5k, easy to follow via Trip #2.

 

[cujet]

I get my oil changed at the dealership, I know more expensive, but it's official in my record. My question is when do you change the oil, when the little sticker they put on the windshield shows or when the engine/oil indicator gets low percentage? They seem to differ greatly. The sticker is usually 5000 miles but the percent indicator is more, like 7000 miles or so. Is the sticker just a petty money grab or is the indicator off? Thanks, Bill

The easiest way to do this is to change on the 5000's. That's what I do. 25,000 miles, 30,000 miles, 35,000 miles, etc. With my driving habits the Oil Life Monitor never comes close to requiring an oil change.

My 'track record' with high mile trucks is fantastic. I simply use M1, 5W-30EP, and change on the 5's. (except for the 2009 which got 10W-40 syn due to engine design requirements) We've had Ford delivery trucks with over 900K miles on the original engines.

 

[JBHBILL]

5,000 miles is the winner! Thanks, folks!

 

[gagliano7]

I bet your truck knows much more about you than you feel comfortable with

No doubt!

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