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06 Taurus engine oil?

11K views 30 replies 10 participants last post by  chartmaker 
#1 ·
I have googled this and found all sorts of opinions that tend to contradict each other. the owners manual say 5w20 synthetic every 6000 km.
the 92 I worked on used 10w30 conventional oil and made it to 300,000km
from what i can tell the 06 and 92 have the same engine (correct me if im wrong).

i am currently using 5w20 full synthetic it will use about one and a half liters every 6000 km.
that's not a big deal and the price of synthetic doesn't brake the bank.
just not sure why I shouldn't use 5w30 or 10w30 conventional oil.

I wouldn't even question the newer engines built for 5w20.
I will stay with 5w20 if it is some how worth it for this particular engine.

thanks for any advice on this.
 
#2 ·
Both the Vulcan and Tec were originally speced for 5W30, but the spec changed to 5W20 to give a very slight improvement in fuel economy for CAFE standards. There were no internal changes in either engine when the spec was changed. I personally run 5W30 in the 04 and 05 Tecs and the 95 Vulcan with zero problems.
 
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#3 ·
Same, 5W-30 will be fine. Sticking with the recommended viscosity is a bigger deal on engines with variable cam timing, which no 2007 or older Taurus/Sable had.
 
#4 ·
I have googled this and found all sorts of opinions that tend to contradict each other. the owners manual say 5w20 synthetic every 6000 km.
the 92 I worked on used 10w30 conventional oil and made it to 300,000km
from what i can tell the 06 and 92 have the same engine (correct me if im wrong).

i am currently using 5w20 full synthetic it will use about one and a half liters every 6000 km.
that's not a big deal and the price of synthetic doesn't brake the bank.
just not sure why I shouldn't use 5w30 or 10w30 conventional oil.

I wouldn't even question the newer engines built for 5w20.
I will stay with 5w20 if it is some how worth it for this particular engine.

thanks for any advice on this.
Back when I worked for pay, I was in maintenance in a factory. The lube tec from out supplier told me: 95% of lube is that it is present and clean. 5% is what kind you use.

I have had/have 8 Bulls and 5 Lin Cont. All but one Lin used and some rather poorly kept but I used them in my work travel so I looked for bargains. I have used Walmart conventional through the years, no engine related issues from lube. I used to use Fram filters but switched to MC with "S" check valves. I change my own oil and filter.
But I also change oil based on miles/time, not miles only. My present ’03 Sable and ’02 Lin go about 5K miles a year, so I change the oil twice a year. My ’03 Sable sedan goes about 13K a year and it gets changed 3-4 times a year based on the calendar.

I have no use for long miles changes. All engines have part of the exhaust gas going into the crankcase. Mostly N2 and water. So unless your oil is over 100C all the time, you have water collecting in the oil. That is managed to some extent by the PCV which must be maintained properly. The kind of oil does not fix the water in oil issue, only draining it out.

-chart-
 
#22 ·
I drove my '08 Taurus X with Mobile 1 5w20 Synthetic for 6 years, changed the oil every 8000 to 9000kms and it didn't burn a cup of oil between changes. When I bought my year old 2014 Taurus with 20,000kms on the odo I planned to use Mobile 1 synthetic in it as well, but the Ford service dept said "don't waste your money". They said that Ford conventional 5W20 was all that is necessary. I believe the owners manual says it's 8000kms between changes.
 
#6 ·
I run either Motorcraft semi-synthetic or Mobile Super HM oil. Synthetic is fine if you want to go longer between changes, just use a quality (Motorcraft/Wix/Purolator) filter.
 
#7 ·
I have always used WM full synth. in my vehicles.
How much synth. is in a semi. synth. oil ? No spec. or disclosure from any Co. on how much there is. We assume it's 50/50 but it can be 5% so I will not waste my money on semi. , it's full or conventional. I choose full. WM full synth. is $18 for 5 qt. by me so it's a excellent deal IMO. Motorcraft filter cheap there also.
 
#8 ·
I have been pretty darn happy with Motorcraft Oil over the years. Very little sludge over a 100k miles when the motor has had some thing off for some reason.
 
#11 · (Edited)
These engines are easy on oil. Most domestics and Japanese are. It's mainly German vehicles that need the most robust oils.

5w20 is fine unless you have and want to reduce oil loss.

Oil change interval? My last 3 oil changes with full syn have been 13-15 months / 6000-9000 miles. Used oil analysis confirms no issue. And this is with a lot of short trips and no top ups.

I just did 11 months / 5000 miles on semi syn. I ended it early because I needed to replace the oil drain plug gasket (was at minimum on the dipstick thanks to a slight leak).

I'm now running M1 0w30 which is guaranteed for 10,000 miles. In my climate and with CA low sulphur fuel, I don't think time will be an issue with that mileage. I no longer use Purolator, Motorcraft or Bosch filters because there have been quality issues. And in any case, the FRAM Ultra better suits my maintenance plan. It's full synthetic and good for 15,000 miles which makes it suitable for multi year use.

All oils, including conventional have improved since 1992. Most domestics and Japanese vehicles are now specified for 1 year intervals, 7500 - 10000 miles, sometimes with conventional oil and certainly mostly not more than semi syn.
 
#14 ·
I no longer use Purolator, Motorcraft or Bosch filters because there have been quality issues. And in any case, the FRAM Ultra better suits my maintenance plan.

You make these claims a lot, it'd be nice to see some evidence that isn't found on FRAM.com. :rolleyes2:
 
#12 ·
thanks again. ive been buying the castrol full synthetic as it comes on sale the most.
I will keep using synthetic if it gets me longer change intervals with a good filter 10,000km sounds within reason.
i generally dont like side stepping the owners manual as the manufacturer knows best.
with this situation i think they messed up 6,000km on synthetic is getting expensive.
 
#24 ·
Fram oil filters are about the worst thing you can use.
 
#26 ·
Im open to synthetic grade filter that ppl like.
The only reason i am now looking at synthetic oil is so i can change it less often. I drive about 30,000km a year hwy commuting. Its my wife's car at the moment and she only drives 8000 km.
I do appreciate everyone's advice and when someone makes a point i do look it up further online.
 
#27 ·
Its my wife's car at the moment and she only drives 8000 km.
There's the pertinent information to your decision. It is not km's per change that should be your primary consideration but conditions. As Chart pointed out earlier contaminants, particularly moisture, are far greater considerations than distance. Your OCI in a car used the way this one is should be more time/cycle driven than distance. Our wagon and my wife's runabout Focus are driven much the same way and their changes are not dictated by distance but rather how they are driven, they are errand runners that seldom get driven any distance at steady operating temps. Every 3K miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. Conventional oil and an everyday MC filter are more than adequate under those conditions and anything else is a waste of $ no matter the emotion anyone might tie up in any particular brand loyalty.
In short it's how the oil is used far more than what oil you use that matters in this case.
 
#28 ·
I can understand basing the oci on time for this situation. I will admit ive simply gone by the odo.

Still trying to decide if synthetic would be better for a high mileage per year situation. Not just these cars but when there is the option of running one or the other in a vehicle. From what i can tell its a wash.
I do my own work so that's not a factor.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Conventional vs Synthetic:

As has been mentioned, if your driving style means you HAVE to dump the oil every 3 months or 200 hours or whatever the severe service recommendation is, then conventional is fine.

If you have extreme cold or sustained heat, then synthetic has a definite advantage. It flows better in extreme cold and resists breakdown at higher temperatures.

Extending oil changes: I have seen plenty of empirical examples where people have extended oil changes on conventional and not just synthetic. Conventional oil has improved over the years. Once upon a time you would need synthetic base stocks for extending oil changes, but conventional base stocks have improved as have additive packages.

But you can only greatly extend oil changes with oil analysis. Here is a link to my oil analysis: http://www.taurusclub.com/forum/82-...e-oil-6200-miles-12-months-5.html#post2679929

Over 9000 miles and more than a year. No problems back then and none since. And those 9000 miles included a lot of short trips and sustained highway driving at over 100f for several hours at up to 90mph - maybe 2000 or so of those miles. You do need to note that living in CA, my oil gets up to temperature more quickly and even if I had two weeks of exclusively short trips, I would then have a 1 hour or so trip on the freeway.

If you don't do oil analysis, then the information provided by major brands is helpful. Mobil warranty M1 full synthetic for 10,000 miles and their M1 EP for 15,000 miles. Both for 1 year. They may very well want you to spend more on synthetic and could warranty their conventional oils as well. Who knows? But the fact is that M1 can be had for the same as conventional oil after the $12 rebate and it is guaranteed for 10,000 miles, as is Castrol Edge. This applies to non severe service and it is good to read up on their definition of severe service.

Is synthetic better? Technically yes. SAE testing shows it leaves less deposits, resists breakdown better, results in less evaporative loss. All the things that leave your engine as close to factory clean if you extend oil changes. Will it matter and if so at what mileage? I don't know, but since I've always gotten full synthetic for $1 a quart or less and want to extend my oil changes, and have short trips, it's a no brainer for me to use the oil that minimizes wear and maximizes cleanliness.

Do tears in an oil filter matter? Who knows if a combination of events will lead to engine damage, or how long it will take for the cumulative effect of unfiltered particles to damage bearings (45% of bearing failure is due to dirt (reference MAHLE / Clevite)). But there is no reason for me to buy filters from a company who is clearly having quality issues. My own cutting open of Motorcraft and Bosch filters leads me to the conclusion that they weren't the best choice for extended oil changes.

Everybody is free to decide what is best for their situation. Go with the manufacturer recommended mileage or time or go even less. Use the manufacturer semi syn oil or don't trust it and use something else, approved or not. Use the manufacturer specified oil weight or have a reason to use something heavier. Use a Motorcraft or a Wix filter and stay away from Fram. All different decisions have been made by various owners for their own unique individual reasons.

My own decision to extend oil changes using synthetic 5w30 oil I got for next to nothing was confirmed by spending $12 on an oil analysis. In other words, using data not supposition or emotion. In fact, the only emotion I have ever had about this is fear of extending the oil change beyond a certain point. And my decision to go with a Fram Ultra was based on a desire to not change the filter at every oil change and determining that a synthetic long life filter was more appropriate for this decision than a cellulose one.

For my personal situation, saving time and resources and not dealing with used oil as often was important to me. So I decided to see what was possible, which meant understanding the basis of manufacturer recommendations, research on what others were doing and a used oil analysis. Only then did I decide to extend my oil changes.

I'm happy I've made good choices for my situation. And it also leaves me more time for other more important things like changing the fuel filter. :unsure:
 
#30 ·
I must say this is alot more complicated then i thought. It does give credit to that post saying use supertech and call it a day. I think its safe to say i need to do more raiding. For now i will take a step back and use dino oil.
This thread answered my original question pretty quick

Thanks for all the advice.
 
#31 · (Edited)
From old coot with lots of experience buying and fixin old used Bulls and other cars>
On a scale of 0-10 with 10 being most critical to the engine life.

I put brand of oil/filter at 1.
I put the PCV and it's hoses at 9.

Worst case = '87 Sable, beside the road cheap, nice body. I had to pull the valve coves, intake, pan and hand clean the sludge out. Oil pickup screen plugged. Pipe from the PCV to the intake was pulgged with sludge.

Salvaged and it ran another 90K miles and I sold it running fine.

Most recent: see pic, my '03 bought used, PCV stuck shut and had water in the accordion. Somebody replaced the PCV hose but not the PCV.

Just sharin.

-chart-
 
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