Ricktwuhk

When you first get your $40,000 - $60,000 (or more) truck, you wonder about a lot of things. “When should I change my oil?” “What maintenance does it need?” “How do all my options work?” Did you know that all these questions, and more, are answered in your owner’s manual? And that there is an online manual that you can also download in PDF form to all your phones, tablets, and computers? Have you read it? Go on, click the link, I dare you!

This post will tackle “when should I change my oil?”, and put to bed some of the false things that you read on the internets.

Your vehicle has an Intelligent Oil Life Monitor. [warning - clicking the IOLM link will provide actual information about the IOLM. OP takes no responsibility for any violent reaction you may have when you hear facts] This monitor was created by Ford because, quite simply, most of us are idiots. Some people follow their dealership’s recommendation on oil changes and other maintenance, which is usually focused on maximizing the profits of the dealership. Some change their oil per a regiment (and I do mean regiment) that they’ve had their entire lives, and that they are not going to deviate from.

There are more than a few threads on the forum about when to change your oil... A quick paging through the forum would reveal them. You can read them all, and you’ll come away with the following answers:
I suggest you simply let your truck tell you when to change your oil. The Intelligent Oil Life Monitor (IOLM) [have you clicked it yet?] was designed by Ford engineers exactly for this purpose. It takes into account your vehicle usage, including “several important factors”, to determine when to tell you to change your oil. It will alert you when your usage triggers it to, or at 10,000 miles, or a 1 year, whichever comes first. In fact, it will say to change it soon, at 5% of calculated life left, and then again at 0% left. Then simply change it, using a Motorcraft filter and the type of oil recommended in your owner’s manual. As to the brand of oil, some people use Motorcraft, many use Mobil 1 synthetic, and then every other brand that is out there will come up in posts, along with “I always add a cup of my Grandpappy’s special elixir.”
At to your dealership’s recommendations, I'm sure they show you 30,000 mile and 60,000 mile major services. Again, read your manual. Beyond oil changes (when the IOLM says to), tire rotations, and an air filter change (2 if you have a model with a cabin air filter), virtually nothing needs to be done until around 100,000 miles. Dealers try to get people to spend money to make a profit, not because a vehicle needs it. In fact, in February 2017 Ford issued a strongly worded statement to their dealers telling them to basically knock it off.

So sit back, enjoy your new Ford truck, read the manual, follow the IOLM, and you will be fine. Oh, did I say read the manual?