Iceman6409

Hello all. So I just bought a 2007 Ford F150 XLT 4.2l V6 2wd 2 weeks ago. Truck seems to run just fine so far. Here is the mystery. Let me start by saying I am not a car guy so I may get some things wrong here. Just telling you what I have seen and what has happened so far. I pulled the dipstick just to check oil level. Bone dry. Nothing on it. Pulled it a few more times at that time and then got mixed results of bone dry and then way too much oil back and forth. I made sure my eyes were not deceiving me. Long story short I let it sit overnight. Did not touch it the next day at all. No turning it on or anything. Same result. Mixed after several pulls. Had 2 of my friends who know way more about my cars look at it. Same thing. One of them actually put 2 quarts oil in. Dry. Took it to Valvoline to do an oil change and see what happened. They told me they pulled about 5 quarts out and put 6 quarts in. They showed me the dipstick after they changed the oil and it was perfect. A week and a half later I happened to check it when I was getting gas. Bone dry. Took it to my life long mechanic to check that among a few other things, Pulled it right when we got there. Dry. He added 4 quarts. Dry. He was, for the first time since I have known him, very perplexed. He got underneath to check whatever he was checking. He told me there is some bar that goes across the bottom of the truck where if oil had been leaking that that bar would have been covered in oil. It was not. Next he stood at the tail pipe and had me rev the engine a little to check for excessive smoke, which I had not seen at all to that point. Nothing. He stick his finger in the tailpipe and swirled it around looking for oil. Nothing out of the ordinary. He went ahead and did the other things I asked him to do. Then just before I left he pulled the stick again. It showed about a quart or so too much. He was baffled as am I and everyone else. Since the day I got it home unmtil now, about two weeks, we have put a total of 11 quarts in and got those mixed results.

Oil pressure gauge is showing it has pressure. I have not seen a low oil light come on. Can I tell you 100% I know the gauge is working? I have no idea. I can tell you when I shut it off the needle drops all the way down to where it should. When I turn it on it is a little past the mid way point every time all the time. No driving problems at all. Drove it for a little more than a week between the Valvoline oil change and the time I checked it when getting gas. I have checked my driveway for oil and I see nothing. No oil on the top of the inside of the hood and none on the engine that we have noticed.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Can anyone give some ideas what to check next? I have no idea what my mechanic checked or didn't check. All I know is I go to him because he is ALWAYS very thorough on everything he has ever done for me. He is blatantly honest, which I like. He gives me all the information he can and let's me decide things from there. Thank you all in advance.

DarrinT04

i'm baffled too buddy. this is the strangest issue i have heard of for awhile

Blue2016XL

Have you checked the coolant?

Iceman6409

Forgive my ignorance but could you expand on that please.

Blue2016XL

Make sure the coolant level is fine, coolant is the right color and not an off color and with as much oil as you are putting in the right consistency. In other words, make sure oil isn't getting into the coolant. If you think it got in there, you may want to see how watered down your oil is.

Iceman6409

Thank you. Will look into it.

JCR 56

Is the dipstick actually going into the oil pan every time? Make sure the dipstick tube doesn't have a hole in it, crazy I know, but things happen. It reads full one time then dry the next without the engine being started, so it's not the oil return holes almost stopped up and keeping the oil up top.

Iceman6409

In the end I was told by two Ford mechanics that it is just the way that truck is built. They told me it is nothing to worry about

JCR 56

That doesn't make any sense. LOL

rocky raccoon

Get a second opinion. It is absurd to have a "Ford mechanic" tell you that is just the way it is. How are you supposed to reliably check your oil? This is important and it IS something to worry about. Too much oil can cause as much or more damage than too little oil.