Eduskator

Seriously... Give a call to Ford corporate.

My 97 civic with 200k miles burned less oil than that. You don't spend 50k on a vehicle that needs his oil level to be checked every time you fill it up at the gas station. Non F*cking sense.

Also, please keep in mind that the engine might hold X quarts, but the X amount is not fully drained upon oil changes. There are some left in the oil pump and in the engine.

Your oil level, when the IOLM shows 0% oil life remaining, should be within the dipstick minimum and maximum mark. There are no excuse for this. Please escalate your issue and/or change dealership.

JCR 56

My concern would be the time when there was only one quart left in the truck, was there engine damage. How it kept from actually blowing up I'll never know. I'll give that little engine credit, it's tough.

Eduskator

There was more than 1qt in your engine. Several factors to consider here... How long it ran with this quantity, at what speed & RPM, what usage (towing or not, etc.), etc. Do you notice any change in your engine's behavior since? Any noises, rough idle, etc...

Steve83

I would suggest you read your owner manuals. Those TSBs I linked above might also interest you.Is that statement based on having read the entire owner's manual & maintenance manual of your current truck? Because back in the 90s, this is what was in the owner's manuals (yes, I have mine, and I've read it):Yes, Ford is responsible for finding the problem that causes high oil consumption & fixing it if the vehicle is still under warranty. But it's the OPERATOR'S responsibility to notice the problem, and STOP DRIVING (doing damage) before the problem becomes catastrophic. No matter what, primary responsibility for any vehicle's operation will always lie with the OPERATOR. Not necessarily the owner; not the manufacturer; not the seller; not the last mechanic to service it; not mommy & daddy - the loose nut behind the wheel.I think I finally figured out what you're saying, but the way you wrote that was really confusing.I agree with both of those.I don't agree with that. I used to work at a Land Rover dealership. They cost more, and leak more.True, but for the same reasons that oil doesn't drain out, it's also NOT available to lubricate the engine while driving. So whatever drains out is all that was available (at any one moment) for lubrication.Only if YOU (the operator) keeps it there by checking/adjusting it when the mfr. recommends.This is what I found in an old Sable 3.0L DOHC:


(phone app link)

Read the caption...

2WD

Doesn't this motor require it be off for a set amount of time before draining the oil? It's in the owners manual I believe.

Could that be the reason only 1 qt came out? dealer didn't let it sit long enough?

White 1

Back in the 90s I knew a guy with a BMW M5 (which 20 years ago was almost 100k$ vehicle) and it has what was for all intents and purposes a race tuned engine from the factory, and it used a quart every 750 miles on purpose.

I'd expect my new 2017 F150 FX4 to use considerably less oil than that, maybe a quart every 5000 mi or so, on general principle, ie you want a certain amount of oil to remain on the cylinder walls to prevent excess wear at startup.

I've got 1500 mi on the truck since purchase on Dec 27, and I'm on my way to the store now to buy a collapsible stepstool. At 5'9" I'm too damn short to reach the dipstick. But if I don't check the oil myself at least once a month, that makes ME the dipstick.

I wonder how the "% oil life left" thing plays into this? ie, if my brandy new truck is down 2 qts (or more) on a 6 qt fill, does it say "95%", "66%", "0%", "uhoh", or something else?

It seems contradictory to have a dipstick (unreachable, or am I the only short truck owner?) and to put the onus on the owner to check and top off if needed, when there's electronic whiz-bangery which the dealer will insist is the one true determination of whether you're oil change eligible or not under your maintenance plan?

Steve83

You're confusing several issues...

The dipstick only checks the actual oil LEVEL (quanitity) in the engine, but that level includes any contamination.

The oil life indicator is an ESTIMATION of the level of contamination & breakdown, based on engine run-time (and maybe also your driving habits & ambient temperatures).

Anyone who claims the indicator supersedes normal maintenance procedures should be slapped & fired. Read the owner's maintenance manual - it says the oil MUST be changed more-frequently under certain conditions. ...conditions NOT indicated by that indicator.

Cwprotek

I just checked my oil on my 2.7

I'm getting it changed tomorrow because it's at 8000 miles since. It's completely full on the dipstick.

Ricktwuhk

The IOLM tells you when to expect the OIL CHANGE REQUIRED message. The message determines the need including your usage.

There are several exceptions - commercial usage, driving constantly in dusty or sandy conditions (unpaved roads), or driving extensively off-road. The reality is that 99% of F-150 owners should follow the IOLM.

Yes, you should be checking your oil level regularly, I also do it monthly. NO, you do not need to change your oil based on mileage, or usage, the IOLM will tell you when. And no, the IOLM won't say you're low, or tell you to change it because there's no oil left.

OCMike

iTrader: (1)

My 7 year old BMW doesn't even have a dip stick, the oil level is displayed on the iDrive.(Wish it did have both to honest) Heck my 17 year old Corvette has a sensor that warns you when its more than a quart low.

So in 2018 Ford doesn't have a sensor that indicates low oil level? I'll agree its up to the owner to check these things, I'm just surprised Ford doesn't use any of these "newer" technologies.

Mike