How Long Has It Been Since Your Last Ford Oil Change?

A Ford oil change is one of the simplest and most effective ways to guarantee your car’s health. Oil performs a crucial function by protecting the moving parts of your engine and absorbing the heat of the friction between them. Insufficient or dirty oil won’t be up to the task and could put your vehicle at risk, so it’s important to know when to contact your Ford dealer to get the oil and filters replaced.

The official recommendation from Ford is to change your oil every 5,000 to 10,000 miles. Newer Ford cars are also equipped with an Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor System, that takes the usage and driving conditions of your vehicle into account, and lets you know when the next change is due. 

Time To Contact Your Ford Dealer?

If you don’t have the oil monitoring system in your vehicle, or if you forgot to reset the counter after your last appointment, you might be unsure about when to take your car in. The best timing for your oil change depends on a number of factors:

The Make, Model, and Year of Your Vehicle

If your car was made after 2008, it’s best to change the oil every 5,000 miles. However, for the most reliable maintenance on vehicles that date before 2007, the intervals should be closer to 3,000 miles.
Freely available online, the owner’s manual for your car will give you more guidance. Regardless of the age of your car, though, you should aim to have an oil change at least twice a year, as motor oil deteriorates over time.

Your Driving Habits

There are some driving conditions that put more pressure on the oil in your engine to perform. These include:

• Heavy traffic
• Stop-and-start driving
• Frequent short trips
• Extreme high or low temperatures
• Contact with dust, mud, or sand
• Towing or carrying heavy loads with your car

Your personal driving habits can also play a role, as forceful acceleration and high-speed driving put more pressure on the engine parts and may cause oil to degrade more quickly. If you regularly drive in severe conditions, it may be sensible to reduce the intervals between oil changes so that they’re closer to every 3,000 miles.

Your Oil Check

It’s recommended that you check your own oil regularly, by removing, wiping, and replacing the dipstick. When you take it out again, you can assess the condition of your oil by looking at the consistency and color, while also checking the oil levels in your engine.

Clean motor oil is a translucent amber color. If you’re unable to see the dipstick through the oil, or if it’s dark brown or black in color, then it has become too dirty to work efficiently and needs changing.

As the lifeblood of your car, it’s vital that there’s enough clean oil in your engine to keep it purring smoothly. Contact Fritt’s Ford for the best service and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your car is in the hands of trained and expert specialists.

Tags: Ford Service Center, Oil Change
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