Ford TDCI oil changes

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Thu 20 Feb 2003 19:03
Ford TDCI oil changes - kiwidave
Is there a very good reason NOT to change the oil on my Mondeo TDCI estate every 6,000 miles?

The service interval is 12,000.

I want this car to last past 200,000 miles. It has done 20,000 on a 51 plate.

A car mechanic friend who I trust says he has a good reason not to bother with between-service oil changes.

He says the fully-synthetic oil my Mondeo uses is such high-spec these days that it will not have broken down at all after 6,000. Especially as 90% of my miles are long-range journeys on the motorway i.e. the engine runs at temperature.

BTW, I presume the Ford dealership, servicing the car under Ford Direct warranty, DOES use top-spec oil???

Thoughts please. Thanks



PS: This is a habit: I change the oil and filter on my 1985 Harley-Davidson motorcycle every 2,500 when the factory says every 5,000. It now has a far higher mileage (70,000) than most I see and stil runs great and uses no oil.
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Fri 21 Feb 2003 08:15
Ford TDCI oil changes - Adam Going (Tune-Up)
Hi dave,

I am totally with you on this - no diesel I have anything to do with goes beyond 6K on oil, whatever the spec. Engines treated this way are the ones that do end up doing the high mileages, I assure you. Extended oil intervals are as much the invention of the car manufacturers marketing departments as anything from engineers or chemists, as this makes the car appear cheaper to run.

I remember a dealer service receptionist once trying to talk me OUT of having the oil changed at 1st (1,000 miles) service on wife's new company car! Said it might invalidate the warranty as it was not on the schedule !! "B......S" said I, "change it". I checked the drain plug next day and it was barely finger tight, and I am sure it was left that way to cause problems later. Names omitted to save HJ's legal advisers going potty.

I think you will find, 'though I stand to be corrected, that a Ford dealer would be using Motorcraft Formula E 5W/30 in this, which I believe is only a semi-sythetic.

Regards, Adam
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