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One of the most important tasks required to keep your Ford running smoothly is changing the oil regularly. Getting an oil change at your Ford dealership optimizes engine performance and prevents premature wear on components.
How Often Should You Get an Oil Change From Your Ford Dealership?
Your Ford’s owner’s manual stipulates the best interval for changing your oil and oil filter. With modern engine technology and advanced oil formulations, motor oil lasts longer and performs better in newer Fords. Synthetic oil can go 7,500 to 10,000 miles before needing to be changed.
Today’s Ford vehicles come with Ford’s Intelligent Oil Life Monitoring (IOLM) system, which determines the best oil service interval. The IOLM system tracks data like engine temperatures, operating conditions, RPMs, and mileage. If your Ford has an IOLM system, you should change the oil once the light turns on.
How to Tell It’s Time to Change Your Oil
Factors like towing, frequent idling, driving short distances, and old age can cause your oil to degrade quickly. If your Ford doesn’t have an oil life monitor, watch out for these signs of oil degradation:
- Low oil levels
- Dark or sludgy oil
- Unusual engine noises
- Excessive exhaust smoke
- Oil leaks under your car
- Check engine light comes on
If you notice these signs, schedule an immediate oil service, even if your Ford is still within the standard interval window. Allowing the oil to degrade completely can damage engine components and lead to costly repairs.
Benefits of Changing Your Oil Regularly
Improve Engine Efficiency
Getting fresh oil regularly removes sludge, metal shavings, fuel byproducts, and other contaminants that build up in the oil. This allows the new, clean oil to circulate freely through the engine pistons, bearings, and valve train components. The clean motor oil minimizes friction and drag, enabling the engine to operate at peak efficiency.
Boost Fuel Economy
Letting your engine oil degrade causes it to thicken and lose its lubricating properties. This increases friction on critical engine parts, which forces the engine to burn more fuel to produce the same power.
Prevent Overheating and Damage
After months of heat cycling, engine oil breaks down and loses its ability to transfer heat efficiently. This is why the engine overheats if you wait too long to change the oil. Fresh oil maintains optimal viscosity and is able to absorb heat from the engine efficiently.
Preserves Your Ford’s Warranty
You should perform regular oil and filter changes as recommended by Ford to preserve your warranty. If some engine parts overheat and fail because you failed to change your oil and filter on time, your warranty won’t cover the repairs.
Change your motor oil regularly to optimize your Ford’s performance. Contact Cloninger Ford to schedule a comprehensive oil service for your vehicle.
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