I think the mfrs need to recommend oil change intervals that are fine for the average customer - one that keeps the car only 5 years and 80k miles. 7500 or 10k seems to be the norm. [The FEH may be 10k because it uses a synthetic blend???] From a purely business stand point, the mfrs would prefer the cars disintegrate at 90k miles and sell you another one - than they would want the extra oil change business.

If the average customers saw something that told them to change the oil every 4000 miles they might freak-out. (Like the folks who spend $45k on luxury SUVs and repeatedly ask if they really have to spend the extra $200 a year on the premium gas the engines were tuned for)

Synthetic oil and/or oil changes every 3500 to 5000 miles are almost a must to us knuckleheads who keep our vehicles more than 15 years and over 200,000 miles,

 

Actually your dealer wants it both ways--they want you to buy a new car every 50,000 miles AND they want you to change the oil every 3000 miles (at their shop, of course).

If you're using quality oil that meets the proper spec (in the case of the FEH the "930A" spec) and drive under typical conditions there's no reason to change more frequently than what the manual describes. In the case of the FEH that means:

10,000 Miles
OR
12 months
OR
200 engine-on hours

 

If you drive mainly highway miles, which some of us do, then 10,000 miles in a hybrid Escape is 10,000 miles of engine on time.

Does anyone know what the recommended oil change interval is for the 4-cylinder gas only Escape? I'm guessing it is less than 10,000 miles. It's the same basic engine, isn't it? And in highway use the hybrid engine is going to rev as high or higher than the gas only, especially if travelling over hills. So, as far as the engine is concerned, it is running more in terms of revolutions.

So, I'm not waiting 10k miles to change my oil. 3k? 5k? 7k? When it is convenient? It's cheap, preventive maintenance - that is the one and only "good reason" I need. I'll do it when I am ready and will have absolutely no guilt about doing it early.

 

That might be true..... but I've never had a car die due to engine failure.... usually its the tranny that goes or the body basically rusts off long before the engine dies in my experience.

 

The difference is its not running during idle times.... and the RPMs probably aren't that different at highway speed.... the gas only 4cylinder will have to rev like heck at highway speed too.

Nothing really wrong with changing it more often (except creating more motor oil waste.)

Frankly as I've said below.... I've kept several cars up into their 100,000+ mile range using the manufacturers oil change intervals.... they've never failed due to engine trouble. Only problem I've had was a torque converter on a Ford Probe. The body usually rots off first.

 

This is a post that I made after my first oil change on 6/12/05 and I was the person who started this thread. All of the oil changes in my FEH have been made by me. The cost has dropped for the filter and oil, but I use Mobil 1 5-20W now, and always use Motorcraft filters which now come with the O rings.

I see no reason to change the oil less than 10,000 miles or every 6 months myself unless you drive getting less than EPA standards. Fresh oil is always better, but I hate big oil playing games with our future.

GaryG

 

According to the Ford authored Workshop Manual dated Feb 2006:

Non-hybrid 2.3L Escapes
The Normal Maintenance schedule specifies a maximum oil change interval of 5000 miles (3000 miles if under "special operating conditions" - towing, E85, etc.).

Hybrid vehicles
The Normal Maintenance schedule specifies a maximum oil change interval of 10,000 miles. (I don't remember if this agrees with the owner's manual.)

A quick review of the engine specification sheets shows they are dimensionally identical (the major difference is of course in the valve timing to create the Atkinson cycle, and I notice an oil cooler section I don't see right away on the hybrid 2.3L........)

I agree with denverjay, if I had to guess I would say that my ICE is on more than 50% of the time...contrary to my best efforts to invoke EV whenever possible using "L", double-tap, etc.

I am going to stick with my 5K oil change intervals and I will probably stay with AMSOil XL 5W-20 (it references the Ford Spec WSS-M2C930-A right on the bottle) Like GaryG relates, I find the motorcraft filter elements come with the O-rings and are competitively priced, even from my dealer. To each, his own. Hopefully my ICE will last through at least two Sanyos.

 

If you are on flat ground the revs may be the same but climb a hill in the FEH and the tach goes way up. In a normal car the tach stays pretty constant for any given speed unless you downshift. If you have a standard shift, the rpm is constant for a given speed/gear combination unless the clutch is slipping. Does anyone with a scangauge or other computer know if it can count engine hours? That would be a good measure for oil change interval.

I don't consider a couple extra oil changes a year to be generating too much oil waste. Besides, mine goes to a place that burns it to heat water for a carwash.

I am planning on well over 100k miles with this car so an extra $40-$50 a year in maintenance is a good investment I think.

 

I have been thinking for a while I would like to have an engine hour meter.
In the city, in ideal weather, my ICE runs for about 12 minutes per hour.

My brother flies planes. In planes, there is something like an RPM counter.
Since sitting idle on the tarmac is 50% of some plane engine's lives... this obviously creates less wear than full throttle cruising.

The first meter will be easy to find... the second one, I think would be more difficult. Help finding one of these would be appreciated.
-John

 

Hi,
If you do it your self, how do you reset the "Change Engine Oil Now" on the Dash???