More good information, thanks all. As noted on another thread at the 5k marked I changed my own on the 07 FEH. Now I am bit concerned because I used Valvo 5w-20. I'll pay more attention to the spec now and opt for something else, but I have used Valvo in all my Blue Ovals for so long, it has become a habit.
On the AF, I won't go to Ford. Just before I found you guys, I noticed an online retailer with the K&N filter for $38. Have put the K&N in my daughter's '05 Stang and noticed small improvement in mileage. So at 10k, I'll likely do the same with FEH.
What was the size of that filter wrench? The wife and daughters have requested that there be no repeat performance of the swearing concert that occurred while changing the oil last time.

 

Be sure to double check before you buy the K&N filter...there has been some confusion and as far as I know the air filter for the FEH is unique. Also note the fine print in your owner's manual that no filter except the Motorcraft will fulfill the requirements of the warranty, blah blah blah.

 

You want to read this short thread (from a quick search on "oil change"): https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...&highlight=oil

 

I have a K&N in my 2005 FEH. The K&N website lists the part for 2006 & 2007 but I think it was just a typo that they forgot about 2005!

Mine was a perfect match.

During the first 30 miles my instant MPG meter was jumping all over the place, like 40 MPG to 20 MPG to 40 MPG, I guess from the new air pressure and flow.
After 30 miles of highway ( so 30 minutes later ) the sensors adjusted and everything was back to normal... only better!

Now I can't prove if it is the K&N or just the switch from dirty to clean, but I'm getting a little better MPG now than just before, in similar weather.
The K&N part # is 33-2347

BTW it is against the law for any auto manufacturer to void an engine warranty for use of after market parts that meet or exceed the original.
The K&N is for street legal use, ( not an off-road part or anything ) and does meet or beat all Ford specs.

As for oil changes, after 3 filter changes, my hex ( allen ) filter drain plug is stripped ( round hole vs. hex ). So for my recent change I just left it in and unscrewed the whole filter can intact. It was no messier than any other oil change I've done in 20 years, and the 3 times it worked, I didn't find the drain hole that helpfull anyway!

-John

 

glennb,
That link was informative and hilarious as well. Thanks for the info and the laughs!
gpsman1,
Great news on the K&N. I'll know what to expect and not get freaked out!

 

That would be the Moss-Magnuson act.

The key is do they meet the Ford specs. If the Ford spec calls for a paper filter, there is no way for a K&N filter to meet the spec.

I'm still skeptical about K&N, they make some rather extravagant claims that remind me of the Monster Cable people. I also know that if the filter is not properly serviced (i.e. just the right amount of oil) you can end up with a big mess in your intake.

 

I would assume that (even in a court of law) the intake air filter specification should be confined to something technical related to engine performance....such as Mass Air Flow or Minimum Particle Size filtered, etc. Not the material, or the color of a fluid, or something else irrelevant.

Intake filter technology is more advanced than the $2.50 filters they sell for $12 or more at the OEMs. K&Ns are engineered well and are not that difficult to maintain....but they are not for everyone.

 

I completely agree that SHOULD be the way a spec is written and a law is applied.... but I remember reading an article somewhere about how we are all running around with catalytic converters that cost hundreds of dollars because they are required by law.... even though there are ways to produce engines that have as good or better emmisions without them. But unfortunately the law wasn't written to require a certain emission profile, it requires catalytic converters.

Similarly Ford can likely write a spec saying they require a paper filter.... even if something else could do the same job.

 

So, I stumbled upon this thread, glossed over all of the technical talk that I don't understand, and thought I would ask my non-technical question anyway:

At the dealer when we bought the car- the service tech told us not to get the oil changed at 3k miles or 10k miles, but to go by the dash read out that says __% until oil change needed.
Do you think it is safe to rely on this?

 

June:

As I understand it the dash read out that gives a percentage basically just counts down to 10,000 miles. In other words, when I was at 2,000 miles it said 80% and when I was at 5,000 miles it said 50%.

It will never hurt to change your oil more often than is recommended. Remember to reset your dash read-out percentage when it's done.