Well, this is the first I've heard of this.

When I hit 1000 miles, having bought my '06 FEH, and intending to keep it around, I've been doing all that "Should" maintenance, including getting the oil changed at 1000 miles. (I actually changed it at 1224)

Since then, I'm getting much better MPGs, from around 30 to over 32! At first, I didn't want to say anything, it could've been a fluke tank, or some other factor, but sure enough, two tanks, both over 32 MPGs.

Now, at first, I was rather skeptical; I figured it was some other element, or possibly that break in phase that I've heard about, though I've only just passed 2000 miles, it would be a bit early for that kind of break in (Which from what I've read seems to occur closer to 3000). On the other hand, it pretty much happened right with the oil change. I did some searching on the boards, and couldn't find anyone talking about the kind of boost that I'm getting after an oil change, so I don't know if it's something special with mine, or what.

Any thoughts?

 

Some companies use special break-in oil. Maybe that had something do with it?

 

My mileage on both FEH's shot up at between 1500 and 2000 miles and the '05 had another peak around 3000 miles. I did the first oil change just past 3000 miles on the '05 so maybe there is a connection there. I am approaching 3k on the '06 so I'll pay close attention when I change the oil the first time.

I'm with you on the oil change frequency - I would never let this go the 10k recommended in the book. Call me old fashioned but I think 3000 miles is enough - especially if clean oil increases mileage.

Just curious, what oil did you use?

 

From here on out, I intend to get it changed at the regular intervals, I just wanted fresh oil to get all the little bits out at 1000 miles. (Which the mechanic tried to talk me out of, but the salesperson was dead set in favor of, incidently.)

Anyway, in answer to your question, I'm not entirely sure, I'd have to dig it up. When I got the FEH, I got an oil and air filter change coupon from my salesperson (Who, gave me another one when I saw him last time), and used that, figuring that with a Hybrid, I'm probably better off just letting the dealer change the oil.

 

I would assume the dealer used the correct oil and that should be the same 5w-20 it came off the assembly line with. I don't think they use break-in oil in new car engines anymore.

DIY oil changes in these aren't too bad in the FEH once you get the correct parts. The dealer parts department screw you on the filter and seal but you can buy the filter and seals in a kit by Wix.

One funny thing about the parts that I picked up from Ford. First time they had to special order the filter. The parts guy didn't even know that there is an o-ring that also needs to be changed. Kinda makes me wonder exactly how the dealer does the oil and filter change. Would they have to keep it over night to get the part? Do they change the o-ring?

I have yet to get the Wix parts since I already have a couple filters and o-rings on the shelf. I do plan on doing a side-by side comparison to see how they are. Probably made in the same place, just different name.

 

I'm sure they reuse the o-ring. I have a BMW bike with a very similar oil filer setup and you can re-use the ring a bunch of times before it starts leaking. It is still good insurance to replace it, but it is not really required.

Chris Brown

 

In a pinch I would probably reuse it but I don't want to find out how many times is once to many. The owner manual says to replace it every time but the parts guy never even heard of the part.

Now the dealer is calling me to schedule my '05 for the 3000 mile oil change. The book recommends 10000. They probably don't know that either.

 

Be careful what you assume: The dealer would likely have put 5w30 in my FEH if I had not brought my own Mobil 1 5w20. I can say this because the repair order specified 5w30. As it was they put all 5 quarts in the sump, overfilling it. I drained off half a quart by pulling the drain plug in the filter housing.

Also, the Wix filter is indeed different from the Ford part in a number of ways. For one thing, the Motorcraft part is made in the UK while the Wix is made in Korea. In the US Ford gets most (all?) of their filters from Purolator. However, while you can get a Purolator Plus filter that will fit the FEH (and includes the o-rings) it has some different build detail from the Motorcraft filter (the Purolator is made in Thailand, FWIW). I suspect the Motorcraft filter is the equivalent to what a PureOne filter would be if it were offered.

My current plan is to buy the Mazda filter next time around. There's an on-line dealer that sells the filter with both o-rings for a reasonable price. Their shipping is high on a single filter but becomes reasonable if you buy multiple.

I'm a firm believer in following the manufacturer's reccomendation (i.e. 10K miles between oil changes for normal driving). After all, motor oil comes from petroleum just as gasoline does. Plus it's a terrible groundwater pollutant if it gets loose in the environment. The less of it I use the better. Modern engines and modern oils are so much better than what was around when 3000 miles was the rule of thumb. Today oil companies and oil change places push 3000 so they can get more money out of you.

 

The dealer I go to has cases of the 5w-20 oil at the parts counter. When I first bought my '01 Focus I had to buy the oil there and they always gave me the correct stuff. Now I can usually find it at Autozone.

As far as the filter, I plan on buying the Wix kit and doing my own investigation as to whether it is a quality filter or not. Where it was made matters not at all to me. It's the specifications it was made to. Fram filters are made in the US I believe and I wouldn't use on of those POS filters on my go-cart. At least with the Hybrid filter I won't have to cut the can open to compare.

As to manuacturers recommended oil change intervals, I've said many times, miles driven is a horrible measurement for an oil change, especially in a hybrid vehicle. What is important is hours on the engine, which is actually just a count of engine revolutions converted into a more manageable number of hours. It would have been incredibly easy to add that to the display.

What I am curious about is why FEH vehicles sold in Canada use a 5000 km (about 3k miles) interval for oil change while US sold vehicles say 10k miles. What is the difference? And why does the dealer tell me my Hybrid needs a 3000 mile oil change if the manufacturer says 10K? Is this a little dealer scam to get me in so they can find something else to fix? I think I know that answer.

Meanwhile, I'll stick to my own recommended oil change interval. Don't worry, my used oil gets recycled so the only thing I am "wasting" is my time. Who knows, maybe I am actually extending the life o my engine too.

 

The Wix filter is definitely a quality item. The design of the end caps is different and the pleat count appears to be smaller, but I've not taken one apart to measure the square inches of media, so it may not be significant. They use a silicone-type seal ring on the inner hole and omit the white "felt" ring.

The PurolatorPlus filter appears to be "OK" quality. The seal rings top and bottom are not made of the coarse synthetic material but rather garden variety felt. The end caps are not flat like on the other filters, they have a lip on the outer circumference. The filter media is not as evenly distributed but there were no glaring gaps or anything.

I have not been able to find a Fram filter to fit even though they list one. One advantage we have over most car owners is we don't have to cut open a metal can to see the build quality of an oil filter! After seeing some of the websites that have gone to that level of trouble, I'm very wary of the radioactive orange box these days...

I agree that miles driven is not a useful measure. Note the 2006 models do have the oil life indicator that appears in the info center display. I don't know if it's driven by miles or by engine hours on...I seriously doubt it actually analyzes the oil like some of the more expensive cars claim to.

I figure that if the engineers at Ford think 10K is safe with the synthetic blend oil, that with a full synthetic like Mobil 1 it's even safer.

As far as waste goes, I'm guessing you are not buying reprocessed motor oil, so that means we have to buy more from the Saudis to keep you on your change schedule. Something to think about...