Don, my '09 Owner Manual states that you will void your engine warranty if you use anything but 5-20W. Also, while I was in a repair shop I seen a Master Tech and owner of the shop changing the oil with Mobil 1 5-20W. I told him I used the same oil in my FEH. He replied that the Manufacture of this car required Mobil 1 0-20W, but changed the requirement to Mobil 1 5-20W after having problems with Mobil 1 0-20W.

Many of the best hypermilers have told me to switch to Mobil 1 0-20W, but the oil caps say use only 5-20W. Because of that and the heat here in Florida I never did. The strong warning in my new '09 FEH manual makes me feel good I never changed to Mobil 1 0-20W in my '05 FEH. Mobil 1 might or might not warranty an engine from a failure, but Ford is saying they will void the warranty period now. The new Manual also warns about FAS now and has a way (black box so to speak) to check your driving if you have problems or accidents. Ford would most likely love the fact that Mobil 1 took over the engine warranty for them. Not Me!

GaryG

 

Hmm, very interesting. Have they changed the oil specification from the "930-A" to something different? Ordinarily if the specification is met than everything else is somewhat academic.

I remember when the FEH first came out most of the bottles of Motorcraft 5w20 on the shelves didn't list the new spec...so whether you could use that oil in an FEH was up for debate.

Again I would note that Mobil has recently reformulated their 0w20 (it was off the market for a while) so I would not make the assumption that the new oil has any of the same issues as the old.

In any event my '05 is of course out of warranty as the dealer was happy to remind me while fixing the relay problem I had a few weeks back ...

 

I remember our oil change posts back when the dealers did not yet have the new oil with the FEH specifications well. I had to even special order the filter O-rings back then also.

Here's what my '09 manual states:

"Use SAE 5W-20 engine oil

Only use oils "Certified For Gasoline Engines" by the American Petroleum Institute (API)"

"To Protect your engine and engines warranty, use Motorcraft SAE 5W-20 or an equivalent SAE 5W-20 oil meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C930-A. SAE 5W-20 oil provides optimum fuel economy and durability performance meeting all requirement for your vehicle's engine."

It may have been under the Warranty manual I seen the stricter language about 5W-20 oil, but this is what the owner's manual says.

Ford may have engines that allow or require 0w-20 WSS-M2C930-A oils, but I don't think they want it in the FEH.

GaryG

 

0w20 will cost more but give better wear protection at start-up. The key factor is the 20 classification at the "hot" end of the specification. Most engine manufacturers want a cSt value between 9 and 10 at 212 degrees. Motorcraft 5w20 does that easily and provides a lower cost of ownership. If you fell you really need additional protection (because you always operate your vehicle in sub-freezing temperatures), Motorcraft offers a 5w20 full synthetic. The differences are minimal compared to an 0w20 oil.

 

It could be that Ford is nervous about 0w20, but I suspect the more likely reason for the language in the manual is many people still are of the belief that heavier oil weight equals better protection. They don't want folks putting 20w50 in there for sure!

Modern engines work best with the lightest grade oil that will hold up to the thermal loads and shear strength...

If you're going full synthetic anyway the 0w20 costs no more than the 5w20. If you are satisfied with a synthetic blend, the Motorcraft 5w20 is hard to beat from a price/performance perspective.

 

I really don't think Ford could legally void your warranty for using 0W-20 oil meeting their specifications. The problem is Ford is stating the use of 5W-20 approved oil is required. Today, many manufactures specify 0W-20 OR 5W-20 to meet CAFE standards for efficiency, but Ford did not use this language for the FEH/MMH. It's just not worth a legal fight to me just to go to a lighter oil. It also may be the fact that Ford wants you to stay with Motorcraft Oil and Dealer oil changes because they may not sale 0W-20 oil with their required specifications?

GaryG

 

It might be interesting to note that I have had a Ford Dealership in Northern Wisconsin use the Mobil 1 0W20 synthetic oil that I provided for my 05 Escape Hybrid this year.

 

Your last sentence may have more to do with it than any other issue...

 

I recall your post about that Billy, but I forgot that it was you that posted it. Not sure what to think about how Ford or other dealers would react if they found out this became a common practice. Also, it might be more common in your colder climate than say here in Florida to use 0W-20. In other words I don't think for one minute I could take my '09 FEH in to my dealer and get them to agree to do that.

GaryG

 

If an oil company tests a formulation 9 times against the WSS-M2C930-A specification and it fails every time, but gets a pass on the tenth try, they can approve the formulation. Their aim is to produce the lowest cost formula that will give at least one pass they can produce if challenged.

The Motorcraft formula will pass the specification, every test, every batch, every day. Ford engine engineering puts lubrication quality before cost. There is no real reason to spend more for other oils and achieve no better quality. I'll stick with the Motorcraft 5w20. (And if I ever move to where the temperatures are constantly below freezing, I'll go with the Motorcraft full-synthetic.)