[skypilot]

I just got off the phone with my local Ford dealer, I'm actually on a trip and 700 plus miles away from home. Currently the truck is a quart low and I can not find any Ford 10W30 CJ4 oil locally except at the dealer (and they want just at $5.00 per quart). I can find Rotella T5 10W30 and Ford branded 15W40. Anyway, my question -- my dealer, and the local Ford dealer service Dept head person both said that anything other than Ford branded WILL violate engine warranty. Not to start a flame session but has anyone else heard this; if so, why / what reason did they give. I know about the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act(believe that is the spelling) but Ford has deeper pockets than I. I also see threads where many of you are using other brands of oil, so, as I ask, has anyone else been told this? Thanks.
Ron

 

[Driving Hard]

Ford service will threaten the warranty if you even look at your truck wrong.

They are the biggest jerks that I have ever had to deal with and I do not know why I keep buying there trucks other than I like the trucks.

If you stick with the proper rated oils and keep your receipts they can not void the warranty.

You may need to give them an education but you will win.

Ford Corp. really needs to get the owners of the service dept. under control and I do not think that the problem comes from the franchise owners them selves. I have had problems with everyone that I have had to take my trucks to/

Good Luck and do your home work you will need it with Ford

 

[ford_doctor]

Right.

The oil you use does NOT have to be Motorcraft. It need only meet (or exceed) the specification required.

 

[panhead5]

Ford doctor is right .I got to admit I wouldn't sweat being a quart low if you're close to an oil change.I would probably buy the whatever oil meets the spec and put it in and be done with it.

Food for thought .The truck's 50k .The Ford oil is 5.00 .See any irony here ???

 

[TXF-250]

This is the first post ive seen where someone is a qt low. I posted about this in another thread, but mine is actually reading high!!! Like....at the top of the dipstick. Been reading about it and Ford says this can be normal depending on regens etc. Can anyone elaborate more on this? I'm really worried I might be having oil dilution issues so early along...

 

[huntindog]

This is the first post ive seen where someone is a qt low. I posted about this in another thread, but mine is actually reading high!!! Like....at the top of the dipstick. Been reading about it and Ford says this can be normal depending on regens etc. Can anyone elaborate more on this? I'm really worried I might be having oil dilution issues so early along...

I would have it tested. Blackstone labs seems to be the most popular one.
I have heard that Ford will not accept any test results as proof of a problem. But for the small cost, I would want to know. Knowledge is power.
If you know something then you can make smart decisions. Otherwise decisions are often made for you.

If the test comes back bad, you can decide what you next best move will be. You could choose to moniter it and see if it's getting worse, or if it's already too bad, you could then decide whether to take Ford on, or just dump it.
It will probably come back with SOME oil dilution as Ford actually has a allowable percentage. If it's within limits then they will do nothing. You need to prove it's over the limit while it's still under warranty.

Hopefully your oil gets a clean bill of health,,,,,as the alternatives suck.

I do my own oil changes and I use the ball valve (fumoto) for my drain plug. I use the one with a nipple, so I can hook a hose to it. It makes it easy to measure how much oil comes out by draining it into the last changes gallon jugs.... If more comes out than what went in...Theres a problem

How many miles do have on the truck?

 

[TXF-250]

How many miles do have on the truck?

2,100

 

[Dr.Evil]

Food for thought .The truck's 50k .The Ford oil is 5.00 .See any irony here ???

Yep, BT-DT.... sorta. I had a brand new '88 Mustang GT 5.0L that was a quart low and had a 450 mile trip home late on a Sunday night across three states. I'd have gladly paid $5/quart for a quart of 10W-40 Valvoline IF I could have found one. Going price at this time was maybe a Buck a quart. I stopped at over a dozen gas stations & truck stops, could have bought a couple semi-truck loads of Pennzoil but NO Valvoline. Next morning after I got home and slept a couple hours I put two quarts of Valvoline in the car for future road trips that NEVER left the car for another nine years & 120,000 miles.

I wouldn't worry about a PSD being just a quart low, there's still eleven quarts in the pan. My PSD has always gotten rid of the top quart after an oil change in 500-800 miles then stayed one quart low till the oil change @ 3000 miles. Engines will seek the oil level they like to run at. It's best to let them run at that level. That's My $0.02 worth anyhow.

 

[BeatMarti]

2,100

With low mileage like that you are most likely fine. I bet that the original oil level was already marginally low to start. Moreover, during the initial few hundred miles the engine is likely to burn some oil. I would think about making your first oil change soon and not bother adding anything. Then, check the oil right after the oil change and watch it.

 

[TXF-250]

With low mileage like that you are most likely fine. I bet that the original oil level was already marginally low to start. Moreover, during the initial few hundred miles the engine is likely to burn some oil. I would think about making your first oil change soon and not bother adding anything. Then, check the oil right after the oil change and watch it.

I think you're getting people confused. I'm worried about my oil level being too high due to dilution...

 

[huntindog]

With low mileage like that you are most likely fine. I bet that the original oil level was already marginally low to start. Moreover, during the initial few hundred miles the engine is likely to burn some oil. I would think about making your first oil change soon and not bother adding anything. Then, check the oil right after the oil change and watch it.

His oil level is high!!

 

[skypilot]

First - to bring this back up; also to bring it back on track.

I have a new 2011 6.7L Ford and now have two other dealership service departments who have told me the same exact thing -- if I have problems with the engine, and Ford feels that it was caused by an oiling / lubrication problem, and I have used anything other than their Ford Branded diesel oil, they will refuse the warranty. So, not having the deep pockets of Ford (in actuallity, if someone picked my pockets all they'd get is lint!!); I want to keep the warranty secure.

So, the original question remains -- any one know where a person can get the Ford branded 10W30 Diesel Oil other than at a Ford dealership. Cheapest I was quoted so far has been 4.50 a quart; highest was over 6.00 a quart.

Appreciate the help.

 

[chuckster57]

From what I can find out O'Reilly's auto parts (Kragens) can get MOTORCRAFT Diesel 10-30
UPC: 31508258372
$4.59/qt.

 

[FordWilly]

I am looking right now at my 2011 6.7 Power Stroke Owners Guide. -- IT SAYS UNDER ENGINE OIL SPECIFICATIONS, QUOTE "for normal or severe service, use Motorcraft oil or an equivalent oil conforming to Ford specifications--------CJ-4 or CJ-4SM.

My very first oil change on the new 6.7 was at Ford and I went with Motorcraft 5/40 synthetic. -- But as with all my other Powerstrokes I only run Rotella T6 5/40 synthetic when I do all my own oil changes. Rotella T6 5/40 is CJ-4SM.

Again the Owners guide says OR AN EQUIVALENT OIL.

 

[WIS-key]

OK, I am not a lawyer, but the Magnuson-Moss Act, specifically 15 USC 2302(c), states that warrantors cannot require that only branded parts be used with a product in order to retain the warranty for that product.

So, unless Ford provides the 13 quarts of Motorcraft oil for free, they can't require that you use it in order to retain the warranty. They _can_ however specify that the oil you use meet a standard, such as CJ4, in order to retain the warranty.

So, there ya go. Use CJ4 oil and keep your receipts.

 

[Zmanm3]

Interesting. They can try to deny the claim but if you can prove that you used the correct type and specification oil they will warranty it in the end.

 

[LeeChristianson]

OK, I am not a lawyer, but the Magnuson-Moss Act, specifically 15 USC 2302(c), states that warrantors cannot require that only branded parts be used with a product in order to retain the warranty for that product.

So, unless Ford provides the 13 quarts of Motorcraft oil for free, they can't require that you use it in order to retain the warranty. They _can_ however specify that the oil you use meet a standard, such as CJ4, in order to retain the warranty.

So, there ya go. Use CJ4 oil and keep your receipts.

An excellent dissertation of the issue.. He's correct - you do NOT have to use the 'brand' oil, but you DO have to use oil with manufacturer's conforming specs.. (from what I've been told, literally by lawyers)..

That said, at the first oil change on my truck at 2100 miles, I told 'em to switch to synthetic.. All they asked was 'what company?' It's now running Mobil-1 synthetic and doing fine..

On the wife's VW Jetta TDI, the oil MUST conform to VW specs or they can void warranty.. (moot now, since it has 141K on the clock) but a few companies make synthetics that conform to VW 505.1, 507.1 etc., which is all I use in her car.. It ain't cheap - but at 10,000 miles between changes (ala the VW manual) the oil performs perfectly.. The engine still feels/performs like new..

 

[Balla6.7]

If you read your Owners Manual or any Owners Manual it does not say it is Mandatory to use "Motorcraft" But recommended. All you need to worry about it to put in a CJ-4 Rated oil. That's It. Tell your dealer to pound sand.

 

[huntindog]

Anyone know how many oil wells Motorcraft operates? How about refineries?

All they are is a label.

 

[txgp17]

Magnuson-Moss Act

Everyone should have an understanding of this law when speaking to a car dealer about warranty work.