Motor Oil

[E'sBird]

Just purchased a 2002 T-Bird. I noticed that it takes 5w 20 motor oil, every 5,000.....does this Bird come with synthetic or dino oil? I tried a search, but got no where.
Thanks in advance.
E'sBird

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[E'sBird]

Duh, just looked in the car manual. Synthetic Blend, 5w20. Does anyone use Amzoil products in their Bird?

 

[George]

E:
I use a Lincoln dealer for service and all they use is a Synthetic Blend motor oil. Not sure what a synthetic blend is vs. a synthetic oil

 

[mikewyatt]

Synthetic blend is a mix of (less expensive) conventional oil (mineral oil) and synthetic oil. It has some of the advantages of synthetic, at lower cost than full synthetic. Probably it is not worth the extra cash- either go fuill synthetic, or stay with conventional oil and change it more often.

My Ford mechanic told me that (for a car not driven every day like my 2005 Mustang) that standard oil was better. For my Jeep, driven 35,000 miles a year, I use synthetic to avoid having to change oil (literally) monthly= extended oil change intervals of 5000 miles.

 

[George]

First of all, WELCOME Mike, to the forum:
And thanks for that response. Now I need to consider if I stay with the Lincoln dealer. Because that 'blend'' is all they use in all oil changes.

 

[mikewyatt]

The blended product is better than conventional oil- it breaks down slower, etc. It just costs more.

Standard oils are WAY better than ever- hence we have engines routinely running 200,000 miles. I saw a Jeep Compass on a dealer's floor, with 245,000 miles, and original engine! And that is a 4 cylinder. Pretty amazing. And oil is about the only reason- the metals in the engine are no better than in the '50's, and the engines run hotter. It can only be the filtration and the oils.

If the Owner's manual says to use synthetic- why would the Lincoln Dealer be using a blend?

 

[Quickdraw]

The blended product is better than conventional oil- it breaks down slower, etc. It just costs more.

Standard oils are WAY better than ever- hence we have engines routinely running 200,000 miles. I saw a Jeep Compass on a dealer's floor, with 245,000 miles, and original engine! And that is a 4 cylinder. Pretty amazing. And oil is about the only reason- the metals in the engine are no better than in the '50's, and the engines run hotter. It can only be the filtration and the oils.

If the Owner's manual says to use synthetic- why would the Lincoln Dealer be using a blend?

The Thunderbird and Lincoln LS owners manual does NOT say to use synthetic oil, it's says to use a "synthetic BLEND"

 

[George]

Thanks Quickdraw, I feel better now about the dealer.

 

[cbird]

FWIW, when I got my 2005 TBird I decided I would use only the best oil, not that schlock Ford stuff. I did internet research on the "Bob is the Oil Guy" website (check it out!) and was surprised to find people just gushing about the Motorcraft semi-synthetic oil. It turns out it's excellent, as are the Motorcraft oil filters, so I have stuck with it (although now I use mostly the Motorcraft Full Synthetic, which some Ford dealers do carry). Most likely the Motorcraft oil is what your Lincoln dealer is using and you will be fine with it. I have talked with many cab drivers (who mostly use Ford Crown Victorias) and they routinely get 350,000 miles out of their engines, but do change the oil every 3000 miles (city driving is what is referred to as severe duty, so 3000 is what is generally recommended, but 5000 is fine for highway driving), so your Tbird should make it to 350,000 also, with the proper maintenance it is likely to receive. The cab drivers usually are required to get rid of the cars at the 350,000 mile point by regulation, usually they are still running fine. Changing the transmission fluid every 25,000 to 40,000 is critical if you want it to last the distance (and use Motorcraft fluid).
I have used Mobil 1 and Amsoil Full Synthetic oils in my Jeep Cherokee and had great results - the car is still running fine at 350,000 miles with no history of any major engine or transmission problems, so they are great in my book (and in any one else's, most likely), but it is best to start out with these oils on a fairly new engine, as introducing them into older vehicles can result in the development of oil leaks (the companies may deny this, but I have run across people who have experienced this). If you do want Full Synthetic, consider Motorcraft, as it has a type III base, which is better on the seals and may provide better corrosion protection than the bases in Mobil 1 and Amsoil. Or just stick with the Motorcraft Semisynthetic - you will be fine (check out the info on the "Bob is the Oil Guy" website if you would like more reassurance about this.