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What is Considered Normal Oil Consumption

I was just curious as to what would be considered normal oil consumption on the modular (5.4 in my case) engine? Vince, does Ford have an official guideline for this?
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member

blacksnapon

Moderator
Staff member
workshop manual 03 expedition

Excessive Engine Oil Consumption

Nearly all engines consume oil, which is essential for normal lubrication of the cylinder bore walls and pistons and rings. Determining the level of oil consumption may require testing by recording how much oil is being added over a given set of miles.

Customer driving habits greatly influence oil consumption. Mileage accumulated during towing or heavy loading generates extra heat. Frequent short trips, stop-and-go type traffic or extensive idling, prevent the engine from reaching normal operating temperature. This prevents component clearances from reaching specified operating ranges.

The following diagnostic procedure may be utilized to determine internal oil consumption. Make sure that the concern is related to internal oil consumption, and not external leakage, which also consumes oil. Verify there are no leaks before carrying out the test. Once verified, the rate of internal oil consumption can be tested.

A new engine may require extra oil in the early stages of operation. Internal piston-to-bore clearances and sealing characteristics improve as the engine breaks in. Engines are designed for close tolerances and do not require break-in oils or additives. Use the oil specified in the Owner Guide. Ambient temperatures may determine the oil viscosity specification. Verify that the correct oil is being used for the vehicle in the geographic region in which it is driven.

Basic Pre-checks

For persistent complaints of oil consumption, interview the customer to determine the oil consumption characteristics. If possible, determine the brand and grade of oil currently in the oil pan. Look at the oil filter or oil-change station tags to determine if Ford-recommended maintenance schedules have been followed. Make sure that the oil has been changed at the specified mileage intervals. If vehicle mileage is past the first recommended drain interval, the OEM production filter should have been changed.
Ask how the most current mileage was accumulated. That is, determine whether the vehicle was driven under the following conditions:
Extended idling or curbside engine operation
Stop-and-go traffic or taxi operation
Towing a trailer or vehicle loaded heavily
Frequent short trips (engine not up to normal operating temperature)
Excessive throttling or high engine-rpm driving
Verify that there are no external leaks. If necessary, review the diagnostic procedure under Engine Oil Leaks in the Diagnosis and Testing portion of this section.
Inspect the crankcase ventilation system for:
disconnected hoses at the valve cover or throttle body.
loose or missing valve cover fill cap.
missing or incorrectly seated engine oil level indicator.
incorrect or dirty PCV valve.
a PCV valve grommet unseated in the valve cover (if so equipped)
Inspect for signs of sludge. Sludge affects PCV performance and can plug or restrict cylinder head drainback wells. It can also increase oil pressure by restricting passages and reducing the drainback capability of piston oil control rings. Sludge can result from either excessive water ingestion in the crankcase or operation at extremely high crankcase temperatures.
Inspect the air filter for dirt, sludge or damage. A hole in the filter element will allow unfiltered air to bypass into the air induction system. This can cause premature internal wear (engine dusting), allowing oil to escape past rings, pistons, valves and guides.
If the engine is hot or was recently shut down, wait at least 5 minutes to allow the oil to drain back. Ask the customer if this requirement has been followed. Adding oil without this wait period can cause an overfill condition, leading to excessive oil consumption and foaming which may cause engine damage.
Make sure the oil level indicator (dipstick) is correctly and fully seated in the indicator tube. Remove the oil level indicator and record the oil level.
Detailed Pre-checks

Check the thermostat opening temperature to make sure that the cooling system is operating at the specified temperature. If it is low, internal engine parts are not running at specified internal operating clearances.
Verify the spark plugs are not oil saturated. Oil leaking into one or more cylinders will appear as an oil soaked condition on the plug. If a plug is saturated, a compression check may be necessary at the conclusion of the oil consumption test.
Oil Consumption Test

Once all of the previous conditions are met, carry out an oil consumption test.

Drain the engine oil and remove the oil filter. Install a new manufacturer-specified oil filter. Make sure the vehicle is positioned on a level surface. Refill the oil pan to a level one quart (liter) less than the specified fill level, using manufacturer-specified oil.
Run the engine for 3 minutes (if hot) or 10 minutes (if cold). Allow for a minimum 5-minute drainback period and then record the oil level shown on the oil level indicator. Place a mark on the backside of the oil level indicator noting the oil level location.
Add the final 1 quart (liter) to complete the normal oil fill. Restart the engine and allow it to idle for 2 minutes. Shut the engine down.
After a 5-minute drainback period, record the location of the oil level again. Mark the oil level indicator with the new oil level location. (Note: Both marks should be very close to the MIN-MAX upper and lower limits or the upper and lower holes on the oil level indicator. These marks will exactly measure the engine's use of oil, with a one quart differential between the new marks.) Demonstrate to the customer that the factory-calibrated marks on the oil level indicator are where the oil should fall after an oil change with the specified fill amount. Explain however, that this may vary slightly between MIN-MAX or the upper and lower holes on the oil level indicator.
Record the vehicle mileage.
Advise the customer that oil level indicator readings must be taken every 320 km (200 miles) or weekly, using the revised marks as drawn. Remind the customer that the engine needs a minimum 5-minute drainback for an accurate reading and that the oil level indicator must be firmly seated in the tube prior to taking the reading.
When the subsequent indicator readings demonstrate a full quart (liter) has been used, record the vehicle mileage. The mileage driven between the 2 readings should not be less than 1,500 miles. The drive cycle the vehicle has been operated under must be considered when making this calculation. It may be necessary to have the customer bring the vehicle in for a periodic oil level indicator reading to closely monitor oil usage.
Post Checks, Evaluation and Corrective Action

If test results indicate excessive oil consumption, carry out a cylinder compression test. The cylinder compression test should be carried out with a fully charged battery and all spark plugs removed. See the Compression Test Chart in this section for pressure range limits.
Compression should be consistent across all cylinders. For additional information, refer to the Compression Testing portion of this section. If compression tested within the specifications found in this section, the excessive oil consumption may be due to wear on the valve guides, valves or valve seals.
A cylinder leak detection test can be carried out using an Engine Cylinder Leak Detection/Air Pressurization Kit. This can help identify valves, piston rings, or worn valve guides/valve stems, inoperative valve stem seals or other related areas as the source of oil consumption.
NOTE: An oil-soaked appearance on the porcelain tips of the spark plugs also indicates excessive oil use. A typical engine with normal oil consumption will exhibit a light tan to brown appearance. See Spark Plug Analysis in this section for details. A single or adjoining, multiple cylinder leak can be traced by viewing the tips.

If an internal engine part is isolated as the root cause, determine if the repair will exceed cost limits and proceed with a repair strategy as required.
Once corrective action to engine is complete and verifying that all pre-check items were eliminated in the original diagnosis, repeat the Oil Consumption Test as described above and verify consumption results.
 
Oh, wow.....thanks, Vince... So, if I'm reading that correctly, a quart in 1500 would warrant further investigation, correct?

The reason I asked, we just got back from Charlotte, N.C. (1500 miles round trip) driving our '97 Expedition. We flogged it pretty steady for the whole trip and when we got home, it had 3,000 miles on the oil (that's when I change it) and was a quart low. BTW, it has 106,000 on the clock. I don't consider that alarming at all....
 

SuperCab

Moderator
Staff member
10,068
547
Montana
Not scientific at all but at 3-5000 miles, when I change mine, it's usually near a quart low. Kinda considered it an indicator it needs changed...

That's on multiple different vehicles

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner
 
bought tempo from air force aution once 1/2 quart dissaperad at 2000 miles , my usuall oil change was 3000 and it was still right at 1/2 quart low, cat mechanic told me once if a motor didnt use any oil between oil changes it would scare him !meant somthing wasnt getting lubricated.
 

rambler

New Shoes......
mine with 218K uses about a quart every 1500 miles, but not blowing blue smoke or anything, also if you have done mostly local driving,, and then did a cross country trip... you will probably see oil usage... from what I have seen...
 

BuzzGun79

Nov.TOTM 2012 / 2012 TOTY
2,388
55
Through my Mechanical experience..I have to agree with Vince's, Duncans information...a quart low in 3k ide say is the norm..on todays engines
 
The 5.4 in my mom's truck runs a quart low if you use conventional oil, but if high mileage is used it only goes through 1 quart in a month or so depending on idle and miles driven.
My 4.6 goes through quite a bit but it comes with how you drive it and I had used some crummy oil unfortunately so it is usually a quart every 5,000 miles but with that oil before it was like 3 quarts every 5,000 miles.
Just depends on too many factors to give an exact amount but expect about a quart in 5,000 miles depending on age and mileage of the motor.
 

5.0Flareside

GingaNinja
14,463
384
La Vergne, TN
I seem to be seeing this in my wife's 5.4 expy

It bugs me

No leaks
No cel
No performance issues

what type of oil do you use?

If conventional its not uncommon to see a quart every 1k miles.. seen it alot.

conventional burns off at a much lower temp than synthetic blend or full synthetic.

this is due to different additve packs that are added to the base oil.

the 4.6's and 5.4's need at least a synthetic blend to slow any burn off. they will still burn some oil pretty much no matter what cause the high temp in the contact zones in the heads where the camshafts ride..

remember modulars dont have cam bearings and the oil is bearing in all reality..
 

taxreliever

Licensed to Represent!
14,695
287
Maine
I'm glad this thread exists.....good information here!
 
end result its what you feel is normal or get used to as long as you check it and add when it gets to low just don't over fill it those marks are there for that reason ,if there are no leaks no blue smoke it runs fine has power it will be ok.seen some engines old farm tractor pulling their guts out all day plowing burn a quart or more ( older international an ford gas)my father in laws dump trucks back in 70s an 80s burn 1 or more quarts a day hard use pulling loads and flat on the floor empty or loaded all day .ran some cats that went through a gallon or more . older detroits 9you need a 55 gallon drum for those.just my two pennys worth ,for what there worth!
 
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5.0Flareside

GingaNinja
14,463
384
La Vergne, TN
Not really..

Cause there are brand new Mustang 5.0's rolling off the lot burnin 1 qt every 1k miles.. And ford is pulling a CYA and sayin it's normal.. Well it's not.. Especially when it's a 8qt sump and they're suggested OCI is 7500 miles..

People are too dumb nowadays to check they're own oil.. So that car is gonna blow up pretty quickly..

But even older vehicles id say 1qt every 3k is ok.. No more unless getting worked really hard and using low quality oil..
 

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