I change mine between 3,000 and 4,000 miles. My book recommends 5,000, but even being in a younger generation than some of you, I'm still old school about it. Maybe cause my Dad is almost 70 and thats what he taught me. I drive dirt roads often and in down is quite dirty as well. Plus, I like working on my truck, and oil changes are pretty much all I get to do (damn Fords, haha, just kidding Ford gods), and I like the little extra get-up-and-go the truck has right after an oil change!

 

Call me "old school" too then...I had mine changed right at 3K miles and will change every 5K from here on out. I wanted to get the orig oil change done at 3k miles "just in case" there was any manufacturing "leftovers" inside the engine.

 

In the OP's case I would change before the trip. For future changes I would change at around 4k to 5k miles and send a sample to a used oil analysis company such as blackstone labs. This is the real way to choose your oil change interval. I've sent samples on my 05 5.4 and it comes back at 4k miles is my ideal OCI for me not the 5k miles as Ford advertises. This is with Motorcraft 5w20 and either a motorcraft or a pure One filters. I do a lot of in town driving at approx. 1k miles per month.

 

I would go ahead and change the oil before a long trip. The dealer will do this for free for your first oil change, and I highly recommend this.

This is why and I'm quoting one of my earlier posts about my first oil change experience;

"My 09 XLT hit 2500 miles last week so I changed the oil for the first time.

Holy Crap!!! I could not believe how tight that #$#! filter was. I used an end cap oil filter wrench that I put a 3/8" drive ratchet on, and had to apply so much torque the wrench broke. There is a 1/8" plate spot welded on to the end cap wrench and it twisted off. I had to weld an old 3/8" drive socket to the end cap wrench.

Then after really, really torquing on the wrench, the ribs on the end of the oil filter rounded off. I was quite ticked off at this point. Got some brass shim stock to line the inside of the end cap wrench and pounded on the wrench to the oil filter with a hammer.

After really putting on a lot of torque, the filter finally came off. I would highly recommend going to the dealer to take them up on the first free oil change if you don't have an extensive tool collection. It was a huge pain.

I doubt the engine assembly line puts oil on the rubber oil filter seal, then it sticks on. The original filter was not a FL-820S. It was just plain painted white, the end rib pattern was different than the FL-820S, and there were no part numbers or manufacturer info on it."

 

I just hit 7k in my FX4 and got my oil changed for the first time. First time in about 8 years that I've let someone else change my oil... but also the first new vehicle I've ever had.

 

I'd drive the trip before the first oil change unless you plan to tow. My dealer also told me 7500. This may be urban myth, but they say they used to use a different type of oil at the factory that helps to 'condition' the parts. May be bunk, but I'd rather run the factory oil for the full life before a change. Even after the change, I'm going to stick with 6-7k miles between oil changes. I don't tow regularly, so I won't "stress" the oil.

 

I will do my first oil change about 2-3k miles and then 4k after that like i do with all my vehicles.

 

AMEN! Oil is cheap...why brag about how long you go. Screw that...change it every 3-4 K miles and go on.

 

Yeah oil companies are recommending 3K changes and THEY are selling the oil. Ford recommends 7500 mile changes and THEY are selling trucks!! Think about THAT!!

 

Using that logic, maybe Ford wants you to wear out the engine faster. Just a thought.

 

Since aquiring the 2007 F150 I am going to my local dealer for changes because they are so cheap and they use the Motorcraft stuff. I asked the service manger what HE thought about change intervals. He said what kind of driving do I do...I told him just around town and on my 2 miles of rough, dusty county road. He said he considered that severe conditions and recommended 3-4K changes. I had to agree.

 

oil is the life blood of your engine why use it to the max

 

The answer to your question is: because it's unnecessary. That's like buying a cheeseburger, eating half of it, throwing it away because you're worried you might bite into the wrapper, then turning around and buying another one. Why not get what you paid for?

Dude, no offense, but do some research on syn blend and full synthetic oils, and you'll see why some of us choose to use longer oil change intervals. Ford supplies the truck with a syn blend, which in all honesty is good for more than 7500 miles. Full synthetics are good for 10-15k miles, and (technically speaking) good for even longer. So 7500 miles is not "taking it to the max."

As mentioned before, the limiting factor is the filter technology. If you use a good quality filter, then syn and syn blends are good for 10k+ miles.

As an example, if you take a look at European car manufacturers who spec full synthetic oils, they've been specifying 15k mile oil change intervals for over 12 years.

All that being said, it's a personal choice and there's no real right or wrong.

 

Excellent logic and thorough explanation. And couldn't agree more. Synthetics with a high quality filter make a HUGE difference. My wife is on her 4th BMW and they WON'T change the oil sooner than the intervals, which is typically 12-15k miles.

I swear by AMSOIL synthetic and filters - which at ~$100 per change isn't really cheap - but will get my 12-15K miles too. Have used it on my last F150 and on my current 09. Runs just as smooth as those who change every 3k.

BTW, not really sure how dirty roads affect oil life. Maybe clogs your airfilter faster. Can anyone explain?

 

Seems some are taking the topic of changing oil to heart. Guys, it's really simple. If you believe the semi-synthetic blended motor oil is good for only 3-4k miles, then so be it and get the oil changed. It certainly doesn't hurt the engine to change oil on a short basis.

On the other hand, Ford has formulated their 5W-20 semi-syn motor oil to meet their design requirements. So if Ford states 7500 miles is fine for an oil change interval, chances are good the oil in the pan is still fine at 7500 miles (factor of safety, blah blah blah).

Even though $25 isn't much too much for an oil change, consider the other impact. When the truck reaches 15k miles, those 3k mile oil changers would have 5 oil changes. The 7.5k mile oil changers, only 2 oil changes. Supposing it takes 7 quarts to refill, the net difference between the two oil change philosophies is 21 quarts of oil. Multiply 21 quarts of oil by the number of 3k mile oil changers and you can see the impact it makes on oil demand in this country. That's only for one vehicle line (the F150). Something to keep in mind as oil prices continue its long term ascent.

Having said all this, I believe the semi-syn blend oil has the capacity to live through 7500 miles of use but what about the oil filter's longevity? It seems plausible the oil filter can be effective for all 7500 miles but I'm not entirely convinced.