We use blended in the RAV4 and the Mazda 3 GT. Synthetic in the Mustang and the ST, due to the turbos. In your shoes, I'd use conventional. My Ram and my wife's 300C did just fine on conventional (high-mileage after 75K) and it saved a few bucks.

 

I use Dexos spec oil and change every 5k.
I would change every fluid in it with what Ford recommends.

 

Motorcraft synthetic blend is what ford specs for that, so it is the default oil a ford shop would use. If it has the 2.0L ecoboost, then I would only run synthetic, or if you are in a hot climate or other severe duty like hard driving or towing.

Otherwise, up to you whether to ask for synthetic at that shop or elsewhere. It doesn't "need" it for normal duty with the 3.5L, but after a couple hundred thousand miles you might have some benefit of less sludge.

I'd consider what the Ford dealer charges too, no real reason to take it to a higher priced shop just to get the oil changed, any competent shop (that doesn't have monkeys doing it) can do an oil change. When it has complex mechanical or electrical problems is when I'd sooner opt for a Ford dealership shop.

 

I have a ‘22 King Ranch Explorer with the 3.0 liter engine. Like many cars today it has an oil life indicator. On my first oil change I took my car to the dealer and got synthetic oil since the engine has turbo-chargers. The service advisor said the Ford semi-synthetic would be fine but still got straight synthetic. This got me to wondering which oil the oil life indicator is predicated on. I would think that, technicly, the oil life would be different for regular oil, semi-synthetic, and pure synthetic. I asked the service writer if he knew. He admitted that he didnt know for sure but thought it was for semi-synthetic. No big deal but anyone know for sure?

 

It's spitting hairs. The oil life indicator is based on the syn blend, but it's not a big difference.

You need to stop trusting any of that and just use the time tested change interval, which is about 5K mi under normal duty or less under severe service depending on how severe.

Do that, and with better ranked oil, you get less sludge during that interval too.

Oil quality (as long as it meets spec) and change interval are shades of gray. If you follow any of them, odds are something else will be the problem.

What the heck where you thinking getting a king ranch with a little 3.0L engine ? Arguments are sure to ensue but that's crazy. Try to wring enough power out of a little engine and something is going to give.

There were a lot of people who pretended their ecoboost was fine, until it wasn't. A 3l ecoboost is something that should be in a GT version of a $20K econo sports sedan, not a truck. Mark my words.

Just sayin', it's not the oil it's the undersized engine that is the problem.

 

Thanks. As far as engine, you know I was speaking to the King Ranch Explorer (not Expedition) with the 3.0 Twin Turbo, right? Standard engine on the Explorer is 2.3 I believe. The 3.0 moves it along pretty well. I was told the King Ranch Explorer is relatively rare but that may have been a sales quip.

 

Thanks. As far as engine, you know I was speaking to the King Ranch Explorer (not Expedition) with the 3.0 Twin Turbo, right? Standard engine on the Explorer is 2.3 I believe. The 3.0 moves it along pretty well. I was told the King Ranch Explorer is relatively rare but that may have been a sales quip. A larger engine was not even available except for law enforcement agencies which have a 3.3.

 

Oil choice is related to long term consequences, as is putting turbos on a little engine to get more power out of it. Getting more power out of it, both the stresses and the increased mechanical complexity is detrimental to drivetrain lifespan and repair costs.

It's better than pushing the 2.3L harder. I'm even less a fan of the 2.3L.

 

As an ex auto repair shop owner. Once the motor is broke in I use full synthetic on all my cars. Last longer and dosen't have the run off regular oil does. Worth the extra money. In my opinion.

 

If you plan to change it every 3.5 - 5K then run blend...but if you want to go a lil longer...let says 7K, then I would run synthetic..

"Synthetic blends hold up longer and won't break down, even after 5000 miles of driving."

 

Dexos every 5k and use an AC Delco filter.