When to switch to Synthetic Oil in '12 5.0?

  • Sponsors (?)


it's a personal choice of your's when to switch over to synthetic. Myself I don't drive enough to warrant synthetic, if I did that I would only be changing my oil twice a year which isn't good for it. I'll stick with regular, because I change it every three months pretty much mainly because I don't hit the mileage required but like to keep it fresh.
 
Now. I'm a firm believer in changing out oil in newly broken in mechanical assemblies. FWIW the GT500 and Boss both come from the factory with synthetic. I changed mine at 1200 miles.
 
The Mustang GT comes from the factory with Motorcraft Synthetic Blend 5W-20.

I changed mine at 2000 miles (old school - get the break-in debris out) and put the same factory stuff in. Changed it again at 5000 miles and filled it with Mobil 1 5W-20. Probably keep a 6.5k-7.5k mile interval now and continue with the full synthetic.
 
Consider the factory recommendations that are protecting warranties. That being said, I did my first oil and filter change at ~4200 miles. Mobil1 and a K&N filter. I did not reset the oilminder. Current thinking is next oil change at 10k miles. Open to suggestions but I have yet to meet anyone in the last 30 years who said that he did not change oil frequently enough. 2012 GT 6m 3.73.
 
oil

I must be the villiage idiot here. I did an oil and filter change at 100 miles, getting the initial break-in oil out of the engine. I put back the FORD recommended oil and filter. Did the same thing at 500 miles and again at 1000 miles.

At 3000 miles, I changed over to full synthetic Royal Purple 5w20 and a Wix filter.

Guess I've gone through a considerable amount of oil breaking in the engine, but it made me feel like I was breaking in things accordingly. I'll run this time until 6000 miles, then another change at 10,000. With that, I'll change oil and filter every 5000 miles.

I did change the transmission and differential fluid to Royal Purple products at 1000 miles. The trans works flawlessly and the diff is silent.

csm:rolleyes:
 
I'm old school so change your oil often. It's the life blood of your engine. The Boss 302 comes from the factory with 5w50 full synthetic. So on your GT, change to full synthetic when you change your oil for the first time.
 
When should I do the first oil change and switch to Mobil 1 5-20W synthetic in my 2012 5.0 Stang? I barely have 3000 miles on it.
Just picked up a 2012 GT/CS on 12/23/2011 with 2596 on the odometer and I changed the oil to Mobil 1 5w20 the very next day. The car runs like a kid. I have been using synthetic for more than 20 yrs with no regrets. My wife's car (2003 nissan maxima) had 22K miles when we bought it and changed to Mobil 1 the same day that I got it. The car now has 188K and it's still using Mobil 1 5w30 with no oil burning, no smoke,and a super clean engine. I used to own a 1998 Nissan Quest minivan that I bought with 4K on the odometer. I donated the van to a vocational automotive program in Tampa, FL for tax purposes, with more than 200K plus on the odometer and it was still running with Mobil 1 5w30, still strong without smoke issues . I'm a firm believer in synthetic oil because I used to be an army helicopter mechanic and all the lubricants that we used on the choppers were synthetic. My .02 cents.
 
The Mustang GT comes from the factory with Motorcraft Synthetic Blend 5W-20.

I changed mine at 2000 miles (old school - get the break-in debris out) and put the same factory stuff in. Changed it again at 5000 miles and filled it with Mobil 1 5W-20. Probably keep a 6.5k-7.5k mile interval now and continue with the full synthetic.

This is what is listed in the manual and if I'm reading it right, the first entry (the synthetic blend) is used in the V6 while the V8 uses:

•Motorcraft SAE 5W-20 Full Synthetic Motor Oil (US)
 

Attachments

  • mustangoil.JPG
    mustangoil.JPG
    124.6 KB · Views: 915
This is what is listed in the manual and if I'm reading it right, the first entry (the synthetic blend) is used in the V6 while the V8 uses:

•Motorcraft SAE 5W-20 Full Synthetic Motor Oil (US)

I read it the same way Weazl. I have an appointment in the morning for my first oil change (750 miles) and I will check with the service dept. and let you know what they say. If it came with synthetic blend I'm changing to full synthetic tomorrow.
 
According to the service mgr. at the local dealer the GT comes from the factory with synthetic blend that has, according to Ford Engineering, special additives for proper break-in. According to the service manager changing the factory oil or going to full synthetic before the first scheduled oil change is not recommended. This is what I was told, take it for what it's worth!
If anyone finds out different please post with the source of the info.

Oh yeah, being the old skeptic that I am I changed to full synthetic anyway!
 
The additives they speak of dont seem to match up with what is printed in the manual; it stated something about not needing any additives or special oils. My dealer said to bring it back for an oil change at 10,000 miles or when the message center stated to do so. Seems odd that an additive would be used for 10,000 miles.
 
According to the service mgr. at the local dealer the GT comes from the factory with synthetic blend that has, according to Ford Engineering, special additives for proper break-in. According to the service manager changing the factory oil or going to full synthetic before the first scheduled oil change is not recommended. This is what I was told, take it for what it's worth!
If anyone finds out different please post with the source of the info.

Oh yeah, being the old skeptic that I am I changed to full synthetic anyway!
I know for a fact that cars like the Chevy Corvette and the Dodge Viper among others come from the factory with Mobil 1. I remember several years ago reading an article in a consumer reports magazine explaining that those synthetic blend oils were misleading because they only contained a mix of about 80% conventional and only 20% synthetic. If you do a search, you can probably confirm this info.
 
I know for a fact that cars like the Chevy Corvette and the Dodge Viper among others come from the factory with Mobil 1. I remember several years ago reading an article in a consumer reports magazine explaining that those synthetic blend oils were misleading because they only contained a mix of about 80% conventional and only 20% synthetic. If you do a search, you can probably confirm this info.
This is a fact, they are better than a strait conventional oil, but are not 100% synthetic. If you want a 100% synthetic then look for royal purple, amsoil, or redline products
 
This is a fact, they are better than a strait conventional oil, but are not 100% synthetic. If you want a 100% synthetic then look for royal purple, amsoil, or redline products

I know that Mobil 1, Amsoil, and Royal Purple are the only true synthetics. I don't know about Redline brand. For the price it better be.

I would really say to use synthetics. There are HUGE advantages of it.

I don't think changing to synthetic will halt any break in process.
 
I know that Mobil 1, Amsoil, and Royal Purple are the only true synthetics. I don't know about Redline brand. For the price it better be.

I would really say to use synthetics. There are HUGE advantages of it.

I don't think changing to synthetic will halt any break in process.
Mobile one is not a true synthetic, its a group 3 which is basically a refined conventional oil