The Ford’s 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine has been in production for many years and is known for its exhilarating performance. To ensure its best outcome, it is essential to know what engine oil should be used.
Engine oils help the engine to function and provide longer durability. It plays a huge role in lubricating, protecting, and maintaining a cool temperature of the engine. In this article, we will be talking about the importance of engine oil, the types of oil, what engine oil for the 3.5 EcoBoost is the best, and more.
The 3.5 V6 EcoBoost Engine
Ford has been producing the 3.5-liter V6 twin-turbocharged engine since 2009. It gives out an equal amount of power as a 6.0-liter V8 would while consuming very little fuel.
In 2017, the EcoBoost saw a major change with additional port fuel injection. The engine’s cam drive system also changed from a single primary chain to a more resistant dual-chain design, with separate chains driving each cylinder bank. The refurbished engine now gives out better and improved performance.
The EcoBoost engine was first seen in Lincoln MKS and MKT and has the energy to power vehicles, such as midsize and full-size cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and sportscars. This engine has been used in many cars over the years and still is to this date in vehicles like Ford Explorer, GT, Police Utility and Sedan, Taurus, F-150, Expedition, Flex, and many more.
Engine Specifications
The EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 engine is known to be the most effective and fuel-efficient engine out there. This engine has been used in Ford trucks and SUVs and has been admired for its towing capacity, which is 14,000 lbs. This EcoBoost weighs 449 lbs. and can produce up to 630 lbs. of torque.
This V6 engine has the ability to produce over 360-650 horsepower depending on the vehicle it is used in. The lowest horsepower with this engine is seen in the earlier models of Ford Explorer and Expedition with 365 horsepower and 350 lb-ft torque. In the GT Mustang, this engine produces over 647 horsepower at 6,250 RPM and 550 lb.-ft. torque.
The fuel economy of this engine is pretty decent. Although the fuel efficiency depends on what vehicle this engine is being used in. Usually, this engine delivers about 17 to 22 MPG in the city and 23 to 30 MPG on the highway.
Here are some key features of this popular Ford Engine:
- Dual Overhead Camshaft (DOHC): Lightweight aluminum cylinder heads with 4 valves per cylinder.
- Hollow Camshafts: Reduce the weight of the valvetrain.
- Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT): Improves fuel economy and performance.
- Die-cast Aluminum Engine Block: Strong yet lightweight.
- Piston-Cooling Jets: Improve oil warm-up and maintain cooler piston temperatures for enhanced efficiency and durability.
- Forged-Steel, Fully Counterweighted Crankshaft: Ensures strength and durability.
- Parallel Dual/Twin Turbochargers: Work seamlessly with electrically activated wastegates to enhance operating efficiency.
- Lightweight Turbine Wheels: Improve responsiveness.
- Roller-Finger Follower Valvetrain
- 10 Speed Automatic Transmission
Importance of Engine Oil
Engine oil, which is also known as motor oil, is a lubricant that helps function the engine. It consists of base oils and usually has additives to protect the engine.
Engine oil is essential in order to preserve the engine’s health. It is what helps the engine run smoothly. It functions to help lubricate, prevent the engine from overheating, and keep the components from scraping against each other.
This also ensures the engine performs well and increases its lifespan by keeping contaminants away and keeps the engine clean. Furthermore, engine oil also helps in protecting the machinery from water or any other element that can lead to corrosion.
Maintaining a proper level of engine oil is also vital. A low engine oil level is just as harmful as a high engine oil level. Always make sure you know how many quarts of oil to use in your engine to receive the desired performance and longer engine life.
If you’re running on low engine oil, your car will indicate you by turning on the engine light. When this happens, it’s crucial to get your engine oil refilled. What’s also important is that you don’t overfill it. A dipstick usually will help to measure where the oil should be touching.
Engine Oil Maintenance
Every car requires a different amount of engine oil level to give out maximum performance. Understanding how much engine oil is required by your vehicle is essential. Using too much or too less of the oil can bring down your engine’s life and health.
On one hand, if you are giving your engine less engine oil than it actually requires, your engine can face problems such as overheating, lack of lubrication leading to engine components scraping against each other, and the entire engine not receiving enough oil for easy start-up.
On the other hand, if you provide too much engine oil, that is equally problematic too. High levels of oils can lead oil pumps, crankshafts, and other mechanical components to pump air with the excess oil, forming a foamy, bubbly mixture. This frothy texture is unable to lubricate the engine properly, which leads to serious problems.
In order to maintain proper engine oil levels, check how much engine oil your car requires. To know the exact figures, we recommend you refer to your user’s manual. Always check with a dipstick whenever refilling the oil, making sure that you do not pour in less than the required amount or over-exceed.
Be sure to refill as soon as your car indicates you are running on low engine oil or when you know you have crossed the miles-limit of your oil and need changing.
Overall, it is immensely important to know your car’s desired engine oil level and to maintain it at that.
Types of engine oil
As much as maintaining the engine oil level is important, using the correct type of engine oil is also important. A lot of people often make mistakes by using the wrong type of engine oil or one with impure properties.
Poor-quality oils or the wrong engine oil can damage your engine in many ways you may not even realize. It can cause your engine to overheat and not provide enough lubricant that causes metal parts to clash with each other, which eventually leads to poor fuel economy, poor engine performance and health, and overall wear down the engine.
Since it is so important to know what type of oil your engine requires, we have put together a list for you to go through:
- Conventional Motor Oil: Conventional oil is the typical oil used in older and outdated cars, or it can also be used in cars that have a simple engine and a normal driving style. Conventional oil is extracted from crude and reduced of its impurities. Although it can be cheaper than other oils, it requires to be changed every 5000 miles and isn’t a good protector even with additives.
- Full Synthetic Oil: Full synthetic oil is manufactured and not made from crude oil like conventional motor oil is. It is highly refined, eliminating a great deal of the contaminants present in conventional oil. Full synthetic oil also contains a generous amount of additives to lubricate the engine and give the utmost performance. You only need to change this oil every 10,000 miles, which is a big relief. However, this particular oil is more expensive than regular motor oil, which is why not everyone prefers it.
- Synthetic Blend Oil: Synthetic blend oil is a mixture of conventional motor oil and synthetic oil. It only contains around 30% of synthetic oil and also contains additives that protect the engine and avoid oil evaporation. This is relatively cheaper than full synthetic oil and is highly preferred by many car owners. It gives you benefits such as better protection and performance at a desired price. With synthetic blend oil, you only need to change every 7,500 miles.
- High-Mileage Motor Oil: High motor oil is manufactured with its own unique properties and additives. These blends help prevent oil evaporation and increase the performance and health of the engine. This oil is highly recommended for those who have driven their cars over 75,000 miles. It can help reduce engine oil leaks and reduce exhaust emissions.
Expert Guide To Choose The Best Synthetic Engine Oil For 3.5 EcoBoost
The EcoBoost, like any other engine, needs engine oil to be at its best. By using the correct type of engine oil, the EcoBoost will last longer and provide excellent performance. Before using any oil, be sure to check the user’s manual to see if there are already any specifics mentioned. Also, check how much engine oil is to be used for your engine.
According to the manual, a 3.5L EcoBoost should use 5W-30 Premium Synthetic Blend Motor Oil or 0W-30 Premium Synthetic Blend Motor Oil in cold temperatures. Ford has recommended this oil as the best synthetic engine oil for 3.5L EcoBoost. The required amount for the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost is 6.0 quarts.
How to Change Your Engine Oil?
It is important to change your engine oil from time to time to ensure a healthier and better-performing engine. Oil changes can depend on what oil you use; if you are using the synthetic blend oil for your 3.5L V6 EcoBoost, it is recommended to change every 5000 miles.
Here’s a guide on how to change engine oil:
- Park your car: Make sure when you park your car, you are not parking on a slanting or curvy road. It should be parked on flat surfaces and wait for the engine to cool down before proceeding with the further steps.
- Lift your car: Use a jack and lift your car from the jacking point to access the drain plug. If you do not have a jack, you can use steel ramps to elevate your vehicle.
- Wheel block: Be sure to place wheel blocks on your rear tires to prevent the car from rolling away.
- Place the oil pan: Duck beneath your car and locate your oil plug. If you do not know what it looks like or where it is, check in your user’s manual. Once you’ve found it, place the oil pan under it.
- Remove the oil cap: Open the hood and check for an oil cap on top of the engine. Once you’ve found it, turn it counterclockwise and remove the cap.
- Unscrew the plug: Head under your car and unscrew the plug with a wrench. Be careful with the oil because as soon as you’ve removed the plug, it will start gushing out.
- Re-screw: Wait a few minutes until all the oil has been drained out. Then re-screw the plug from beneath the car. Take your car off the jack or stand to make sure you get a proper reading when adding in new oil.
- Add new oil: Insert a funnel on top of the oil filler and pour in new oil. Remember to add oil according to your engine size.
- Check amount: Always make sure to check with a dipstick after pouring in oil to see if you have the sufficient amount or not. You will find a long stick with yellow handle near oil tank. There will be two markings on it indicating minimum and maximum oil level. Clean the stick and only then put it in the oil pipe. Wait for a few seconds, and take it out. If the oil stain is in between the two markings and inclining towards maximum level, you are good to go. However, if the level indicator is closer to the minimum level marking, you need to pour more oil.
- Close the cap: Put the cap back on the oil tank and close the hood.
- Run the engine: After closing up, run your engine idle for a while. This will help in spreading the oill throughout the engine, lubricating all the parts.
- Recheck oil: After running the engine, turn it off and wait till the engine has cooled down. Open the hood, grab your dipstick, and recheck the oil level. If it is not at the optimal level, add more.
Frequently Asked Questions About Best Oil For 3.5 Ecoboost
Q1. When am I supposed to get an oil change with the EcoBoost engine?
While an oil change is necessary from time to time, it is also important to know when you need an oil change. Delaying to change the oil can harm the engine, as it’ll be running on low engine oil and will not be able to function properly.
Ford has recommended changing the oil every 5000 miles. Even though the EcoBoost uses synthetic oil, which usually needs to be changed every 7,500 miles, Ford has noticed that the EcoBoost can suffer in the long term if the oil is changed after long intervals.
Q2. How to check engine oil in my engine?
As important as having engine oil is, it’s important to know how to check your engine oil to ensure it’s at its recommended level. To check your engine oil, first, make sure your car is parked on levelled ground to ensure a proper reading. Next, wait for the engine to cool down for a bit.
Open your hood and locate the dipstick, which should be yellow and near the engine. Dip the dipstick into the oil pipe, wait a few seconds, and slowly pull the stick out. You should be able to get a reading of where the oil touched, and it should indicate whether it’s low or high, and accordingly proceed further.
Q3. How long do 3.5L EcoBoost engines last? And how can I increase its longevity?
Typically, it all depends on how well you take care of the engine. Your driving style and pattern can also impact your engine’s longevity. Usually, a 3.5L EcoBoost lasts around 300,000 miles.
To increase its longevity, you can ensure proper maintenance. Get regular services done, oil changes, use the recommended oil and amount, and keep regular checks to ensure everything is working well. This way you will be able to increase the engine’s lifespan and performance.
Q4. Full synthetic or blend oil for the 3.5L EcoBoost?
While both full synthetic and blend oil may be good, it is best to follow what the manufacturer has suggested, which is synthetic blend oil for the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost. Full synthetic oil does have its advantages, such as longer intervals between oil changes and preventing sludge formation on your engine.
Synthetic blend oil is also way more affordable and can withstand extreme temperatures for those who live in crazy climates.
Q5. What is the fuel economy of 3.5L EcoBoost, and what fuel should I use?
The 3.6L V6 EcoBoost engine has been known for its great fuel efficiency. With a 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine, its fuel economy can depend on what vehicle it is being used in. But typically, it can give you a mileage of 17 to 22 MPG in the city or 23 to 30 MPG on the highway. As per Ford, it is best to use 91-octane fuel for this EcoBoost engine.
Conclusion
The 3.5 L V6 EcoBoost engine has been widely loved by many users for its immense power, fuel efficiency, longevity, and durability. Choosing the right engine oil for 3.5 EcoBoost engine can help you keep it for a long time.
Whether you are a regular car owner, an enthusiast, or a mechanic, it is important to know the right engine oils to help the engine run smoothly and effortlessly.
