I just bought a 2020 Ford ranger 5 months ago and im looking to stay on top of maintenance. I am about to do my first oil change at about 14000 km (8600 Miles). A little bit earlier then ford recommends with full synthetic oil. Have you seen any 2019 and up model Rangers having the carbon build up problems with the 2.3 eco boost? and how can i stay on top of maintenance in every department to keep my truck lasting and running good for a long time.
All gasoline direct-injected motors will have carbon build up over time. In a normal engine, gasoline detergents wash over the intake valves and keep them clean. With direct injection the fuel is fired directly into the motor and never touches the valves.
The best thing you can do is to get an oil catch can for the passenger side of the motor. There are tons online and they are easy to install and maintain. That will greatly help keep the carbon to a minimum. EcoBoost motors do have carbon buildup issues and Ford does not have a recommended procedure for cleaning the carbon from the intake.
As for maintenance, just go 1 year/every 5k miles on your services, even when using synthetic. 10k miles is stretching it way too far regardless of what Ford says. Here is a Ford mechanic to tell you why you NEVER want to follow Ford's recommended maintenance schedule:
Wouldn’t a old fashion Italian tune up every once in a while clear any build up that might occur, let’s say right after every oil change u drive at 80MPH for an hour straight or so, I heard Scotty say that can clear any buildup so long as the build up is minimal and you do it frequently enough.
Put simply? No.
Unfortunately those engines aren't the best made and tend to have some problems to make sure to do firm maintenance. You should be doing oil changes every 5k miles, no exceptions!!! When manufacturers and dealers say 10k miles, engines start blowing up.
