I have a Ford Escape 2017 1.5L AWD. I'm very nervous about cases of engine failure in this engine. I've had no trouble what -so-ever with this car with 40K km on it. I'd like to know your thoughts on me changing engine oil type. I'm presently using Castrol Edge Full Synthetic 5W 20 as my owners manual recommends. I'm wondering if you think I should switch to Castrol Edge Full Synthetic 0W 20? I can't get a straight answer from my dealer, I just want to take every step possible to prevent an engine failure.
If 5W20 has worked so far, I'd keep using that.
All you're changing is the winter oil weight (that's what the xxw-xx stands for). It's really personal preference at that point honestly. If you live in a region with really cold winters, you want a really light oil for winter (the 0w). And if you live somewhere that basically has no winter like me in Southern California, then you really don't need light oil for the winter (the 5w). The 5w is good for engine cold starts when it's warm outside already.
Most manufacturers switched from 5w to 0w strictly for fuel economy because of the faster flow of oil at cold starts...but trust me you will not notice any change in mpg whatsoever. Theoretically, yes, lighter oil may increase gas mileage by having less drag on the moving parts inside the engine. But realistically, nothing changes.
I live in southern Ontario Canada and our winters for the most part are rather mild. I'm not trying to get better fuel mileage. I'm just trying to mitigate all the possibilities of having the head gasket fail causing coolant to enter the cylinders. I'm investigating switching to 0W oil and changing my Orange coolant to Yellow. Thanks for your reply. 🙂
Stick to the manufacturer recommendation. Do not mess with it.
