I have a Turo car that people pound the miles onto every trip, I wanted to stick to 5k oil changes but it's needing a change every 4-6 trips... Since I use Castrol Edge (GF-6A) full synthetic and the Fram Ultra Synthetic higher-end filter, both of which say 20k mile protection, am I safe to extend oil changes to 7500 miles or should I stick to 5k?
2015 Ford Taurus 3.5L v6
Thanks
If you want the engine to last as long as possible stick with 5000 mile oil changes.
With high miles I'd be concerned about the internal, chain-driven water pump on those engines. When the water pump fails and starts leaking the oil will be contaminated with coolant. If not caught immediately the engine will be destroyed.
@chucktobias yes I thought of that too and I check the dipstick after every trip
@chucktobias should I get the water pump changed at a certain interval?
@b747fp A quick online search suggests changing the pump at 100K miles. From what I understand you have to pretty much tear the front of the engine apart to get at it, so it's a big job, about $1500 or more for a mechanic to do it. Keeping up with coolant changes should help prolong the life of the water pump.
@chucktobias i ended up buying the PW515 upgraded double-gasket from Ford Dealer and paid my mobile mechanic $2100 to put it in, and do new spark plugs and thermostat and such while he was in there.
@chucktobias should I get the water pump changed at a certain interval?
Yes, considering it's 9 years old now, you might want to consider an OEM replacement. Absolutely don't cheap out on a water pump that's internally driven.
@justin-shepherd the OEM one is actually cheaper than AutoZone. It just passed 100k miles recently so I'll get quotes on it. Thanks
As Scotty says oil is cheap engines are expensive. An oil and filter change doesn’t cost much but it helps a lot with the engine lasting longer. Don't try to cut on this cost.
