Ford F-150 Oil Change: EcoBoost, V8 and Everything Between

The F-150 comes with more engine choices than any other vehicle we see, and the oil is not the same across them. The fourteenth-generation truck that arrived for 2021 offered a 3.3-liter V6, the 2.7 and 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6s, the 5.0-liter V8, the 3.5 PowerBoost hybrid and, for a couple of years, a 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel. Ford's online owner's manual gives each one its own capacity and specification. Here is the list, plus what Ford says about towing and oil level that matters for anyone hauling over the Sierra.

At a glance

• 2.7 and 3.5 EcoBoost, 3.5 PowerBoost hybrid: SAE 5W-30, 6.0 qt with the filter
• 5.0-liter V8: SAE 5W-30, 7.75 qt with the filter
• 3.3-liter V6: SAE 5W-20 (WSS-M2C960-A1), 6.0 qt with the filter
• 3.0 Power Stroke diesel: SAE 5W-30 to WSS-M2C214-B1, 6.5 qt with the filter
• Oil-life monitor up to one year or 10,000 miles; six months or 5,000 if the monitor resets

Engine by engine, from Ford's 2021 F-150 manual

For extremely cold climates, where it reaches minus 22 F or below, Ford lists 0W-30 to the WSS-M2C963-A1 specification as an alternative for the gas engines. Northern Nevada does not get that cold often, so most trucks stay on the main grade. Ford's 2024 F-150 manual repeats 5W-30 and 7.75 quarts for the 5.0 V8.

How the oil-life monitor sets the interval

Ford's manual describes the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor plainly. It shows a message when the oil is due, and that interval can be up to one year or 10,000 miles. When the message appears, Ford asks for the change within two weeks or 500 miles and a monitor reset afterward. If the display resets early or stops working, Ford says to change the oil at six months or 5,000 miles, and never to go past one year or 10,000 miles.

The monitor shortens the interval on its own for hard use. That is why a truck that tows a camper up the Mount Rose Highway every summer weekend often sees its message sooner than one that commutes on US-395.

Towing, oil level and the quart-per-500-miles warning

The same Ford manual warns that extended high engine speeds, high loads, engine braking and off-road use can raise oil consumption to about one quart per 500 miles, and it tells owners to check the oil level at every refueling. Twin-turbo engines pulling a trailer through 90 F heat, and Reno averages about 65 such days a year on the NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals, are exactly that case.

We check the level on the dipstick before we drain, so you know whether the truck has been using oil between changes. That number is worth having before your next long tow.

Our F-150 checklist

• Grade and Ford spec matched to your engine, new filter, monitor reset
• Coolant level and condition; Ford's 2024 manual lists the yellow WSS-M97B57-A2 antifreeze
• Front and rear axle and transfer case levels on 4x4 trucks
• Battery test, belts, lights, wipers, tire pressure, engine and cabin air filters
• Annual smog test at our Reno service centers for trucks registered in the Washoe testing area