Oil - Recommended intervals both miles and / or time

[philz]

Hi all. First post here. Looking for a little opinion-help as well as link to "official" group I've got a 2017 Focus, model name/# unknown. No flag, badge, or other indicator that I can find. Does anyone know how to ID the model if there's no badge? I've been trying to find the tie and/or mileage between oil changes, as defined by Ford. I realize that those are not purely exact numbers, but a ball park that often in reality changes with usage. This car has what I'd call low to moderate service ... it's driven daily, mostly between 40 MPH and 65 MPH depending on which road we're on and anything over 20 miles/day feels very excessive. I don't know if that's considered low usage or moderate usage. The current mileage is 22586, and the last receipt I have for a change is dated 1/13/22 with mileage reading 20676 so that's not quite 2000 miles. Both of those seem very low to me, and I can't seem to find any actual recommendations in the manual ... maybe it varies by model # but I'm not sure. I know the technology has bypassed the old 3K / 3 month recommendations. So ... any ideas what Ford really recommends for this model, and any links to where I can find that? Thanks in advance for any assistance given!

 

[Handy Andy]

To be honest?

Start your own routine.

You know that 3M and 3K/mi (that 3 Month 3,000 Miles reference) is now subjective.

Something that helps you keep tabs on Maintenace - following a routine pattern like Daylight Savings Time or Smoke Alarm batteries...

You're asking about "hard use" -

Do you use it for a TAXI? (Mother-In-Law to the Store, Doctor and Relatives - don't count; Requires a Chauffer License)

Drive in City streets as a Delivery Driver using the vehicle? (Pizza, Groceries, long idle times A/C on e&c, or very short trips with little time to warm vehicles engine to operation temperature or less than 2 miles total per trip)

Tow other vehicles or larger loads? (Trash, Recycling, Yard Waste - Mowing service, Movers)

Drag Race? (Let's Not go there...)

Mud Bog in the Boondocks? (Boondocks being you're on a First-Name basis with local wildlife; Rodents, Skunks, Deer 4WD)

Live in Polar regions or Desert Conditions?

I can tell by the post you just made, you should be answering NO to the questions above.

So that does change the level - to say, more like how you feel about developing a schedule that is within 12 months or even 6 months?

How many months would it take you in driving times and distance to meet 5,000 Miles? 5 months, 8 months?

The process here is that oil doesn't or is not required to be changed as often anymore due to the fuel formulations and the emission controls of most of today's cars have proven that the amount of "Carbon, Coke and Additive contaminants" are much less than a decade ago, so the Oil itself lasts longer because of its own formulations make it durable and viscosity stabilizers have placed oil even of 5 years old can still work if left in a vehicle kept in storage.

So to my view, you're far more gentler than the family truck that gets used in short jaunts to pick up KFC or Mc'D's.

Here's another hint, in your owners manual - page 411 (neat!)

​

 

[Handy Andy]

As far as ID'ing the "model" look for a sticker on the Drivers side door - to the front - on the chassis itself in the well of the door jamb.

Kinda' like this...

Or you'll have to locate the REGISTRATION for the vehicle and use that for your research.