Motorcraft Synthetic Blend Oil Change & OEM Filters

[FORD EXPLORER ST]

Hey everyone,

I just bought oil and filters from a local Ford store for my 2024 Explorer ST (currently at 5,000 miles). I asked for oil specifically for the ST, and they handed me Ford Motorcraft Synthetic Blend 5W-30.

Once I got home, I noticed the label says "Synthetic Blend". I translated it and realized it means it's a semi-synthetic oil. Is that correct? Is Synthetic Blend actually just a semi-synthetic?

How critical is this for a '24 ST with only 5k miles? Should I take it back and swap it for Full Synthetic, or is running this for a standard 3,000–5,000 mile interval fine?

Appreciate any insight!

 

[Cruising68]

Hey everyone,

I just bought oil and filters from a local Ford store for my 2024 Explorer ST (currently at 5,000 miles). I asked for oil specifically for the ST, and they handed me Ford Motorcraft Synthetic Blend 5W-30.

Once I got home, I noticed the label says "Synthetic Blend". I translated it and realized it means it's a semi-synthetic oil. Is that correct? Is Synthetic Blend actually just a semi-synthetic?

How critical is this for a '24 ST with only 5k miles? Should I take it back and swap it for Full Synthetic, or is running this for a standard 3,000–5,000 mile interval fine?

Appreciate any insight!

Running it is fine. It’s good oil though I prefer full synthetic.


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[FORD EXPLORER ST]

Running it is fine. It’s good oil though I prefer full synthetic.


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So using Synthetic Blend is totally fine then?

The car is brand new with just 5,000 miles on it, so I honestly expected the store to hand me Full Synthetic. Sorry for asking what might sound like a dumb question, I just want to make sure Synthetic Blend won't cause any harm to the engine at all, right?

Also, I’ve heard that Ford actually fills these engines with Motorcraft Synthetic Blend right from the factory, not Full Synthetic. Is that true?

 

[FORD EXPLORER ST]

Also, I’ve heard that some people recommend filling the oil slightly above the MAX mark (about half a quart extra). Is this actually safe for the engine?

In all my previous cars, I always kept the oil strictly within the normal dipstick level. But for the Explorer ST, I heard this extra oil helps prevent oil starvation during hard launches when the car squats and oil sloshes to the back of the pan. Has anyone here been running slightly over the MAX line, and is it really necessary for daily driving?

 

[SHOinVa]

Running it is fine. It’s good oil though I prefer full synthetic.


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I agree with this, its fine but I also like to waste money on Mobile 1 full synthetic just because I can, I would say the biggest thing is to make sure you change the oil a lot more often then is required. The one thing that will screw up an EcoBoost is not changing the oil. At least that is what I have been told. I changed my oil on my SHO every 3-4 thousand miles and all my Blackstone reports where basically perfect.
C/

I'd also invest in a oil catch can, in my SHO I have never not poured something out of it I'd prefer not go through my motor.

 

[FORD EXPLORER ST]

I agree with this, its fine but I also like to waste money on Mobile 1 full synthetic just because I can, I would say the biggest thing is to make sure you change the oil a lot more often then is required. The one thing that will screw up an EcoBoost is not changing the oil. At least that is what I have been told. I changed my oil on my SHO every 3-4 thousand miles and all my Blackstone reports where basically perfect.
C/

I'd also invest in a oil catch can, in my SHO I have never not poured something out of it I'd prefer not go through my motor.

Thanks for the replies!

I actually used to run Mobil 1 in my previous 2020 ST, but for this 2024 model, I decided to stick with the factory Ford Motorcraft oil. I just really want to keep everything strictly OEM this time around!

Also, living outside the US, counterfeit Mobil 1 is a pretty big concern here, so sticking with official Motorcraft gives me extra peace of mind.

I completely agree that frequent oil changes matter way more than choosing between Mobil 1 or Motorcraft. That said, I did spot Motorcraft Full Synthetic online, so I might consider switching to that down the road

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Hey everyone,

I just bought oil and filters from a local Ford store for my 2024 Explorer ST (currently at 5,000 miles). I asked for oil specifically for the ST, and they handed me Ford Motorcraft Synthetic Blend 5W-30.

Once I got home, I noticed the label says "Synthetic Blend". I translated it and realized it means it's a semi-synthetic oil. Is that correct? Is Synthetic Blend actually just a semi-synthetic?

How critical is this for a '24 ST with only 5k miles? Should I take it back and swap it for Full Synthetic, or is running this for a standard 3,000–5,000 mile interval fine?

Appreciate any insight!

Yes it is synthetic blend. And yes it’s fine to run, I’d switch to full synthetic the next time you buy, but not a huge deal until then.

 

[cheetoduster]

It's literally in the owner's manual. That said, I have them use full syn.

 

[WaferTech]

Hey everyone,

I just bought oil and filters from a local Ford store for my 2024 Explorer ST (currently at 5,000 miles). I asked for oil specifically for the ST, and they handed me Ford Motorcraft Synthetic Blend 5W-30.

Once I got home, I noticed the label says "Synthetic Blend". I translated it and realized it means it's a semi-synthetic oil. Is that correct? Is Synthetic Blend actually just a semi-synthetic?

How critical is this for a '24 ST with only 5k miles? Should I take it back and swap it for Full Synthetic, or is running this for a standard 3,000–5,000 mile interval fine?

Appreciate any insight!

I have a 2023 ST with approx 8000 miles on it, been using Motorcraft Synthetic Blend 5W-30 and Motorcraft Air/Oil Filters from day one. My ST times out for an oil change before I hit a mileage limit. Its my daily driver, but its only 10 miles round trip to work and I work 3.5 days a week. I often take 100 mile Early Sunday Morning drives just to heat it up and burn off carbon. No issues to date, basically have Ignored the recalls. I change the oil myself.

 

[FORD EXPLORER ST]

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses!

I’ve decided to stick with the Motorcraft Synthetic Blend for now. I’m planning to run it for about 1,500–2,000 miles as a "break-in" period, drain it, and then switch over to Full Synthetic on the next oil change.

Since I’m going to be doing the oil changes myself, I have a couple of questions:

Yellow Drain Plug: The car is brand new, so this will be its very first oil change. I've read in a few places that the yellow plastic drain plug is single-use and should be replaced every time. Given that the plug is factory-fresh, can I safely reuse it for this first change if the O-ring looks clean, or is it strictly required to swap it for a new one every single time?

Filter Part Numbers: I picked up an oil filter and an air filter from a local auto parts store, but the part numbers on the boxes don't match the standard US Motorcraft numbers I keep seeing online. Did the store give me the wrong parts, or are these just regional/international Motorcraft part numbers for the ST? I've attached photos of the filter boxes below for reference.

Thanks in advance for the help