2025 2.3 oil filter change from pre-2025 (FL-2127 and FL-500S both fit)

[DALOLA]

Never been a fan of Fram Oil Filters. Not only in seeing their glued on ends, but talking w/a few mechanics who have had to deal w/them falling apart, or disintegrating in the engine, and the mess they would leave.
This includes both auto and motorcycle mechanics.

I figure, if you're going to spend the money for a good oil, like full synthetic oil, then it makes equal sense to do the same w/the oil filter as well.
I myself use Wix, NAPA, or Amsoil. At the very least, OEM like Ford's.

There have been people in the past who would spend the money on the best synthetic oil, like Amsoil, but use the very cheapest of oil filters.

If you have Ford simply do your oil/filter changes, then go w/their Full Synthetic Oil w/their oil filter, which I have done myself during engine break-in.

As for using a good oil, full synthetic makes the most sense due to both the high temperatures of the Turbocharger, but in their speeds as well, since they rotate several hundred thousands of RPMs.

This is not your typical cheap Fram filter. Do some research, you will discover this is one of the best quality filters out there. It is not cheap in price either, but a solid value for the quality of the filter.

Motorcraft full synthetic is not the best oil choice either, according to many oil analysis reports shared here.

Sponsored

 

[LSW]

Never heard of Premium Guard.
Looks like a nice filter.
Any reviews of them?

As for Carquest, who makes their filters?

Premium Guard makes most of the CarQuest and Microguard filters for Advance Auto Parts and Oreilly. They also make some of the STP filters at Autozone but not all of them. Additionally they sell some under their own brand name but they’re all pretty much the same regardless of the name on the box. For whatever reason the ones made at the VAFI (Vietnam advanced filtration inc) factory in Vietnam seem to have the best quality control.

The US made filters by Fram (First Brands who is bankrupt) and Mann + Hummel (Wix, Purolator, Motorcraft) sadly have gone to crap due to private equity cost cutting. Maybe that will change someday. I would rather buy one of the made in the US brands but it is sad that their QC is too low for me to feel good about doing so. A lot of sloppy glue that can break off and get into the engine, and leaking bypass valves sending unfiltered oil into the engine.

 

[GoHack]

This is not your typical cheap Fram filter. Do some research, you will discover this is one of the best quality filters out there. It is not cheap in price either, but a solid value for the quality of the filter.

Motorcraft full synthetic is not the best oil choice either, according to many oil analysis reports shared here.

You're right w/Motorcraft Full Synthetic oil, but when it comes to many who have their oil changed regularly at Ford Service, it's the best choice w/their oil filter.

Of course if you bring your own oil like I do, I use Amsoil 5W-30 w/a Wix XP Oil Filter.
I've got the new 2.3L I4 engine in my '25 Bronco, which has a new oil filter which Amsoil hasn't got an oil filter for yet. The Wix XP is supposed to be a good filter from what I've read.
I do my oil changes regularly every 5K miles.

 

[03SVTL]

Changed the oil at odometer 1275 with Motocraft Full Syn and filter on my 2025 2.3 MT. Then changed the oil based off of the IOLM. At 11% oil life left (7534 miles on the oil), oil was changed again with Motocraft Full Syn and Filter. 7500 included two long weekend off road trips, a few weekend day off roading, and mixed driving. Oil interval averaged 20+ mpg, 207h of run time for a 36 mph average. Tested this interval with Blackstone and Speed.

Blackstone (I reported using 5w/30, not sure how they got 5w/50):

Blackstone results:
Oil condition:

• TBN: 2.1 → additive package getting low
• Viscosity @100°C: 9.44 cSt → in-grade
• Fuel dilution: <0.5% → excellent
• Insolubles: 0.1% → very clean

Wear:

• Iron: 13 ppm → normal
• Aluminum: slightly elevated → break-in
• Copper: elevated → break-in

Blackstone conclusion:

• Oil was nearing end of useful life (based on TBN)
• Wear metals slightly elevated due to break-in
• Recommended monitoring trend in future samples

Speed Diagnostics:

Speed results:
Oil condition:

• Viscosity @100°C: 9.45 cSt → in-grade, stable
• Oxidation: 15.30 → moderate
• Fuel dilution: 0.68% → excellent
• Soot: 0.14% → very low
• Water / Glycol: negative

Wear:

• Iron: 13 ppm
• Aluminum: 7 ppm
• Copper: 26 ppm (slightly elevated, break-in related)
• Wear rate: 6.4 ppm / 1k miles → normal

Contamination:

• Silicon: 26 ppm → moderate (off-road + break-in)

Speed Diagnostics conclusion:

• Oil condition normal
• Wear acceptable for break-in
• Recommended continued sampling to establish trend

TLDR:

• Oil analysis showed ~10–20% life remaining
• Ford IOLM prediction was accurate and slightly conservative
• Approximate oil change interval ~8,500–9,000 miles under reported usage

 

[03SVTL]

Oil interval: 7,340 miles (16,149 odometer)
Engine hours: 208.2
Use: Daily driving plus a multi-day Utah off-road trip, followed by ~1,200 miles of highway driving home. Oil changed with 3% IOLM remaining.

I sent samples to both Blackstone and Speed Diagnostics.

Results

• Wear metals improved significantlyover the previous interval.
  • Iron: 13 → 11 ppm
  • Copper: 26 → 6 ppm
  • Aluminum: 10 → 9 ppm
  • Total wear metals: 48 → 25 ppm
• Wear rate dropped from 6.4 to 3.4 ppm/1,000 miles, well below Speed Diagnostics' 5 ppm target.
• Fuel dilution improved from 0.68% to 0.26% (Speed Diagnostics) and remained <0.5% per Blackstone.
• Oxidation remained essentially unchanged (15.30 → 15.26) despite the off-road trip.
• TBN was 1.9 (previously 2.1), indicating the additive package was nearly depleted, which aligned closely with the Bronco's 3% Oil Life Monitor reading at the oil change.
• Viscosity sheared slightly (9.44 → 8.86 cSt), but both labs noted no adverse wear associated with it.

Overall

Compared to my first analysis (7,534 miles), this interval showed lower wear across nearly every category, excellent filtration, no coolant contamination, essentially no fuel dilution, and continued evidence that the engine is moving beyond break-in. Based on two independent labs and Ford's IOLM, I'll continue running Motorcraft 5W-30 with the FL-2127 filter and target ~7,200–7,500 mile oil change intervals.

Ford's IOLM is accurate for me, confirmed with two different reports at two separate intervals. Probably no need to change from Motorcraft oil/filters unless I start seeing differences in reports.

 

[McRightclick]

The Donaldson P577066 appears to be another suitable replacement for the FL500S, although they don't publish their 99% efficiency rating. It does say 50% at 6 micron, which I believe makes it a pretty good contender.

Sponsored