Steve - sounds like you have already done some of the research I was planning to do with the filters. I may sacrifice a couple of them and do some flow tests through them and see how they do. I'll let you know what I find out - might be a few weeks since I am off tomorrow to do my annual tour with the Air Force.

From what I have seen, the oil life indicator is just a countdown indicator with 100% life left at zero miles and 0% at 10k miles, interpolating in between. Since you have to reset it at the oil change, it is really a useless reading. Easier for me to write a note to myself when to change the oil.

No, I am not using reprocessed oil. I think we need to agree to disagree as to whether I am wasting oil or contributing to the Saudi economy or whatever. I've done the numbers before and over the lifetime of the FEH I am saving one heck of a lot more gas than I am using in oil. I figure the extra 29 gallons of oil over 100,000 miles is really insignificant. Besides, doesn't motor oil come from domestic light sweet crude? Maybe I am supporting our own economy instead.

 

Oh yeah, and if the title of this thread has any truth to it, changing oil at 3000 vs 10,000 miles saves SO much gas, it also makes up for the extra oil used....

 

My '04 Chevy Colorado 5 cylinder had an oil life monitor that calculated life based on RPM, temperature, drive gear, and a few other things. It averaged about 14K miles between oil changes based on that. It didn't actually measure anything in the oil itself though. The FEH appears to just base it on milage, not hours. I just broke 2K miles on my 06 FEH so I'm gonna change the oil this weekend and see if it makes any difference.

 

Make sure you get the parts in advance if you plan on doing the oil change on the weekend. The dealers near me don't stock the filter usually and didn't even know about the o-ring that you are supposed to change every time until I asked them to get me one.....

Also, the oil filter housing is a bear to get off so make sure you have a small size filter tool to get it off. It will come off barehanded but it isn't easy. Other than that, piece of cake.

 

I know the local Advance Auto has the filter, I'll verify they also have the O-Ring. Thanks for the heads-up on the housing wrench.

 

Just a heads-up I was at the Purolator website today and they now have a PureOne application for the FEH. Now to find one...I'm expecting the PL15505 to be similar in quality to the Motorcraft filter if not identical...

 

I purchased the Purolator filters and they did come with both O-rings. I paid $5.48 each so that's not too bad. I compared the Purolator to the original and it looked identical to me right down to the felt rings at the ends. The housing cap was indeed a bear to get off and I ended borrowing my neighbors band style wrench to get them off. Now to see if it makes any difference. I'm almost at 3000 miles on mine so I expect the MPG to go up anyway.

 

That beats the heck out of the stealerships prices. I paid $10 each just for the big o-ring. Forget what I paid for the filter - $12 or so. I wouldn't mind paying a reasonable amount but I hate getting screwed. $5.48 sounds good.

 

I got the Purolator filters at Advance Auto in case anyone is interested. The cashier looked up the air filter and they had the K&N for $51 and change. He said it was guaranteed for a million miles and you only have to buy the conditioning oil for it. I recall someone said the regular air filters were ~$55! AA didn't have a price for the Purolator air filters for the FEH.

 

There is some question as to whether the K&N is in fact the right fitment.

It should also be noted there are dire warnings in your owner's manual about using anything other than the "approved" air filter...warranty voided, etc.