Tools you need for oil change on a 2015-2020 Ford F-150

On the 13th-gen F-150 an oil change is one of the easiest jobs on the truck. Every engine uses a 15 mm hex drain plug in the pan and a spin-on cartridge filter you can reach from underneath with a cap-style wrench. Most trucks need nothing more than a jack, stands, a 3/8 in ratchet and a drain pan, though some trims have a lower splash shield held by 8 mm bolts and plastic clips that has to come off first.

What varies is capacity, viscosity and filter part number. The 5.0 V8 takes 8 quarts; the 2.7, 3.3 and 3.5 take 6. Ford switched the 5.0 and 3.3 to 5W-30 for 2018, so go by the oil fill cap. The mistake people make most is lifting on the aluminum body instead of the steel frame, followed closely by cranking the drain plug down - the 2.7's pan is plastic and will strip.

Complete tool and parts list

Differences within the 2015-2020 generation

All engines use the same 15 mm drain plug socket, so hand tools do not change. Filters do: FL-500S on the 3.5 EcoBoost and 5.0 V8, FL-910S on the 3.3/3.7 V6, and the larger FL-2062 on the 2.7 EcoBoost, which means a different cap wrench diameter. Capacity is 8 qt on the 5.0 and 6 qt on the 2.7, 3.3 and 3.5.

Torque specs

How the job goes

1. Run the engine 3-5 minutes so the oil is warm but not scalding, then shut it off and set the parking brake.
2. Chock the rear wheels, lift the front of the truck at the frame or crossmember and set jack stands, or drive up onto ramps. Aluminum body panels are not lift points - lift on the steel frame only.
3. Open the hood and loosen the oil fill cap on the valve cover so the pan drains freely.
4. Under the truck, remove the lower engine splash shield if fitted (8 mm bolts and push clips) to expose the pan and filter.
5. Position the drain pan, then loosen the 15 mm drain plug with a socket and ratchet and remove it by hand. Let the oil drain fully - 5-10 minutes.
6. Locate the filter: on the 5.0 it faces forward/low on the block; on the 2.7/3.5 EcoBoost and 3.3 it sits on the side of the block and will dump oil across the crossmember, so reposition the drain pan and lay down rags.
7. Fit the cap-style wrench and remove the filter, keeping it upright as you drop it. Confirm the old gasket came off with it.
8. Wipe the filter mounting surface and the pan around the drain plug clean.
9. Smear fresh oil on the new filter's gasket, thread it on by hand until the gasket touches, then tighten per the filter's printed instructions - hand tight, do not use a breaker bar.
10. Inspect the drain plug seal, reinstall the plug and torque it to spec (about 20 ft-lb on metal pans; factory spec only on the 2.7's plastic pan).
11. Reinstall the splash shield, lower the truck to level ground.
12. Add oil: 6 qt for 2.7 EcoBoost, 3.3 V6 and 3.5 EcoBoost; 8 qt for the 5.0 V8. Add about 5 qt (or 7 for the 5.0), then top up to the middle of the dipstick cross-hatch.
13. Install the fill cap, start the engine, let it idle 30 seconds while the oil pressure light goes out, then look under for leaks at the plug and filter.
14. Shut off, wait 5 minutes, recheck the dipstick and adjust to the upper half of the hatch.
15. Reset the oil life monitor: with the ignition on, use the steering wheel arrow pad to go to Settings > Vehicle (or Info) > Oil Life Reset, hold OK/right arrow until it resets to 100%.
16. Take the used oil and filter to a recycling center.

Watch out

The 15 mm drain plug and the Motorcraft filter families are consistent across this generation, but confirm your exact filter by VIN at the parts counter and confirm the drain plug torque (especially on the 2.7's composite pan) in the Ford service manual.

Other jobs on the 2015-2020 Ford F-150

Oil Change on other vehicles