Checking the engine oil level (Mondeo 3)

Check the engine oil level after every third petrol stop or after a long period of high-speed motorway driving. When driving or if you have an older engine with increased oil consumption, it is advisable to check the oil level at least every 1,000 kilometres. Top up the oil before the oil level settles approximately halfway between the two marks on the dipstick. Your Mondeo only needs half a litre of oil at this point.

Constant control

ORDER OF EXECUTION

Check the oil level when the engine is cold, if possible, i.e. before starting. The car should be on a horizontal surface. To check the oil level of a warm engine, give it a short break of at least five minutes – the circulating oil will have enough time to collect in the oil pan. Remove the dipstick. Be careful when the engine is hot, as the dipstick may be very hot. Wipe the dipstick with a clean, dry cloth or paper towel and reinsert it all the way into the oil pan. Wait a moment and remove the dipstick again. If the level is in the upper quadrant between the minimum and maximum, then everything is fine. If it is in the middle between the minimum and maximum, then add a maximum of half a liter of oil. On the contrary, if the level is at the lower mark or even lower, then immediately top up the missing volume - based on practical experience, your Mondeo lacks about a liter of oil. In general, add enough oil so that the level never rises above the upper mark. Too much oil is also harmful to any engine: it escapes through the sealing surfaces and sealing rings of the crankshaft (oiled clutch, belt pulleys), or is sometimes sucked in by the crankcase ventilation system and contaminates the air filter, including the intake tract. Our recommendation: keep the level constantly in the upper quarter area. When adding oil from large drums, use a clean funnel.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

Waste oil - recycling for environmental protection Used oil should be handed in to the places where it was purchased. They are obliged to dispose of it. In addition, you can dispose of used oil together with the oil filter and oil-contaminated rags at special collection points. Their addresses can be found at the community administration or automobile club. It should not always be "MAX": the oil level should fluctuate between the "MAX" and "MIN" marks. The maximum top-up volume between these marks is 0.5–1.0 liters for Duratec units. In DuraTorg-DI, 2 liters will fit between the "MAX" and "MIN" marks. Duratec-HE 16V-motor Duratec-VE 24V-motor DuraTorg-DI 16V-engine

Oil change interval is a matter of usage conditions

For all Mondeo carburettor engines, the oil change interval is set at 20,000 kilometers (diesel engines at 15,000 km). If you mainly drive your Mondeo over long distances, you can confidently add about 5,000 kilometers to this figure. On the contrary, if you only drive short distances within the city, the oil should be changed earlier: in winter, at 6,000 kilometers or once every six months - a proven replacement cycle.

Oil Change – When It Pays Off for the Hobbyist

It is advantageous to change the oil yourself when using inexpensive oil of the prescribed specification, purchased from auto parts stores, department stores or at a gas station. For a normal oil change (oil is drained from the oil pan, the filter is replaced, the oil is disposed of at a collection point), you need to lift your Mondeo. This is done quickly and cleanly at a gas station with a suction unit.

However, this method has its drawbacks: the sludge remains in the oil pan and without a simultaneous replacement of the oil filter, the new engine oil acquires such a "gift". The most convenient place for replacement is a specialized workshop. Naturally, this work must be properly paid to the master: he usually uses only expensive grades of oil and also includes in the calculation the disposal of used oil. However, concluding a corresponding contract may be more profitable. Make your own calculations in advance. It may often turn out that performing this work in workshops, even when changing the oil and oil filter, is more profitable than buying all this yourself.

How Much Oil Does Your Mondeo Need at Each Change

Engine	Motor oil with filter*
Duratec-HE	4.3 liters
Duratec-VE	5.5 liters
DuraTorg-DI	6.5 liters

*oil filter must match the engine type (Duratec-HE, Duratec-VE, DuraTorg)

Use only genuine filters.