Ford recommends changing the engine oil on the 2017 Explorer Platinum whenever indicated on the oil life monitor and not to exceed 10,000 miles or 12 months. I typically change mine around 7k miles. I have already changed my engine oil in the past and installed Fumoto F107N drain valve to make my future oil change easier. So just a heads up if you see the Fumoto drain valve in the pictures and hopefully it does not cause any confision. I’ll document my oil change as if the original 15mm drain plug is still there.
What I used:
- 15mm socket to remove oil drain plug
- 5W-30 synthetic motor oil x 6 quarts
- Motorcraft FL-500S engine oil filter
- Oil drain pan to catch the used engine oil
- Oil funnel
Step 1: Elevate the car.
Jacking up just the front should be enough.
Step 2: Remove the lower shield.
There should be three screws that can be hand turned to loosen.
Once the lower shield is removed you’ll be greeted with the oil filter and the drain plug. In this picture I have replaced my 15mm drain plug with a Fumoto F107N valve to to make my routine oil changes a lot easier.
Step 3: Drain the engine oil.
In this step you’ll need to use a 15mm socket to loosen the drain valve. In this picture I have a Fumoto drain valve in which I can turn the handle and the oil will simply drain out.
I removed the engine oil cap so there’s no vacuum.
Once the engine oil is done draining, put back the 15mm drain plug.
Step 4: Replace engine oil filter.
I don’t want the O2 sensor wire to be in the way of dripping engine oil so I disconnected it. To unplug the wire, there’s a tab in the center that I had to push down and then pull.
Loosened the filter, let it drain for a few minutes. Remove the filter once it’s done draining.
Install the new filter. For this part, I would fill the filter with engine oil and rub some of the oil onto the top gasket.
Plug back the O2 sensor wire.
Step 5: Reinstall the lower shield
There’s no need for me to be on the bottom of the car anymore so I reinstalled the lower shield.
Step 6: Refill engine oil.
I refilled with 6 qt of Mobil 5w-30 full synthetic.
Once done, close the cap and check the dipstick to make sure the oil level is within the min and max.