There are a number of versions of the Ford Ranger between trims, engines, cab sizes, bed sizes, and additional packages.
What type of oil does the 2003 Ford Ranger take? This depends only on the engine you have.
Ford recommends that the 2003 Ford Ranger takes 4.0 quarts (3.8 L) of 5W-20 oil in the 2.3 L engine, 4.5 qt (4.3 L) of 5W-20 in the 3.0 L engine and 5.0 qt (4.7 L) of 5W-30 oil in the 4.0 L engine. The Motorcraft oil filter that should be used is FL-400S and FL-820S, for the 2.3/3.0 and 4.0 L respectively.
| Oil Type | Oil Capacity | Filter | |
| 2.3 L | SAE 5W-20 | 4.0 qt (3.8 L) | FL-400S |
| 3.0 L | SAE 5W-20 | 4.5 qt (4.3 L) | FL-400S |
| 4.0 L | SAE 5W-30 | 5.0 qt (4.7 L) | FL-820S |
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After reading this, you’ll have everything you need to perform your own oil change!
The information taken for this article was taken from the 2003 Ford Ranger owner’s manual.
2003 Ford Ranger 2.3 L Oil Type, Capacity, & Filter
The 2.3 L engine in the 2003 Ford Ranger takes 4.0 qt of SAE 5W-20 engine oil and the Motorcraft FL-400S Oil Filter.
Ford recommends that you use the Motorcraft version of these two items, which I’ve found on Amazon below, but I believe as long as you choose to use synthetic blend oil with an appropriately sized oil filter, you should have no problems.
Motorcraft 5W-20 Engine Oil
Amazon Affiliate Link
Engine oil for 2.3 L engine in 2003 Ford Ranger
Motorcraft FL-400-S Engine Oil Filter
Amazon Affiliate Link
Engine oil filter for 2.3 L engine in 2003 Ford Ranger
2003 Ford Ranger 3.0 L Oil Type, Capacity, & Filter
The 3.0 L engine in the 2003 Ford Ranger takes 4.5 qt of SAE 5W-20 engine oil and the Motorcraft FL-400S Oil Filter.
Ford recommends that you use the Motorcraft version of these two items, which I’ve found on Amazon below, but I believe as long as you choose to use synthetic blend oil with an appropriately sized oil filter, you should have no problems.
Motorcraft 5W-20 Engine Oil
Amazon Affiliate Link
Engine oil for 3.0 L engine in 2003 Ford Ranger
Motorcraft FL-400-S Engine Oil Filter
Amazon Affiliate Link
Engine oil filter for 3.0 L engine in 2003 Ford Ranger
2003 Ford Ranger 4.0 L Oil Type, Capacity, & Filter
The 4.0 L engine in the 2003 Ford Ranger takes 5.0 qt of SAE 5W-30 engine oil and the Motorcraft FL-820-S Oil Filter.
Ford recommends that you use the Motorcraft version of these two items, which I’ve found on Amazon below, but I believe as long as you choose to use synthetic blend oil with an appropriately sized oil filter, you should have no problems.
Motorcraft 5W-30 Engine Oil
Amazon Affiliate Link
Engine oil for 4.0 L engine in 2003 Ford Ranger
Motorcraft FL-820-S Engine Oil Filter
Amazon Affiliate Link
Engine oil filter for 4.0 L engine in 2003 Ford Ranger
How often should you change your Ford Ranger Oil?
According to the 2003 Ford Scheduled Maintenance guide, under normal usage conditions, the oil in your truck should be changed around every 5,000.
There are also conditions that can change this recommendation and they are listed in the owner’s manual and should be referenced.
Every time you perform an oil change you should also:
- inspect wheels
- battery connections
- parking brake
- rotate tires
- check transmission fluid level
- check brakes
You may also like: How long can you go without an oil change before it’s too late!
Looking for an oil change?
We have some special offers for our readers for oil changes at Valvoline!
Click each offer below to redeem
Selecting the right oil for your 2003 Ford Ranger
Follow the link below to buy the right oil type for your engine.
| Oil Type | Oil Capacity | Filter | |
| 2.3 L | SAE 5W-20 | 4.0 qt (3.8 L) | FL-400S |
| 3.0 L | SAE 5W-20 | 4.5 qt (4.3 L) | FL-400S |
| 4.0 L | SAE 5W-30 | 5.0 qt (4.7 L) | FL-820S |
If you do not choose to buy the recommended Motorcraft oil by Ford, you should try to always buy a synthetic blend of oil with one that has the API-certified logo on it.
This will ensure that the oil you are putting in your car conforms to the engine, emission system, and fuel economy standards set by the International Lubricants Specification Advisory Council.
And lastly, DO NOT USE SUPPLEMENTAL ENGINE OIL ADDITIVES!
For more information about your truck, take a look at the Owners manual here.
