First oil change

[Oldroostman]

How many miles towing before first oil change,should a guy use the oil life on the evic?2015 3500 with aisin

 

[sag2]

No reason to ignore the EVIC, it takes into account the conditions your truck is experiencing. Factory fill is high quality synthetic.

 

[kthaxton]

No reason to ignore the EVIC, it takes into account the conditions your truck is experiencing. Factory fill is high quality synthetic.

Refresh my memory, they use 5-40 at the factory correct? I want to go with synthetic on my next oil change and it is much easier to find synthetic 5-40 then synthetic 15-40 locally. I'd like to run it year round from here on out.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I changed mine at 4K with AMZ/OIL 15/40 full synthetic. No way would I run 5/40 in anything above freezing temps. I tow heavy, i think 15/40 will protect the engine better.

 

[kthaxton]

While I am new to Diesels and their requirements (which is why I asked)....I know that synthetics can run less polymers to get the same amount of weight span. Less polymers, the better. This typically translates to being able to use a lower weight oil under similar circumstances. In theory, since they are both XX-40 weight, neither should become any thinner than a 40 weight oil at temp. Plus you have the added advantage of thinner oil when cold.

A conventional 5-40 (does anyone make it?) would require a lot of polymers. I think this is why 5-40 synthetic is so common.....because the can.

 

[AnOldBiker]

From what I have read, (and this is a very simple explanation of it) the XX-40 oil is a 40 weight oil. If it's say a 5-40 oil, when it gets cold, it will flow like a 5w oil until up to running temp. So a 15-40 oil will flow like a 15w oil until it's up to running temp. It is 'always' a 40w oil. So on with a 5-40 oil. Multi viscosity oils were developed so the engine would have protection from the moment it starts, such as a faster flow of oil to the moving parts, thus less wear.

I use nothing but a 5-40 full sync oil year round, even though I can use a 15-40 oil where I live at. But I've been known to end up in Chicago, Denver, Seattle and such during the winter. I won't play the change the oil game for summer and winter and stay the same 5-40 full sync year round. Never had a issue. I just recommend using a quality oil. There are many who believes their brand is best, and that's fine, but select a quality brand.

 

[kthaxton]

From what I have read, (and this is a very simple explanation of it) the XX-40 oil is a 40 weight oil. If it's say a 5-40 oil, when it gets cold, it will flow like a 5w oil until up to running temp. So a 15-40 oil will flow like a 15w oil until it's up to running temp. It is 'always' a 40w oil. So on with a 5-40 oil. Multi viscosity oils were developed so the engine would have protection from the moment it starts, such as a faster flow of oil to the moving parts, thus less wear.

I think you are remembering it backwards.....a 5-40 is a 5 weight that will never get thinner than a 40 weight would when hot. A 15-40 is a 15 weight...etc.

https://www.micapeak.com/info/oiled.html

Multi viscosity oils work like this: Polymers are added to a light base(5W, 10W, 20W), which prevent the oil from thinning as much as it warms up. At cold temperatures the polymers are coiled up and allow the oil to flow as their low numbers indicate. As the oil warms up the polymers begin to unwind into long chains that prevent the oil from thinning as much as it normally would. The result is that at 100 degrees C the oil has thinned only as much as the higher viscosity number indicates. Another way of looking at multi-vis oils is to think of a 20W-50 as a 20 weight oil that will not thin more than a 50 weight would when hot.

 

[Cummins12V98]

From what I have read, (and this is a very simple explanation of it) the XX-40 oil is a 40 weight oil. If it's say a 5-40 oil, when it gets cold, it will flow like a 5w oil until up to running temp. So a 15-40 oil will flow like a 15w oil until it's up to running temp. It is 'always' a 40w oil. So on with a 5-40 oil. Multi viscosity oils were developed so the engine would have protection from the moment it starts, such as a faster flow of oil to the moving parts, thus less wear.

I use nothing but a 5-40 full sync oil year round, even though I can use a 15-40 oil where I live at. But I've been known to end up in Chicago, Denver, Seattle and such during the winter. I won't play the change the oil game for summer and winter and stay the same 5-40 full sync year round. Never had a issue. I just recommend using a quality oil. There are many who believes their brand is best, and that's fine, but select a quality brand.

Seattle never get's cold enough to require 5-40.

 

[DGamelin]

I understand Valvoline's Premium Blue Extreme SAE 5W-40 full synthetic is what cummins puts in them for any part of the country. In the summer I might run Valvoline 15-40 dino oil. I am doing my first oil change right now at 16k. At 8K I changed the oil filter.

 

[Dogpatch]

I just take mine to the Dodge/Ram dealership I bought it from. They decide. Engine calves? They did the work. No guessing for me. Warranty!

 

[gsbrockman]

I just take mine to the Dodge/Ram dealership I bought it from. They decide. Engine calves? They did the work. No guessing for me. Warranty!

Hopefully.....some "Lube Tech" isn't too busy arguing with his girlfriend via text messaging from the previous night's date and pumps some good ol' 5W20 or 5W30 bulk oil in it. :--)

 

[Cummins12V98]

No way would i trust my engine to an entry level employee.

 

[EGroeneveld]

No way would i trust my engine to an entry level employee.

It's an oil change, not rocket science. 11 years with a Cummins motor and letting the dealership do the work and they've not screwed up a thing yet.

 

[Cummins12V98]

It's an oil change, not rocket science. 11 years with a Cummins motor and letting the dealership do the work and they've not screwed up a thing yet.

HA, what was your last word in your sentence?????? "YET"

Also for the money I can do the change my self and use full synthetic for around the same price the dealer would want using regular oil.

 

[Dogpatch]

In my work, it's all about liability. If all my maintenance is done by the dealership, it's documented and I have a record of it.
Something goes wrong? The dealership owns it. You do something yourself? It's you against the warranty dept.
I'm not in a position that I currently have to worry about the few more dollars it costs to have them do my oil changes. It's a write off for me. One of the things I enjoy doing for myself.
Once I'm retired, I'll change my opinion on this because cost becomes a factor.

Besides, I just have to look at a wrench and I bleed! LOL

 

[SnoKing]

It's an oil change, not rocket science. 11 years with a Cummins motor and letting the dealership do the work and they've not screwed up a thing yet.

So I take you truck with my filter and Oil to the Oil Change place next to our Arizona RV Park. They say they will do it for 20 bucks. The young guys says someone round off my
Geno's HD drain plug! I am the only one that ever touch it!!!! So I get out my 6 point 9/16 ths wrench and ask to go down in the pit with him, which he agrees to. They I am back upstairs and I ask if the old gasket came off with the oid filter and he says yes. I say, show me the old filter! Guess what no gasket present. He turns red face and takes the filter off to retrieve the extra gasket. So they wash my truck and do not charge me the 20 bucks!


So I think I will change my own oil on the 2015 also, one time was enough!!!!!!

SNOKING

 

[Dogpatch]

I don't blame you for that one SNOKING!

 

[Cummins12V98]

It's not about money at all with me. I just don't trust people! I am sure the best Cummins mechanic is not doing oil changes at the Dealership.

I REALLY don't trust the quick lube places either. SNOKING's story is exactly why I do my oil changes.

I like to look around while under there. I was changing my oil many years ago on my 77 GMC and a drip of antifreeze hit me in the head. It was a very slow drip from a freeze plug. I was at the end of the warranty and they replaced all the plugs. The plug replacement would have been on me once I discovered the leak at a later date.

 

[whoopsumbass]

I just had first oil change on a 2014 RAM 3500 duelly, with 6.7l diesel...oil evic said it had 56% life left, and mileage was 6400...but headed to florida towing in a few weeks and wanted to get the oil changed so did it....dipstick shows like too much oil above safe zone. Is this common after filter and 3 gal added per dealer paperwork?

 

[Newsa]

I just had first oil change on a 2014 RAM 3500 duelly, with 6.7l diesel...oil evic said it had 56% life left, and mileage was 6400...but headed to florida towing in a few weeks and wanted to get the oil changed so did it....dipstick shows like too much oil above safe zone. Is this common after filter and 3 gal added per dealer paperwork?

I was concerned about that same thing. But now that i change my own.oil, i realize that the pressure drop when turning off the engine actually sucks oil out of the filter. So it might read a bit high?