Engine oil recommendations

[DonSweeney]

I am ready for my first oil change on my 2010 Dodge 3500 drw 4x4, and am VERY confused about best engine oil to use. People say wait until 15K before switching to synthetic - some say don't switch at all. Owners manual is very vague except that it needs to be CJ-4. Dealership where I purchased uses a synthetic blend, another place I called uses Rotella T (non synthetic). Any suggestions?

 

[amsoilman]

I am ready for my first oil change on my 2010 Dodge 3500 drw 4x4, and am VERY confused about best engine oil to use. People say wait until 15K before switching to synthetic - some say don't switch at all. Owners manual is very vague except that it needs to be CJ-4. Dealership where I purchased uses a synthetic blend, another place I called uses Rotella T (non synthetic). Any suggestions?

Try the Amsoil 100% SYNTHETIC API CJ-4 15W-40. With "Blends" you never know what you are getting, as there have never been "Standards" for "Blends".



As far as putting in a 100% Synthetic, you can put in at any time in your 2010 MY truck. Many high performance vehicles now come direct from the factory with synthetics already installed. My new 2010 Dodge/Cummins has the API CJ-4 mentioned above now installed, and I have 3300 miles on it.

 

[bheiting]

Read John Martin's Technical Topics articles in TDR issues 55-58, about some tests he made and how oil is formulated. Cummins recommends Valvoline Premium Blue oils. You can pay a lot more for poorer oils. Get it at NAPA and Cummins distributors. With diesel engine oil, additives are everything.

 

[Jim W]

I know I will draw the rath of all of the proponents for full synthetic, oil to be used in your engine. But in my humble opinion it is a waste of money and there will be no benefit in using synthetic oil in a STOCK 6. 7L CTD engine. Use the best Dino engine oil on the market such as Valvoline Premium Blue oil. This is cheaper then using synthetic oil in my opinion.



My reasoning is the oil will need to be changed almost every 5,000 miles or less, some might be able to get to 7,500 miles, but not a lot. The 6. 7L engine and the way the EGR system dumps the soot back into the engine along with the DPF using the extra fuel to burn off soot in the filter, this will kill the oil.



You will get fuel dilution because of the added fuel injection required for the DPF to regenerate. Some of the unburnt fuel will end up in the engine oil. Thus causing the fuel dilution to the engine oil and the synthetic oil will not help you here. Synthetic oil will break down just as fast due to fuel dilution as dino oil will.



Before I deleted, I use to have to change my engine oil almost every 3,500 miles due to fuel dilution to the engine oil. Now I can extend it out further and I have.



Jim W.

 

[RustyJC]

I agree. Because of their emissions control strategy, soot loading and fuel dilution will require more frequent oil changes, so any extended service intervals synthetics might offer is lost. Many Cummins engines spend their entire working lives on Chevron Delo 400 or Shell Rotella T quite satisfactorily. Although I use synthetics in both gasoline-powered vehicles in my household as well as my motorcycle, I'll stick with dino oil for the new truck.



Rusty

 

[Zak Smith]

Here's some data I got from UOA over a series of oil changes and samples

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...orum/222326-2010-oil-analysis-9600-miles.html

 

[bheiting]

I live in Minnesota, so I use syn. in the winter because it flows at -20 F. I want oil flowing at start up, that's when most engine wear takes place. If I lived in Florida, I probably would never use syn.

 

[Jim W]

I live in Minnesota, so I use syn. in the winter because it flows at -20 F. I want oil flowing at start up, that's when most engine wear takes place. If I lived in Florida, I probably would never use syn.

Yes, I would too if I had a 5. 9L CTD but with a 6. 7L CTD no way. This engine needs an oil change every 3,500 to 5,000 miles, an synthetic oil just cost to much too justify it's use.

I plug my engine in every night and the oil flows very nicely upon start-up. That is why the Cummins has the block heater to assist in start-up.

Jim W

 

[TulsaOkie]

I've used Shell Rotella since the day I bought my 07, 352k on the truck. Oil changes have been 7500 to 10000 miles depending on time. I still have all my egr / dpf crap on, and the truck runs great. Maybe I'm just that lucky... . Hopefully the 2011 will follow suit. .

 

[Jim W]

Yes, I would expect that range for an oil changes, on your truck. But You are using the truck for what it was designed for. A lot of driving and extended drive at that.

I use my truck to pull our 5er in the camping season and then for daily driving. My truck was purchased new in Nov 07. with 8 miles on the OD. I now am pushing 39,500 miles and it is Feb. 11. So you can see that I do not put a lot of miles on my truck. So the oil will need to be changed more often because of the low mileage usage.

Jim W.

 

[RustyJC]

For those of us with factory warranties, the owner's manual requires oil changes at 7500 miles or as advised by the EVIC, whichever comes first.



Rusty

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

Where's the "thanks" button???

I know I will draw the rath of all of the proponents for full synthetic, oil to be used in your engine. But in my humble opinion it is a waste of money and there will be no benefit in using synthetic oil in a STOCK 6. 7L CTD engine. Use the best Dino engine oil on the market such as Valvoline Premium Blue oil. This is cheaper then using synthetic oil in my opinion.



My reasoning is the oil will need to be changed almost every 5,000 miles or less, some might be able to get to 7,500 miles, but not a lot. The 6. 7L engine and the way the EGR system dumps the soot back into the engine along with the DPF using the extra fuel to burn off soot in the filter, this will kill the oil.



You will get fuel dilution because of the added fuel injection required for the DPF to regenerate. Some of the unburnt fuel will end up in the engine oil. Thus causing the fuel dilution to the engine oil and the synthetic oil will not help you here. Synthetic oil will break down just as fast due to fuel dilution as dino oil will.



Before I deleted, I use to have to change my engine oil almost every 3,500 miles due to fuel dilution to the engine oil. Now I can extend it out further and I have.



Jim W.

^^^ You just saved me a whole lot of typing because I was gonna say just about the same thing



To the OP... If you live in extreme cold and can't plug in, synthetic oil would be a benefit. However, that being said... I would recommend Rotella 5W-40syn since it is a WHOLE LOT CHEAPER than the one particular "brand" that usually will bring out the most aggression on ANY oil related thread :-laf:-laf



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/magazines/Issue_057.phtml Page 56-61

 

[bheiting]

Yes, I would too if I had a 5. 9L CTD but with a 6. 7L CTD no way. This engine needs an oil change every 3,500 to 5,000 miles, an synthetic oil just cost to much too justify it's use.

I plug my engine in every night and the oil flows very nicely upon start-up. That is why the Cummins has the block heater to assist in start-up.

Jim W

I'm not sure how much benefit the block heater does for the oil pan at below zero temps. I would also be concerned about the times when you're not home and can't plug it in. I usually just use my magnetic heater on the oil pan and let the heat rise up into the cylinders. I want the quickest lubrication I can get in a cold engine. Heat in the cab is not my top priority. I plan on keeping the truck for the rest of my life, so syn. oil is cheap insurance as far as I'm concerned.

 

[RustyJC]

I'm not sure how much benefit the block heater does for the oil pan at below zero temps. I would also be concerned about the times when you're not home and can't plug it in. I usually just use my magnetic heater on the oil pan and let the heat rise up into the cylinders. I want the quickest lubrication I can get in a cold engine. Heat in the cab is not my top priority. I plan on keeping the truck for the rest of my life, so syn. oil is cheap insurance as far as I'm concerned.

Maybe if I lived in Minnesota, but here in Texas cold flow isn't a problem. Dumping a load of synthetic every 3,500 miles or so because of fuel dilution and/or soot loading doesn't make economic sense to me, so I'll go with dino oil.



Rusty

 

[macdaddy]

I agree. Because of their emissions control strategy, soot loading and fuel dilution will require more frequent oil changes, so any extended service intervals synthetics might offer is lost. Many Cummins engines spend their entire working lives on Chevron Delo 400 or Shell Rotella T quite satisfactorily. Although I use synthetics in both gasoline-powered vehicles in my household as well as my motorcycle, I'll stick with dino oil for the new truck.



Rusty

Rusty... .

I agree with you on this one. I will say though if you dont have a problem shopping at Walmart the price difference between the Rotella 15w-40 Dino versus the 5w-40 syn isn't that bad. We are running the 5w-40 in my sons 08. I think it's only about a 25. 00 difference for the oil change.





Mac

 

[DeezelDood]

Read John Martin's Technical Topics articles in TDR issues 55-58, about some tests he made and how oil is formulated. Cummins recommends Valvoline Premium Blue oils. You can pay a lot more for poorer oils. Get it at NAPA and Cummins distributors. With diesel engine oil, additives are everything.

John Martin reviewed and updated his recommendations, via blind analysis, in issue 76. Good read.

 

[rwitt]

Agree with the recommendation to stay with dino oil, and I like AMSOIL. So far after over 3 years of ownership and 34,000 miles, I've never had the message come on to change the oil, and it gets changed every 5 to 6 thousand miles, with one interval being slightly over 7k. I use Delo, Valvoline PB, or Mobile Delvac, whichever is on sale at the time. Usually can find one of them on sale at O'Reillys.
Rich

 

[amsoilman]

I am Using the Amsoil CJ-4 DME 15W-40 Diesel Oil, along with an Amsoil by-pass oil filtration system in a 2010 Dodge CUMMINS. I have 15,400 miles and 14 months on the oil using oil analysis to determine drain intervals. I have done 2 UOA on this truck so far, and all is well!

 

[DeezelDood]

I am Using the Amsoil CJ-4 DME 15W-40 Diesel Oil, along with an Amsoil by-pass oil filtration system in a 2010 Dodge CUMMINS. I have 15,400 miles and 14 months on the oil using oil analysis to determine drain intervals. I have done 2 UOA on this truck so far, and all is well!

I appreciate the quality of Amsoil products and the overall integrity of the company. I used Amsoil products many moons ago in my gassers before inexpensive high-quality synthetic oils, like Mobil1, became shelf items at every Walmart in the USA. This is a sensitive subject for some TDR members and Amsoil has a very loyal following. We live in a free country and each if us does what we feel is best. In my humble opinion, extended oil change intervals on diesels are high risk compared to the relatively low cost savings. I have a hard time understanding why so many people go down this road. One more thing to worry about. This is especially true with the fuel dilution in 6. 7 engines. In fact, the savings may not apply at all if the cost of LOA is included. What happens if the LOA comes back out of spec? How long has this bad oil been in service? Operational/performance indicators, short of engine failure, are practically non-existent. The one big upside I see is environmental, consume less oil. I respect that angle. The consensus of the TDR techical experts (John Martin etal) is to buy API-certified dino oil and change it religiously. It's cheap insurance. The max intervals are recommended by engine makers based on the predictable additive reserves in specified oils for a normally running engine. That is the regimen that I follow, plus, I change my oil and filter at least annually, regardless of the mileage. I happen now to use Shell Rotella but I have used Chevron Delo and Mobil Delvac. There are many competing brands that are effectively the same oil. Base oils from refineries are the same with marginal differences in the additive packages. Like I say, to each his own.

 

[amsoilman]

I agree with what you are saying regarding " We live in a free country and each if us does what we feel is best. " I also agree there are many oils on the market that are great oils. I also agree with your desire to change your oil at whatever interval you choose, which in your case is each year, regardless of mileage.

A UOA is the very best indicator of an oils usefulness, as well as an indication of contaminants within the oil, and as indicator of normal wear patterns, abnormal wear patterns, and excessive wear patterns within the engine itself. Many large Companies use this type of procedure to determine many things, including "Drain Intervals". Personally, I have been doing this procedure on every vehicle I have owned in the past 30 years, including 4 different Dodge Diesels beginning in 1991. I have exceeded 100,000 miles and 10 years on a single oil drain, so I am very satisfied with what I have experienced over the years.
Having said this, I would NEVER EXTEND on oil drain interval, without doing an oil analysis. I also would not EXTEND oil drains without using a very good by-pass oil filtration system. I have seen large trucking Companies that have saved hundreds of thousands dollars by utilizing UOA to determine Drain intervals, as well as keeping track of how the engines are performing regarding engine wear, and contaminant levels. As far as cost for a UOA, i can get 5-6 UOA for the cost of one oil drain on a Dodge Diesel.

Best regards