First Oil Change at 4,032 Miles

[john3976]

I changed the oil for the first time in my Cummins, the odometer was at 4,032 miles.



The factory oil filter came right off with out a problem, it was not put on by a gorilla like some have said when they had to fight to get their filter off, mine was real easy.



Put in three gallons of Chevron Delo 400 and a FleetGuard Stratapore oil filter.



I will now follow the extended service schedule and change the oil at 15,000 mile intervals as I am not placing the truck into severe duty so the extended schedule should work fine. I will change the first batch of Delo at the 15,000 mile mark so that I am back on the 15,000 mile schedule per the manual.



I am also getting about 600 miles per tank of fuel in combined driving and on the road I get over 700 miles on a tank, I think if I wanted to push it I could knock down right at 800 miles on a tank.



Very good mileage so far, I have the ISSPRO Pyrometer, Boost and Transmission Temp gauges in the dash cubby hole and I put a Di Pricol Fuel Pressure gauge in the A-Pillar with the SRT 10 pillar replacement.



I think this truck should last me a good 500,000 miles easy the way it is running right now with routine service.



Now I just need the price of Diesel Fuel to go down.

 

[ropinfool2]

Wow, 600-800 miles per tank?? I'm only getting 400 if I'm lucky. This is mostly city driving, with some hiway. Avg 12-15 mpg. Still better than the 11 I got with the 460. John

 

[john3976]

I try to keep my foot out of it so that goes a long way on the mileage, if I have all stop and go city driving I drop down to right at 500 miles on the tank.



But I rarely have all stop and go city driving so that helps as well.

 

[Red360]

700 miles???

YGTBSM, your getting 700 miles to the tank and maybe 800 if you baby it... . no way! How big is your tank????

 

[scootergmc]

The factory oil filter came right off with out a problem, it was not put on by a gorilla like some have said when they had to fight to get their filter off, mine was real easy.

You are SO lucky.

 

[john3976]

According to Dodge it is a 35 gallon tank but I can put a few gallons more into it then that.



700 miles divided by 38 gallons is only 18 miles to the gallon.



800 miles divided by 38 gallons is only 21 miles to the gallon.



You do the math, it is not hard if you keep your foot out out of that long thin pedal on the right side of the brakes!



I went on a trip to Orlando and did not refuel until I got back home, put 700 miles on that tank of fuel it took 31 gallons of Diesel to fuel it up so take:



700 miles divided by 31 equals 22. 580 miles per gallon, that was almost all road miles and I was running between 70 and 75 MPH most of the way.

 

[john3976]

YGTBSM, your getting 700 miles to the tank and maybe 800 if you baby it... . no way! How big is your tank????

I want to get one of those 60 gallon tanks but then I would not be adding fuel for up to 2 1/2 months and I am not sure I want diesel sitting in the tank that long. May not hurt anything but it is humid down here and I want to avoid any water in fuel problems from it sitting to much.



My locking fuel cap always dumps a lot of water from it when I open it, the condensation it collects is out of this world.

 

[gsbrockman]

The factory oil filter came right off with out a problem, it was not put on by a gorilla like some have said when they had to fight to get their filter off, mine was real easy.

The Ape must have called in sick the day your engine was built.

Greg

 

[john3976]

The Ape must have called in sick the day your engine was built.

Greg

I am glad he did, because I was ready to battle it off, I had the end cap wrench and a flat strap wrench ready, I put the end cap wrench on it and it came right off, I said nice.

 

[Red360]

John,

I'm really glad and jealous :{ . I'm lucky to get 400 miles. I'monly getting around 14. 4 miles to the gallon. I may have to break out the Harley with the cost of fuel!!! :-laf :-laf :-laf

 

[john3976]

John,

I'm really glad and jealous :{ . I'm lucky to get 400 miles. I'monly getting around 14. 4 miles to the gallon. I may have to break out the Harley with the cost of fuel!!! :-laf :-laf :-laf

I bet I know why my mileage is better then yours, you have $X$ and I don't, I bet that makes a pretty big difference, I know it did in my 1500 4X4 Ram, it was 2002 with the 4. 7 engine, Fuel mileage was really bad, about 12 MPG in town and only about 14 on the road.

 

[AGrubbs]

I get around 20-21 MPG combined mileage calculated at pump on my '03 4x4 6speed w/3. 73 unless I hurry(60+) or there is a high head wind.



I have got as low as 15 mpg at 75MPH into a 20+ mph head wind with the A/C on, calculated at pump after 400 miles of interstate, and as high as 27 MPG average on the overhead (only a 30 mile trip) at 55 mph with 25mph tail wind. .



I think that driving attitude, transmission type, weather conditions, and winter fuel make such a wide difference in MPG's that its hard to say one's truck gets "good" mileage, while another one "don't".



After 10K of break in, changing dino oil about every 3K, I now change my oil at 10K miles, as thats an easy number for me to remember to watch for on the odo'. I use 5-40 rotella synth. after break in. I think (for me) 7500 is too often, and 15000 mile would 'probably' (for me) be OK, but the parameters of the long schedule seem to be just about impossable to meet over the course of a full year in the real world, if you go strictly by what they say.



At 9K miles, the oil is starting to darken a little, but it is still easy to see the writing on the dip stick, so I don't think I have much soot loading at all. At least not as much loading as in my '99 VW TDI... Its dark just about right away in that car.

 

[hammersley]

What he's not telling you is that

the last 200 miles he's being towed!!! Oo. I'll tell you what - 800 miles - and either you have a transfer tank or travelling in the lee side of a hurricane.....

 

[klenger]

It's those *#$%# 2WD models that screw up the averages for everyone else. Sure wish I had gotten one.

 

[john3976]

the last 200 miles he's being towed!!! Oo. I'll tell you what - 800 miles - and either you have a transfer tank or travelling in the lee side of a hurricane.....

Well I do own a house in Lee County and we did get hit by Hurricane Charley, but I doubt that had or has anything to do with my fuel mileage!



Don't forget that is running empty.

 

[Donn]

I just want to park my 2004. 5 next to yours some time and see if some of that milage will jump my way. I to get from 13-14 mpg. But I still love the truck and smile all the while I am driving it