First oil change??? Synthetic?? Filter??

[JBoone]

I have a 05 with only 5000 miles. (The first oil change) I'm thinking about going to synthetic or should I not? Would this be ok with this low of miles? If ok. What would be a good syn. oil and filter to use? Is it good to use a bypass filter system? Thanks for the help!

 

[jwilliams3]

Cummins doesnt recommend synthetic until about 10k miles.

But will it hurt anything? No.



Bypass systems are great.



Fleetguard Stratopore is the cats meow of Cummins filters.

 

[BK]

Cummins tells you not to use Synthetic till after the "break in" period.

Back with my 99, that was for the first 20,000 miles.

The engines are machined so that you can run them hard out of the gate.

But since they are so finely machined, it takes longer for a true break in.

Part of that is for the rings to seat. If your not running it hard, and using synthetic the ring maynot seat and cause some blow by and oil consumption.

Dont run synthetic till after the suggested break in period. I don't know if it's any different on the new engines.

Stick with regular oil for now. The "break in" period should be somewhere in your manual. It's been ages for me, but that's where I thought I found it as well as the comment that the engines should be worked right out of the gate and not babied.

Get the Geno's kit 4/2/1 kit, great savings and all the right parts.

Also can check Cummins' site, I think there were some good FAQ's there about this, back when my truck was new.

 

[WStephens]

With a maintence shechudel of 15K for an oil change it had better be synthic oil from the factory a conventinal oil would not last long enough.

Amsoil makes Synthic oil and has filters for your truck.

 

[Bekim]

I'd wait till 20,000 miles. http://www.cummins.com/na/pages/en/products/dodgeram/faq/answers. cfm?uuid=0003D957-1D8B-19FF-982180C4A8F00000
Mike
###

 

[BK]

I'd wait till 20,000 miles. http://www.cummins.com/na/pages/en/products/dodgeram/faq/answers. cfm?uuid=0003D957-1D8B-19FF-982180C4A8F00000

Mike

###

Ah, Mike's got it. .

It's other places too.

Ride it hard, and don't use the synthetic.

 

[tobaccogrower]

first oil change

after i got back from my trip from conn to florida i changed my oil. when i left i had 70 miles, when i got back 3800. i towed my 10,000# boat down. i figured after running her hard down and back it was time for the first change. I'm averaging about 17mpg mix of highway and country roads hand calculated at 5000miles! the best i ever got with my 04. 5 at 30,000 was 15mpg. (auto transmission) that is the way i'm going to break in every new Cummins from now on! i figure my next oil change will be at 12-15000miles. at that time i'll switch to synthetic... . james

 

[TCluff]

With a maintence shechudel of 15K for an oil change it had better be synthic oil from the factory a conventinal oil would not last long enough.

Amsoil makes Synthic oil and has filters for your truck.

i would keep changing the oil at 5000 miles for the first 20,000 miles, using fleetguard or equivelant filters and a good hydrocracked oil, then maybe switch to a good synthetic and start extending the oil drain intervals from there...