oil change intervals

[FF1381]

i have a question for you oil experts...

the manuel says 3500 miles on oil changes, the dealer told me 5000 so my problem is that if i change my oil at 3500 i will be changing my oil almost every month

so is this necessary since all my miles are highway or is 5000 sufficent?

thanks guys


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2001 3/4 ton driftwood 24 valve HO 6 speed; straight piped, silencer ring out
BodyGuard front end replacement.
Jason

 

[Big-D]

I use Chevron Delco-400 15W40 yr round and purchase by the 55 gal drum. Being your engine is new I would change oil and filter at the 3K to 3500 mile range for a while yet. As you mentioned, changing oil once a month is a lot of changes, but think about that break in period and "final machining. " Oil is cheap and if you plan to keep your investment for well over the 100K miles I would change often, especially in the beginning miles. My first oil and filter change came at 70 miles and that was a non stop drive from the dealer, over to the buddies house and home. I'm approaching 10K miles now and going into my 4th change. Excessive, depends what you want in the long run. Short distance driving is the hardest miles on your Cummins. Look into a drain plug from Geno's.

 

[LSMITH]

I change my oil every 5k. There is a little soot in it by then and it makes me feel better to have clean oil in it. I drive about 3000 miles per month too, all highway. I am sure I could go 7500 or so, but oil is too cheap to not change it. I can slide a five gallon bucket right under the pan and the filter is the easiest to change that I have seen yet on a pickup so I really can't come up with a reason to not change it. Do whatever makes you feel good about your maintenance plan and let the "experts" argue about the best intervals.

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99 2500 QC 4X4 AUTO SB 24V LARAMIE SLT 3. 5 LSD 285-75-16'S

 

[weber1048]

FF1381

I would say that you are a good canidate for an Ansoil bypass setup. Takes about an hour and a half to install. At 10K+ switch to synthetic and do oil analysis at 10K intervals. Email me and I will send you pictures of my instalation.

Doug

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2001 2500HD QC SLT Auto Long Bed 4x4 3. 54 Patriot Blue/Driftwood, Trailer/Camper Package
Van Aaken, DTT VB, Drawtite Front Receiver, Line X, S/S Rail Covers, ISSPRO Gauges, Bright Box

 

[Posm]

I don,t have my manual in front of me, but I believe it states that the interval is 3K for "severe service" like stop and go, short trips, and heavy towing at high temps. The "normal" intraval is 7. 5K. Most trucking companies that run trucks at the governed speed and near full load 95% of the time change at 10K plus. They routinley get 750k to a million miles out of their engines. I run 6500 miles per month and change at 7500 miles. You may need to vary your intraval depending on what you are doing.
I have run a lot of agriculture engines at full load 12 hours a day in EXTREME dust and got over 5000 hours with no problems using a 100 hour change intaval. 100 hours equals 3000 miles in city driving and about 6000 miles on the highway. I do not think anybody submits their truck to the dirty conditions that ag engines experince.

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Y2K 2500, QC, 4X4, 3. 54LS, ST, 5 speed, SWB, 12 Disk JVC CD

 

[Evan A. Beck]

I do mine every 10K, and I always do the fuel filter at the same time. I use Fleetguard filters, and Valvoline Premium Blue 15W40 oil. It takes about 3-4K to begin to darken the oil. Changing it at 3K is just a waste, especially when my monthly mileage is about 4-5K or more.

 

[Mad Max]

If your driving is predominantly HWY, you'll likely fall into schedule A/1 in your manual, which is 7,500 miles. If you're like me, kicking and sticking in bumper to bumper traffic, ie schedule B/2 its half that, 3750 miles. Changing fuel filter every Second oil change in either senario. I like the 4:2:1 practice. 4 fleetguard oil filters, two fg fuel filters and one fg air filter. Get ya to 30,000 miles on Schedule A/1 or 15,000 on B/2.

I run Cummins Premium Blue and Fleetguard products. I also have a healthy respect for WIX filter products, and there are countless other quality oils. I've read SERVERAL HORROR STORIES ABOUT THE F' Brand's Orange Filters (as well as one's they make for other labels!).

Relocating the Drip bottle also takes the STINK out of frequent oil changes... I run the Geno's kit. I also do mine myself.

Good Luck.

Max

 

[DUBSTER]

Mad Max- what did you do to relocate the drip bottle ?? Part number ?? The smell kills my wife and daughter
I don't need to but I change the oil on the B service. I have roughly 5500 on my truck and have changed my oil twice so far.
See Ya
Chris

 

[Posm]

Dubster
A couple of hints I have picked up here. Shell Rottella seems to give the worst smell. I went back to the dealer b/c they wanted to do the first oil change and whatever they used smelled awfull for about 1200 miles or so. I have used Dello 400 15-40 and have not had the bad smell on fresh oil change.

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Y2K 2500, QC, 4X4, 3. 54LS, ST, 5 speed, SWB, 12 Disk JVC CD

 

[Shelby Griggs]

Speaking of oils that smell, does anyone know for sure what the factory fill is? I have had no smell on the original oil, but will be dumping that next weekend at around 3800 miles. I have the Valvoline Premium Blue 15-40 in the garage along with Fleetguard filters. Just wondering if there will be a smell after installing the Valvoline? The Geno's drip bottle relocation kit is on the to-do list, after winter is over.

Shelby

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2001. 5 2500 QC LB 4WD, ETH, DEE, 3. 54 gears, Laramie SLT, Camper Special, Trailer Tow, Travel Convenience Group, Power Driver Seat, Alarm System, Remote Keyless Entry, Fog Lamps, Cab Clearance Lamps, HD Transfer Case, Bright White with a Gray Interior. Built 09-15-00, took delivery on 10-06-00, 3873 miles as of 01-04-01. Custom aluminum work body / flat bed. Coming soon: E-Brake and gauges.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Every 10,000 km's. I stick to Schedule A in the owners manual. I let my wife drive the truck after each oil change so I don't have to deal with the smell!

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John McEachern
Fort St John B. C. Canada
1998 12v, 4X4, QC, auto w/tc switch, air, tilt, cruise, 3. 55 gears, TST #6, Isspro boost/pyro/transmission gauges, BD VB&TC, CC industries headache rack and rails, JVC KD-SX949 Cd player, forest green, Brigestone Dueler M/T's 285/75/16, Eagle 16x8 rims, K&N airfilter.

 

[mbrolin]

Valvoline Premium Blue is installed from the factory if Im not mistaken. Its not a true synthetic so it is allright for new engines.

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2001 HO 6spd,Quad cab,LWB,4x4,Flame Red,all options except for leather,Westin Brushguard/Push bar,Painless wiring,Radio Shack CB( so what it works},my own designed CB mount,Smittybuilt nerf bars,NW Custom rocker covers,Custom built stainless rocker light bars(more to come)

 

[HC]

my problem is that if i change my oil at 3500 i will be changing my oil almost every month... so is this necessary since all my miles are highway or is 5000 sufficent?

FF1381,
Your dilemma, and your truck, are the same as mine!
For piece of mind, I recommend this: Change at 2500, 5000, 10,000, and 15,000. The first change gets rid of the break in oil, the second gets you on an "even 5000" number to make it easier to remember. Changing every 5000 is better than the book recommendation of 7500 for highway usage. By the time you get to 15000, you will have the option of switching to synthetic, and will have had the time to search the old threads for the LENGTHY discussions this board has on that. I personally have hit on a compromise - I didn't want the bypass filter yet because I figured the Fleetguard spin-on is simple, effective, and has fewer potential leak points. Since I don't have bypass filtration, I'm only extending my changes slightly. Somewhere between 5k and 7. 5k, I change the filter only and add 1. 5 quarts of oil, then at somewhere around 12. 5 to 15k I do a complete change. I've just started this; still using oil analysis to decide if I want to adjust the intervals. If you're comfortable with adding a bypass filter, then by all means do it and extend out to 25k or more!


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2001 ETH, QC, LWB, 4WD, 3. 54, SPA Pyro & Boost, K&N RE-880 w/foam pre-cleaner, ARE Z-series Cab-high shell, Rear ARB locker, and all kinds of synthetic fluids...

 

[Cooker]

Chrysler vehicles recieve Mobil oil from the factroy. I assumed this was the case for the Dodge Cummins as well, and I was told this also by one of the guys at the diesel shops in town.

Maybe it is the Valvoline PB, I'm still going to assume it's the Mobil until someone can factually convince me otherwise.

 

[Big-D]

For a "Drip Bottle" other than Geno's you can look at the ones from Jaz at:www.jazproducts.com I haven't purchased one, but they look pretty good. Hope this helps some.

 

[Mad Max]

Dub, I used the Geno's kit for the drip bottle, but a hose splice and a few feet of EGR/Fuel line grade hose taken down to the OEM Resovior behind the front bumper, in front of the driver front wheel well can help. If ya do a search on drip bottles you should find several ideas and approaches.

Cook -

I'd wager you're on the money w/ Brand M's oil. I doubt its Premium Blue because it didn't stink for the factory, and I use it and find that it does for the first 500 - 800 miles.

Max

[This message has been edited by Mad Max (edited 01-07-2001). ]

 

[FF1381]

thanks for all the help guys

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2001 3/4 ton driftwood 24 valve HO 6 speed; straight piped, silencer ring out
BodyGuard front end replacement.
Jason

 

[Okie-Go]

All I can say is, "oil is cheaper than engines". I change oil and filter every 3,000.

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2001 quadcab slt 2500 HO 6spd. LWB,2wd,dk garnett red, trailer tow package,camper special, anti spin 3. 54 axle, speed liner,oversized stainless steel chicken slide,66 gallon in bed aux. tank,K&N air filter,Reese 20k hitch, Terry 2000 EX 30ft. double slide 5er, 2000 20ft gooseneck for haulin jeep, firewood and huntin stuff. 5X12 tagalong for haulin the 4 wheeler. Okie Newton

 

[PHaller]

I always changed my oil at 3000 miles until recently because oil is cheaper then an engine. Now, I change my oil based on the blackstone lab report because it is cheaper then oil. I started sending the oil in at 3000 mile intervals when they said to increase the interval. I'm now up to 8000 miles between changes and depending on what they say should fix the interval at around 10,000.
It was hard for me to extend the intervals because I have always changed oil at 3000 miles. But oil has better additive packages now and are more durable then 30 years ago.
Trust the report. It will work to keep your engine in peak condition and save you money too.
-Paul R. Haller-

 

[Cliffman]

I use Amsoil. I change the filter and add 1 quart every 5000. I drive mostly highway miles. I'll do a complete oil change after 50,000. So far all is good as per oil analyst report #ad


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2001 Driftwood 3500 Quad Cab 4x4, Long Bed, 5. 9L HO Cummins Diesel (ETH), 6-Speed HD Manual (DEE) Loven the shift thing (Arrrrrh), 3:54, SLT+, 3. 54 Anti-Spin Axle, Camper Special Group, Trailer Tow Group, 18,000 LB 5th Wheel Hitch, Leather, Sliding Rear Window, BDs E-Brake, Rhino Liner (gray), Velvet ride shackles, cup smoothy, Power Edge box / EZ Box w/elbo, DD Stage III injectors, McLeod Dual Disk Clutch, K&N, SPA Gauges, Jardine Exhaust, 16cm turbo housing. Love the smell of diesel in the morning. Hope your watchen DC cuz every thing you see here is a big lie, Hehe.