Should I change oil?

[DBoyd]

My 06 3500 has less than 1000 miles on the oil that I changed a year ago. I only drive the truck about 10 miles a week and it has about 7500 miles on it now. The oil is Valvoline Premium Blue Extreme 5 W 40 full synthetic. I'm considering just changing the filter and topping it up. Your opinions please?

Thanks

Don

 

[Grizzly]

I'd Change the oil and oil filter at least once a year regardless of mileage just because of contamination and moisture in the crankcase. Probably not totally necessary, but it would make me feel better.



george

 

[cerberusiam]

Change the oil and the filter. Oil needs to be changed once a year regardless of mileage to get rid of contaminants.



You are at the normal change mileage for that year truck. More than likely you should be changing sooner if you do more than 50% driving at low speeds. Check your average speed and see where it is. You might need to change twice per year.

 

[Grizzly]

Change the oil and the filter. Oil needs to be changed once a year regardless of mileage to get rid of contaminants.

That's exactly what I just said!!!

 

[jelag]

I keep 3 vehicles in a heated building... . those get an oil change once a year before using them in the spring, or fall, as the case might be... but I have an old tractor, and a couple of other units that I change the oil on ever 2 or 3 years based on their hour meter... Each is now 30 plus years old... and to be honest I don't think I've done it more than 10 or 12 times for each over those years... .

I keep and 05 3500 in storage most of the year now... . and only change the oil at 8,000 mile intervals... in the heated shop... I'd let it go over a year if it was less than the 8,000 miles...

I leave 1 amp charges on them... . and now all these years later have not had problems...

Just my thoughts... . but hey..... a $50 oil change is cheep if it makes you feel better... .

 

[cerberusiam]

That's exactly what I just said!!!

Great minds... . eh?

 

[Grizzly]

Great minds... . eh?

True, but only the first great mind gets the credit. Sorry!



george

 

[cerberusiam]

True, but only the first great mind gets the credit. Sorry!



george

Oh ho! You think since you said it first nobody else cannot utter the same idea. Now I see where your supposition orginates.



You suppose erroneously. :-laf:-laf

 

[LRutigliano]

My 06 3500 has less than 1000 miles on the oil that I changed a year ago. I only drive the truck about 10 miles a week and it has about 7500 miles on it now. The oil is Valvoline Premium Blue Extreme 5 W 40 full synthetic. I'm considering just changing the filter and topping it up. Your opinions please?

Thanks

Don

1) Where do you park the truck? Outside or in a garage?



If its inside a garage where moisture is not a concern, then you are probably ok with changing the oil next year. You are using synthetic so that is even better for longevity of the oil.



2) How do you use your truck when you drive it?



Short trips are very bad on the oil. Heavy hauling also puts stress on the oil.



I use my truck for towing our 5er and I put about 3k on it a year, but they are all towing miles. I change the oil/filter once a year before the new season. I keep the truck in a semi heated garage all year.



I have boat that I use approx 30hrs/year and I run synthetics in the motor and outdrive. I change them every 2 yrs, but changing the oil and outdrive lube is more a pain in the boat than the truck. The boat is a '94 (16 yrs old. . )



Hope this helps.

 

[AABEN]

YES but take a longe drive to get it hot before you change it. This will mix your oil and get the sludge out of the pan.

 

[rbattelle]

but I have an old tractor, and a couple of other units that I change the oil on ever 2 or 3 years based on their hour meter... Each is now 30 plus years old... and to be honest I don't think I've done it more than 10 or 12 times for each over those years... .

Grizzly and Cerberusiam have given logical arguments for changing the oil annually regardless of mileage.

Nevertheless, my personal attitude is closer to jelag and his tractors. I change every 3000 miles independent of time. So far, my longest time interval was November 2008 - January 2010 (about 14 months). Truck is always parked outside. During the winter I try to drive it once a week.

While the arguments for accumulating moisture in the crankcase are probably valid, I figure when I do drive it I go far enough and long enough to cook off any accumulated moisture.

The other issue with collecting moisture is, from where does the 1-year time limit come? I mean, how do we know 1 year is the magic time limit for "too much accumulation"? Couldn't it just as easily be 6 months if there are many temperature extremes during that time? What if it's 2 years? Where's the hard data that proves that going 1 year without changing oil that's only 1000 miles old is bad for the engine?

Used to be, the rule was every 3000 or 3 months, whichever comes first. When did we change from 3 months to 1 year?

-Ryan

 

[Grizzly]

Grizzly and Cerberusiam have given logical arguments for changing the oil annually regardless of mileage.



Nevertheless, my personal attitude is closer to jelag and his tractors. I change every 3000 miles independent of time. So far, my longest time interval was November 2008 - January 2010 (about 14 months). Truck is always parked outside. During the winter I try to drive it once a week.



While the arguments for accumulating moisture in the crankcase are probably valid, I figure when I do drive it I go far enough and long enough to cook off any accumulated moisture.



The other issue with collecting moisture is, from where does the 1-year time limit come? I mean, how do we know 1 year is the magic time limit for "too much accumulation"? Couldn't it just as easily be 6 months if there are many temperature extremes during that time? What if it's 2 years? Where's the hard data that proves that going 1 year without changing oil that's only 1000 miles old is bad for the engine?



Used to be, the rule was every 3000 or 3 months, whichever comes first. When did we change from 3 months to 1 year?



-Ryan

The 3000 miles or 3 months was grandfathers and Jiffy Lube's rule. Todays engines and oils are so much better than grandfathers old Dodge truck and Plymouth cars that one doesn't need to change oil near as often. Jiffy Lube just wanted to sell more oil changes.

 

[macdaddy]

DB



At 10 miles a week i'd be changing it allot more often than once a year!. You might want to do a oil analysis. I believe your going to see quite a bit of fuel dilution.



If the truck isnt getting up to full operating temperature when driving it you will send it (The Engine) to a early grave... .



Mac

 

[cerberusiam]

The other issue with collecting moisture is, from where does the 1-year time limit come? I mean, how do we know 1 year is the magic time limit for "too much accumulation"? Couldn't it just as easily be 6 months if there are many temperature extremes during that time? What if it's 2 years? Where's the hard data that proves that going 1 year without changing oil that's only 1000 miles old is bad for the engine?

Thats very true, in a lot of places moisture accumulation could be 6 months or less. In dry climes maybe 2 years is a valid number.



There really is no hard data but the engine and oil manufacturers CYA by saying so many miles or 1 year to cover themselves. Not scientific by a long shot but just a general rule.