Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Oil change interval question

The only time I drive a diesel is for work. Had the truck serviced and a synthetic oil was used. Then I notice on the sticker that the interval is 3000 miles. Shouldn't the synthetic extend that just like in a gas rig? Sounds like they just want another 200 dollar oil change as fast as they can get it. mtmuley

sounds like a rip to me.......my three gas pick ups

get the synthetic oil changed once a year...less than 10K miles

3.4L Toyota..4.0L Toyota.....6.0L Chevy 2500HD

My '08 Dodge diesel has a 7500 mile interval with dino. A lot of shops automatically put those stickers in the windows just to drum up business. Car owners think they need it changed every 3k but the car makers know they don't. Go by the owners manual, not the shop's profit and loss statement.

Local guy I know was running a Dodge Cummins, in about a 98 or 99 Model 3/4 ton 4WD...he was running Mobil Delvac 5 W 40 in his...
and was changing it once every 20K on it, and changing the filter every 5 k....

was a work truck used in commercial application...must have worked fine, as he sold it to a happy buyer with 400K on it..and still running strong...and no consumption issues..

^

I specifically tell them the mileage I want put on the sticker (if I have it done).

Thanks guys. Delvac is in this one. Miles are to and from an out of state jobsite so mostly hiway. Figured it had to extend the change interval. mtmuley

Important to check synthetic oil level and top it off if necessary between 7,500 mi. changes....

Do an oil analysis at 7,500 and see how the oil is doing. Not the cheap bench top, either, use a real lab. It's not that expensive, and it's the only way to KNOW, instead of guess.

'98 Taco 3.4 V6 will use about one pint between annual changes...

My best ever 'Yota....214K miles now.......

^^This^^

I wouldn't worry about it. Probably just made a mistake, a different person from who changed it and thinking dino oil when he did the sticker.

On a diesel, with dino oil there's nothing wrong with 3000 mile changes. Oil gets black real quick in a diesel and costs nothing compared to an engine. In mine it also lubes/cools 3 expensive turbos. I don't mind changing oil every 3-4000 miles, it's cheap insurance.

Tx270, you may be right, but I agree it's cheap insurance. I bought my 2001 Expedition new and change the oil every 3000 miles and it just turned 260,000 miles.

Diesel or gas?

Sorry, should have mentioned, 5.4L Gas.

Your vehicle so maintain it how you wish, but changing @ 3K miles in a gas engine is excessive, IMO. my gas motor's oil barely has color at 3K.

Because of the soot in a diesel makes a little more sense, but that much to me.

Just go by the owner's manual.

Ford reco's 5000 on the 01, FWIW.

Like heck it is! The difference between a 3,000 mile interval and a 5,000 mile interval (which are both EXCESSIVE for a diesel) amounts to 40 additional oil changes at 300,000 miles, or about $8,000.

Push it to 7,500 miles, and you are over $12,000.

I'll spend $80 for an oil analysis a couple of times to save $12,000.

What kind of pixie dust are you guys adding to make an oil change $200?

I should also add that the 7500 mile interval in my Dodge Cummins was the SEVERE service interval by the owner's manual, which is what I change all my fluids under. If you went by the "NORMAL" service interval it was 15,000 miles....

I sold that truck to a friend about 18 months ago. It had 200,000 miles on it then. Not sure how many it has now but I know he's never touched the motor except to change filters and the oil every 7500 miles.

Actually diesels, especially older ones, are easier on oil than gas motors.

Well 300,000 miles for me is 15-20yrs. Think whatever you like, do whatever you like.....makes no difference to me. Ten quarts of Rotella @ $12/gallon to me is cheap insurance for a $30,000 engine. You agree or not, so what.

My ford is a pig....it holds 18 quarts and with it using oil to fire the injectors, i wont push it over 5 by much.

$30,000 engine? oy... That's well over 10K more than a spanking new crate motor. Way more than twice the cost of an in-frame.

Why on God's green earth do you drive a diesel if you only run 15,000 miles a year? And what has time to do with the difference in cost? Is wasting $8,000 easier if you do it spread out over 20 years?

What motor takes 18 quarts?

My old n/a 7.3 took 15.

My '08 Cummins holds 12 qt. Doing it myself costs about $90 for Mobile 1 and a good filter. I don't know what it would cost at a shop. I'm too cheap to have a shop change my oil.

It's not a crate motor.

Stupid question.

New motors come in crates. That's why they are called "crate" engines.

Rebuilt engines come rolling around in the back of the Fedex freight truck.......

Now, go play asphalt cowboy again and let the big people have an intelligent conversation.

Your ignorance is showing. There are "crate" engines and there are "rebuilds." There are also "built" engines, several notches above either.

And 3 more in the hpop.

years ago ( in the mid 70s) I have a Vega GT.... it didn't hold 18 quarts... but it didn't take it long to GO THRU 18 quarts....

now that was a car you really never needed to change the oil on...