I purchased my first CTD a couple months ago with 60K miles on it. I pulled the dipstick and the oil looked like it had just been poured in. I found a change sticker on the windshield that indicated it had 3K miles on it since changed. Kinda freaked me out as that didn't seem right to have that many miles and still be clear. So I changed it. I've now put another 3K miles on this oil change and the oil is still crystal clear. I'm using Rotella 15w-40. Is this normal??? Even my gassers don't keep oil that clean.

 

If yours is an EARLY o4 probably has the 305/555 motor. They will stay clear for a LONNGGGG time oil wise. The 04.5 and up trucks get black literally within about 100 miles. ALl about the emissions equip on the 610 and up motors. I have a 2002 as well and the oil will look clear at 7500 miles!

 

I once had a pretty good Dodge Tech tell me I was throwing money away changing the oil on my '98 at 3K miles, even though I towed an 11K RV. He said with 12 qts. oil it would easily go 6K. I usually could read through the oil at change time on it, even at 100K miles.
Cummins and Dodge must have agreed, change interval spec. in my '06owner's manual is 7.5K under heavy use and 15K light use. Of course the oil in it is black as the dogcatcher's heart at 500 miles.

Dan

 

Don't be scared... I do an analysis at 10K, and if still ok, then I go till 15K and I run the same oil (Rot 15-40) as you do. Nice to have such a tight engine huh?
I luv my cummins.

 

Thanks for the input. I contributed it to being a tight engine. Just kinda caught me off guard. I run John Deere construction equipment and even when new they dirty oil like Dan described. I'm definitely looking at running this oil to the 7K mark since 95% of my use is with no load and under 2K rpm. Thanks again.