I just use Rotella T dino oil and change it every 10K miles. Looks almost as clean coming out as it does going in. These engines are really easy on the oil, seeing how it holds 3 gallons of it.

 

I changed mine for the first time at 2,000 miles -- put in a magnetic drain plug and then went another 4,000 miles. Its just been my practice to overkill the first two oil changes for new engines. My rationale is that high wear rates occur and that frequent oil changes optimize the conditions under which the engine runs.

I have to say I was completely impressed by what I saw on the magnetic drain plug with 4,000 miles on the oil and 6,000 miles on the engine. there was hardly anything on it! just barely enough residue to see!

 

Oil is CHEAP....... IMO changing it a often is a good idea. I've changed mine 3 times aready and it's only got 1700 miles on it (delo 400). It might be over kill, but to me it's peice of mind....... From now on I'll let it run 3500 before changing it.

 

I just got off the phone with the Rotella Sales rep in Central Texas. Some very important items to be aware of;
1) 2004 HO Cummins has a CI oil required rating.
2) Rotella Synthetic Blend and the 5-40w Full Synthetic is NOT...I repeat, NOT rated for the 2004 if it calls for the CI rating. This has changed from 2003 models that were CH rated.
Rotella has just completed upgrading the 5-40w Synthetic for the CI rating, but may not be available in your area yet. Make sure you are checking the rating at Wally World or SAMS before you buy the oil. And, the use of a CH rating oil in a CI engine WILL void the warranty.

Oh, My service manual calls for 3500 and 7500 changes. Maybe, they're selling the CALIF engine here in Texas????

Just thought I'd pass this along...I wonder what the Dealer installed at 3800 miles when I had the oil changed. Heck, it took the parts department almost 10 minutes to figure out the part number for the fuel filter..

 

If you have that much $$ to **** away send it my way.
Lemme see 5x the unnecessary oil changes x all the cars on the road= alot of wasted resources.
Get out of the 60's
You really think the manufactures would warranty your engine for as long as they do if the drain intervals were inadequate??
Please...

 

Lots of money yep..... a hole 32 bucks for the 2 times I've drainded it and put fresh delo 400 in it.......... concitering your playing with a motor that cost about 6500 bucks to replace it's nothing!

As for the warentee, I'm sure it would run 100,000 miles if you only changed the oil every 10k or so...... however, I'm after Max engine performance for the life of the motor and the first few oil changes go a long way!! All dodge cares about is the first 100k, I'm looking for more than that and 32 bucks is nothing for peice of mind concidering the trucks are over 30k in price..........

 

Just thought I'd add...... I"ve always changed oil in new motors at 500, 1500, and 3000 miles....... the same method is happing on my new truck.... Have you ever cut into an oil filter that's been on a motor durning the break in period??? Probably not. If you had you'd be changing yours like that too.........

 

Hmmmm lemme see 5 years apprentice, 15 years working in automotive, 9 years at a Ford dealer. I have both truck and car licenses, blue oval certified, EEC certified, I could go on. Probably rebuilt more engines and trannys than you have owned. I'll bet you anything-ANYTHING that my engine will last as long as yours if not longer mile for mile with 12k oil changes. I usually sell my trucks just under the 300k mark. And yep they were all running. Well. And yep cut many oil filters apart looking for evidence for the warranty companies. How many CTD do you hear with oil failures?? Doing your math I'd save 2grand over the time I owned my truck. Nice down-payment on a new one eh?

 

WOW...... All that experiance and you still need my 32 bucks

Look I'm not here to fight, I'm here to learn and share...... I just offered my .02 lets leave it at that.

 

I did my first oil change at 500 the next will be at 5,000 followed by regular 5,000 intervals.

 

You bet, this is accurate information. I have this brand new long block here. I pulled the pipe plug to install the block heater. After pulling it there was considerable shavings from the pipe tap in the hole for the block heater. If it is there, I am sure that there are shavings in other places. I will change it after a thousand or so the first time. Maybe get some of the crap out of the engine and that which is trapped in the filter. Amazed me....

Then I will go to the 7000 to 7500 changes with Delo that I use. The old engine was really clean at 240,000, not a trace of sludge or even parts that needed to be washed to reassemble. Of course I did anyway.

 

"Drive Them like you just stole it..."

But change it at the first sign of wettness.

Sounds like babying to me

7500 like the book says

 

Wrong.

My 2003 requires CI rated oil. Check your owners manual. I would assume that since mine is an early build 2003, that all 2003's have this same requirement.

 

Mobile Delvac 1300 is CI-4 rated and is only $5.88/gallon at Wally World. That's what I am running in mine until I get about 20K miles. Then I will switch to synthetic.

-Muzzy

 

" Wrong.

My 2003 requires CI rated oil. Check your owners manual. I would assume that since mine is an early build 2003, that all 2003's have this same requirement. "

Not wrong...there was a changeover in 2003 for the Cummins that changed the API rating from CH to CI... And Rotella Synthetic Blend and Rotella Synthetic do not meet the CI Rating. That's straight from the Rotella Rep...They just recently upgraded the Synthetic to CI but have not upgraded the Synthetic Blend yet. The Rotella Synthetic gallon container I looked at had API-CH on it...

Another words, make sure you're using the correct API Service rated oil in your truck. Just don't presume all Blends and Synthetic's meet the manufacturer's requirements.