Last year , someone asked why their oil turned black so quick, At that time I had a 03 5.9. When I changed the oil it would keep its amber look for almost a month while most replies to the topic said that theirs turned black within a week. Well now I have a 06 5.9. and my oil will turn black as coal within a day. no fuel smell, nothing leaking into the oil. it just turns black.. I ran the motor to operating temp this weekend to see if that made a diff before the change.,,,No diff.. I use Rotilla 15/40. Is there a difference in the motor that would trap old oil, is it the FRAM oil filter? Is it the Rotilla I know lots of people who hate fram but I've never had a issue with it. Oil samples in the past were fine... I have not done a sample on this new to me 06/

 

The extra injection event on the 04.5+ engines push more soot into the oil. Mine is blacker than coal a second after I turn the key after an oil change.

 

How many miles on your truck? Mine had a lot... so just to make sure I'm stepping up my oil changes to every 3k- 3.5k for a few just to see if it helps clean things out a bit.

Mine too also turns black pretty much as soon as the engine is cranked.

I'm using a Fram oil filter too. Thinking of switching it out next change to a Baldwin as I'm going to order some of their fuel filters anyway. I don't expect a different oil filter to help much though in regards to oil color.

 

BTW... I would not use fram. I have heard many stories of the filter media in fram filters coming apart and ruining motors...

Fun, before you spend the 50 + bucks on oil, I'd spend 20 and get the oil analyzed to see what your TBN is on it (how much longer the oil can go).

 

Thank you, but no. I don't prescribe to extended drain intervals with testing. Never really saw the cents (pun intended) in it. 3 Gallons of Rotella T at Sams cost me only $30 + $4.95 Fram filter. So, for under $35 I can change my oil out OR spend $20 to get it tested.... For me I feel I have at least received something useful that's a benefit to me for the $35 oil change vs. the $20 piece of paper and the same old black oil in the truck.

I'm not going to do 3k oil changes all the time, just for the first few to see if it helps clean things out any. After I do a couple at 3-3.5k then I'll drain it out and change it there after every 5k. 5k is just simple and easy to keep track of as it's about every 6 months for me. Different strokes that's all. Thanks though.

 

Hey, as long as you have a plan!

To be honest, I kind of over change the oil myself, too. I'm gonna go to 5k this time and see what the report looks like.

 

Funfinder

It just turn over to 41K. I for to add this, I guess I made an *** of myself at the Dealer while negotiating last year,. I told them there was no way they changed the oil in this truck.,,, I guess Maybe they did change it now.

 

Madhat,

I think if FRAM had this problem of coming apart in engines, somebody would have sued the pants off of them by now. I too saw those stories an had some samples taken after a few 5K runs, no issues with the samples. I’m starting to believe that the black oil is nothing more than the residue refusing to let go of the engine walls... sorta like trying to clean diesel oil off your skin with a dry rag...It just doesn’t want to come off...

 

Except that the 305/555 engines don't do it (03-04)

 

If you do a search of fram failure here on the DTR, you'll get a few threads. I am by no means a super expert on anything that goes on here at the forums, but their filter is the only one that I have personally heard of coming apart, and only on our trucks. (not to say that they don't have problems elsewhere, or if maybe that was just an isolated event with a bad batch of filters)

However, I have also heard that they stand beside the repairs if it is proven that their filter caused the breakdown.

I can't explain perfectly why the extra injection event causes more soot on the 04.5+ trucks, but it has been explained on here pretty good before. If I run across that info, I'll post it up. Basically, the third injection event causes finer soot particles that get past the rings and into the oil, but the oil traps the soot particles, so it's almost a good thing that the oil is that black.

 

You're worried about 5K+ oil change intervals, but Fram oil filters are OK?!

 

Let's be nice on the opinions here...

I knew a guy that swore by quaker state in his 350 that had a little work done to it... it made me cringe, but he never had any problems (that he told me of).

If it works for you, it works.

 

The Quaker State critizism is new to me. I've used it in every gas motor I've had since 1979. Never had an engine that I added to between changes. Old and new, mileage to 200k miles in a Bonneville, 130K on 305 chev truck, 180K on my 98 GMC Z-71 (still have it) small engines, motor cycles, all of them never a drop to add and zero oil related failures.

This truck is the first change from QS but it is my first diesel and I went with the Cummins recommendation, VPB synthetic.

I may have to search around out of curiosity but in my experience I have no reason to change.

Cya

 

Not to be rude... but do you have reading comprehensive issues? I'll give ya the cliff notes:

I'm cheap
I drive less than 10,000 miles a year
I don't run synthetics or do extended drain intervals
I change my oil every 6 months which works out to 3.5k - 5k miles
I'm cheap, I run whatever oil filter I can find at that time that's $5-$8

 

Another point to prove that there are different strokes for different folks. Long story on the quakerstate, but it's not a big deal.

Again, let's be civil here.



So, back to the original issue, has anyone done any better research on the 3rd injection event and soot?