I noticed the new oil change schedule is 15,000 miles.....<br><br>is any one else complately shocked about this, i mean they move from 7500 last year to 15K this year... i can see Dodge buying a lot of theses engine.. What has everyone been changing there oil at. <br>I still do it around 5K depending on what I have been doing with the truck...

 

Wick, I run syntethic so I probably am not in a place to answer. I have been running 20,000 miles between changes with good results, sending in a sample every 10K.<br><br>When I was running Dino oil I went 6-8k between changes. 15K seems a bit long especially if you are not sampling, 10K would be a lot better idea IMO. Oil is cheap but I think it's a waste to change it sooner than 5K.<br><br>Cummins (or was it Dodges?) comment is due to the significant reduction in soot with the common rail injection system the oil change interval can be increased.<br><br>Vaughn

 

Sounds like you are looking at maintenance Schedule A. Check your owner's manual for the exclusion to Schedule, almost everyone except those who park their truck in a warm garage during winter months and never drive it. Maintenance schedule B is the realistic one for most vehicles and calls for oil changes at 7,500 miles. It's always the exceptions, fine print or footnotes that are the catch. See other posts on this DTR web site on this subject. <br><br>

 

The dealer sells them with the extended (15000 mile) interval but their service department validadtes the waranty using the severe service interval (7500 miles). Catch 22. On my new '02 my dealer even sent me a maintenance schedule booklet with coupons and adds - and it was set up based on 3000 mile interval! I bet they are doing that for new '03 buyers too.<br><br>Actually the oil stays extreemly clean compared to other diesels - I have never seen coal black oil in any Cummins I own - tar comes out of powerstrokes and MB cars! So maybe the longer change interval has a chance.