I just recently purchased a 2006 2500 Quad Cab, 5.9L Cummins Turbo Diesel and was wondering how often the oil needs to be changed and if using synthetic oil is better than regular. I drive about 40 miles, mostly freeway, to work and home each day. I also tow a 35 ft. fifth wheel, 8800 lb., about 500 miles a month.

I have talked to others who own diesels and always seem to get a different response to my question. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to the DTR!
If your stuck, like many, with finding only the new CJ-4 Diesel Oil.... change every 5,000 miles. Cheap insurance

RJ

 

Here is what I suggest.
Change your oil every 5000 miles for the first 20,000 miles.
This will be the period during which your engine is getting broken in.
Then follow the owner's manual which says oil change every 7,500 miles under your driving conditions.
If you are reallly ****, you can get an oil analysis done at the time of your oil change and see what the condition of it is. You will discover that at 7500 miles the oil will still be good to go.
I use Delo 400 15W-40 oil.
I change my oil at 15,000 mile intervals. I got oil analysis's done to make sure that the oil was still good at 15,000 miles. It is. My driving conditions are similar to yours except I do a lot more towing.
Cummins makes these engines so that they are easy on oil.
I feel that people who change oil in these trucks at 3000 and 5000 miles are just throwing money down the drain.

That's my $.02

 

jdunk - Since your owners manual was written before the CJ-4 oil was developed, I feel this advice has been superceeded.
But you can decide for yourself with some research...... starting HERE

RJ

 

I change mine every 5,000 but I only drive around 8000 miles a year.

 

I used to do it every 5,000-6,000 I just put in a synthetic so the next oil change will be at 10,000 miles, after this one (to make sure it's all the synthetic in there) I'll move it out to around 15 to 20K maybe more depending on what an oil analysis says.

 

I might add to this, Cummins is very satisfried with 7000 to 7500 mile oil and filter changes with non synthetic oil on a heavly worked engine.

 

jdunk,

If your under warranty then I would not go past 15K OCI with full synthetic oil to keep Dodge happy.