[N_E_T_O]

Don't want to start a long sythetic vs dino oil thread or anything, I'm just wondering for those that run regular DINO oil (Like Rotella 15-40) how many miles do you go between oil changes?

3000, 4000 or 5000?

Conditions: About 30% towing a 7000 lb boat, another 30% long trips with no load, but in mountains so lots of hills, the rest around town to and from work, mixed city/highway.

I'm at 3400 miles right now since I've bought the truck (used, with 99,000 miles on it) and stopped and bought oil and such, but haven't changed it yet.

thanks
Randy

 

[vanmantraveler]

Randy,
I used to live in Ogden so I know the mountains around there.... with your loads and your mixed city mountain and loads... I would keep the miles down on the oil change from 4 to 5k at the most. I try to do mine at about 4000 running the Rotella but short change it when I have been towing more then just driving empty. If I have not towed at all I will strech it out to 5000. so I am not set in stone as to how often I change my oil.

 

[Fever]

I change mine at 5k which has ended up being 2x a year (Rotella 5W40 synthetic in the winter - Rotella 15W40 in the summer)

 

[Gooch]

Per your Owner's Manual, Ford recommends a 3,000 interval under the conditions you use it (towing, short trips, etc).

I go 3-4K miles between changes. I tow a lot.

 

[midwest]

Have a oil analysis done. You will find you are dumping perfectly good oil. I know some habits die hard.

International recommends 10k (the horror!) oil intervals on the T444E when it is in their trucks. I know, I know,,larger oil pan, tuned differently ect. ect..

Ford recommended 5k (1/2 what the engine manufacturer recommends) to help keep their dealers busy.

If you dump your oil at 3k, why not change all the filters and fluids then too, after all, it's cheap insurance right? Tranny, differentials, brake + powersteering fluid, change em all out every few months, afterall, jiffylube says to.

 

[midwest]

[ QUOTE ]
Per your Owner's Manual, Ford recommends a 3,000 interval under the conditions you use it (towing, short trips, etc).

I go 3-4K miles between changes. I tow a lot.

[/ QUOTE ]


Gooch is saying listen to Ford and not the people who built the engine? Say it isn't so!

 

[samdust]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Per your Owner's Manual, Ford recommends a 3,000 interval under the conditions you use it (towing, short trips, etc).

I go 3-4K miles between changes. I tow a lot.

[/ QUOTE ]


Gooch is saying listen to Ford and not the people who built the engine? Say it isn't so!

[/ QUOTE ] /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gifhaha blackstone told me every 7000.

 

[SmokeyWren]

I go by Blackstone Oil Analysis. They've been telling me 5,500 miles for years, then last time they told me to try 6,000 this time.

Most of my miles are towing at 16k gross, in dusty conditions and hot weather. So Ford says 3,000 miles. But based on analyzing my used oil, Blackstone tells me 6,000 miles for my oil in my truck under my conditions. For most folks, they say 7,500 miles, and for some even more, up to a max around 10,000 on dino oil without gee whiz aftermarket oil filtering mods.

 

[Gooch]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Per your Owner's Manual, Ford recommends a 3,000 interval under the conditions you use it (towing, short trips, etc).

I go 3-4K miles between changes. I tow a lot.

[/ QUOTE ]


Gooch is saying listen to Ford and not the people who built the engine? Say it isn't so!

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif

...I'm not saying listen to them, I'm just tell'n ya what they say.

I go 3-4K because my PSD likes it. Better cold starts, less romping, less noise...still running original injectors, HPOP, IPR, etc. I also know that using fresh oil more frequently means that my engine runs on cleaner oil over its life. I can do a change/filter in 10 minutes for under $35. Plus the old stuff gets recycled.

A lot of people like Smokey use an oil analysis as a way to determine change intervals. But in fact, an oil analysis is meant to tell you the condition of your engine. While the test might show that the contaminate level in the used oil is ok, it will still be higher than that of fresh oil. And when the test shows it's not ok, you've already subjected your engine to worn out oil...too late. To get a good idea of how your used oil is doing, you would have to compare it to a sample of the same new oil.

In my fleet days we would run the recommended change interval and monitor our oil samples for spikes or unusual contaminate levels. This would alert us of any potential engine issues. We left the actual oil testing to the API.

 

[Fever]

I have a little black bottle with 5W40 that has 5k miles on it from this winter sitting next to me...just need to drop it in the mail to Blackstone

I don't plan on changing my habits from one analysis though (unless it's a really bad one /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif )

 

[samdust]

i go 7000 cause i cant afford every 3000 i would if i could gooch im with u if i could do it for 35 bucks. but it cost me 55 and i do ALOT of driving i put like 30 to 40000 miles a year on my truck. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif eh! its my job.

 

[Gooch]

I got it...

I could send guys like Smokey my used oil. With only 3-4K miles on it, he could use it another 3-4K miles. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif

 

[Fever]

that just sounds wrong /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif hehe...

I see your point and i'm all for frequent changes (i don't like the idea of bypass/superduper 20k mile changes), but my manual does say 5k mile intervals for certain driving conditions and i've got 15 quarts of oil in it!!! how can 15 quarts of oil lose it's value in only 3000 miles??

 

[DMAN99]

Ive ran mine to 10,000 with rotella 15-40 and had an analysis done and still good and went 15,000 but no analysis pretty well used

 

[clux]

I run 10,000 mile interval on Delo 400 15w-40, analysis every change. I do some towing, and I am always driving in very dust conditions. Blackstone always tells me to try a couple more thousand on the next fill.

 

[N_E_T_O]

Thanks everyone for all your opinions, that is exactly what I wanted. Next month I've got a summer Lake Powell trip planned, which will be approx 1000 miles round trip, mid July (= hot), with lots of hills and mountains in between. I think THIS time I'll change my oil right before I go on that trip, mostly because I have no idea what kind of oil the PO put in it. All I know is that there was a "Jiffy Lube" sticker on the windshield, but it didn't say what kind of oil they put in. For all I know, it might have been Penzoil 10-40 (not that there is anything wrong with Penzoil...for most cars...).
After I change it this time, with Rotella 15-40, I think I'll shoot for the 4000 to 5000 mile range.

Thanks again!

Randy

 

[samdust]

when u take ur truck in to get the oil changed do they fill the filter up before they put it back on. i always change my oil my self so i dont know.

 

[SmokeyWren]

[ QUOTE ]
when u take ur truck in to get the oil changed do they fill the filter up before they put it back on.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's SOP, or should be. I know I've had mine changed at Wal-Marts all over the country, and I always watch them like a hawk, and they always do it right - including pouring at least a quart of new oil in the new filter before screwing the new filter onto the engine. When I DIY, I usually fill up the filter, which requires more than a quart.

 

[N_E_T_O]

I've never taken any of my cars in to have them serviced. Always just do it myself. I'm too obessive compulsive (OCD). When I was younger it was because of finances. I thought that once I could afford to let other people do stuff for me, I would. As it turns out, the older I get the more I want to continue doing stuff myself! I can't stand it when I see stripped out oil plugs, loose filters, footprints on the floormats, grease smudges on the fenders, etc. Back when I was a mechanic (prior life) I made sure that any job I did, I would be happy to sign my name on it. The old saying "If you want it done right, do it yourself" really applies to me! Seems like anytime I have something done by anyone else on ANYTHING of mine, I don't like the way they did it! I won't even let the neighbor kid mow my lawn! Now THAT'S OCD!
By the way, yes, I do fill the filter up before installing. Always have.

Randy

 

[oakhillbill]

First few times I let someone else change mine. Always overfilled, even at the Ford dealer. When I would ask how many quarts they put in, the reply was 16 quarts. With the added cost of changing oil in the PSD, I will just do it myself every 5000 miles, knowing it will be done correctly. I hope I can still crawl under this truck when I'm 70, just 22 years from now. At 10K per year and 50K on her now, she should last that long!