Truck Oil Change - Mileage or Computer?

[Outdoormatt]

I tend to use the computer..it's seems to change..I've had different filters on my truck and each filter gives completely different time to change and life

 

[Sapcut]

Guessing you don’t drive a diesel. The dark color doesn’t mean it’s bad.

Correct and do know that. However, I do use diesel 15w 40 oil to keep my gas engine squeaky.

 

[OrangeMan73]

Amsoil. Do it once a year. Dont really care about miles between, 12 months on the dot.

 

[RSather528]

My mechanic told me the biggest engine failures is on new/newer engines.

He said when people buy a new/newer car, they think they dont need to check the oil.

Ruh Roh....

My 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 w/ 150k now uses about 1qt every 3k miles. So I add a 1/2 qt to get me to 5000 miles, then change.

NOTE: My on board computer says I have ~20% oil life left at 5000 miles

Your oil usage is identical to what I experience. At least it’s consistent being that I have an 09 Silverado. Have you disabled the AFM or still running with it? Once I added that it tamed the usage down a little.

 

[Mosby]

I go by the computer but if I am making a long trip, I will normally change the oil early. I knew a guy that was a chemist and he swore you didn't need to change the oil, just the filter. Add some fresh oil when you change out the filter and you are good to go. He got 200,000 out of his vehicles and never had an engine failure. I have never been brave enough to try it.

 

[TheGDog]

In the Grand Scheme of things... you'll be saving yourself money if you just go by mileage. I would also say viscosity, but you really can't visually judge if the oils gotten thinned out by use, til ya drop-it anyway.

I always looked at the oil as "cheap insurance" that the engine will have the best chance to run well the longest.

Especially if you drive into the boonies for hunting, Man! You don't want to be worrying about "Gosh will the oil I currently have in there get me in and back out without taking a dump on me out in the middle of nowhere where the towing bill will be astronomical?"

Other thing I do.. force of habit from Motos... is always break-in new engines the same way I was shown for 2-Stroke dirtbikes. And always dump that first oil at 600miles.

I know some of the car manufacturers these days hook up their engines to machines at the factory to break them in. And that's all well and good, but I like knowing for sure proper break-in has happened. Where you push the engine pretty good, but don't wring it out, to ensure most thorough break-in possible. Big thing with breaking in a new engine is just don't be pushing it soo much that you're causing too much heat. That can cause scraping on piston which can pull some metal off the piston and stretch it over the opening the rings fit into, which would then affect how well the rings then seat from then on, messing up the seal for compression.

With todays cars just make sure you know if your particular car needs a certain kind of oil which has to have these various kinds of additives in it. Or NOT in it. (Usually not an issue unless a sport car).

 

[crossfox21]

Every 3000 miles regardless whether its syntheyic or regular. This one thing keeps my Tacomas rolling well past 300K

 

[Charlie-NY]

I've got a 2021 Tahoe. My service rep said that changing oil based on mileage doesn't make sense now that the vehicles internal computer can use many measurements to accurately determine the condition of your oil. Everyone drives differently, some long haul while others drive in the city regularely, some drive in dusty areas while others are driving in clean open air, some load their vehicles with weight or haul trailers while others never stress their drive train. How does using mileage to determine oil exhaustion for all these different drives make sense, he asked.

I have been changing my full synthetic oil every 5K miles even though I don't haul anything but the rep has convinced me that I'm just wasting my money.

 

[sndmn11]

You guys talking about oil computers in your truck...
I'm probably ten years from that.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I remember a lunch discussion I had once with a petroleum engineer and a chem. engineer about this. The comment at that point was that the oil wouldn't break down but the additives would deteriate over time. I think at that time the recommendations included a time element- 3,000 mile OR 6 months.

I change every 5,000 miles in my diesel. It's just easier to keep track of. Factory recommendations are up to 7,500 but depending on use and conditions.

I'm not prone to pushing the limits but prefer to change at reasonable periods rather than save a buck.

 

[TheGDog]

The time component can make sense for the person who drives around town or sits in fwy gridlock often. When you're not getting anywhere, that oil is just sitting their slow-cooking.

So while you may not have reached the max miles number yet... it could be that comparatively speaking... you've subjected that oil to longer amounts of events which contribute to it's break-down... such as the slow-cooker of sitting in traffic without the massive air-flow rushing over all components.

 

[DMTJAGER]

I have never gone beyond 4k miles between oil changes. To cheap of insurance not to.
Oil does more than just lubricate.
Just as important to your oil IMO is changing your vehicles air filter 2x a year, and inspect my air filters every oil change and using my air compressor blow out my air filter every oil change.

 

[Carrot Farmer]

I run Schaeffers Oil in all of our vehicles. Oil sample vehicles every 3000 mi(typically change every 7000), tractors sampled every 200, changed every 4-600.

Above, ic pending conditions vehicle/tractor is operating in also


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[Rich M]

synthetic oil here - change every 10K whether it needs it or not.

regular old style oil - every 3-5,000 miles. My uncle was an old style mechanic and said he could tell who changed their oil and who didn't when he worked on the vehicle. It was good to know.

 

[Wrench]

If you see an oil analysis you'll see silicates are typically the killer and those come from the air ingested. The AIR filter has a lot to do with your oil life. Guys running an oiled element in dirty areas vs a Donaldson will have faster service intervals. In the winter moisture can be an issue if the engines do not get enough heat to vaporize the water...

Far too many variables for a pat answer and the service department is in business for repairs. Oil is cheap.

 

[CoyoteOak]

Good stuff!

 

[swampthing]

I look after a fleet of pickups. I find the easiest way is to do it at every 10,000km [6000miles]. Different drivers use the trucks so its easy for me to see when a change is due. Every even 10k on the odo the truck gets a change. My person ford company truck gets the same treatment. If I forget to reset the oil life it goes off at 12,000km on the button. Quality synthetic oil goes without saying.

 

[Sandstrom]

Maybe a new filter every year or two, some of mine burn or leak so much oil that they get a new quart every week
Ryan

 

[Soilguy115]

I’ve always used the computer.


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[Rokbar]

Synthetic oil, every 10K with new filter.