Truck Oil change intervals

[bp fick]

The "service light" on my truck senses nothing. It's merely a built in trip meter. Nothing exotic. The Fords we're driving use a "percentage remaining" read out. Whatever that is. Don't know, and don't particularly care. Everything on the property gets serviced regularly on schedule. I sleep really good at night.

 

[mkr7734]

The service light runs off combustion events. I have run Mobil 1 since it came out. Fram also sells a 15K synthetic oil filter and that is what I use.
If you are in the warranty zone remember that the dealer can read when you have reset the light. Also and more important Save your receipts for your oil and filter purchases with documentation of when they were used on the truck. If for some reason something goes wrong the dealer may well not repair the thing under warranty if you can't prove the oil changes. I have seen this more than once at the dealer where I worked. Why a lot of people suggest you let the dealer do it till the warranty is up.
So to be safe I would change it when the light calls for it to be changed and keep your receipts till you are out of warranty then no problem on the 15K oil and filter changes.

Just a note, The GM dealer uses Mobil oil and on the cars that they put Mobil 1 and the conventional oil in they use the AC Delco filters.

Ultra Synthetic Oil Filter | FRAM

 

[kcflhrc]

I wouldn't use a FRAM filter unless it was the only thing available.

 

[mkr7734]

I wouldn't use a FRAM filter unless it was the only thing available.

Well that is just YHO. I have seen many filters and the construction of the Fram Synthetic filter is top quality. If you open up a AC Delco filter you will find paper at the end plates. Not metal like the Fram. You buy the cheapest filter on the shelf and you get what you paid for. And that is JMHO.
You asked for input in the first post and now you are the expert???????????????? :mur:

 

[dmccarty]

The only real way to know if you NEED to change the oil, is to do a Used Oil Analysis. I use Blackstone Labs to do my UOA. I routinely put 12-14,000 miles on an oil change with my 7.3 diesel. The recommended interval is 5,000 miles. BUT that is with MY driving. In all but one oil change, I was throwing away perfectly good oil even with the high mileage. One time I had diesel fuel in the oil, still within parameters, due to getting stuck in traffic. Thankfully, I was able to stop driving in that traffic and no more fuel in the oil.

Either change by the book, and most people are likely to be running severe service, or get the UOA and change per the results. Anything else is a guess. Well, changing per the book is a guess but a good, SAFE one. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[JRobyn]

My experience is with an '04 Sierra 5.3l. Used Mobil 1 since it's first change, usually with a Mobil 1 filter, but sometimes a Bosch or Delco, anything that I consider to be a good-quality filter (never Fram), and changes whenever the "oil monitor" says. 280,000 mi so far, still uses almost no oil between changes that are usually about 8-10k, sometimes more. Have done NOTHING to the engine except oil/filter changes, air filter changes, one rebuilt alternator, and 2 sets of plugs (one new set of MSD wires).

 

[kcflhrc]

Well that is just YHO. I have seen many filters and the construction of the Fram Synthetic filter is top quality. If you open up a AC Delco filter you will find paper at the end plates. Not metal like the Fram. You buy the cheapest filter on the shelf and you get what you paid for. And that is JMHO.
You asked for input in the first post and now you are the expert???????????????? :mur:

Not an expert, I just know FRAM filters are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to air and oil filters.

 

[mkr7734]

Not an expert, I just know FRAM filters are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to air and oil filters.

I would tend to agree with that on the regular Fram filters. But if you look at the link on the Synthetic Fram filter it's construction is much better and comparable to others. I only stated I use the Synthetic filters.
Here is some interesting reading. Keep in mind this comparison is the premium filters for Mobil 1 and Bosch and the Fram is their bottom of the line filter. So not really apples to apples.
Oil filter comparison, 4 top brand oil filters cut up and compared. - NASIOC

 

[LD1]

I wouldn't use a FRAM filter unless it was the only thing available.

Not an expert, I just know FRAM filters are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to air and oil filters.

I hear this all the time and unfortunately you are mis-informed.

The fram XG and even the TG filters are top of the line and rate right up there with the best of the best in several independent tests.

Sure, there low end filter isn't up there on quality and I wouldnt use a standard fram PH series. As with many other things, one company (fram) makes many different levels of quality. You get what you pay for. A $3 filter is just that. Their TG and XG filters are ~$10, and compare well with all the other higher end filters out there.

So do your homework and stop bashing fram all-together and just repeating what is said so many times on the net about fram making a crappy filter.

 

[clemsonfor]

The "service light" on my truck senses nothing. It's merely a built in trip meter. Nothing exotic. The Fords we're driving use a "percentage remaining" read out. Whatever that is. Don't know, and don't particularly care. Everything on the property gets serviced regularly on schedule. I sleep really good at night.

The change oil message on the dash of my 2012 colorado says that it uses computer calculations based on speed, engine rpms and temperature to adjust oil change times. I guess i pretty much drive the same type and idle the same amount all year so even in the short term it does not matter if i idled more...or drove more interstate miles. But anyway it sure seems to go off at 9,600-9,800 miles every time!! And i have read others on the internet that says thiers go off on the same truck pretty much the exact same time as mine so i would argue as well its just an oil change odometer. But maybe its set to the 9800 mark but if your really do a lot of towing or literally sit around at idle for half a day maybe it defaults to like 5k? But unless mark A,B,C and or two of them are met it will not shorten the change life?