View Poll Results: at 25% oil-life today
do nothing till the oil-life indicator says to
29
28.16%
change filter only & do the full oil & filter change when the oil-life is done
0
0%
change filter and oil early, if it bothers you that much
74
71.84%
Voters: 103. You may not vote on this poll
Oil change concerns
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,308
Likes: 250
From: Hartford, WI
The ONLY way you'll actually know if the oil is any good, is to take a sample and send it off to the lab...
But, to do a sample properly, you have to collect it mid-pour out of the pan.. in which case, you've drained roughly half the pan's capacity.. may as well do an oil and filter swap while your hands are dirty.
Then when you get the results back, you'll know if you wasted your money changing it early, or prevented a fiasco because you got dirty oil out. The onboard OLM is only a timer, it doesn't know if you started your engine at -30*c not plugged in, to drive it 5 miles before shutting it off for there day, or if you put a 20,000 lb trailer on it and tugged it through Death Valley in August.
Don't go by that. Go off your usage, and mileage. Yes newer oils are better than from 30 years ago. They have more additives, keep things cleaner inside your engine, and better lubricated. Part of the additives being better, is they hold more particles in suspension, and some of them are smaller than the microns in your filter.
I know I'll be doing my first oil change between 1500-2000 miles, and the second about 4000 later, then 7500 after.
Probably overkill, but it's my truck, and that's what I've had success with in the past with these 6.7's
Side note, I grew up in PG, still have lots of family and friends there, one in fact works at the dealership you must have gotten it from. Good luck with the new rig
But, to do a sample properly, you have to collect it mid-pour out of the pan.. in which case, you've drained roughly half the pan's capacity.. may as well do an oil and filter swap while your hands are dirty.
Then when you get the results back, you'll know if you wasted your money changing it early, or prevented a fiasco because you got dirty oil out. The onboard OLM is only a timer, it doesn't know if you started your engine at -30*c not plugged in, to drive it 5 miles before shutting it off for there day, or if you put a 20,000 lb trailer on it and tugged it through Death Valley in August.
Don't go by that. Go off your usage, and mileage. Yes newer oils are better than from 30 years ago. They have more additives, keep things cleaner inside your engine, and better lubricated. Part of the additives being better, is they hold more particles in suspension, and some of them are smaller than the microns in your filter.
I know I'll be doing my first oil change between 1500-2000 miles, and the second about 4000 later, then 7500 after.
Probably overkill, but it's my truck, and that's what I've had success with in the past with these 6.7's
Side note, I grew up in PG, still have lots of family and friends there, one in fact works at the dealership you must have gotten it from. Good luck with the new rig
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,308
Likes: 250
From: Hartford, WI
I dont know why people ask these questions. Read the manual !! I decided to change my oil at 5k miles regardless and then a year later my truck told me to change oil due to age.
This is like taking a crap and asking what TP to use and how many times should I wipe....Only you can decided
This is like taking a crap and asking what TP to use and how many times should I wipe....Only you can decided
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,308
Likes: 250
From: Hartford, WI
Question about the OLM. I wonder whether there is a difference using Semi Synthetic vs Full Synthetic. My guess is that it was programmed for Semi so it might not realize, like MB might, that you are using full or semi.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 8,640
Likes: 2,435
Tuned
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 488
Likes: 142
From: Indianapolis
The oil life monitor goes to zero % life remaining in 12 months on the gas trucks, it is not that smart. My truck is not my daily driver, and I only do about 6000 miles a year. I did an early oil change at 1000 miles, then an oil change at the 3000 miles interval, next oil change will be at 5000 mile interval, then I plan for the next oil change at the 7500 mile interval. I am using Blackstone to perform used oil analysis, once engine break in is completed, I will use their suggestion for oil change intervals, not the oil minder. Philip.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,368
Likes: 620
The oil life monitor goes to zero % life remaining in 12 months on the gas trucks, it is not that smart. My truck is not my daily driver, and I only do about 6000 miles a year. I did an early oil change at 1000 miles, then an oil change at the 3000 miles interval, next oil change will be at 5000 mile interval, then I plan for the next oil change at the 7500 mile interval. I am using Blackstone to perform used oil analysis, once engine break in is completed, I will use their suggestion for oil change intervals, not the oil minder. Philip.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 1,653
Likes: 696
The oil life monitor goes to zero % life remaining in 12 months on the gas trucks, it is not that smart. My truck is not my daily driver, and I only do about 6000 miles a year. I did an early oil change at 1000 miles, then an oil change at the 3000 miles interval, next oil change will be at 5000 mile interval, then I plan for the next oil change at the 7500 mile interval. I am using Blackstone to perform used oil analysis, once engine break in is completed, I will use their suggestion for oil change intervals, not the oil minder. Philip.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,297
Likes: 170
From: Hunterdon Cnty N.J.
At work I have an 06 model GMC. Too old for me to trust the Oil life indicator. But miles are few so once a year.
I have a 2010 F-450 and a 2017 F-450 with V-10s. I use the indicator for them and trust it.... Or once a year. Its usually below the 5,000 but these trucks work hard at slow speeds and idle more than a personal truck.
The newer computerized systems take more info into account and I feel comfortable with that info.
Our Camaro has Gas DI which is supposed to push a lot of combustion by product into the oil. I changed it at 1,000 and in December I did the second change before covering it for the winter with only 3,000 miles. And I swapped out the factory fill in the rear as well. I dont care what the computer says... Even with the $8 a qt oil it requires 10 of.
I use the oil I believe is best at the time. Full synth. Right now in the truck Im using Valvoline. But no brand loyalty really. I use that in the Accord too.
Mobil 1 0w40 in the Camaro.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 2,970
Likes: 2,407
From: Ridgway, CO
This EXTRA only changing the filter early idea, is just for this first oil change, at 25% oil-life left monitor... Then when it says oil-life left is zero% I would change the filter again, and the oil too... Doesn't seem that radical to me, It's an EXTRA step to make sure the filter isn't plugged from the extra brake-in crud that's in there but won't be in the later oil change intervals, thus I would change both at the same time then... 
It's basically, the same idea most of you have, of changing the oil and filter in the first 1,000 miles... Even thou the oil-life monitor says that the oil and the filter is good for another 95% of life... I'm just saying there in no reason to change the oil too, it's the filter that is/could be a problem if it plugs up totally, and bypasses the oil without filtering... JMO
It's basically, the same idea most of you have, of changing the oil and filter in the first 1,000 miles... Even thou the oil-life monitor says that the oil and the filter is good for another 95% of life... I'm just saying there in no reason to change the oil too, it's the filter that is/could be a problem if it plugs up totally, and bypasses the oil without filtering... JMO
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 5,898
Likes: 3,518
From: Uh oh, CA
I changed my oil yesterday. I punched the filter to let it drain. After a while I felt like it was time to remove it… and a ton of oil still came out! I’m just curious to see how someone would change the filter only without losing a large amount of oil, as well as getting oil everywhere… and then still having to add several more quarts back in at least… I’d say either change it all now or wait and do it all later.
Cross-Country
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 90
Likes: 39
Change your oil at what ever interval gives you a woody. I changed mine early from the factory oil just to tell myself I did something good for the truck. THEN I went 9K miles and sent that oil to Blackstone. He suggested going to 11K on the next change. That was 95% pulling a 16K 5th wheel across half the country at 70+ mph. You can guess, assume and read all the posts you want about others opinions, or you can test your own oil in your own truck at what ever interval you want to test at.
Edit: This is a Diesel.
Edit: This is a Diesel.
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 69
From: land of 10,000 lakes
Change your oil at what ever interval gives you a woody. I changed mine early from the factory oil just to tell myself I did something good for the truck. THEN I went 9K miles and sent that oil to Blackstone. He suggested going to 11K on the next change. That was 95% pulling a 16K 5th wheel across half the country at 70+ mph. You can guess, assume and read all the posts you want about others opinions, or you can test your own oil in your own truck at what ever interval you want to test at.
Edit: This is a Diesel.
Edit: This is a Diesel.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 2,277
Likes: 949
Change your oil at what ever interval gives you a woody. I changed mine early from the factory oil just to tell myself I did something good for the truck. THEN I went 9K miles and sent that oil to Blackstone. He suggested going to 11K on the next change. That was 95% pulling a 16K 5th wheel across half the country at 70+ mph. You can guess, assume and read all the posts you want about others opinions, or you can test your own oil in your own truck at what ever interval you want to test at.
Edit: This is a Diesel.
Edit: This is a Diesel.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 8,640
Likes: 2,435
17-19 had no mention of an OLM for the gas engine, not that I see in the manual, but I see that newer gas trucks do. What is interesting (if I'm looking at the right manual), and a little confusing, is that under the normal maintenance interval tables, it still gives a distance/hour/time change interval for gas. But with the diesel it says to go by the information display (with a note not exceed..). I wonder why the difference.