Gentlemen,

97 Powerstroke
Oil did not soil till 5000 highway miles,so I changed it.
To long?

Sabbo87

 

5000 is the recemmended milage for diesel engine oil change..........Your good..........

 

I change mine every 3000 miles whether I am towing or not. I have gone as far as 4000 but I prefer not to. I change my own so it isn't a hassle waiting in lines at the oil change stores. If you are towing or hauling I would defanatly change it every 3000.

 

My guess is that the answers you get will be about 50/50 yes/no. More than likely, 5000 is OK. However, if changing at 3000 makes you feel better, then do it. Changing the oil is cheap insurance when compared to the cost of a new engine. Personally, I have had my PSD a little over a year, and so far I have not had to tow or haul anything major. I have been changing my oil at 5000 mile intervals. I can, however, tell a difference in the way my truck runs on fresh oil vs. 5000-mile oil. Recently, I bought a 7000# camper. While towing this rig, I will seriously consider shorter intervals, perhaps even 3000-3500 miles and I will admit that I have been thinking about going to 4000 intervals anyway. Don't forget that the oil does a lot more things in your diesel engine than it does in a gasser.........

 

Considering the different responsibilities of the oil in a diesel, I change mine every 3000-3500 miles, or three times every 10000 miles. It's easy to remember when the next oil change is due, and extending beyond that, I see a difference in how the truck runs after an oil change.
Since I also do my own, I keep the expense down, and it also gives me a chance to check everything else out under the truck on a regular basis.

 

I try and change my oil every 4000-4500 miles, but depends on my schedule as well. Sometimes I go as long as 5000 miles but like the others have said, I really notice a difference when I wait that long. My mileage drops off about 1 to 1 1/2 miles per gallon after about 4300 miles on the oil (I keep detailed fuel records that show reduced mileage after 4300 miles on the oil). I am not positive, but I think the reason my mileage drops is because the oil is not operating my injectors as effeciently as when the oil is new. There is an antifoaming agent in our oil to keep the oil from forming air bubbles after it runs through the injectors, when that agent brakes down, the oil is probably foaming in the pan and causing drag on the crank. Again, I'm only guessing, I really don't know what the inside of a PSD looks like. Perhaps someone with experience can validate or clarify my theory. All I know is that my race car runs much better after I installed a windage tray, which keeps oil off my crank shaft. These PSD engines hold a bunch of oil, 14 quarts for my truck. Laying under my truck, the oil pan doesn't look all that huge, so I expect the oil level to be pretty close to the crank shaft counterweights as it is, if it starts to foam up, then the oil will start to 'wind up' on the crank and become a power drag.

Just my theory.