Badd Dogg Guy19

Hey Everybody, I was looking around under the hood today, and pulled out the oil check, My oil is BLACK , Truck just turned 1,300 mi today. I was gonna wait till 3,000 mi, and do a change, but when I saw that, Im debating to do it this weekend. Should I do one at 1,500, than at 3,000, than the rest at 5,000?? I know what the manual says, but I dont feel comfortable to wait till 3,000 miles knowing it might take me a month or so. I was just surprised with the low milage, how black it was. Also, do you's recomend to get an oil sample kit, or should I wait till the truck has more time to break in? Any info will be very helpful!! Thanks

Jmac

Don't know much about the oil sample stuff, others will though.
BLACK oil is normal for many of the new trucks, mine included.
I change my oil every 6K.

Jamie

12PACK

I'm going to have to check my 2800 mile 05. I have a trip coming up, which will put ~1K on it and would like to do my first change prior, but figure it's no big deal if I do it when I get home.

First, I've got to make sure I can get the oil filter off. I've heard there's a gorilla in Mexico that's been putting them on at the factory.

I ordered a kit from Blackstone's and plan to send them a sample of the factory's oil, so I can use the results as a baseline.

bigman

My 05 is the same. The 04.5 s and newer get black fast.

Dorkweed

Black is normal after a short time in the 04.5 and newer trucks. Don't worry about it!!

Jeremy Cusick

Black is normal for ANY diesel. Just the nature of the beast. You could always ad a bypass filter unit to pull some of the excess soot out of the oil. Besides, you rings are far from being seated in the cylinders, so there's going to be more blowby until they do.

kohldadsr

Diesel are black. Period. Don't care how many miles are on it. If black worries you go back to gas. Diesel oil stains your hands every time you change the oil. Heard all these stories about the filter and was worried, then just changed it, no problem. The only diesels that I every worked on that the oil was not black was on Navy ships where all the oil was sent through a centrifuge which takes out every thing. The oil was put on the ship in 1942 and was still clear in 1957. Change my filter at 5K and the oil and filter at 10K weather it needs it or not. Amsoil of course. Ask Herb.

Phil

Badd Dogg Guy19

Thanks for the answers everybody , you's put me at ease. This is my first Diesel and first new truck, I just want to do everything right. Now that you's explained about soot turnig it black, and thats the nature of a diesel, I understand alot better. So, do you's reccomend waiting till I hit 3,000 for the first oil change?? Thanks again

DirtEater

IA_James

You'll get as many different opinions on this as there are people on this site. They range all the way from 500 miles to who knows what. One guy even had some idiot salesman threaten to void his warranty if he changed the oil before a certain mileage. About the only thing that (most) everyone agrees on, is use the best filter you can get. Fleetguard's Stratopore is generally regarded as that filter. There is also a regular Fleetguard, and at least AC Delco also makes a good filter. There are several others that I'm not thinking of right off the top of my head. CI-4+ oil is the only way to go for the newer ones, pretty much any of the big name oils meet this spec. Rotella is supposed to smell kinda funny for the first 500 miles or so, but outside of that you can't hardly go wrong with a "big" brand.

Hounddog

Rotella dosen't smell funny,it smells RANK.

STATELINE

Badd Dogg,
for what it's worth. I intend on changing mine at 3500, then 7500 & then at 7500 intervals, as per manual. at some point after around 20k~ switching to synthetic, then 10-12k intervals with filters at half way (5-6k) jmo

Hounddog

Well it does.A friend of mine the first time he used it called me and said "I changed oil in my truck now its got this HORRIBLE smell"said is 5 year old said DADDY what is THAT smell! I explained about Rotella and he said GAWD I don't think I'll try that stuff again.He claims it took 1500 miles for the SMELL to go away.He does use it to this day and says its never smelled as bad as that FIRST time. Any how I swapped to syn.at 15k on the button.Change oil filter at 6 months or 6k.Will run it 12 months or 12k which ever comes first.just changed the filter the other day(6 months)and it had rolled about 4500 miles.I don't drive my 3500 everday.I have a 98 1500 slt also.I also have it front to rear with Amsoil fliuds & wheel bearing grease.

Slice

Mine is changed every 5,000. still that honey golden brown color, diffrence between 04 and the rest....something about that third injection event and the cat convertor...

Hounddog

Mines black at 4500 miles.