Same here. I can go 2 or 3 thousand miles before it gets black. I change it every 10k miles.

My brother's 02 gets black within a few hundred miles.

 

TheBignasty,

This is the tightest diesel engine I've ever owned and I just assumed they were all like that. I do drive a lot of highway miles unloaded and trying to get reasoable mileage. I'm sure that helps. The lower the load the less the blowby. And each trip is long enough to get thoroughly warmed up.

I've never added a quart of oil between changes either and the changes come at 10,000 miles. Currently at 92,000, almost broken in.

I don't understand your comment about not breaking in properly keeping really tight clearances inside the cylinder. Breaking in properly DOES keep oil tightness and close clearances. Maybe I'm not reading you right.

Wetspirit

 

I bought my 03 at 161,000k (this last aug/06) and the oil was clean when I checked it then. I changed it 10,000km later, and the oil was still as clean looking as new oil. Like honey. I had monitored it closely for the first 10,000km and nothing ever seamed to change. I haven't looked at it since I changed it.

Strange? But true...

 

I have heard this over and over. The 03 and 04 trucks do not make the oil immediately black. Something to do with the lack of the 3rd injection event I guess. All the 04.5 on up trucks turn the oil as black as coal almost immediately. I just changed mine Sunday......added the new oil...fired it off......turned it off....oil already black.

 

The type of oil you use also has something to do with it. When I was using Rotella 15W40, I could change oil and drive home. By the next day and just a few miles driven, my oil was already black. Now, same truck, using Valvoline Premium Blue 15W40, I can go around 1000 miles before I start to notice the oil darkening. It gradually darkens after that and by the time 5,000 miles rolls around, it's black going into the pan. So, it may have something to do with truck/oil combinations as well.

 

My 04 stays honey colored never turns black, Change oil every 5,000 miles...

 

This has been discussed at length before. It's the third injection event on 05's and up... maybe 04.5's also. But you guys with 2003 and earlier should have cleaner oil... and better mileage. It amazes me that in an attempt to appease the EPA, that they have to add a third injection to the power stroke to keep the "cat" hot (and everything else). But this gives you less mpg.... So how are we helping the environment?

 

whewww, I thought maybe something was wrong with my truck.....I have over 4000 plus miles from my last oil change ad its still golden...plain jane rotella....still has the rosmella arroma also

 

Cherish your 03 or whatever you have.... We have more power, but I wish I had a truck that didn't have this third event and kept the oil cleaner. I'd give up what little power gain I have over yours. And you get better mileage to boot. Take care of her...

ps- I still love my 05'... just ranting a little