Pulled the dipstick and the oil is honey colored with 5K on it. Haven't had to add any either, so she is doing well at almost 300K.

I'll change it when it hits 7.5K, as usual, but heck, it will probably still be clean. I'm running Quaker State Ultimate Durability 0W20 and a Fram Ultra XG 16 filter, which is full synthetic media. Any hi milers out there seeing the same thing? Makes me think I can extend the OCI. Is color a reliable indicator of oil quality?

 

all highway miles?
I use full syn in all my vehicles...they run perfect...the oil is changed out every 6000 kilometers...its always black.

 

Its safe to run that thin oil? Apparently it is with that many miles on the engine and the oil change. Just got my Dakota 4.7 with 92000. In a few hundred miles its black. Im going to do a couple short (1000 mile) oil changes. I wonder if an oil like that would help my cleaning process.

 

Mixed driving, lots of stop and go in heavy Atlanta traffic. The QSUD is full syn.

Is it safe? Yes.... 5W20 is now standard fill for all 4.7L at the dealerships and has been for years. 0W-20 is only thinner when cold, for faster flow. At normal operating temp, it's 20 weight. The truck runs superbly on it.

 

I was just going off the owners man for the oil type. 2001 Dakota 4.7. So you say they changed it to a 5w20 recomendation so a 0w20 should be ok then? Not that I really need to change, but in ND winters it may be nice

 

True, that is what the manual says. Your manual is also around 20 years old. You can call any dealer and ask what weight they would put in your truck, if you were to have an oil change.

Oil has improved greatly over the years. In torture tests that tests the toughness of oil films by apply pressure until the metal scars, 0W20 usually beats out 5W20, so even though it's thinner when cold, it's tougher all around and usually beats out 5W30 too.
Pic of the dipstick taken today....

 

and better fuel mileage also...that's why all the new trucks are using it. I'm debating on making the change. There is some talk its responsible for the hemi tick on start up...any truth to that?

 

Well it flows faster on startup, so lubrication reaches the top end faster. My 4.7 has the ubiquitous lifter rattle on startup and they quiet down faster than when I was running 5W. You really don't need to debate, I've been using it for years. The truck seems to run better with it than when I was running 5W30, but that might just be my perception.

 

So what do I do with the 10qts of 5w30 I have now if I make the change? Since I’m doing short (1000 mile)changes I think 0w20 on the next change. I hope the possible sludgeing is clearing up by then. The oil already looks better than from the 1st change. It will be just in time for winter for me. The Dakota kind of stays home in summer. The Geo Tracker (Suzuki) with the soft top is my daily unless its raining. Thanks for the info and real world experience.

 

10 qts? Send them to me. Nothing wrong with 5W30, just use it till it's gone.

Regarding the sludge.... Save some of your used oil and after a few more oil changes, run some motor flush thru it at idle speed for about 5 min. Drain oil and drain the old filter too then reinstall it. Fill with used oil and run for a min or two to get rid of any traces of the flush solvent. Drain again and install fresh oil and filter.

Again, don't do this right away. Let the synthetic do its thing a few more changes. You dont want any clogs in the pickup. You can even replace a quart of oil with ATF, 500 miles before your next oil change, for a bit more agressive cleaning.