I have always driven Fords, 25+ years. My last truck was a Ford Powerstroke 7.3 thatI drove for about 9 years and 225,000+ miles. No matter what manuals suggest, I am a believer in 3,500 mile oil changes. In the Powerstroke, it never used oil between chnages, burned clean and whenI changed, the oil was almost as clean as whenI put it in.

In December I purchased a new Dodge 2006 2500 CTD, 4x4, auto. I purchased it because of Ford's bad luck with the 6.0 and didn't want to try the new 6.7. My decision was to go to something that was tried and true and go with the Dodge 5.9 CTD. I have had the truck 6 months now, 12,000 miles, fixing to change oil for the 4th time.

Ilove the truck but have a question on the CTD. When changing the oil, it is in the most black and nasty condition. You can change the oil and within a short time, hundred miles or so, the oil is already black. I called the Dodge dealership to ask if that is a normal and his response was welcome to Dodge, its normal.

I don't see how it can get that nasty in a short period of time ans especially in a new engine.

Is this normal?

 

I think it might be, my truck when I bought it from dodge said had a fresh oil change, a few hundred miles later black as can be.

 

Black, Black and Black.

 

it is the nature of these 3rd gen trucks. . .my oil will turn black within 500 miles. . .however I currently have . . .oh. . . .9500 miles on my current oil. . .I am useing AMSoil 15-40 and believe me or not, the oil is still doing a good job. the soot particulate does not stick to my fingers, and I can wash my hands andI can feel the oilstill on my hand.

gunna order some new stuff today and probably a bypass filter as well to exted the oil a bit more.

 

The reason it turns black so fast is because of the 3 injection events on the 2004.5 and newer Cummins engines. I can put new oil in mine and start it up and the oil looks black when I shut it off to check it. From what I’ve been told this is just a fact of life with any diesel engine that has 3 or more injection events instead of one like the old 12V engines have.

 

Yeah, you must be right. The new 6.7L engines supposedly have 5 injection events. The day I picked mine up at the dealership I drove straight to a station to fuel up. I pulled the dipstick and the oil was surprisingly black, and it only had about 20 miles on it.

 

I'm running AMSOIL 15W/40 synthetic also. The oil now has 5,000 miles on it. It is black, but the oil analysis came back as normal with plenty of additive left. I'll check it again at 10,000 miles. IMO changing 12 quarts of oil every 3,500 miles is a waste of money and unnecessarily adds to environmental waste.

 

could there alsobe dirt in the oil when its new becasue the engine is being broken in?

 

Like has been said above it is a normal condition for these trucks. I don't like it either, but it is what it is. BTW I follow the owners manual for oil change intervals. I used to be a 3000 mile guy, but no more.

 

well i heard that it is bad to change oil often because it puts to much detergent or somthing in the engine? i have no idea just a rumor i heard.