Do any of you guys do the "recommended" oil check at every fill up? I don't. My truck has 1200 miles on it and I've checked the oil level once. (I'm not too fond of the new dip stick either.) Keeping the oil level at the recommended level is critical. Is anybody's Durmax using an excessive amount of oil?

6000 on mine and checked the oil once at about 4000, gonna change soon

i change my oil every 5-6k and the last time i was 3 1/2 quarts low. dont know why but i was. now i keep a close eye out for it.

Yes, I check my oil at EVERY fill-up and use my handy-dandy portable oil analysis kit...I don the gloves, the safety glasses with side-shields, the goggles, the face shield, the ear plugs, the steel-toe boots, fire retardant attire, and all other necessary and pertinent PPE, that is PPPE or Pł...break out the test tubes and Bunsen burner...gas chromatograph/IPOD/PDA/Motorola Model 2050xxl camera phone....

Don't you guys?

mine has never burnt any oil. i have done it every 5000 miles for the first 20000. now i just wait until 10000. i have 70000 on my truck now and will add another 3000 the next few days. Still never had a low level indicated.

I have 15K on my engine. It has been 3,000 miles since my last change. I checked the oil level just before getting the oil changed and it was still full.
I would almost expect SOME oil usage when I pull allot. These grades around Salt Lake City are pretty long & steep too.

This engine is Awsome! It has never used a drop of oil!
I am using Dello 400 15-40 and 3,000 miles between oil changes.

I just pulled 5800 miles in six days, it was the 05's maiden voyage. I am also using Dello 15-40 and used near 1qt.

I check mine about every 1000 miles. It now has 14K, and I think I use more oil checking it than it uses! I never had an engine before that didn't use any oil.

About once a month. On cross country runs, at the end of each day.

I have 40k on my 2003 and she uses about 3 quarts between changes. I change the oil every 5-6k and use the Delvac 1300. Might need to change brands.

I have had mine 1 month now, 2500 miles on it. I check the oil at every fill-up. To expensive of a truck, not to check the oil. So far has not used any oil.

It seems to me that where a vehicle is concerned (50K truck or Yugo) you should take the time to be aware of all of the fluid levels on regular intervals. I do not think it necessary to check at every fillup, but every other, or third fillup at least.

I was an ASE certified Master Mechanic for 12 years before my body finally gave up and I believe that more problems can be avoided by preventative maintence. Also you should take into account that the 2 or 3 miniutes it takes you to open the hood and do all of this is cheaper than having to buy a new motor.

Of course all of this is only my opinion, and each of you have to choose how you want to do things with your rides. As for myself I check ALL the fluid levels at least every other fillup, and will change my oil every 3 to 4 regardless of condition. Cheap insurance as far as I am concerned.

(BTW) I regularly get 175K to 200K out of gasoline V-8 chevys. And then only rebuild them because I want more power. ;)

I am new to diesel ownership but I see little difference necessary regarding the basic maintence of this new toy.

Again all of this is MHO

John

I have had mine 1 month now, 2500 miles on it. I check the oil at every fill-up. To expensive of a truck, not to check the oil. So far has not used any oil.
Hey Tool'n We're neighbors. Maybe we could hook up sometime and gloat over our new rides. I have also only had mine about a month.

John

Had the truck for a month, 2500 miles on it, have checked the oil every other fillup, no usage so far. I plan on changing the oil at 5k

I've got 12K miles on mine. I've noticied that driving locally, unloaded she does NOT use any oil. When pulling my 9K TT, she will use about quart between changes.

Actually, a good reason to check every fill-up is to be looking for an overfill condition caused by a leaking injector filling the crankcase with diesel. The sooner that condition is caught, the less likely the engine will suffer damage from lack of lubrication. Also, smell the oil for diesel oder.

I check mine about every third or fourth fillup - more often if I'm on a long run - especially if I'm pulling a load. For unloaded driving and commuting I've found that I rarely use more than a pint or two over the 7500 mile change interval. I have had to add a quart when doing some long pulling in hot weather. I DO, however, keep a close eye on oil pressure as I get over 100,000 miles on my "gonna fail any day now" original 2001 injectors and would check for fuel in oil if I ever get any indications in pressure. I drilled pockets between the bars on the dipstick with a 1/8" drill bit. Sure makes oil level a lot easier to read! Look at "DIPSTICK TRICKS" in my "PICS" link below. Or just here:

I check my oil approximately 3 to 4 times a week with the engine completely cold so that I get consistent readings. I usually let my truck idle while fueling, so checking then would be pointless.

Besides, I was always taught to check oil when the engine was cold to ensure accurate (i.e. consistent) readings. It takes my truck about 20 minutes after shutting down to get even a semi-accurate reading, and who takes 20 minutes to fill with diesel?

I'm not being critical, but I've never understood the whole "check at fill-up" theory.

Either way, my engine uses no oil in my normal driving. On a very long road trip, it did use approximately 1 quart in 2500 miles with extended high speed driving and days of 14+ hours of not shutting down.

Ditto Coyote Kid, my '03 has approx 21k, is parked under a level carport, and it's easy to just reach in, pop the hood and check oil. My thoughts are that this is the best way to spot injector problems early.
If the truck checks more full than last time, you've got a [roblem!