Diesel “Expert” on Reddit claims 10k mile OCI with T6 will kill your engine!

[CleverUserName]

This diesel “expert” says that 10k mile oil change on Delvac Extreme or T6 will kill your engine. Basically any off the shelf basic synthetic oil is not suitable for 10k as that is an “extended interval”.

He says to use premium synthetic diesel oil (I’m guessing Schaefer, Amsoil, etc..) and change it every 5-8k miles.

Other highlights of this interaction include:

“Oil analysis is not used to determine OCI”

“Oil analysis can not be used to understand the operating conditions of the engine”

“Don’t follow manufacturers recommended intervals or you will get sludge and engine damage”

 

[Hall]

There are plenty of self-proclaimed "experts" on plenty of websites, including here, that post their opinions. Highlights are typically "it's cheap insurance", etc, etc.

 

[RooflessVW]

Hmm I pretty much agree

 

[Rand]

I would like to know what the OP's point was when he posted this?

 

[CleverUserName]

I would like to know what the OP's point was when he posted this?

To spark discussion. Isn’t that the reason anything gets posted on here?

 

[bullwinkle]

Guess T6 or Delvac Extreme aren’t considered “premium”-and the statement that UOA is useless proves the “expert” is actually an “idiot”!

 

[Rand]

To spark discussion. Isn’t that the reason anything gets posted on here?

so a random internet guy's crap internet post opinionfest.. got it..
In my opinion he could be both wrong and right.

I thought maybe you owned a diesel.

 

[CleverUserName]

so a random internet guy's crap internet post opinionfest.. got it..
In my opinion he could be both wrong and right.

I thought maybe you owned a diesel.

Never said I didn’t own one.

 

[4WD]

Subject Matter Experts are like a fixed Tomcat - they still remember how to do what they no longer do

 

[tnt_motorsports]

My opinion is that 10k OCIs won’t kill my vehicles as fast as the salt used on the roads during the Midwest winter sure will!

Just my $0.02

 

[Rand]

Never said I didn’t own one.

You should be able to find better clever forum topics with a username like that.

 

[Greasymechtech]

T6 and Delvac Extreme are premium synthetic diesel oils.

Oil analysis has issues. I've seen plenty of sludged engines that owner thought it was OK to keep running the oil based on stupid company recommendations. Doesn't show varnish/sludge buildup in the engine, or potential oil consumption, and doesn't address known issues, some preventable with interval/viscosity/oil type....

Manufacturer intervals leave much to be desired. I am not looking to lower the maintenance cost of ownership and expect the vehicle to last longer than some make believe automaker number(usually statistical warranty or car payment).

 

[CleverUserName]

T6 and Delvac Extreme are premium synthetic diesel oils.

Oil analysis has issues. I've seen plenty of sludged engines that owner thought it was OK to keep running the oil based on stupid company recommendations. Doesn't show varnish/sludge buildup in the engine, or potential oil consumption, and doesn't address known issues, some preventable with interval/viscosity/oil type....

Manufacturer intervals leave much to be desired. I am not looking to lower the maintenance cost of ownership and expect the vehicle to last longer than some make believe automaker number(usually statistical warranty or car payment).

T6 and Delvac extreme are not premium according to the “expert”. He even went as far as to say they weren’t “real synthetics”.

The only bad 10k oil change result I’ve had is with LM TopTech 4200 in an ‘09 TDI. It was actually my first oil analysis. The alkalinity was completely depleted and had high wear metals. Never bought LM oil again after that. If it meets the 507 spec it should last 10k miles.

I’ve done numerous oil runs of 10-13k with synthetic HDEOs and never saw any signs in the analysis that that it had degraded and had at least 50% of the original TBN.

I have also seen some oil analysis reports at 15k from others that looked marginal and likely had signs of degradation (high oxidation, thickening and wear metals). I think 15k miles is too long for a street vehicle unless its an extended drain formula like HPL or Amsoil SS.

 

[wemay]

Anecdotal
The contractor working on our bathroom owns a 6.7L Cummins 2500 Ram. He has 280k miles on that truck and says only T6 has ever been used. His intervals are 10k miles.

 

[dnewton3]

He says to use premium synthetic diesel oil (I’m guessing Schaefer, Amsoil, etc..) and change it every 5-8k miles.

Other highlights of this interaction include:

“Oil analysis is not used to determine OCI”

“Oil analysis can not be used to understand the operating conditions of the engine”

“Don’t follow manufacturers recommended intervals or you will get sludge and engine damage”

Sooooooo ...... This "expert" says to turn away from science and logic, and use exactly what to determine this "premium synthetic every 5-8k" recommendation ???
- magic crystals?
- tea leaves?
- ouija board?

I shall summarily dimiss him as ignorant.

 

[Nesterenko]

There are plenty of self-proclaimed "experts" on plenty of websites, including here, that post their opinions. Highlights are typically "it's cheap insurance", etc, etc.

Yeah, that cheap insurance stuff is sickening. The only thing you need insurance against there is an ever shrinking wallet.

 

[PWMDMD]

To spark discussion. Isn’t that the reason anything gets posted on here?

90% of what gets posted here is a desperate attempt to reinforce one’s current beliefs about a topic and it has little to do with generating vigorous debate - including my post…lol.

 

[Hall]

Yeah, that cheap insurance stuff is sickening. The only thing you need insurance against there is an ever shrinking wallet.

They easily justify it with comments like "it's my money" or "I can afford it" as well. No one can argue with their logic in this case, they just don't need to push it off on others as factual though, which too many do.

 

[FordFETruck]

I bet that "diesel expert" would soil himself if he found out how diesel engines are treated in the terminal tractors at UPS. 100+ starts and stops a day per shift, floored right from cold start to build air, shut off while the engine is still decelerating a lot. Those things barely get an oil change, 3 maybe 4 times a year, which depending on how much one particular rig is used can be close to 700-800 hours of run time between oil changes. Never an engine problem out of those things, always something else. One ISB 5.9 had 40,000 hours on it when it was retired. That truck was beyond worn out junk, but the engine still ran great. I don't know what kind of oil is in the bulk tank in the shop, but it's most likely the cheap stuff knowing that company. I have seen 55-gallon drums of Mobil Delvac 1300 10w30 in the shop at times, so good chance it's that. Another thing that gets me are the people that let their diesel sit there and idle for a while before shutting them off like it will make a difference. Not sure how many thousands of times I've shut one of those down off idle and still heard the turbo spooling down after the engine stops rotating, but it's a lot. Just my experience of trying to beat the rods out of those diesels for a living.

 

[N3n]

I always did 10K oil changes on my V6 Toyotas and got over 200K with zero issues. I did a front valve cover gasket at 210K miles on my Camry engine was beyond clean. Aircraft jet engines have no oil change intervals FYI