AMSOIL offers
superior lubrication technology for your Dodge Cummins turbodiesel engine. This
extensive webpage
will help you learn how to best care for the Cummins and your
drivetrain, including the
options for fluid and oil change service intervals, as well as learning what GM and
most servicing dealerships don't want you to know about
AMSOIL synthetic motor oil and filtration technologies. You'll see
recommendations and options for bypass oil filtration systems, and even a
video to demonstrate how easy it is to
take an oil sample
from your truck for analysis
testing. And at the bottom is a special
Dodge
Cummins Owners
Questions and Answers section - our engineers welcome
your Cummins questions and
give valuable answers.
This information comes straight from experienced Truck Engineers and Lubrication
Specialists based out of the auto and truck engineering and manufacturing
capital of the world - Detroit, Michigan.
We are diesel
engine, powertrain, chassis and component experts, and created this
resource page to help you achieve
optimum performance and longevity from your Duramax truck.
You've spent your hard earned money on the Dodge Cummins
Turbo Diesel option in one
of the most popular and best engineered trucks there is, now don't you think
you owe it to yourself to use the very best oil in it? This page will
help you learn how to best care for your Cummins diesel, including the
options for fluid and oil change intervals, as well as learning what
Chrysler-Dodge and most servicing dealerships don't want you to know about
AMSOIL synthetic motor oil and filtration. Your
turbocharger needs a good synthetic oil for long life!
"Aren't all
Amsoil Dealers biased?" Some are. We are degreed engineers first,
and we think you deserve a perspective on oils and filtration that's
both highly qualified and objective, but we know that's
tough to find. So after many years of automotive engineering experience
we became AMSOIL dealers to help explain the facts and data, and move
you past the marketing hype onto solid footing. We ARE biased in the
sense that we want REAL data, REAL performance, and REAL value for our
vehicles. So we sweep the hype off the table and look at certified
scientific data so that our opinions and recommendations will have the
best possible benefits.
One paperclip is
usually as good as another, and when they aren't it doesn't matter. But
in some fields, there is a world technology leader that brings stunning
performance and great value to the table. In lubrication fluid and
filtration performance, AMSOIL is that leader. We've seen it "up
close and personal" in our own vehicles, and we know that when you
understand the benefits of AMSOIL technologies, you'll see big benefits
for your Dodge.
However, the 5W-40 (DEO)
is recommended for use at the longest Dodge/Cummins oil-drain interval
listed in the manual. Due to the lower TBN of the DEO's low ash CJ-4
formulation, longer drain intervals will require oil analysis sampling until
more data can be collected on extended drain interval performance. All
of these oils deliver proven fuel economy gains.
AMSOIL
benefits include reduced sludge and deposit formation, extreme temperature
protection to extend your turbo life, improved fuel efficiency and rust and
corrosion prevention - and of course it does not void any new vehicle warranty.
AMSOIL
Synthetic Lubricants meet and exceed all API and Dodge
specifications. In fact, these lubricants are so advanced that they've
typically met/exceeded nearly every OEM manufacturer's published diesel oil test standard,
worldwide, without any reformulation.
The Secret Power of Nanofiber Bypass Filtration
The ULTIMATE oil-filtering option
for lowest maintenance costs and downtime is to install an
AMSOIL Dual Remote By-Pass Filtration
System. This is the highest performance bypass oil filter in the
world for light to heavy vehicle applications. With this nanofiber technology system you only change your oil when oil
analysis indicates a need. The full flow
EaO filter is changed at 15,000
mile (severe service) or 25,000
mile (normal service) intervals and the
EaBP Bypass
filter is changed at a minimum of
60,000
miles/2 yrs (or longer with oil analysis).
For most
gas or pre-2007 diesel vehicle applications, oil analysis will show that you
NEVER need to change your oil again - even after 500,000 miles!
How is this possible??? Simple: by using oil that is
designed to not break down, and using filtration that removes all wear
particles, there is no longer a need to change oil. This saves a
lot of downtime, as well as money, and uses about 80% less motor oil.
The AMSOIL
15W-40
Premium Heavy Duty Diesel & Marine oil and
Series
3000 5W-30 Heavy Duty Diesel Motor Oil do not break down like
conventional petroleum based motor oils, and they are much more shear-stable
(maintaining viscosity). Because they do not have the waxes, paraffins and
by-products that come out of crude oil that is pumped from the earth, they
do not build up internal engine deposits of tar, sludge, and varnish.
In fact, Amsoil oils continually clean the inside of your Cummins engine.
Which oil should I use?
The AMSOIL EaBP by-pass filters are nanofiber based, to remove the particles that cause wear in your engine down
to less than one micron (a micron equals 0.001 mm) and keep the engine oil
analytically clean so you do not need to change your oil for a long time,
while still getting far better protection than someone that changes their
oil every 3000 miles. In fact,
this level of
filtration was determined in research, published in
SAE Paper #881825,
to reduce engine wear so much (way over 90%) that the wear rates could not
be measured effectively. We are experienced at installing these units on
Dodge Cummins Turbo Diesels and can provide you with exact installation
instructions, tips, bracket prints and photographs.
We have many customers with years of service and tens of thousands of miles
on their Dodge Cummins Turbo Diesels with no oil changes. Laboratory oil chemical
analysis every 15-20,000 miles indicates the oil is perfectly suitable for
continued service. Other customers have traveled well over 100,000 miles and
oil analysis still indicates no oil change necessary. I will mail you a copy
of a high mileage Dodge Cummins Turbo oil analysis
test results with your product and technical information package so you can
see the data for yourself. Oil analysis provides a big return for a small investment: it extends
equipment life by preventing premature component failure, reducing
maintenance costs by eliminating unnecessary component changes and a
decrease in downtime due to premature scheduled maintenance as well enabling
calculation of optimum drain intervals that will reduce lubricant costs and
assure maximum equipment protection. Oil analysis is an easy, simple, quick
procedure - but here's a short video to show you how easy it is:
A regular full flow engine oil filter will only remove wear particles down
to the 20-25 micron range, while an AMSOIL full-flow EaO filter removes the
majority of particles in the 7-20 micron range. But a full-flow filter
simply cannot remove all the finer particles because the oil must be
filtered quickly while removing most of the particles present in the oil.
That leaves some particles below the 20 micron range. A study completed by
Federal Mogul Corp. analyzing over 7000 main and connecting rod bearings
concluded that 60% of all engine wear occurs in the 5-20 micron range. This
is why no matter how much you change your current full flow oil and filter,
regardless of brand, that you still are not removing the particles that
cause the greatest wear in your engine.
Extensive testing shows that
AMSOIL Ea Oil Filters
achieve a near-perfect absolute efficiency rating. The exclusive new
technology used in AMSOIL EaO Filters provides filtering efficiency to 98.7
percent at 15 microns, and 50 percent at 7 microns. EaO Filters are the
most efficient full-flow filters that are available for auto/light trucks,
period.
Q: How do EaO filters compare to the full-flow SDF filters that
AMSOIL offered for many years?
A: AMSOIL SDF Filters are not
quite as efficient as an EaO: filtering efficiency was 94.3 percent at 15 microns
and 51.2 percent at 7 microns. The AMSOIL SDF full flow filters
had a finer synthetic cellulose filtration media, 75% greater efficiency
and up to 300% greater capacity than other popular oil filters, as tested
according to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) HS806 test method. The
new Ea
filters, with nanofiber technology, are even better.
Now consider the new nanofiber bypass filters,
which are used in addition to a full-flow filter.
AMSOIL EaBP Filters are high efficiency bypass filters
with 98.7% efficiency at two microns.
They also remove soot, providing the ultimate in protection against wear, oil
degradation and corrosion: your diesel's dipstick will show
remarkably clean oil, slightly darker than from a gasoline engine.
Most importantly, you virtually eliminate engine wear, because the wear
particles are filtered out of the oil.
A complete BMK-15Ea
AMSOIL Dual Remote By-Pass Filtration
System kit for the Cummins costs about $300 or less (depending
on options), so it is a cost-effective improvement that will pay for itself
quickly: just add up the cost of your standard oil changes and instead
substitute about $60-70/yr for a filter, oil, and oil sample analysis.
If you choose not to install the Dual Remote
by-pass filtration system, the AMSOIL Ea full flow engine filter
allows for 25,000 mile filter change intervals, and the 70% nanofiber
wear-rate reduction is still a strong benefit
to the long term durability of your engine - multiplying your remaining
engine life by roughly 3 times (assuming only mild or no power upgrades). When you check your oil level every 5,000
miles or 3 months, all you have to do is top off the oil. When you reach
25,000 miles/1-year you can either change the oil and filter or take an oil
sample from the dipstick tube using an AMSOIL sampling pump and send it into
Oil Analyzer's Inc. using a pre-paid kit. Oil analysis will indicate the
exact condition of the oil and whether it is suitable for continued service
as well as determining if there are any other engine components or wear
items that you need to be concerned with.
When using AMSOIL nanofiber Ea Air and Oil filters, analysis will
usually allow extending AMSOIL drain intervals far beyond the guaranteed
15,000 (Severe) or 25,000 mile (Normal Service) drain intervals.
For most
gas or pre-2007 diesel vehicle applications using AMSOIL synthetics and
nanofiber bypass filtration, oil analysis will show that you
NEVER need to change your oil again - even after 500,000 miles!
How is this possible??? Simple: by using oil that is
designed to not break down, and using nanofiber filtration that removes all wear
particles, there is no longer a need to change oil. The oil is so
tough that just topping off the oil level when changing filters is
enough to renew the additive package. This saves a
lot of downtime, as well as money, and uses about 80% less motor oil -
which benefits both your wallet and the environment.
AMSOIL has a complete line of synthetic oils, greases, transmission fluids,
gear lubes, Ea
nanofiber air filters, by-pass and full flow filters and filtration
systems designed to extend the life of your
vehicles and equipment and save you time and money. In addition
we also offer a preferred customer purchase option, retail purchase option
or commercial account purchase option for businesses. Finally, we also offer
a Dealership Option for anyone interested in becoming an AMSOIL Dealer
and/or purchasing products at wholesale cost.
Cold-Air Intakes Available with Nanofiber Filtration -
Introducing the unbeatable combination of a custom Cold-Air Intake by Injen
Technology, that's tuned for
maximum performance with AMSOIL's Ea nanofiber filtration technology.
These Power Flow systems are available for the 2003,
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks with the 5.9L
and later Cummins turbo-diesel engines.
Some "sneak preview" pics
of the Injen Power Flow system for the Cummins (notice the DVD for
size reference):
Maintaining Your Warranty
Don't let your local dealership service center tell you that you you have to use their
brand of oil, or you
can't use a synthetic oil, to "maintain your warranty". That is one of the biggest
untruths we have heard, yet it goes on day in and day out. We
constantly receive calls from customers that were told this by their
servicing dealership. Please be aware that this practice is not
authorized or condoned by the auto manufacturers.
For a servicing dealership to essentially tell a customer that they have to
use a lower quality oil to "maintain their
warranty" is not only wrong and illogical - it is also illegal
unless they provide it free of charge. There are Federal laws that protect
you against this. Please read our
Warranty Laws You Need to Know, and our section on
API Licensed oils to learn more.
The people that run the quick lubes and service centers are there to make
profits by seeing you on a regular basis. They do not care about
protecting the environment from excessive oil usage any more than they care
about the Golden Rule or extending
your vehicles' life. We know this because we have tried to get some of
the quick lubes and dealership service centers to carry AMSOIL extended
drain interval gas engine oil (25,000 miles/1-year and 35,000 miles/1-year
with the 0W-30). Sometimes they get the big picture and start offering
Amsoil. But typically we get the standard response that they know it is an
excellent product but if they install it they cannot keep customers coming
back as often. AMSOIL then tailored a special top quality reduced mileage
extended drain interval oil (called XL7500) of 7500 miles for gas engine
vehicles for the quick lubes so they can keep customers coming back but
still give them added convenience of extended drains intervals. This has
proven to be an excellent program for all involved.
In addition, many companies have tested AMSOIL and know how good it is and
many auto engineers even use it in their own vehicles. We believe they
will not use it in production for purely "political reasons" that
all boil down to company profit. It is our opinion
that there is a motive problem in the marketplace: oil companies need to sell large volumes of oil, and
OEM engineers can tell you from personal experience that auto companies want
your engine and powertrain to have somewhat of a finite life. Enough life so
that you are a very satisfied and happy customer and will come back and buy
another one, yet not so long that you won't need to buy another vehicle for
many years.
So petroleum oil appears to perfectly accomplish the objectives of both the
petroleum oil companies and the equipment OEM's.
AMSOIL has
been proven for 35 years to prevent your vehicle from having a short 150,000
to 300,000 mile life. In fact, your Dodge Cummins can go over a
million miles with Amsoil. How do we know? We could talk about
diesels, but everyone knows gas engines aren't as durable...
I have an article about an AMSOIL user with 731,000 miles on his 1993 Ford
Aerostar on the original engine and transmission. He was using AMSOIL from
the beginning. This type of mileage is not uncommon when using AMSOIL
synthetic lubricants. Now, what do you think would happen if everybody used
AMSOIL and got that much mileage on their vehicles?
Sure, the auto companies like to hear reports of stuff like this once every
year or two -- but not on a large
scale, because it would have major negative economic implications.
Newer Amsoil
synthetic oil and filter technology have recently enabled the "million
mile van" using 25,000 mile synthetic oil and nanofiber
filter changes, and 150,000 mile transmission and differential synthetic
fluid changes. Just think of how much money was saved by not
replacing that commercial van every 200,000 miles, and never having
transmission repairs! And if a Chevy 5.7L gas engine can
last 930,000 miles with almost no wear and stop because of defective valve
keepers that were not hardened to spec and wore out prematurely... imagine
how long your Cummins can last.
Few people in the business of selling petroleum oil and repairing vehicles
have the character it takes to tell you how to extend your drain intervals using AMSOIL technology.
And although they've had some training, they actually know very little, if anything, about the technical and engineering
aspects of lubrication, filtration and oil analysis science.
Is AMSOIL just a scam? Visit our special Amsoil skeptics Q&A to find out.
How to Reduce or Prevent Turbocharger Bearing
Seizures on Cummins Turbo-Diesels
One of many
specific ways that turbocharged Cummins Diesel engines can clearly
benefit from the use of synthetic oil is the turbocharger itself. When a
turbocharged engine is shut off immediately after use, bearing "heat soak" occurs
due to the heat that naturally flows out of the hot exhaust manifold
and into the turbo, adding to the high temperatures still present in the turbocharger:
all this heat "soaks" into the bearings which are no longer being
cooled by a flow of engine oil.
Over a period of time this can lead to deposits that can reduce or block the
oil flow to the turbocharger bearings, which can lead to turbocharger bearing
seizure.
The hotter the
outside temperature and the heavier your load, the greater the risk to your
turbocharger's life.
To combat these
problems and give your turbo maximum life, our engineering staff recommend
two things: 1) use of a turbo cool-down timer, and 2) one of AMSOIL's
Synthetic Diesel Oils (listed below). A cool-down timer gives your
engine a chance to lower the EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) to a safer level
before the engine shuts off. A full PAO (Poly-Alpha-Olefin) Group IV synthetic
does not break down and form deposits in the same temperature range as
petroleum ("mineral") oils. Of these two, a high-quality synthetic oil
is the most important.
AMSOIL's Synthetic Diesel Oils are inherently more thermally stable than
most diesel oils on the market, and have been shown to keep turbochargers
considerably cleaner than other brands of oil. In fact, AMSOIL
synthetics have a noted historical reputation for maintaining turbochargers
in a clean like-new condition. Meanwhile, poor quality engine
oils have been shown to cause turbocharger bearing seizure in under 100
hours during a "heat soak" test.
Many engine oils will survive the 100 hour "heat soak" test, but... with
considerable deposits and incipient oil passage blocking. If you use
typical or low-quality diesel oils, it is critical that you let the engine idle for a few minutes
after use, to allow the engine and turbocharger to cool. This does not
eliminate deposit formation when using petroleum diesel oils, but it can
dramatically reduce it.
Take a look at the varnish deposits in this picture below. These are the results
of a severe high temperature deposit test with some of the most trusted
commercial brands. This test clearly shows that
AMSOIL keeps engines cleaner longer than other major brands of diesel oils.
Which oil would you rather have protecting your engine?
The bottom line: To
prevent or eliminate turbocharger bearing seizure, there is no substitute
for a high quality synthetic diesel oil (like AMSOIL's) as they have been
have been proven to maintain turbochargers in an almost "as fitted"
condition, and significantly reduce deposit formation.
We are here to help you learn the facts
and to show you how using superior AMSOIL products will
increase the performance and add to the longevity of your Cummins Diesel,
while saving you time and money. Cummins Turbo-Diesel trucks are excellent vehicles and
exceptionally well engineered by Dodge. In our opinion, they are one
of the most advanced vehicles ever produced. However there are ways to make
the performance and longevity even better with AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.
Long life:
We have an article describing an AMSOIL user with 731,000 miles on his 1993 Ford Aerostar,
on the original engine and transmission. He was using AMSOIL from
the beginning. This type of mileage performance is unheard of in basic
passenger vehicles with conventional petroleum oils, but is not uncommon when using AMSOIL
synthetic lubricants. Just think of how much money was saved by not
replacing that van every 200,000 miles!
Improved
Cummins fuel
economy savings:
While most customers will only get a 5 to
10% fuel economy improvement (my diesel truck gained 8%, my car mpg
improved 10%), gains of 20% are not uncommon.
Phillip is a
customer with a 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette van who had changed his motor oil
at 3,000 mile intervals. In the spring of 2005 when he used Engine
Flush and changed to AMSOIL engine oil with about 85,000 miles on the
odometer, he got an instant 20% fuel economy increase which has been saving
him about $12 per week. That annual savings of more than $600 is six
times more than the $100 annual cost of the AMSOIL products.
Biodiesel fuels
produce more rapid breakdown of ANY engine oil.
No matter what brand or type of engine oil you use, you will
need to closely monitor your oil performance with oil analysis
and shorten drain intervals as your use of biodiesel blends
increases. In many cases, this will mean cutting your
previous oil drain intervals in half (assuming use of the same
engine oil). If extended oil drain intervals are not
shortened, biodiesel contamination is likely to produce engine
damage due to oil failure.
[MORE]
Which engine oil should you use
in your Cummins Turbo-Diesel?
Despite your owner's manual recommendation of a
15W-40 oil, your Cummins engine - like nearly all engines - is
designed to use a 30-weight oil. The 15W-40 recommendation is
based on the assumption of petroleum oils which will often "shear
back" to a 30-weight oil in diesels, and if you use a 30-weight oil
that shears back to a 20 weight oil you will have wear problems (or
worse). Of course, AMSOIL's HDD formulation will maintain
viscosity as long as you are using it as recommended in a healthy
engine (no fuel getting in the oil, for example) - so your engine
will enjoy year-round benefit from the 30-weight oil it was designed
for.
Both the AME and HDD oils are 25,000
mile oils that outperform every other available diesel oil on the market,
and are LESS EXPENSIVE to use because of those extended drain intervals.
Both oils are also superb performers in
gasoline engines. The DEO oil exceeds the performance of any other
CJ-4 oil on the market. Any of the three oils will work well for you, but our best
recommendation is for you to make an informed choice based on your specific
needs. Here are some suggestions to help you:
For this Application... Pick this oil:
2007 & later
models (CJ-4 spec is req'd)** 5W-40 (DEO)
All-fleet oil for class 3-8
15W-40 (AME) - or 5W-30 (HDD)**
All-purpose
oil for logging/heavy-construction 15W-40 (AME),
5W-40 (DEO)*
*While it is
difficult to compare them, Engineers generally believe the thicker 40-weight
oils
(AME & DEO) may provide slightly more wear protection than 5W-30 (HDD) in
extremely heavy applications, particularly off-road/gravel where drivetrains
can be subject to heavy torsional shock-loading. However, for
highway/city mileage, HDD fuel economy savings probably exceed savings from
reduced wear with AME - if there is any reduced wear at all with AME.
Experience has shown that changing to any of these three AMSOIL synthetic
oils will produce fuel economy benefits.
**5W-40 (DEO) oil is also a fully
backwards compatible, all-fleet oil. So if using one oil for your
entire fleet is one of your most important considerations, and your fleet
includes 2007+ diesels (or earlier with DPF's), this is the oil to use.
However, be aware that the low TBN restrictions of the CJ-4 spec
means that extended drain intervals will not be possible on your vehicles
without oil sampling analysis. (DEO has a TBN of 8.0, vs 12+ for AME &
HDD.) For this reason, our best
recommendation is to use two fleet oils. One for gas and 2006 or older
diesels, and the other for 2007+ diesels.
Simply changing your oil more often with
"reputable" oil will not give you all the benefits that AMSOIL offers:
You will not get improved fuel
economy, you will not get reduced engine wear, you will not get reduced
operating temperatures, you will not get extended drain intervals and you
will not save money in the long run. Please, allow
us to show you a better way. We are here to help you. You have everything to
gain and absolutely nothing to lose!