These unreliable new diesel engines!

FishOnOne wrote:

Samsonsworld wrote:
Shiner, I'm sitting here at the quick lube wondering if you track type of oil used? Seen any trends between conventional and synthetic?

Changing the oil and using a oil that meets the manufacturers specifications is really all you need to do. My cousin who works on diesels almost exclusively doesn't care one bit on oil brand, but emphasizes performing the oil changes at the recommended intervals is the most important and sticking with a OEM filters.

And there is indeed some solid validity to that concept. Some of us tweak things a little, like all my diesels get oil changes 50% longer than the OEM recommendation. Every commercial truck I have owned, except one loser Cummins ISX with the new emissions stuff, went well over 1 million miles without a major motor repair. Of course, taking those oil changes that much longer requires a solid program of used oil analysis to verify it is doable In no way would I recommend others follow the same pattern unless they put the effort into doing it right.

Samsonsworld wrote:
Shiner, I'm sitting here at the quick lube wondering if you track type of oil used? Seen any trends between conventional and synthetic?

Changing the oil and using a oil that meets the manufacturers specifications is really all you need to do. My cousin who works on diesels almost exclusively doesn't care one bit on oil brand, but emphasizes performing the oil changes at the recommended intervals is the most important and sticking with a OEM filters.

Could use a in between. Delvac, Rotella, and Delo have outstanding synthetic blends. I have actually grown fond of syn blends. Been using them commercially for several years. Darn good value for the dollar.

But really, it is not so much the base oil as it is the additive package in the oil, which makes up about 20% of any motor oil. That actually has more impact on how good an oil is than the base oil. Conventional base oils are light years ahead of where they were just over a decade ago. Knocking on synthetic base oil's door. But add packs are proprietary concoctions that differ from one brand to the next, even in the same classification such as CJ-4 or the new CK-4.

I primarily use Schaeffer oil that I get commercially, with the Delvac Extreme syn blend being my next choice if I was buying off the shelf, but that doesn't mean the others are total slouches.

I have found that motors and oil brands are like .22 rifles and ammunition. You can take a well made rifle, feed it two or three top name brands of ammo, and the results will be different. Nothing wrong with the rifle or the ammo. Take another well made rifle and feed it the same ammo, and likely the results will be even different from the first rifle, with a different brand of ammo giving the best results. Motors and oils are similar. The trick is finding that brand that actually plays the best with you motor. I have found that certain brands of motors tend to favor certain brands of oil. All due to slight differences in metallurgy in the motors between brands and certain oil brands tend to match up better with those metallurgical differences.

Most folks don't have to go into this depth of analysis. Those of us that have motors that alone cost as much or more as many folk's complete 1/2 ton pickups, we take the time to get down to this level of critique.

For anyone interested even the least little bit in this sort of thing as it applies to typical pickups and motors, The BITOG website has a lot of discussion and used oil sample analysis to sink your teeth in to.

Shiner, I'm sitting here at the quick lube wondering if you track type of oil used? Seen any trends between conventional and synthetic?

Copperhead That's the point I was trying to make about having some useful data about cost to make it to 250k miles and above. How many of the prior post will people trade before the vehicle even makes 100k miles. I keep vehicles for well over 100k so long term data is useful. To me high repair costs are a concern.

ShinerBock wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:
...Something is wrong if you feel the need you have to justify a diesel...

Dude, you been trying to justify a diesel as a one size fits all solution for 12 pages!

I don't think I have been trying to convince anyone that a diesel is better for them. My main purpose for starting this thread was to see if 2010+ diesel owners were having all these issues that a few non 2010+ diesel owners claimed everyone was having in others threads. Why people who don't own these diesels kept on posting to justify their purchases is beyond me.

A forum might not be the best place for seeing about statistical averages and gleaning information you claim to seek.

I think that many who do have issues with the emissions junk and other stuff on the newer diesels feel bad enough that they put their money into something that is giving them grief that they feel no compulsion to share it with others. I see a lot of what is going on with these diesels from pickups on up to class 8 stuff, being in commercial trucking myself. You want to hear the horror stories, hang around a truck stop. That is also where the pickup owners who do RV transport work stop in. I see them daily. Ask them about how much they are fond about the newer pickups. You will likely hear the latest swear words, and that is likely on a good day. Even the transport rags talk about it. The Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC), the defacto industry standards committee for all truck fleet maintenance in America, part of the American Trucking Association, check with them and see the papers they have written on the issues. Yes, they cover all trucks from Class 1 on up thru Class 8.

I don't own a diesel pickup simply because I don't need or want one. My gasser 3/4 ton does everything I need done quite well. I definitely have had my experiences with diesel trucks and still own and operate them. Diesel issues are maybe not as prevalent as some would suggest, but the costs to repair and the downtime involved is significantly magnified over years past. One of my diesels, a pre-emission Detroit, I can replace the Borg Warner 171702 turbo on that 12.7L motor for about $600. On the newer stuff, even the pickups, that would be only a small deposit. I can have that $600 turbo sitting at my door step overnight. In most cases, that is not going to happen for a newer diesel owner. The newer diesels use VG water cooled turbos that are extremely expensive and the parts streams have a tough time barely keeping up with the demand.

Many private pickup owners have relied on warranties which are still in effect for most private owners. And they trade off before the warranty ends. So they really are not snapped in the wallet and see the actual cost to repair this stuff. The RV transport guys, their pickups are out of warranty in less than two years, and they have to eat the cost of repairs. Those are the folks to talk with about the newer diesels. It can really destroy them to absorb some of these costs, and significant downtime, which has gotten more lengthy with the newer diesels, can really take a toll on their business. For the average consumer pickup owner, if the truck is down for a few weeks waiting on a repair, they may bellyache, but they don't go broke.

Scotty on Star Trek had it pegged... "the more complicated you make the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain".

bid_time wrote:
Gee, I don't know, maybe it was because you were so insulting. How did you think the term Grocery Getter was going to go over? You sound like - "I didn't do anything, he started it".

Grocery getter? Where did I call you a grocery getter?

Gee, I don't know, maybe it was because you were so insulting. How did you think the term Grocery Getter was going to go over? You sound like - "I didn't do anything, he started it".

troubledwaters wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:
...Something is wrong if you feel the need you have to justify a diesel...

Dude, you been trying to justify a diesel as a one size fits all solution for 12 pages!

I don't think I have been trying to convince anyone that a diesel is better for them. My main purpose for starting this thread was to see if 2010+ diesel owners were having all these issues that a few non 2010+ diesel owners claimed everyone was having in others threads. Why people who don't own these diesels kept on posting to justify their purchases is beyond me.

ShinerBock wrote:
...Something is wrong if you feel the need you have to justify a diesel...

Dude, you been trying to justify a diesel as a one size fits all solution for 12 pages!