Many light diesel truck owners ask State Street Auto Service in Whitmore Lake, MI, how often they should change their diesel engine oil. Many assume that changing the oil on their truck every 7,000 - 10,000 miles or six months is adequate. However, the frequency of oil change intervals for light diesel vehicles mostly depends on what type of driving you do and what the manufacturer recommends.
While some light diesel vehicle manufacturers claim that their newer models do not require oil changes until 7,500 - 15,000 or even 20,000 miles, we believe that is poor advice if you want to get maximum life from your diesel. Waiting too long to change engine oil will drastically shorten the lifespan of your diesel engine and result in expensive engine repairs.
Again, the oil change intervals for diesel trucks depend on the type of driving you do on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Here are a few examples explaining how frequently certain vehicles require the oil to be changed:
- Customer Adam is in the agriculture business and mainly drives his Dodge truck to haul items with short distances around the farm. He might only put 7,500 miles on his truck per year. We advise that he change his oil twice a year because the condensation created by short trips and extended idling can damage the internal parts of his diesel engine. Therefore, customer Adam changes his oil twice yearly regardless of when the vehicle reaches 7,500 miles.
- Customer Bobby is in the construction industry and drives his Chevy diesel truck daily over long distances. He spends much time in his Chevrolet diesel between his office and various job sites. Bobby tends to put 18,000+ miles on his diesel truck every year. He’s in stop-and-go traffic quite a bit, but he’s usually cruising between 50 - 80 miles per hour during his commute. For Customer Bobby, we advise oil change intervals between 7,500 - 10,000 miles for his light diesel truck.
- Customer Christy is somewhere in between Adam and Bobby. Christy is a UMich faculty member who commutes approximately 10 - 20 miles per day, averaging 12,000 miles every year. She is frequently in stop-and-go traffic, commuting daily into Ann Arbor, and zips around her hometown of Whitmore Lake, MI, doing short distance, stop-and-go errands. For customer Christy, we believe the standard recommendation of an oil change every 5,000 miles is just about right.
As you can see, these three customers of State Street Auto Service have a variety of driving styles. That is why they each have different recommendations for how frequently they change the oil in their vehicles.
At State Street Auto Service in Whitmore Lake, near Ann Arbor, MI, you can count on us to provide a positive customer experience backed by honesty, integrity, and quality work. Call us at 734-761-8006 if you have questions about your vehicle oil change interval and recommend an interval that is right for you. You’ll be glad you did.