I'm coming up on my first PM after buying my truck a few weeks ago. I think I'm looking at somewhere around $250. This truck calls for a PM every 10,000 miles so that's 2.5 cents/mile. That seems outrageously expensive to me. Would synthetic oil lower my overall cpm? Another thought, I seem to remember a thread on this forum where somebody claimed he was saving real $ for taking his oil to be tested periodically and not doing PMs until the filth level reached a certain point.

How would you deal with a 14 year old straight truck with 250,000 miles on it?

i'm a fan of speedco.

While synthetics are good, they are not the great savior of mankind in every situation. But, it is true, with oil sampling and using bypass filtration, you can extend to drain intervals. You have to use a dose of good sense.

I would suggest a synthetic blend. It is far more cost effective, and provides the benefits of both types of oils. Get a good bypass filter or a centrifuge like Spinner II installed to keep the oil far cleaner than the full flow filter could ever do. Get with a reputable oil lab like Stavely, Oil Analyzers, Blackstone, etc and get sample kits and do testing at your normal service intervals of 10,000 miles. After a few tests you will be able to determine the best time to change the oil. Just to be on the safe side, no matter how long the oil still tests fine, replace your filters on a regular basis. Follow the bypass filter manufacturer recommendation and also change the full flow maybe every other normal service interval (20,000 instead of 10,000 miles).

Each engine is different. You may get some pretty extreme full oil change intervals, but your may only get maybe double or triple the oil change interval. The oil analysis will show how the additive package and viscosity of your oil is holding up. And testing also has many other benefits like showing you when something is starting to be of concern inside the engine. Multiple testing over time is the key here. You want to watch trend lines in the testing to see what changes are occurring. It is not rocket science and you don't have to go to college and become a tribologist. The lab will give you recommendations based on the trend line of the samples. You will be able to pick up on the things to watch for as you become more familiar with the sample results.

If the engine is showing a pattern of very good results, and you are able to extend the drains nicely, then maybe moving on up to a full synthetic would be a sound move. Take everything a step at a time until you find the best solution for your particular engine. Even the conventional oils are light years ahead of what they were a decade or two ago. Many are doing just fine with a conventional oil and extending their oil drains considerably. Much as we would like it to be so, there is no one size fits all solution.

Now, even after all of that, with testing you might be able to extend your drains to double or more of the manufacturers recommendation by not even putting on a bypass filter and going to some exotic oil. That would make a big cost difference right there. On the next oil change, run a sample. If it shows that you could go further, then take it to 15,000 miles before you change. Then repeat this process. If sample shows oil is good at 15,000, the go on out further the next time. It might just surprise you, if you engine is in good shape, just how far you might be able to extend the drains without having to go to extremes to do so.

I prefer organic oil to synthetics. Oil changes can run from $200-350, depending on who does it. I change my oil in my trucks at 15,000 miles. I could probably go longer, but I have had good luck at that interval.

I tried Speedco (in Toledo) on your recommendation and the first time didn't go real well. But it was fathers day weekend and they were short handed. The price was right though. The other day I tried them again, this time in Georgia. I didn't need an oil change - a burst oil line situation the other day ended with fresh oil and filter so that was already done. They did the lube for around $25 and a fuel filter was I think $17. So for not much money I'm good for another 10,000 miles.

Also, I told my mechanic back home what they charge and let's just say he's aware that there's downward pressure on his rates. Thanks for the tip!

i'm actually shocked to hear about a bad experience in toledo. was it the one right next to loves? the worst is the one in on 236 on i80. another good one is in harrisburg right across from the TA. on 77. i went to the one in girad (spelling its off i80 in ohio 236?) did, oil, trans (full synth), both rears and fuel filters for 636. i think it was well worth it. and it only took 45 min.

I'm pretty sure there's a Loves close by. There's also a Petro. Technically the town is Perrysburg but I said Toledo because everyone knows where that is.

I caught them at their absolute worst. It took 3 hours to get out of there!!! I was the 2nd truck in line with 3 already in the bays. Once there was an empty bay and I pulled in, right away they drained the oil from my truck (no doubt to make me their prisoner lol). They were shorthanded and all the guys worked together on one truck at a time. The first truck wasn't bad, but the second truck had just been purchased yesterday and the guy wanted everything done to it.

i'm trying to think if that was the one i went to. it was right off the pike right?

my dad really likes TA's service too.