Just went to 5W40 Rotella

[99 Red Stroker]

I had a cold start problem and I read a TSB that stated that the heavier 15w40 was causing trouble. I started the truck this morning and started great with the 5W40 at 25 degrees. My question is will there be any problems running the lighter oil and should it be run in warm weather or just switch back to the 15W40? I will have a better test when the weather drops down in the teens. Atleast it is running on all the injectors when it first starts. This oil should be good and do something at over $16.00 a gal HA!!
Anyone having the same trouble or ideas?
99 Red Stroker
Ron

[PSDfan99]

wow $16.00/ gal. thats terrible. I hope it works out for you, any cold start problem I have ever had were solved by simply plugging my truck in at night for a few hours. This keeps the oil and cooland and block warm enough that it starts up without any problem even on the clodest of days. Have you been plugging your in at night and still had starting issues?

[99 Red Stroker]

The 7.3 runs great when I plug it in. I just wanted to get it to start in the cold if my drop cord won't reach HA!!! Kinda worried me getting out and it leaving me stranded. I had replaced the relay, glow plugs, and the uvc harness and still it would surge and die. The lighter oil seemed to do the trick. Hope I'm on the right track.
99 Red Stroker

[Captain Ron]

Originally Posted by 99 Red Stroker

I had a cold start problem and I read a TSB that stated that the heavier 15w40 was causing trouble. I started the truck this morning and started great with the 5W40 at 25 degrees. My question is will there be any problems running the lighter oil and should it be run in warm weather or just switch back to the 15W40? I will have a better test when the weather drops down in the teens. Atleast it is running on all the injectors when it first starts. This oil should be good and do something at over $16.00 a gal HA!!
Anyone having the same trouble or ideas?
99 Red Stroker
Ron

99 Red Stroker,
I have ran 5w40 syn. year round in my all my Dodge Cummins,(Over a million miles between the 3 of them) I will do the same on my new to me powerstroke. the only diff between 15w40 & 5w40 is the cold weight ie: 5 vs 15, the hot weight is the same ie:40. therefore there will be no diff in hot temps as far as oil breakdown, I deliver new trailers to dealers all around the country & the 5w40 syn. has been a great oil for me.

Captain Ron

[99 Red Stroker]

What brand of 5W40 do you run? Sound like I'm doing the right thing. From all the info I could find on Shell Rotella it should be a good syn oil. I have ran the 15W40 for years and have had good luck with it. The 5W40 sure made a big difference in the way my truck starts. Before it would just surge and die. Now it start and runs fine. My 99 has a 98 build date. I sure like it as I have had it for going on two years now. It has a little over 150K and runs like a new truck.
99 Red Stroker
Ron

[Captain Ron]

Originally Posted by 99 Red Stroker

What brand of 5W40 do you run? Sound like I'm doing the right thing. From all the info I could find on Shell Rotella it should be a good syn oil. I have ran the 15W40 for years and have had good luck with it. The 5W40 sure made a big difference in the way my truck starts. Before it would just surge and die. Now it start and runs fine. My 99 has a 98 build date. I sure like it as I have had it for going on two years now. It has a little over 150K and runs like a new truck.
99 Red Stroker
Ron

I run the rotella 5w40, I get it at wally world for $15.0 & some change per gal, as stated I travel alot & will sometimes find it @ truck stops on sale for as little as $13.00 a gal

[99 Red Stroker]

I'll have to keep a watch for some on sale and buy it a head of time. I think it was $16.24 a gal I gave the other day. Our trucks are setup kinda the same only mine has 3:73 gears. I have a 7k lb travel trailer and it don't even know it's back there. How does the Stroker compare to the Cummins?? They are well proven also and good solid power.
99 Red Stroker
Ron

[Monster truck]

I just switched both of our trucks to rotella synthetic 5w40 and both truck are loving it and they run so much smoother.

[clarion12s]

Im from Canada where it somtimes drops to -40 c {-40 f},Most people run synthetic oil in there deisels here in winter.But that stuffs like 25 bucks a gallon here so i put in a bolt in oil pan heater{10 min to instal} and now i have no problem starting with 15/40. Also with good batteries my truck will start not plugged in running 15/40 down to -25 c{-13f} but will hammer alot.

[Captain Ron]

Originally Posted by 99 Red Stroker

I'll have to keep a watch for some on sale and buy it a head of time. I think it was $16.24 a gal I gave the other day. Our trucks are setup kinda the same only mine has 3:73 gears. I have a 7k lb travel trailer and it don't even know it's back there. How does the Stroker compare to the Cummins?? They are well proven also and good solid power.
99 Red Stroker
Ron

Have not made a run with her yet, getting a 60" sleeper mounted on her as we speak. will let you know what she gets once I start running her (Keep in mind mine is a "E" 350 van cutaway dually). Will be doing mods one at a time at approx every 5,000 miles (only approx a week & a half running for me) by doing mods one at a time I get a fairly true elvaluation of the new mod ie: fuel econ, performance, driveability