General X15 information

[DVT873]

A big part of what drives these ever extending oil change intervals is the bean counters. As Rawze has mentioned almost every design characteristic of todays engines is driven by producing the cheapest engine that will meet the life span requirements of the FIRST buyer. Especially in OTR. 200 or so buyers account for about 80% of the new sales.

At that level everything goes under the cost per mile bean counter microscope. That includes oil drain intervals. Example. Eng A says change at 20K. Pretty soon Eng B shows up and says 30K for us. "Look at the money you'll save". Eng A comes back with 40K and so it goes. At that level nobody gives a shi#t what happens to the engine after 500K miles. Because now you guys own it as a used truck. I never sold at anywhere near that level but had to sit thru meeting where topics and strategies like this were covered in depth.

FWIW on intervals. I have been told over the years by some pretty sharp people that the "gold standard" for intervals is gallons of fuel used. Period. That accounts for idle, PTO etc. In the medium stuff I work with that spec is about 2,000 gallons give or take model years. Really severe application might drop it to 1,800. If I was doing it that way I would drop about 10% off that to make up for the above hype. Hardly anybody does it this way. But you guys, especially if using Rawze's book, will have your fuel usage.

Any system benefits from oil analysis. Catching EGR coolers before on road failure is where it helps us the most.