2006 AI Oil Change - Fuel Filter Too?

[Latal]

We are planning on having an oil change done on our 2006 Airstream Interstate (2005 Dodge Sprinter). Our local big truck repair shop is recommending that we also change out the fuel filter every 5,000 miles. The total for the oil change and fuel filter change is about $400. Does this seem right?
It has been 10,000 miles since we replaced the fuel filter (Oct 2010).

We are the second owners and have 34k miles on the vehicle. Anything else we should be looking at mechanically? What about the rig itself?

Thanks.

[InterBlog]

Welcome to Air Forums if I didn't say it already on another thread somewhere!


It was for that reason of excessive expense that we chose to do a DIY oil change on our 2007 (same model of Sprinter as yours and our rig has almost exactly the same mileage as yours). We used top-of-the-line synthetic oil which is the most expensive, and I think the tab came to about a hundred bucks including the oil filter replacement. DIY is not for everyone, but this was an easy job and if you'd like the instructions with pictures, here they are:

DIY OIL CHANGE FOR THE AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE

For heaven sakes, if you do decide to cough up the four hundred, make sure those guys are using the very best synthetic in your rig.

We did not replace our fuel filter, but for our next major trip, which is to a remote area, we are planning to carry a spare just in case there are issues.

[Ron_CA]

Changing the fuel filter every 5000 miles seems excessive. What does the manual say? You can probably google the recommended service intervals for your sprinter.

[Lily&Me]

Welcome.

Peterbilt changed filters on mine with every oil change, every 6,000 miles or so.

If you are at 10,000 miles on that filter, it is probably time.

Mine is at 171,000 miles, and still going strong. Personally, I would rather do them a bit more often than less so.

$300+ sounds about right. My last at Cummins Crosspoint was a bit less than that, but they said the air filter didn't need changed..

Just a suggestion....Cummins is nationwide and does a "full coach" inspection, which I liked.

I don't have their checklist handy, but they check more than the engine, and I will probably stick with them from here on out.

They also have propane at a very reasonable price.

Nice to get so many things taken care of in one place.


Maggie

[m.hony]

We were changing the fuel filter every 10,000 miles on our fleet vehicles with diesel engines.
We decided every 10,000 miles was a bit excessive and backed the interval off to 20,000 miles for the diesel engine fuel filter change.

[TomKirk]

In most vehicles, fuel filter is part of the 30K, 60K, 90K service.

What does your owner's manual recommend??

Unless there's water (condensation) in your fuel, I would follow owner's manual recommendations.

Do you use fuel additive??

Tom

[Lily&Me]

So, this may seem to be a silly question...

"Changing the oil and filter" means the fuel filter, doesn't it?

Or is this some other filter?

On edit...there's a filter for the oil, too, right? I don't know much of these things, I just take it in to trusted places to be serviced.


Maggie

[Ron_CA]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

So, this may seem to be a silly question...

"Changing the oil and filter" means the fuel filter, doesn't it?

Or is this some other filter?

On edit...there's a filter for the oil, too, right? I don't know much of these things, I just take it in to trusted places to be serviced.


Maggie

Maggie, oil & filter typically means oil and oil filter

[Lily&Me]

Thank you. I was beginning to think I was not going to get a response.

I believe Peterbilt changed fuel, oil and air filters each time, but I'd have to go back and look.

I remember them telling me more than once that one of those filters was full of sand, after I had been at Edisto. I think it was the air filter.

Does that sound right?

This last service, at Cummins, they told me the air filter didn't need to be changed, so they didn't.

I should know more about these things, but what I want are trusted, reliable service people so I don't have to know about them.


Maggie

[InterBlog]

Yes, I show a pic of the T1N *oil* filter in that blog post I linked.

I do not yet know what the *fuel* filter looks like, but it's on my punch list to get one.

Personally I like doing the routine DIY because then we get to put the saved money back into the rig on modifications we can really use. One oil change savings is probably paying for both a custom computer table and a cab weather mat carpet overlay.


And as I said to my husband yesterday, that Interstate is a habit that's gotta be fed, so...

[Lily&Me]

Well, there's no way I could or would do it myself, and I truly have no business whatsoever underneath my Interstate for any reason.

I wrestled that damn sewer hose on and off for a couple of weeks, until a kindly neighbor pared it down for me, and that was enough.

Emptying the tanks is as far under there as I ever intend to get.


Maggie

[unifreck]

Please make sure you have changed to an aftermarket ALUMINUM RESONATOR , so you will not have a "breakdown " and have to drive in limp home mode.
I change my oil and fuel filters every 10,000 to 15,000 miles depending on type of driving and the dust/dirt conditions during the trips. I carry an extra fuel filter with me just in case of getting bad diesel somewhere.
Enjoy your "TIN LIZZIE", I sure enjoy mine. AEW

[glfprncs]

Unifreck...do you recommend the one manufactured by Riordanco (http://www.riordanco.com/our_products_catalog.htm) or is there another that you recommend?

We just had ours in for service (we purchased an '06 Interstate Parkway last week), and I specifically asked whether the resonator was plastic or aluminum. MB tech confirmed it was plastic. I'd like to go ahead and get one and have it on hand, if not installed, sooner than later.

Nancy & Chris

[LB_3]

That's the one we have.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by glfprncs

I'd like to go ahead and get one and have it on hand, if not installed, sooner than later.

Install it as soon as you get it. There is no good reason to keep using the plastic one even one day longer than you have to.

[InterBlog]

Protag is correct. It WILL fail.

When we put our Riordan in, it became our Interstate's third in 26,000 miles. The previous owner had his original fail while traveling, but apparently he wasn't tech-savvy because he had it replaced under warranty with the very same unit, which would have failed again had we not replaced it preemptively.

[Lily&Me]

We've only had to replace our resonator once, while traveling, and it was 6-7 years ago.

We were in Kentucky and found a dealer near Knoxville who took care of it.


Maggie

[glfprncs]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Install it as soon as you get it. There is no good reason to keep using the plastic one even one day longer than you have to.

Protag...how easy is this to install? If I order today with expedited shipping, I have a really good chance of getting it tomorrow or Saturday. My husband goes back on the road Sunday. I'm kicking myself for not paying more attention when my brother and I repaired machinery for my dad's business (he was a general contractor, so there was almost always something happening to a bulldozer, excavator, dump truck, etc.). My brother can take an engine apart, put it back together and it'll work...me? Not so much. My husband has even less mechanical skills than I.

Is it "so easy a caveman could do it?"

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by glfprncs

Protag...how easy is this to install? If I order today with expedited shipping, I have a really good chance of getting it tomorrow or Saturday. My husband goes back on the road Sunday. I'm kicking myself for not paying more attention when my brother and I repaired machinery for my dad's business (he was a general contractor, so there was almost always something happening to a bulldozer, excavator, dump truck, etc.). My brother can take an engine apart, put it back together and it'll work...me? Not so much. My husband has even less mechanical skills than I.

Is it "so easy a caveman could do it?"

My husband installed ours in about 30 minutes. The job went so fast that I didn't even have time to see or document what happened.

[glfprncs]

Ah, but InterBlog, I've read your blog and know your husband has extensive automotive experience. My husband is a city boy who was never a tinkerer of engines. Golf clubs, yes. Automotive stuff, nope.