Cummins X-15 500hp, full synthetic?

I’m still new with this emissions crap but I’ve haven’t heard of a particulate sensor yet, could it be the NOX sensor on the DPF ?

 

After the pandemic hit you couldn’t buy full synthetic truck oil around here prices went crazy.

 

That is wild.
I never paid more than $25/gallon Canadian.

 

The particulate sensor or PM sensor has sensing probe in outlet of aftreatment close to downstream Nox sensor. It detects the amount of PM (soot) in exhaust, so basically tests efficiency of DPF. They do a Regen to detect the amount of soot collected on probes so operate @ over 1400 F. Started in MY 2016, have replaced quite a few but have also replaced quite a few cracked DPF's that the PM sensor detected but also had soot in stack.

 

The shop I work at we use 15w-40 oil, not synthetic, do 300 hr service intervals ( 300hr x 60mph = 18000 mile service) and have never seen any issues as far as engine wear or dpf plugging etc. I worked for a company that ran 0w-40 syn. oil and 500 hr service intervals and had camshaft lobe/rocker roller failures big time, all ISX engines, some would make it a year before cam would go out or the cam in the high pressure fuel pump. Asked them to change oil grade to prevent this and they said "look at this as job security". wtf. told a higher up manager and he made them switch to 5w-40 and the camshaft issues stopped.

 

I run semi-synthetic, too much pto time to think about really extended drains. I started doing it in winter years ago when I parked the truck with nowhere to plug in, it really helps cranking speed and time to full oil pressure when it's frigid out.
I've gone to year round with the new motors, the more stable chemistry should make less ash than a petroleum based oil.