Oil change monitor

[jljbtm]

Does anyone know how many "miles to go" when you get down to 5% oil life remaining, just wondering if I should change the oil before or after my trip of about 1900 miles?

 

[SD Rebel]

It isn't a straight count down, it depends on your driving habits, but if you have a 1900 trip coming up, I would get it done now. To stay active with your powertrain warranty, you need to do it within the computer, 10,000 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first.

 

[CHeYeNNe71]

I would definitely do before the road trip.

 

[kapinallinen2]

Does anyone know how many "miles to go" when you get down to 5% oil life remaining, just wondering if I should change the oil before or after my trip of about 1900 miles?

Change it before the trip.
I do an oil and filter when it says 50% life left, usually around 5k miles.

 

[jljbtm]

Okay I'll get it changed before I leave better safe than sorry

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[1791]

you let you monitor get down to 5%. if you care about the truck and want it to last best thing to do is change it every 5000 miles, forget that oil life display is there.

 

[LOWRMPG]

Does anyone know how many "miles to go" when you get down to 5% oil life remaining, just wondering if I should change the oil before or after my trip of about 1900 miles?

Don't worry about what % as much as you care about how many miles since the last change. If you tow a lot, change it around 5-7K. If you don't, change it around 7-10k. To answer your question, yes most likely an additional 1900 miles will bring that number to 0% - simple math you have probably around 17 more run hours on the motor and about 500 miles before 5% becomes 0%.

 

[dajogejr]

you let you monitor get down to 5%. if you care about the truck and want it to last best thing to do is change it every 5000 miles, forget that oil life display is there.

I wish I would’ve known that when I traded in my 2015 with over 140K on it, zero motor issues, and the whole time I only changed it with 10% or less oil life…with…gasp…conventional oil.

 

[CHeYeNNe71]

Yeah too many push 3-5K oil changes when oil labs have shown oil still good even after 10K. We don't have the old engines anymore. I believe the 240K+ youtube guy does 10K changes

 

[jljbtm]

Just FYI I do take care of my engines I have several cars I switched to synthetic motor oil specifically mobile one back when it started I think 2004. But I also had the oil tested in two of my cars several times and the testing facility kept telling me to push the oil change interval all the way to 10,000 miles and that's where I change it now is 10,000 miles. So synthetic oil does cost a little more but why do it three or four times in within 10,000 miles when you can do it just once. My only question here was about the gauge on the dash I just had no idea what 5% of oil life meant. Thanks for all the help.

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[HSKR R/T]

If you are

Does anyone know how many "miles to go" when you get down to 5% oil life remaining, just wondering if I should change the oil before or after my trip of about 1900 miles?

that close, with that long of a trip, just get it changed. I personally wouldn't let iy go much last 10% oil life, if I was following oil life monitor. But I change mine at 7500 miles

 

[kapinallinen2]

My daily commute is too short to let the oil go to 7500 or 10k miles.

 

[LOWRMPG]

My daily commute is too short to let the oil go to 7500 or 10k miles.

Yup generally regardless of miles you should change it once a year.

Per the 2025 manual:

Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), 12 months or 350hours of engine run time, whichever comes first.

 

[1923bob]

Change it before your trip. I go every 5K sometime sooner but that's just me. I used to change oil in my street rod sooner than 5k but it would sit most of the time.

 

[1791]

I wish I would’ve known that when I traded in my 2015 with over 140K on it, zero motor issues, and the whole time I only changed it with 10% or less oil life…with…gasp…conventional oil.

i get it. my buddy has a 2012 ram with 250k on it and climbing, motor and trans have never been apart it don't burn or leak a drop. 5k on oil and 50k on trans services.
big debate. i was a mechanic at a dealership for a time i have changed out my fair share of motors. now i have done LTL for the past 10 years and delivered 100's of engines from kia dealers to jack's auto repair and have spoken to 100's of mechanics one thing they all say 5k is the sweet spot in todays world do not do 10k oil changes if you plan on keeping the vehicle. i have not paid for a oil change in 40 years i do it myself so i spend less on 2 oil changes per 10k mi changing it every 5k mi than most pay doing it one time per 10k mi. it cost me about 35 bucks to change vs the cost of a motor i consider it cheap insurance. check youtube university lol.
take a moment wile your on the toilet and give one of these a watch. but if you want to push your oil it that's your choice. on a new twin turbo ram their is no way in hell would i go over 5k unless i leased it. turbo's add wear and tear and put alot of demand on oil but i guess we will see how they hold up in a few years.

great video he explains why they push 10k

 

[mikeru82]

Just FYI I do take care of my engines I have several cars I switched to synthetic motor oil specifically mobile one back when it started I think 2004. But I also had the oil tested in two of my cars several times and the testing facility kept telling me to push the oil change interval all the way to 10,000 miles and that's where I change it now is 10,000 miles. So synthetic oil does cost a little more but why do it three or four times in within 10,000 miles when you can do it just once. My only question here was about the gauge on the dash I just had no idea what 5% of oil life meant. Thanks for all the help.

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If it was simple math, 5% of 10,000 miles would be 500 miles. From what I've seen, if you don't use your truck for towing or drive in extreme conditions the oil life monitor pretty closely tracks with mileage. Even if you wanted to stretch your OCI to the max on the oil change monitor, the best you'd have is another 500 miles before it reaches 0%.

Change it before your trip.

 

[dajogejr]

i get it. my buddy has a 2012 ram with 250k on it and climbing, motor and trans have never been apart it don't burn or leak a drop. 5k on oil and 50k on trans services.
big debate.

My take..
Everyone is an expert, and everyone has an opinion.
Ask someone the best oil, you’ll get just as many answers.
Ask someone how often to change.. you’ll get nearly as many.

My 2008 had lifetime powertrain. My 2015 had Max Care unlimited (Original owner only, me) My 2023 has 8yr, 125K Max Care.
At or around, 125K, I’ll be trading it in or selling it.
I have zero desire to keep a vehicle beyond that. Warranty or not.. time for something new.
Tech advances are too good for me to keep a truck beyond that.
Now…is that fair to say I don’t care because I won’t be keeping mine past the warranty period? Sure it is.
If I was keeping it past the warranty period, I’d still change it on the same frequency…at or around 10%.

1791..here’s an honest question for you. All the mechanics that say the sweet spot is 5K. Are they the same ones that used to say 3K? How many have had an oil analysis done, which… short of a complete tear down and measure, is the best way to track oil life and performance?

That’s not me being a clown, that’s an honest question…. And of all those motors that were broken/torn down/replaced, how many can undeniably say it was because of oil change intervals stretched too far? Lack of oil? Sure. Wrong kind? Sure.
But properly filled, level maintained and checked, proper type/weight…how many were failures do to oil age and use?

I’m gonna guess there’s no definitive answer on that from dealer mechanics. Just guesses.

 

[SD Rebel]

Very good point, but then what do you do?

The 5K is ia general safe zone in terms of cost to benefit ratio, you can probably go a bit longer, but I guess you don't know unless you do an oil analysis, but then how accurate is that along with the additional cost.

3k service was pretty standard when everyone was using dino oil, most everyone's now using synthetic, it's probably why they brought it up to 5k.

In the end it's going to be the answer everyone gives, which is do whatever feels right to you in the situation you have with your vehicles.

With the exception that if you're under warranty, you do have the manufacturer's limitation of 10,000 miles or one year, whichever happens first.

 

[1791]

My take..
Everyone is an expert, and everyone has an opinion.
Ask someone the best oil, you’ll get just as many answers.
Ask someone how often to change.. you’ll get nearly as many.

My 2008 had lifetime powertrain. My 2015 had Max Care unlimited (Original owner only, me) My 2023 has 8yr, 125K Max Care.
At or around, 125K, I’ll be trading it in or selling it.
I have zero desire to keep a vehicle beyond that. Warranty or not.. time for something new.
Tech advances are too good for me to keep a truck beyond that.
Now…is that fair to say I don’t care because I won’t be keeping mine past the warranty period? Sure it is.
If I was keeping it past the warranty period, I’d still change it on the same frequency…at or around 10%.

1791..here’s an honest question for you. All the mechanics that say the sweet spot is 5K. Are they the same ones that used to say 3K? How many have had an oil analysis done, which… short of a complete tear down and measure, is the best way to track oil life and performance?

That’s not me being a clown, that’s an honest question…. And of all those motors that were broken/torn down/replaced, how many can undeniably say it was because of oil change intervals stretched too far? Lack of oil? Sure. Wrong kind? Sure.
But properly filled, level maintained and checked, proper type/weight…how many were failures do to oil age and use?

I’m gonna guess there’s no definitive answer on that from dealer mechanics. Just guesses.

so back in the day 3k was the thing and motors were worn pretty good at around 100k. it's funny they say 50's and 60's were good cars but very few made it to 150k. since the late 80's longevity has increased by leaps and bounds. i'm 57 so i was a 3k guy and i get it. oil additive packages have also made huge advancements. oil analysis cost as much as it cost me to just change the oil so why would i get one?? as i have said for me it's cheap insurance and piece of mind. i am not a engine builder just a regular guy so no analysis for me. i did not pole them on oil being the cause of failures but from the amount of sludge i saw on the core returns i can guess it's a fair amount.
so i have a question, how many members here are going well over 100k before they get a new truck? looks like not many. so i guess i recommend 10k for them. i will never spend 70k plus on a new truck ya can't take it with you but you don't have to throw it away. my next truck will be a restomod/restored GMT800 i already have it in need of alot of TLC sitting in garage. newer is not always better IMO.

i also think they don't want cars to last 300k because that means they can't sell ya a car ever 4 or 5 years. manufactures get carbon credits by recommending 10k mi intervals as long as it makes it past the warrantee they are off the hook and that contributes to the extended mileage not just advancements. i like my 5th gen ram 12in infotainment and tech, but i also like no tech and no infotain every one has a phone and that is pretty much everything you need. seat message and self driveling oh come on man REALLY, no i'm good on the latest and greatest. i don't really like the way tech has pushed cars to an average cost in the US of 49.000 dollars but the EU average is 22.500 euros. i digress....
according to the oil geek (check him out on youtube) he lives a few miles from my house gm's oil algorithm was developed in the 90's and it's on point even at 0% the oil is still good and has a little life left even so i'll just keep my 5k thing going. if you enjoy technical give this a watch it back's up your point.

 

[dajogejr]

All good points boys.
I know you covered manufacturer’s desire to sell cars.
Let’s not forget oil company’s desire to sell you magical oil… and if they extend the life, they’ll charge you more…since you’ll be buying it less frequently. Yep, I get it costs more to manufacture… but not at the rate they charge for it vs. Dino oil.

The last thing I’d add.. the oil test gives you more than just remainder of the oil’s life.
It also could give you potential failure of engine components based on content.
Is it a 100% accurate tell tale? Nope. Is it the best tool short of a tear down? I believe so.