First oil change V6 3.6L 2023 Bighorn. OEM or?

[CHeYeNNe71]

Dealer has the following deal. $155 for 2 oil changes and two tire rotations. Must be used in 12 months.

Could I do it for half? Yes. Is it worth doing it myself between the time, cleanup? No. Also goes in the official books so I wouldn’t have to show any proof of oil changes and service if any warranty issues came up.

I personally like the protection with warranty issues. I've always done that, when under warranty.

 

[Darksteel165]

Except getting oil changes at the dealership doesn't give you ANY protection for warranty issues.
They can say oil was not refilled between changes and thus was low on oil.
It has happened before to people.

Even the HEMI is documented n the manual as burning oil is normal so do all the oil changes at the dealership to give you a false peace of mind.

 

[CHeYeNNe71]

Except getting oil changes at the dealership doesn't give you ANY protection for warranty issues.
They can say oil was not refilled between changes and thus was low on oil.
It has happened before to people.

Even the HEMI is documented n the manual as burning oil is normal so do all the oil changes at the dealership to give you a false peace of mind.

You sound like a lot of fun at parties

 

[RAL]

I did it myself this last time because I noticed that after an oil change with the 5w20 bulk oil the dealer was using, I would have the "Hemi tick" at start up for a second or two, only a few thousand miles (not even) after the oil change. Truck only has about 32k on the clock. I wasn't worried about it because I know these engines can do that but I was curious if a full synthetic oil would do the trick. I use Mobil One in all my other cars / trucks / track car and gave it a shot (used a regular Napa filter - I don't stress these things, so long as they tell me it meets spec, I over-change oil anyway.).

I checked the data sheet for Mobil One 5w20 Super Synthetic and it said it meets or exceeds the Chrysler MS6395 standard, so I figured I was good to go. Engine has been quiet at start-up now (no tick) for several thousand miles.

My cost was about $70 for the oil (but I have 3 quarts left over) and the filter was $8 or so. So not a great way to save money but it was a useful experiment. Next time I am at the dealer, I will see what the full synthetic change costs and if it is too much, I will just get their oil filter and do it myself again. I have been doing it more often than necessary (about every 5-6k) but I am OCD about maintenance.

 

[DEG]

There seems to be a lot on hand wringing and irrational fear about voiding a warranty.

The Magnuson Moss Warranty Act provides strong consumer protections.

The dealer/manufacture can't void your entire warranty. A warranty determination is made is made for each claim based on the specific details of that claim. To deny that claim they must demonstrate that your actions contributed to the damage or malfunction.

"According to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act: a vehicle manufacturer cannot void the warranty of your vehicle due to an aftermarket part unless they can prove that the aftermarket part was the cause of or contributed to the failure of the vehicle (15 U.S.C. 2302 (C))"​

​

Likewise, even if the owners manual recommends 0-W20 oil they can't void your warranty if you use 5-W20 unless they can demonstrate your use of that oil is what caused the problem.

Some dealers may try to bluff you into accepting that they are refusing a warranty repair that should be covered, but the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act allows for severe federal penalties for manufactures that violate the act. It doesn't take much push back to get them to change direction.

 

[RAL]

To be fair, as an attorney, I can tell you that you are correct but the problem is practical in the sense that people don't want to be placed under the burden of having to evidence that a vehicle was properly maintained because if you are a dealer customer, and an issue arises, unless something truly unusual is going on, they are not going to take the position that the customer needs to demonstrate the vehicle was maintained. So, in other words, if there is an issue, there is a very low likelihood that there will be any question about coverage (if the failure is a covered item). On the other hand, if you are not a dealer customer and you stroll in with a factory warranty claim many years after buying the vehicle and no one has seen you since then, they may ask for documentation that the vehicle was maintained. That's not the end of the world either, as owners should keep service records as a matter of prudence.

So I don't think people who use the dealer to avoid potential aggravation when the vehicle is under warranty are at all crazy or foolish. At the same time, if you keep service records, the issue is likely moot for the reasons you describe.

Personally I tend to use the dealers when the cars are new or newish and under warranty, but there are bad dealers out there (like anything else) and I won't be relentlessly upcharged and upsold either. So I keep the records to make sure there are no issues. Another simple thing to do is to keep the truck clean. Drive in with a truck that looks like it has been rolled down a hill, with little in the way of service documentation, and now you are looking for warranty coverage, good luck with that one - I would be skeptical too!

The best of both worlds is when you have a good dealer that doesn't over-charge - that is really handy but unfortunately not that common in my neck of the woods.

Finally, to the validity of the point you are making there is this language from the Mopar extended warranty: "It is your responsibility to properly operate, care for and maintain the Vehicle as prescribed in the owner's manual supplied by the manufacturer. . . . You should retain all maintenance records and receipts to avoid any misunderstanding as to whether or not the maintenance services were performed as required."

Nothing in there about dealer maintenance, but again, folks should keep service records.

 

[Darksteel165]

I did it myself this last time because I noticed that after an oil change with the 5w20 bulk oil the dealer was using, I would have the "Hemi tick" at start up for a second or two, only a few thousand miles (not even) after the oil change. Truck only has about 32k on the clock. I wasn't worried about it because I know these engines can do that but I was curious if a full synthetic oil would do the trick. I use Mobil One in all my other cars / trucks / track car and gave it a shot (used a regular Napa filter - I don't stress these things, so long as they tell me it meets spec, I over-change oil anyway.).

I checked the data sheet for Mobil One 5w20 Super Synthetic and it said it meets or exceeds the Chrysler MS6395 standard, so I figured I was good to go. Engine has been quiet at start-up now (no tick) for several thousand miles.

My cost was about $70 for the oil (but I have 3 quarts left over) and the filter was $8 or so. So not a great way to save money but it was a useful experiment. Next time I am at the dealer, I will see what the full synthetic change costs and if it is too much, I will just get their oil filter and do it myself again. I have been doing it more often than necessary (about every 5-6k) but I am OCD about maintenance.

If you have an BJ's nearby Mobile 1 full syn goes on sale for $32 for 6x 1qt containers. I stock up so I don't need to wait for it to go on-sale. Was even cheaper pre-covid at $27 for 6 quarts.

 

[Darksteel165]

To be fair, as an attorney, I can tell you that you are correct but the problem is practical in the sense that people don't want to be placed under the burden of having to evidence that a vehicle was properly maintained because if you are a dealer customer, and an issue arises, unless something truly unusual is going on, they are not going to take the position that the customer needs to demonstrate the vehicle was maintained. So, in other words, if there is an issue, there is a very low likelihood that there will be any question about coverage (if the failure is a covered item). On the other hand, if you are not a dealer customer and you stroll in with a factory warranty claim many years after buying the vehicle and no one has seen you since then, they may ask for documentation that the vehicle was maintained. That's not the end of the world either, as owners should keep service records as a matter of prudence.

So I don't think people who use the dealer to avoid potential aggravation when the vehicle is under warranty are at all crazy or foolish. At the same time, if you keep service records, the issue is likely moot for the reasons you describe.

Personally I tend to use the dealers when the cars are new or newish and under warranty, but there are bad dealers out there (like anything else) and I won't be relentlessly upcharged and upsold either. So I keep the records to make sure there are no issues. Another simple thing to do is to keep the truck clean. Drive in with a truck that looks like it has been rolled down a hill, with little in the way of service documentation, and now you are looking for warranty coverage, good luck with that one - I would be skeptical too!

The best of both worlds is when you have a good dealer that doesn't over-charge - that is really handy but unfortunately not that common in my neck of the woods.

Finally, to the validity of the point you are making there is this language from the Mopar extended warranty: "It is your responsibility to properly operate, care for and maintain the Vehicle as prescribed in the owner's manual supplied by the manufacturer. . . . You should retain all maintenance records and receipts to avoid any misunderstanding as to whether or not the maintenance services were performed as required."

Nothing in there about dealer maintenance, but again, folks should keep service records.

I keep an Excel sheet and put in the miles I have, how much oil came out, put in, and color/smell of oil. Those are more then enough "records" if it ever was needed. Even if it's out of warranty it's a good thing to keep track of any major thing you need to do on it imo.

 

[RAMMER80]

I personally like the protection with warranty issues. I've always done that, when under warranty.

Agree. Yes can I cover myself by keeping logs… absolutely. But after paying for a brand new truck I think I can shell out $75 to have my oil changed and tires rotated. It’s like a tank of gas.

 

[Darksteel165]

Agree. Yes can I cover myself by keeping logs… absolutely. But after paying for a brand new truck I think I can shell out $75 to have my oil changed and tires rotated. It’s like a tank of gas.

Assuming they do it correct.
The wrong\poor work is worse then any money\time you might save.

If you have a good quality dealership with mechanics that are not minimum wage highschool dropouts working there sure.
But good luck finding that.

I would do my own maintenance even if it was more expensive then the dealership.

 

[millerbjm]

If you take your truck to a dealer or other vendor for an oil change I recommend marking your filter and/or watching the work if you're able. I had a dealer out change and when I decided to change it myself the next time found the original oil filter still in place and stamped "factory installed". The service manager apologized and offered a free oil change but after that I don't trust anyone to do the work they claim unless I see it or I know them to be honest!

 

[RAMMER80]

Assuming they do it correct.
The wrong\poor work is worse then any money\time you might save.

If you have a good quality dealership with mechanics that are not minimum wage highschool dropouts working there sure.
But good luck finding that.

I would do my own maintenance even if it was more expensive then the dealership.

Good point.