how often is everyone changing oil

[SD Rebel]

How would that void your warranty? I don't think you are under any obligation to provide proof that you changed your oil at any particular intervals.

As mentioned, it is stated in both the main manual and service manual not to go beyond 1 year regardless of what the maintenance computer states. The manufacturer can outline minimum required maintenance to stay within the powertrain warranty, and for RAM (and many others) that is 1 year or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first.

If you get a powertrain warranty claim and DIY your service, they may ask for your parts/materials receipts and dates/times you did the service. If you cannot prove you did the service on time, they can refuse your claim.

In the end, it's up to the dealership on how they want to proceed. But it's highly recommended you keep your receipts of the oil & filter you use and keep a log of when you did your service.

 

[mikeru82]

As mentioned, it is stated in both the main manual and service manual not to go beyond 1 year regardless of what the maintenance computer states. The manufacturer can outline minimum required maintenance to stay within the powertrain warranty, and for RAM (and many others) that is 1 year or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first.

If you get a powertrain warranty claim and DIY your service, they may ask for your parts/materials receipts and dates/times you did the service. If you cannot prove you did the service on time, they can refuse your claim.

In the end, it's up to the dealership on how they want to proceed. But it's highly recommended you keep your receipts of the oil & filter you use and keep a log of when you did your service.

I'm not disagreeing about keeping receipts. But doing that isn't proof that you actually did the work. It only proves you bought the oil and filter. I buy my oil and filters in bulk. So dates of actual oil changes rarely match up with purchase dates. Because of this I also keep a log of any work performed by me.

 

[Dewey]

I'm not disagreeing about keeping receipts. But doing that isn't proof that you actually did the work. It only proves you bought the oil and filter. I buy my oil and filters in bulk. So dates of actual oil changes rarely match up with purchase dates. Because of this I also keep a log of any work performed by me.

Same here. I keep log of all the service I do in the blank pages at the back of my owner manuals. Date, miles and service done. Not sure how much more I can do than that. I just hate the thought of paying somebody ridiculous amounts for something I can easily do myself just to get an official record of them.

 

[Florida RAM]

I'm not disagreeing about keeping receipts. But doing that isn't proof that you actually did the work. It only proves you bought the oil and filter. I buy my oil and filters in bulk. So dates of actual oil changes rarely match up with purchase dates. Because of this I also keep a log of any work performed by me.

I agree, but that's not evidence either. Anyone can write dates in a logbook. Has anyone had powertrain warranty work denied due to a lack of oil change evidence? I don't think that is a requirement. It's a good idea, but I think the burden of proof would be on the dealership that the problem was due to oil changes. Dealerships lose records also....so getting oil changes done there is not a 100% guarantee that 5+ years down the road the dealership will have the proof (unless you kept the paper copies).

In my opinion, the main benefit of keeping records is for resale, not warranty work. A buyer might like to see that you have kept up with all the maintenance.

 

[Dewey]

I agree, but that's not evidence either. Anyone can write dates in a logbook. Has anyone had powertrain warranty work denied due to a lack of oil change evidence? I don't think that is a requirement. It's a good idea, but I think the burden of proof would be on the dealership that the problem was due to oil changes. Dealerships lose records also....so getting oil changes done there is not a 100% guarantee that 5+ years down the road the dealership will have the proof (unless you kept the paper copies).

In my opinion, the main benefit of keeping records is for resale, not warranty work. A buyer might like to see that you have kept up with all the maintenance.

Carfax reports seem to collect any service done pretty accurately. My last truck was never in the shop for anything but basic recalls and they were all recorded. Even my new tires each time at my local tire dealer were recorded. I was pretty surprised by that. But yeah oil changes and other service done yourself are really your word vs there’s. Pretty crappy if they don’t honor a warranty based on that.

I’m curious has anybody ever had warranty work denied because of this? I’ve personally never seen that happen to anyone.

 

[SD Rebel]

I'm not disagreeing about keeping receipts. But doing that isn't proof that you actually did the work. It only proves you bought the oil and filter. I buy my oil and filters in bulk. So dates of actual oil changes rarely match up with purchase dates. Because of this I also keep a log of any work performed by me.

Absolutely, I buy my oil in bulk, but I have proof it was purchased, it doesn't have to be when you did your oil change. But speaking with my service advisor & Mopar extended warranty person, they aren't going to push the point if you run into an engine problem if you have proof of oil & filter purchases and keep a personal log of when you did it.

Most cases, they aren't even going to ask for proof unless you clearly haven't had services done. Usually sludge in the engine for example. It's an extreme case when they would ask for that proof.

How often is someone going to buy supplies and then return them and not do a service on an expensive truck? That wouldn't make sense to the dealer unless they got proof you clearly didn't do an oil change for 30,000 miles, which honestly would be obvious on an engine.

 

[SD Rebel]

I agree, but that's not evidence either. Anyone can write dates in a logbook. Has anyone had powertrain warranty work denied due to a lack of oil change evidence? I don't think that is a requirement. It's a good idea, but I think the burden of proof would be on the dealership that the problem was due to oil changes. Dealerships lose records also....so getting oil changes done there is not a 100% guarantee that 5+ years down the road the dealership will have the proof (unless you kept the paper copies).

In my opinion, the main benefit of keeping records is for resale, not warranty work. A buyer might like to see that you have kept up with all the maintenance.

The only requirement I mentioned is an annual oil change, if the dealership can prove you haven't done it, they can deny your powertrain claim.

Your proof in a DIY situation is your log book and supplies receipt. Yes anyone can fake it, but it's not likely they will ask for it unless you clearly haven't done the services in the eyes of the tech inspecting your truck.

I didn't mean that you would lose your warranty if you don't keep receipts or a log of your work, however it's recommended you do that in case the dealer wants proof you did it. In the end, it would be up to the dealership how they proceed. I personally keep a log, receipts, take a few pics and even keep the old oil filters, especially the first one that is stamped with "Factory Installed".

 

[ferraiolo1]

I know several people who had internal engine warranty work. Never once were they asked to show oil change receipts.

Besides it’s pretty easy to see if the engine oil wasn’t changed over a long period of time. And by the time poor oil change intervals harm the engine, the powertrain warranty will most likely be up.


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[SD Rebel]

I know several people who had internal engine warranty work. Never once were they asked to show oil change receipts.

Besides it’s pretty easy to see if the engine oil wasn’t changed over a long period of time. And by the time poor oil change intervals harm the engine, the powertrain warranty will most likely be up.


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Absolutely, I mentioned it will be pretty obvious if you didn't do the work.

However I know someone who had to produce not only the receipts but they also took an oil sample. Again, it's up to the dealer, better to have the proof than not. How hard is it to put those receipts aside? The log book and receipts has been recommended by DIY service people for a long time.

 

[ferraiolo1]

Those are the types of dealers who would try and void the powertrain warranty for not having the factory spec tire on the truck too.


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[SD Rebel]

Those are the types of dealers who would try and void the powertrain warranty for not having the factory spec tire on the truck too.


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Yup, better to be safe than sorry. Sometimes you won't know how that dealer will react until you are in that situation. Throw those receipts in the glove box of your truck just in case.

 

[Dewey]

Those are the types of dealers who would try and void the powertrain warranty for not having the factory spec tire on the truck too.


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Guess I don’t get that. The manufacturer pays for warranty repairs and the dealers get paid the labor to do the work. Seems dumb on the dealers part to give you a hassle unless it’s something blatantly obvious that there was neglect or abuse on the vehicle.

 

[Darksteel165]

I had a Kia with an engine that broke on me. I bought it used from Carmax.

It was still 6 months under it's powertrain warranty from Kia and I just hit 55k miles (I think warranty was to 60k miles if I recall) so I took it there.

No questions asked, I had a loaner on the spot that same day (just another Kia to drive) and they put in a remanned engine in under 2 weeks for me. No questions about service or ANYTHING.

Bad dealers will do bad things.

 

[JF19Longhorn]

Roughly every 5k. It's my first RAM, but been doing this with all my vehicles since the early 2000's and never had an internal engine issue.

 

[TRIBUTE100]

Back in March I took in my 2021 Ram 1500 DT 5.7L e-Torque Big Horn to the dealer for an oil change. I bought it in March 2021, so I didn't want to go past the
1 year mark even thought I only had 3,600 miles on it. The dealer said I should change the oil every 5,000 miles even though the manual says 10,000. It may be because
they have a limited lifetime powertrain that's included with vehicles they sell, but that's not an issue for me because I probably won't drive it more than 5,000 miles a year.
What bothered me is when I looked at my invoice it showed they had used a "synthetic blend" oil rather than full synthetic. I questioned that and they said the Ram 1500
calls for the blend and only the Ram 2500's and above and diesels call for full synthetic. I was not happy with that and will request full synthetic at my next only change and
may even now do it myself before then.
I've been using Pennzoil Platinum 5W30 full synthetic in two other vehicles, 2001 Chevy 2500HD 8.1L V-8 and 2013 Kia Sorento 3.5L V-6, and have been very pleased.

 

[Jako]

Back in March I took in my 2021 Ram 1500 DT 5.7L e-Torque Big Horn to the dealer for an oil change. I bought it in March 2021, so I didn't want to go past the
1 year mark even thought I only had 3,600 miles on it. The dealer said I should change the oil every 5,000 miles even though the manual says 10,000. It may be because
they have a limited lifetime powertrain that's included with vehicles they sell, but that's not an issue for me because I probably won't drive it more than 5,000 miles a year.
What bothered me is when I looked at my invoice it showed they had used a "synthetic blend" oil rather than full synthetic. I questioned that and they said the Ram 1500
calls for the blend and only the Ram 2500's and above and diesels call for full synthetic. I was not happy with that and will request full synthetic at my next only change and
may even now do it myself before then.
I've been using Pennzoil Platinum 5W30 full synthetic in two other vehicles, 2001 Chevy 2500HD 8.1L V-8 and 2013 Kia Sorento 3.5L V-6, and have been very pleased.

1st oil change by dealership was full synthetic, 2nd was conventional (which met the requirements as pe 2019 qwner's manual), 3rd oil change and from that point on by myself.

 

[Florida RAM]

Back in March I took in my 2021 Ram 1500 DT 5.7L e-Torque Big Horn to the dealer for an oil change. I bought it in March 2021, so I didn't want to go past the
1 year mark even thought I only had 3,600 miles on it. The dealer said I should change the oil every 5,000 miles even though the manual says 10,000. It may be because
they have a limited lifetime powertrain that's included with vehicles they sell, but that's not an issue for me because I probably won't drive it more than 5,000 miles a year.
What bothered me is when I looked at my invoice it showed they had used a "synthetic blend" oil rather than full synthetic. I questioned that and they said the Ram 1500
calls for the blend and only the Ram 2500's and above and diesels call for full synthetic. I was not happy with that and will request full synthetic at my next only change and
may even now do it myself before then.
I've been using Pennzoil Platinum 5W30 full synthetic in two other vehicles, 2001 Chevy 2500HD 8.1L V-8 and 2013 Kia Sorento 3.5L V-6, and have been very pleased.

Interesting because on page 409 of the owner's manual it says specifically:

"Your engine was designed for synthetic engine oils, only use synthetic API approved engine oils."

 

[Jako]

Interesting because on page 409 of the owner's manual it says specifically:

"Your engine was designed for synthetic engine oils, only use synthetic API approved engine oils."

From the 2019 Owner's Manual for the 5.7:

We recommend you use API Certified SAE 5W-20 Engine Oil, meeting the requirements of FCA Material Standard MS-6395 such as Mopar, Pennzoil, and Shell Helix. Refer to your engine oil filler cap for correct SAE grade.

Synthetic Engine Oils
You may use synthetic engine oils provided the recommended oil quality requirements are met, and the recommended maintenance intervals for oil and filter changes are followed. Synthetic engine oils which do not have both the engine oil certification mark and the correct SAE viscosity grade number should not be used.

I believe this has changed to 0-20 and synthetic with the newer owner's manual.

 

[Florida RAM]

From the 2019 Owner's Manual for the 5.7:

We recommend you use API Certified SAE 5W-20 Engine Oil, meeting the requirements of FCA Material Standard MS-6395 such as Mopar, Pennzoil, and Shell Helix. Refer to your engine oil filler cap for correct SAE grade.

Synthetic Engine Oils
You may use synthetic engine oils provided the recommended oil quality requirements are met, and the recommended maintenance intervals for oil and filter changes are followed. Synthetic engine oils which do not have both the engine oil certification mark and the correct SAE viscosity grade number should not be used.

I believe this has changed to 0-20 and synthetic with the newer owner's manual.

Yep, the 2019 manual is different. On page 473 of the 2022 manual in the Fluids and Lubricants section it says:
"We recommend using Mopar® SAE 0W-20 Full Synthetic Engine Oil which meets the requirements of the manufacturer Material Standard MS-6395."

I wonder if there are any mechanical differences between the 5.7 Hemi in the 19 and 22 models that caused Mopar to change the oil requirements, or if they just believe that 0W-20 is better than 5W-20 for these engines now.

 

[Jako]

Yep, the 2019 manual is different. On page 473 of the 2022 manual in the Fluids and Lubricants section it says:
"We recommend using Mopar® SAE 0W-20 Full Synthetic Engine Oil which meets the requirements of the manufacturer Material Standard MS-6395."

I wonder if there are any mechanical differences between the 5.7 Hemi in the 19 and 22 models that caused Mopar to change the oil requirements, or if they just believe that 0W-20 is better than 5W-20 for these engines now.

I doubt mechanical differences.
Some simple read on 0W vs 5W:

AutoNation Mobile Service Blog

Car Repair, Delivered. RepairSmith's Blog puts you in the driver seat when it comes to car advice, travel tips, and more.

www.repairsmith.com

My take away from the article:
"In SAE terminology, the lower the number before the ‘W’ is, the better the motor oil performs at cold temps. As 0W20 is a far thinner oil than 5W-20, it is more stable at cold temperature than the latter and flows smoothly through the critical engine parts.

5W-20 is a comparatively thicker viscosity oil and is better for a normal operating temperature range of -22°F to 68°F. "

I'll stay with the 5W-20 unless modified/notified by Ram/FCA. I might consider the 0W if I was located in colder climates.