Oil change interesting (bad) info from dealer

[dutchman187]

Had oil changed today at dealer (20% left on monitor). Very nice lady helped me but as I was about to drive away she gave some interesting (and I think flawed) information.

-She said the oil monitor is straight time based and we cannot rely on it at all

The manual says:

Oil Life Reset Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change indicator system. The “Oil Change Required” message will display in the instrument cluster display for five seconds after a single chime has sounded, to indicate the next scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil change indicator system is duty cycle based, which means the engine oil change interval may fluctuate, dependent upon your personal driving style.

-She said if I do not change the oil every 5K miles, it will void my warranty. Btw, she said she used to work in the warranty department of a different dealer.

I told her I thought the owners manual said to follow the interval indicator, or no more than 10K miles, or 12 months, whichever happens first. She said the manual also says OR whatever your dealer recommends for service and that their Mopar reps tell them 5K miles, so that trumps those other numbers.

The manual says:

Engine Oil — Gas Engine Change Engine Oil The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance. Refer to the “Maintenance Plan” for further information. NOTE: Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), twelve months or 350 hours of engine run time, whichever comes first. The 350 hours of engine run or idle time is generally only a concern for fleet customers.

And also: "At Every Oil Change Interval As Indicated By Oil Change Indicator System"

And also:

SCHEDULED SERVICING Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic oil change indicator system. The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance. Based on engine operation conditions, the oil change indicator message will illuminate. This means that service is required for your vehicle. Operating conditions such as frequent short-trips, trailer tow, and extremely hot or cold ambient temperatures will influence when the “Oil Change Required” message is displayed. Severe Operating Conditions can cause the change oil message to illuminate as early as 3,500 miles (5,600 km) since last reset. Have your vehicle serviced as soon as possible, within the next 500 miles (805 km). Your authorized dealer will reset the oil change indicator message after completing the scheduled oil change. If a scheduled oil change is performed by someone other than your authorized dealer, the message can be reset by referring to the steps described under “Instrument Cluster Display” in “Getting To Know Your Instrument Panel”. NOTE: Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), twelve months or 350 hours of engine run time, whichever comes first. The 350 hours of engine run or idle time is generally only a concern for fleet customers.

When I mentioned the manual information and info I've gleaned off the board the last 4 years, she said "if you want to take a chance on your warranty it is your truck." I said I feel like the goal posts keep moving if the manual says one thing and each dealer can make their own rules. She said she wished it was like a Starbucks where it is the same everywhere, but it isn't.


BS. That is exactly the point of the owner's manual, to make it uniform. These people **** me off and knowing they are the ones reviewing warranty claims in the future make me mad in advance.

I will likely find a different dealer, even though I'm sure I'll encounter bad service advisors everywhere.

 

[SD Rebel]

Dealership advisors don't know anything or they are just telling you lies in order to get you for more services. Funny how one dealer is different from another. My local dealership won't even do an oil change unless your monitor says so, even at 5,000 miles because they are so slammed with work they don't want the extra business.

The only thing about an oil change that could void your warranty is not getting one done within 12 months. No matter how little you drive, you cannot go beyond an annual oil change.

As for your dealership, if another one isn't too far away, as you mentioned, I would consider doing that and avoiding that one.

 

[Idahoktm]

Had oil changed today at dealer (20% left on monitor). Very nice lady helped me but as I was about to drive away she gave some interesting (and I think flawed) information.

-She said the oil monitor is straight time based and we cannot rely on it at all

The manual says:

Oil Life Reset Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change indicator system. The “Oil Change Required” message will display in the instrument cluster display for five seconds after a single chime has sounded, to indicate the next scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil change indicator system is duty cycle based, which means the engine oil change interval may fluctuate, dependent upon your personal driving style.

-She said if I do not change the oil every 5K miles, it will void my warranty. Btw, she said she used to work in the warranty department of a different dealer.

I told her I thought the owners manual said to follow the interval indicator, or no more than 10K miles, or 12 months, whichever happens first. She said the manual also says OR whatever your dealer recommends for service and that their Mopar reps tell them 5K miles, so that trumps those other numbers.

The manual says:

Engine Oil — Gas Engine Change Engine Oil The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance. Refer to the “Maintenance Plan” for further information. NOTE: Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), twelve months or 350 hours of engine run time, whichever comes first. The 350 hours of engine run or idle time is generally only a concern for fleet customers.

And also: "At Every Oil Change Interval As Indicated By Oil Change Indicator System"

And also:

SCHEDULED SERVICING Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic oil change indicator system. The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance. Based on engine operation conditions, the oil change indicator message will illuminate. This means that service is required for your vehicle. Operating conditions such as frequent short-trips, trailer tow, and extremely hot or cold ambient temperatures will influence when the “Oil Change Required” message is displayed. Severe Operating Conditions can cause the change oil message to illuminate as early as 3,500 miles (5,600 km) since last reset. Have your vehicle serviced as soon as possible, within the next 500 miles (805 km). Your authorized dealer will reset the oil change indicator message after completing the scheduled oil change. If a scheduled oil change is performed by someone other than your authorized dealer, the message can be reset by referring to the steps described under “Instrument Cluster Display” in “Getting To Know Your Instrument Panel”. NOTE: Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), twelve months or 350 hours of engine run time, whichever comes first. The 350 hours of engine run or idle time is generally only a concern for fleet customers.

When I mentioned the manual information and info I've gleaned off the board the last 4 years, she said "if you want to take a chance on your warranty it is your truck." I said I feel like the goal posts keep moving if the manual says one thing and each dealer can make their own rules. She said she wished it was like a Starbucks where it is the same everywhere, but it isn't.


BS. That is exactly the point of the owner's manual, to make it uniform. These people **** me off and knowing they are the ones reviewing warranty claims in the future make me mad in advance.

I will likely find a different dealer, even though I'm sure I'll encounter bad service advisors everywhere.

She's an idiot and making up. Definitely take your business elsewhere.

 

[ekaz]

I don't drive alot since I work from home, change my oil every 6 months regardless of miles

 

[mikeru82]

So glad my dealership is a low volume, small town, family owned business. Most everyone there knows me by name, and bend over backwards to keep their customer's business. They recommend changing the oil based on the oil life monitor.

 

[J-Cooz]

Pure BS. Blast them in their review. Some of these dealerships just spew pure BS and know nothing about the products they service.

Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk

 

[bigdodge]

care to name the dealership?

 

[CrazyWorld]

care to name the dealership?

P.T. Barnum RAM.........there license plate holder says....."Their is a sucker born every minute!"

 

[Hydroblueguy]

Had oil changed today at dealer (20% left on monitor). Very nice lady helped me but as I was about to drive away she gave some interesting (and I think flawed) information.

-She said the oil monitor is straight time based and we cannot rely on it at all

The manual says:

Oil Life Reset Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change indicator system. The “Oil Change Required” message will display in the instrument cluster display for five seconds after a single chime has sounded, to indicate the next scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil change indicator system is duty cycle based, which means the engine oil change interval may fluctuate, dependent upon your personal driving style.

-She said if I do not change the oil every 5K miles, it will void my warranty. Btw, she said she used to work in the warranty department of a different dealer.

I told her I thought the owners manual said to follow the interval indicator, or no more than 10K miles, or 12 months, whichever happens first. She said the manual also says OR whatever your dealer recommends for service and that their Mopar reps tell them 5K miles, so that trumps those other numbers.

The manual says:

Engine Oil — Gas Engine Change Engine Oil The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance. Refer to the “Maintenance Plan” for further information. NOTE: Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), twelve months or 350 hours of engine run time, whichever comes first. The 350 hours of engine run or idle time is generally only a concern for fleet customers.

And also: "At Every Oil Change Interval As Indicated By Oil Change Indicator System"

And also:

SCHEDULED SERVICING Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic oil change indicator system. The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance. Based on engine operation conditions, the oil change indicator message will illuminate. This means that service is required for your vehicle. Operating conditions such as frequent short-trips, trailer tow, and extremely hot or cold ambient temperatures will influence when the “Oil Change Required” message is displayed. Severe Operating Conditions can cause the change oil message to illuminate as early as 3,500 miles (5,600 km) since last reset. Have your vehicle serviced as soon as possible, within the next 500 miles (805 km). Your authorized dealer will reset the oil change indicator message after completing the scheduled oil change. If a scheduled oil change is performed by someone other than your authorized dealer, the message can be reset by referring to the steps described under “Instrument Cluster Display” in “Getting To Know Your Instrument Panel”. NOTE: Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), twelve months or 350 hours of engine run time, whichever comes first. The 350 hours of engine run or idle time is generally only a concern for fleet customers.

When I mentioned the manual information and info I've gleaned off the board the last 4 years, she said "if you want to take a chance on your warranty it is your truck." I said I feel like the goal posts keep moving if the manual says one thing and each dealer can make their own rules. She said she wished it was like a Starbucks where it is the same everywhere, but it isn't.


BS. That is exactly the point of the owner's manual, to make it uniform. These people **** me off and knowing they are the ones reviewing warranty claims in the future make me mad in advance.

I will likely find a different dealer, even though I'm sure I'll encounter bad service advisors everywhere.

All the dealerships I’ve dealt with are all full of BS. Yes you are right and that is what the owners manual says! However I’ve been told by several independent shops that yes, you should change oil every 5000 miles, unless they are using fully synthetic. Which I’m sure most are not! I would think if you follow what the book and monitor says, then any warranty issues related to oil changes should be covered!

 

[BigD]

She is actually correct. You should change your oil every 6 months no matter the miles driven. Those oil life indicators mean nothing. They are basically for dummies and fleet vehicles so people don't wait way too long, but I never would go by them. I usually change my oil when I got 40% left. Oil changes are cheap, motors are not ! There are so many factors involved. Driving style, climate etc. They indicators can't possibly differentiate all the possible variables. Also, companies will look for any reason to void your warranty. Make sure u don't give them any reason whatsoever!

 

[bigdodge]

just posting what I found
just like butt holes everyone has a different opinion

"Depending on vehicle age, type of oil and driving conditions, oil change intervals will vary. It used to be normal to change the oil every 3,000 miles, but with modern lubricants most engines today have recommended oil change intervals of 5,000 to 7,500 miles. Moreover, if your car's engine requires full-synthetic motor oil, it might go as far as 15,000 miles between services! You cannot judge engine oil condition by color, so follow the factory maintenance schedule for oil changes."

How Often Should You Change Engine Oil

Every automobile engine needs oil, but not just any oil will do. Modern engines are designed and built to exacting standards and require oils that meet very specific industry and automaker specifications to ensure a long service life.

www.aaa.com

 

[SpeedyV]

Had oil changed today at dealer (20% left on monitor). Very nice lady helped me but as I was about to drive away she gave some interesting (and I think flawed) information.

-She said the oil monitor is straight time based and we cannot rely on it at all

The manual says:

Oil Life Reset Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change indicator system. The “Oil Change Required” message will display in the instrument cluster display for five seconds after a single chime has sounded, to indicate the next scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil change indicator system is duty cycle based, which means the engine oil change interval may fluctuate, dependent upon your personal driving style.

-She said if I do not change the oil every 5K miles, it will void my warranty. Btw, she said she used to work in the warranty department of a different dealer.

I told her I thought the owners manual said to follow the interval indicator, or no more than 10K miles, or 12 months, whichever happens first. She said the manual also says OR whatever your dealer recommends for service and that their Mopar reps tell them 5K miles, so that trumps those other numbers.

The manual says:

Engine Oil — Gas Engine Change Engine Oil The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance. Refer to the “Maintenance Plan” for further information. NOTE: Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), twelve months or 350 hours of engine run time, whichever comes first. The 350 hours of engine run or idle time is generally only a concern for fleet customers.

And also: "At Every Oil Change Interval As Indicated By Oil Change Indicator System"

And also:

SCHEDULED SERVICING Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic oil change indicator system. The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance. Based on engine operation conditions, the oil change indicator message will illuminate. This means that service is required for your vehicle. Operating conditions such as frequent short-trips, trailer tow, and extremely hot or cold ambient temperatures will influence when the “Oil Change Required” message is displayed. Severe Operating Conditions can cause the change oil message to illuminate as early as 3,500 miles (5,600 km) since last reset. Have your vehicle serviced as soon as possible, within the next 500 miles (805 km). Your authorized dealer will reset the oil change indicator message after completing the scheduled oil change. If a scheduled oil change is performed by someone other than your authorized dealer, the message can be reset by referring to the steps described under “Instrument Cluster Display” in “Getting To Know Your Instrument Panel”. NOTE: Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), twelve months or 350 hours of engine run time, whichever comes first. The 350 hours of engine run or idle time is generally only a concern for fleet customers.

When I mentioned the manual information and info I've gleaned off the board the last 4 years, she said "if you want to take a chance on your warranty it is your truck." I said I feel like the goal posts keep moving if the manual says one thing and each dealer can make their own rules. She said she wished it was like a Starbucks where it is the same everywhere, but it isn't.


BS. That is exactly the point of the owner's manual, to make it uniform. These people **** me off and knowing they are the ones reviewing warranty claims in the future make me mad in advance.

I will likely find a different dealer, even though I'm sure I'll encounter bad service advisors everywhere.

Agreed on all points about finding a new dealership. This is worth reporting up to corporate.

 

[SpeedyV]

She is actually correct. You should change your oil every 6 months no matter the miles driven. Those oil life indicators mean nothing. They are basically for dummies and fleet vehicles so people don't wait way too long, but I never would go by them. I usually change my oil when I got 40% left. Oil changes are cheap, motors are not ! There are so many factors involved. Driving style, climate etc. They indicators can't possibly differentiate all the possible variables. Also, companies will look for any reason to void your warranty. Make sure u don't give them any reason whatsoever!

You’re right. Weekly would be even better.

 

[MidnightExpre$$]

She is actually correct. You should change your oil every 6 months no matter the miles driven. Those oil life indicators mean nothing. They are basically for dummies and fleet vehicles so people don't wait way too long, but I never would go by them. I usually change my oil when I got 40% left. Oil changes are cheap, motors are not ! There are so many factors involved. Driving style, climate etc. They indicators can't possibly differentiate all the possible variables. Also, companies will look for any reason to void your warranty. Make sure u don't give them any reason whatsoever!

"but I never would go by them. I usually change my oil when I got 40% left." . . . . Isn't that the same as going by them? You just choose to do it at 40% instead of 20%

 

[SD Rebel]

She is actually correct. You should change your oil every 6 months no matter the miles driven. Those oil life indicators mean nothing. They are basically for dummies and fleet vehicles so people don't wait way too long, but I never would go by them. I usually change my oil when I got 40% left. Oil changes are cheap, motors are not ! There are so many factors involved. Driving style, climate etc. They indicators can't possibly differentiate all the possible variables. Also, companies will look for any reason to void your warranty. Make sure u don't give them any reason whatsoever!

6 months no matter the mileage? You would change full synthetic after just say 2,000 miles just because it's 6 months old?

The oil life indicators aren't just simple countdowns, they can vary from 3,400 miles - 10,000 miles depending on how you drive as per the manual. They adjust other several driving factors such as idle time, coolant temp, along with mileage.

You are right that oil is cheap and engines aren't, but I think it's somewhere in the middle. Most say to be conservative with synthetic, 5,000 miles or 1 year. But what do I know really, in reality what's an extra oil change per year in the scheme of things, either way you aren't making it worse.

 

[BigD]

"but I never would go by them. I usually change my oil when I got 40% left." . . . . Isn't that the same as going by them? You just choose to do it at 40% instead of 20%

I change my oil every 6 months & I drive roughly 1,000 miles per month. I look at the indicator before I bring it in just to see what it says, but I still bring it in every April & every October every year no matter what % is left.

 

[BigD]

6 months no matter the mileage? You would change full synthetic after just say 2,000 miles just because it's 6 months old?

The oil life indicators aren't just simple countdowns, they can vary from 3,400 miles - 10,000 miles depending on how you drive as per the manual. They adjust other several driving factors such as idle time, coolant temp, along with mileage.

You are right that oil is cheap and engines aren't, but I think it's somewhere in the middle. Most say to be conservative with synthetic, 5,000 miles or 1 year. But what do I know really, in reality what's an extra oil change per year in the scheme of things, either way you aren't making it worse.

I get semi synthetic at the dealership which is what is required to keep my warranty. FCA does not require synthetic so why waste the extra money on it? I got conventional up until a few years back when FCA changed the rules. I've averaged driving 1,000 miles per month for 10 years now, so 6 months = 6,000 miles for me.

 

[GKIII]

I get semi synthetic at the dealership which is what is required to keep my warranty. FCA does not require synthetic so why waste the extra money on it? I got conventional up until a few years back when FCA changed the rules. I've averaged driving 1,000 miles per month for 10 years now, so 6 months = 6,000 miles for me.

Semi-synthetic oil is not required to maintain the warranty. You just need to meet the MS 6395 spec, and straight conventional Pennzoil 5w-20 does that.

 

[Bob.]

6 months no matter the mileage? You would change full synthetic after just say 2,000 miles just because it's 6 months old?

The oil life indicators aren't just simple countdowns, they can vary from 3,400 miles - 10,000 miles depending on how you drive as per the manual. They adjust other several driving factors such as idle time, coolant temp, along with mileage.

You are right that oil is cheap and engines aren't, but I think it's somewhere in the middle. Most say to be conservative with synthetic, 5,000 miles or 1 year. But what do I know really, in reality what's an extra oil change per year in the scheme of things, either way you aren't making it worse.

Many will just use conventional motor oil. It's best to change your oil every 6 months unless you're sure they are using synthetic.

 

[Bob.]

90% of drivers fall under severe duty. ie short trips, idling, stop and go traffic, pulling a trailer etc.
The owners manual specifies a different oil change interval for these types of drivers, me included. I do it every 6 months and I do about 6000 a year or less. Engines are expensive, oil is not! Synthetic or not you still got to get the moisture and acids out of the engine on a timely basis.