Oil change interval on new 2020 ram 1500 5.7

[jdefoe0424]

Your unsolicited opinion may be that it's excessive, while my opinion is that it's precisely adequate.

Wasn't trying to ruffle your feathers, just giving some helpful info to save you a few dollars.

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[Willwork4truck]

Wasn't trying to ruffle your feathers, just giving some helpful info to save you a few dollars.

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Question on the dollar savings. If an owner gets the FCA postcard oil change deals I’ve gotten (1st $19.95, 2nd $15.95, 3rd $11.95) where’s the savings by waiting? I have 24 months to use the 3 oil changes, so in my case of low mileage per month I am “overchanging” the oil in order to get the low prices. The engine is probably being better cared for than me extending the interval to 8K. Now this is all dino bulk oil from the dealer... can’t comment on full synthetic, never used it or had anything lab tested that used it.

 

[jdefoe0424]

Question on the dollar savings. If an owner gets the FCA postcard oil change deals I’ve gotten (1st $19.95, 2nd $15.95, 3rd $11.95) where’s the savings by waiting? I have 24 months to use the 3 oil changes, so in my case of low mileage per month I am “overchanging” the oil in order to get the low prices. The engine is probably being better cared for than me extending the interval to 8K. Now this is all dino bulk oil from the dealer... can’t comment on full synthetic, never used it or had anything lab tested that used it.

It's hard to truly say without analysis data. But yes, dino oil typically does not last as long as any type of synthetic. But there's way more to it than just base oils, there's additives that can make a dino oil perform like a synthetic for some period of time. Just not as long as a synthetic.

I enjoy doing my own maintenance, and I am going to purchase good oil as I intend to keep my truck for a long time. It only makes sense that if I put the extra expense into the oil, I should do what I can to get every dollar out of it that I can.

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[Willwork4truck]

I’d be willing to change it myself if the durn filter wasn’t so hard to access. I see the WMrt oil sales and think of how cheap it would be, then I read the threads about the filter location and subsequent mess and issues.

At 64 I’m not into the hassle of it all. Used to take care of oil changes years ago when the vehicles filters were right out in the open. Oh well, service techs have to eat too and frankly, the loss leader oil change sales really don’t cost much. Even at the dealer I can get 3 for $99, and that’s with the extra quart for the hemi.

 

[PwrdbyM]

We'd probably have a better chance of agreeing on abortion rights than oil change intervals!
The mindset for owners has to be different based on your intentions for long term ownership (or not). Bad oil habits likely won't reveal themselves until 200+k miles. The claims of "I changed my oil every 15k with no issues to 100k", doesn't hold much validity as any modern engine will hold together that long.

The sweet spot for most owners on normal duty cycle is between 7,500-10,000. As noted, an analysis can give you an indication if you can run a longer interval (assuming same duty cycle).

While the manufacturer "knows best" is true, you'd want to keep in mind they may not suggest what's in the owner's best interest. Ownership cost is a well reported figure that manufacturers want to keep low. European brands are guilty of reducing preventative maintenance requirements overnight in a marketing effort. This is especially true when it comes to transmission/diff fluids.

 

[Dusty1948]

I've let the computer tell me when the engine oil needs to be changed on all three of my Hemi Ram 1500s.

On the 2010 and 2014 with 3.92 differentials and doing some heavy towing, the computer message to change oil came up at different miles. The 2010 got a steady dose of semi-synthetic because I received free oil changes from the dealer. In the later half of the 2014's life I switched to full synthetic. Both went 100K under my ownership without any engine issues.

So far the 2019 has gone the full 10,000 miles (Change Oil message occurs at 9500 miles), probably because of the 3.21 axle and only light towing.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 038460 miles.

 

[PowerJrod]

I think this is a opinion only topic lol.
I'll tell you one thing though....oil analysis doesn't tell the whole story. Even if an oil can go another 5k miles after the first 8k miles...you have to understand that metal contaminates and shavings are going to be in that oil....whether or not the oil is "good for another xxxxmiles" all of those Shavings rolling around in the engine CAN POSSIBLY cause problems later down the road. Personally...I change my oil every 6k miles or twice a year...mainly since I have the Etorque Aaaand because I'm in the last Vegas summer heat which can take its toll.

 

[nburd]

I am going 5k changes with premium synthetic. It’s not the money. I want a long motor life as I plan on 200k or more from this truck. I hope it makes it. I never want a roller lifter issue and my last ‘13 Hemi had a lot of clatter from the valve train at 50k but ran fine with 9k changes. My sons ‘08 had oil pump issues at 140k. The person who bought my ‘13 Hemi lost an oil pump on her ‘12 Hemi at 125k. I will use OEM filters and the same name brand oil. I will probably change it myself, as I have little trust of dealers and shops. I will upload the receipts to the Ram Owners site for tracking. I am just a crazy mechanical engineer. Thinking about Pennzoil. I have 2750 miles to figure it out.

 

[Rsorrell2]

I did mine at 21% , figure that is a safe bet and an oil change is the easiest and safest way to take care of the engine

 

[PowerJrod]

Here's an interesting question...
Let's say you run 7k miles between oil changes. You drain oil from brand A...comes out super dark.
You refill with Brand B.
Next oil change the oil comes out maybe not as dark as the last oil change.
Which oil provided better protection?

 

[NorthernArea51]

Every 6k here. A little more than what the shop wants to do, a little less than what ram wants you to do. Happy medium I suppose


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[SpeedyV]

Here's an interesting question...
Let's say you run 7k miles between oil changes. You drain oil from brand A...comes out super dark.
You refill with Brand B.
Next oil change the oil comes out maybe not as dark as the last oil change.
Which oil provided better protection?

Absolutely no way to know from that info.

I change annually to preserve my lifetime warranty (very low miles, especially these days).

 

[PowerJrod]

Absolutely no way to know from that info.

I change annually to preserve my lifetime warranty (very low miles, especially these days).

Lol I know I know...but my way of thinking was that the darker one would maybe mean that it did a better job holding onto the excess crap that was floating around in the engine....just an interesting thought.

 

[Willwork4truck]

We'd probably have a better chance of agreeing on abortion rights than oil change intervals!
The mindset for owners has to be different based on your intentions for long term ownership (or not). Bad oil habits likely won't reveal themselves until 200+k miles. The claims of "I changed my oil every 15k with no issues to 100k", doesn't hold much validity as any modern engine will hold together that long.

The sweet spot for most owners on normal duty cycle is between 7,500-10,000. As noted, an analysis can give you an indication if you can run a longer interval (assuming same duty cycle).

While the manufacturer "knows best" is true, you'd want to keep in mind they may not suggest what's in the owner's best interest. Ownership cost is a well reported figure that manufacturers want to keep low. European brands are guilty of reducing preventative maintenance requirements overnight in a marketing effort. This is especially true when it comes to transmission/diff fluids.

Manufacturers (read Honda) also list maintenance intervals (like the timing belt) at 105,000 miles. Why that interval? Hmm, perhaps it is because it gets them past the 1st 100K overall maintenance cost total... Nothing magical about 105K otherwise as a suggested time to change it.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Here's an interesting question...
Let's say you run 7k miles between oil changes. You drain oil from brand A...comes out super dark.
You refill with Brand B.
Next oil change the oil comes out maybe not as dark as the last oil change.
Which oil provided better protection?

Well I’ve read that due to the detergent pack/formula, oil darkness isn’t a good measure for deciding when to change, so that’s a good question.

Now for a lawnmower that gets re-refined crap or straight 30W, probably blackish isn't very good. Brings to mind the sludged Japanese engines of the early 2000’s. Not changing the oil often enough definitely caused that.

 

[PowerJrod]

Well I’ve read that due to the detergent pack/formula, oil darkness isn’t a good measure for deciding when to change, so that’s a good question.

Now for a lawnmower that gets re-refined crap or straight 30W, probably blackish isn't very good. Brings to mind the sludged Japanese engines of the early 2000’s. Not changing the oil often enough definitely caused that.

That's a good point. But makes me wonder if the two oils going in are the same color, why is one coming out a little darker than the other? Different additives..? Tough call. But I do know that if my drained oil was the exact same color as it was when I poured it in I'd probably be concerned lol.

 

[turkeybird56]

Well, I'll post this and hide from the backlash: I have my oil changed every 5,000 miles, and the tires rotated also at the same time. I monitor my odometer and worked it out at the 5K mark, ie., 5,000, 10,000, so I just automatically know, but then's I's a BOIRD......

 

[UnloosedChewtoy]

Oil changes at 5k (or a little past if inconvenient timing), premium synthetic stuff, as that used to be 6 months for me. Probably going to be 5k miles per year now with no commute (working from home thanks to COVID).
Wife's a nurse, still working at a hospital, so she'll still be hitting 5k/6 mo (ish) with her Jeep GC Hemi.

Every time I used to get the tires rotated at 10k, 90% of the time the dealership/tire shop would say "they don't need it yet" and not want to do the service. So I just rotate them myself now at 10k.

 

[PowerJrod]

One thing I've noticed is that my Pennzoil Platinum is already getting a little dark/dirty...it's only been 3k miles. Might go back to Mobile to see how long that lasts before getting dark....if I remember right...the Mobile 1 in my Charger RT didn't get dirty until closer to the 5k mark...same driving habits, driving in same area.

 

[jdefoe0424]

One thing I've noticed is that my Pennzoil Platinum is already getting a little dark/dirty...it's only been 3k miles. Might go back to Mobile to see how long that lasts before getting dark....if I remember right...the Mobile 1 in my Charger RT didn't get dirty until closer to the 5k mark...same driving habits, driving in same area.

"Color" or combustion contaminants in the oil are more closely related to the amount of fuel burned than the number of miles driven. You're pushing a 5500lb truck around instead of a 3800lb car, big difference in load on the engine.
Most modern oil change indicators are driven by an algorithm that pretty much follows the amount of fuel used.

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