First time truck owner, your recommendation on maintenance intervals?

Hello folks,

I've been lurking on this forums until I got my own (2014 1500 Laramie), and I've got some questions about your recommended rate of maintenance and what you perform maintenance on.

I'm a first time truck owner, and I got this CPO 2014 with 29k miles, excellent condition. It came directly from dealer service, new tires, etc. so I consider this as day zero in terms of maintenance.

- How often do you change your oil? Do you perform any other fluid (or otherwise) maintenance along with the oil change for truck?

- For those of you with higher mileage on their Rams, how often (miles?) do you perform a more thorough maintenance, and what do you do?

Thanks for any advice! I want to make sure I'm not mistreating this truck!

The general consensus around here is to just follow the owners manual. If you tow frequently or live in a dusty area you may consider shortening intervals, but that's covered in the owners manual as well. If your truck didn't come with an owners manual here's a link to one I found quickly on google: https://s3cf792cad773e861.jimcontent.com/download/version/1497195989/module/12669739222/name/Dodge%20-RAM_15_25_35%20Owner%20Manual.pdf

Here's what i do with my vehicles, but YMMV:

- oil and filter change and tire rotation every 5k miles, using full synthetic oil

- service Transmission, transfer case and both diffs every 30k or 5yrs, whichever comes first.

- drain and flush cooling system every 5yrs, unless you hit the mileage spec in the owners manual, but it's high, i think over 100k.

- air filter annually, cabin air filter as needed.

Good luck with the truck!

After the fist oil change at 1000 miles, my second will be at about 3500 today because I have to make a trip down South. Those will both be with conventional 5w20 Pennzoil.

Around mid October I'm going to Synthetic Pennzoil Ultra Platinum and will be doing 6 month intervals because I have no garage and mid Oct. / mid April will be decent weather, and my mileage will only be about 6000 per interval.

Good point Murphy.

I neglected to state, I also had the first oil change done at 1100 miles or so. I just turned 1500 today. From now on, I'll do it again at 5k, then every 5k or annually.

zflat said:

The general consensus around here is to just follow the owners manual. If you tow frequently or live in a dusty area you may consider shortening intervals, but that's covered in the owners manual as well. If your truck didn't come with an owners manual here's a link to one I found quickly on google: https://s3cf792cad773e861.jimcontent.com/download/version/1497195989/module/12669739222/name/Dodge%20-RAM_15_25_35%20Owner%20Manual.pdf

Click to expand...

Thank you for this link! I'm actually going to poke through the manual, in PDF form it's more convenient!

GsRAM said:

Here's what i do with my vehicles, but YMMV:

- oil and filter change and tire rotation every 5k miles, using full synthetic oil

- service Transmission, transfer case and both diffs every 30k or 5yrs, whichever comes first.

- drain and flush cooling system every 5yrs, unless you hit the mileage spec in the owners manual, but it's high, i think over 100k.

- air filter annually, cabin air filter as needed.

Good luck with the truck!

Click to expand...

Thank you! This is exactly the sort of info I was looking for. I'm going to follow your advice.

The owners manual is a very good place to start.

Auto companies have spent good money on research to determine oil life. Use the OLM, not and old-school method of determining when to change your oil. For me I've adopted the following.

Oil + Filter: Change at 10% on the OLM with Chevron Supreme 5W-20 (MS-6325) which tends to be around 8500 miles for me. Chevron Supreme is $12 on Amazon Prime for 5 qt.

Differential: Every 30K - Using Amsoil Severe Gear

Air Filter: Every 20K -

Plugs-Wires: 100K

Coolant: 100K & then 60K thereafter. Use only Mopar coolant.

Transmission: I have the 8-speed which they claim never needs fluid change. I'll probably change fluid + filter @ 100K and then every 60K thereafter.


I buy most my Parts in bulk at Rock Auto. I buy my oil from Amazon Prime and I spend about 50% less than what I'd spend through the local auto parts store. I also only use Top Tier fuel. Tires I rotate less than many here but I visually watch them and if I see different wear front to rear I rotate. I buy tires online now too..... TireBuyer is my source and I have them installed locally.

GsRAM said:

Here's what i do with my vehicles, but YMMV:

- oil and filter change and tire rotation every 5k miles, using full synthetic oil

- service Transmission, transfer case and both diffs every 30k or 5yrs, whichever comes first.

- drain and flush cooling system every 5yrs, unless you hit the mileage spec in the owners manual, but it's high, i think over 100k.

- air filter annually, cabin air filter as needed.

Good luck with the truck!

Click to expand...

^^^^^this except I pull the lower radiator hose and top off once a year, and my 2013 gets New plugs every 30k.

GsRAM said:

Here's what i do with my vehicles, but YMMV:

- oil and filter change and tire rotation every 5k miles, using full synthetic oil

- service Transmission, transfer case and both diffs every 30k or 5yrs, whichever comes first.

- drain and flush cooling system every 5yrs, unless you hit the mileage spec in the owners manual, but it's high, i think over 100k.

- air filter annually, cabin air filter as needed.

Good luck with the truck!

Click to expand...

^^^ This ^^^

If you routinely drive in dusty conditions I'd change out the air filter and cabin filter a bit sooner.

Oh god.... this is borderline what oil you use thread LOL.

Personally what I do is follow the service in the book. Not what dealer states. I do my oil changes based on the computers thoughts. Usually around the 10% left indication. I do synthetic also at the dealer. With oil changes for me they're maxed out almost in recommended distance. I drive the ideal conditions to work and can therefore stretch it out to about 13-14000 kilometres. I can justify synthetic in these circumstances. When you do have to do the Dif choose a good synthetic as well.

I change my air filter every 40000 kilometres.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just follow the owner's manual... Bought my 2016 new almost 1 year ago exactly. Did first service at 10k miles and am currently sitting at about 12k. Next service will be 20k, then 30k, etc. Nothing special to it unless you tow regularly or drive in abnormal conditions. Modern vehicles don't need oil changes every 5k. Follow the manual and you'll be just fine. Don't overthink it... a lot of guys around this forum are so stuck in old school mentality when it comes to servicing their trucks. The same stuff you had to do in the 90's or 2000's just isn't necessary nowadays with newer trucks.

^^^
I agree. The 1000 or 3000 and even the 5000 mile oil change is old school thinking. Change it when it tells you to. Save the planet.

Zflat posted this but I couldn't get his to open, I don't know if this is different 2014 Ram owners manual pdf.

Might want to use an oil with moly in it. Synthetic filters are as important as synthetic oil.

Don't forget about coolant, you should have the new coolant but you are on the bubble, so verify if you are HOAT or OAT coolant. What color is your coolant cold? Either way you should be good for a couple more years, but it will be something you should address, it is purple you can go 10 years. If you have the 8 speed, it has been the best tranny Ram has ever had and super easy on oil, you should be good for 100k or more before you need a change unless you are hard on it like tow a lot. Very important, that application takes a thin oil, make sure you use the right one and not some random atf. Put ester oil back in difs, probably due now. They say pcv every 100k miles, but I would do mine at 50k everytime. This is the number maintenance item that harms engines when clogged.

On every single forum I've ever been on questions like this are posted and the responses vary almost as much as here.

Truth is, I see too many frequent oil changers who never keep their vehicles long enough for it to matter. The manufacturers have recommended intervals and I almost always stick with them. The days of oil changes every five minutes are over. They went the way of leaded gas and looser tolerances in the engines. Oil changes and filters are probably the most over spent maintenance items on any vehicle made. If you don't drive much in a year, then toss the mileage and stick to once a year.

Any other frequency of change I would adhere to like air filters and cabin filters and any lubrication intervals if they exist. Obviously towing and dusty usage make a difference but stick to the manufacturers schedule and you should be gold. It is a RARE occurrence to hear about an engine failure due to an oil related issue. And yes, coolants do need a regular change as well, but the right ones have a long life. If the recommended oil is synthetic, then use it. If not, save your money for better beer. Synthetics have a place but on a DD as an unrequired alternative you are only wasting money.

Better to pay attention to tire pressure and cleaning the undercarriage and especially windshield wipers!

And when you figure out how to make heads or tails out of the manual please let me know. I've seen confusing publications, but the RAM manual that I got with my CPO truck is borderline maddening! Too many options were available and the manual seems to make too many assumptions when it says things like (if equipped). On the truck I just bought, a full 50% of the pages could be exorcized and I probably would still have way too much information, and my truck wasn't a base model but a Big Horn with a 5.7 Hemi. Apparently the PO had issues too because the first 1/3 of the pages are seriously curled over like he/she always need to refer to it in the 40K miles they owned it!

Good luck with your new vehicle!

patchelect said:

On every single forum I've ever been on questions like this are posted and the responses vary almost as much as here.

Click to expand...

Yup... it is a forum. Everyone has to skin their own skunk.