Oil change per sticker or dashboard oil life indicator

[KrisIL]

According to my sticker I should perform an oil change right now. But according to dashboard indicator I have 75% oil life left. Which should I follow?

 

[14RAM1500BG]

My opinion is I would say sticker. It`s your vehicle so do as you please but if I am going to keep the vehicle for a long time I try to make sure I change the oil often as the engine is one of the things I want to last . I`m sure you are going to get many different opinions on this.

 

[LarryA]

is that a 3,000 mile sticker? The oil change interval is 8,000 miles max, the computer may tell you to change it earlier. I did my first at 5,000 (which was early) and I am going to do my second at ~ 12,000 miles (also early per the computer) but I don't think I would go as short as 3,000 miles.

 

[KrisIL]

is that a 3,000 mile sticker? The oil change interval is 8,000 miles max, the computer may tell you to change it earlier. I did my first at 5,000 (which was early) and I am going to do my second at ~ 12,000 miles (also early per the computer) but I don't think I would go as short as 3,000 miles.

Sticker says 3000 miles. I think dealers put 3,000 miles so you come back often and spend the money. If RAM says 8,000 miles I'm pretty sure I should be fine if I stick to it. I don't tow often. Maybe every few months. And 95% I drive in the city.

 

[MaximumSteel18]

My first oil change I do at 2000 miles and then every 4000 after that or yearly. I do use full synthetic at the first change.

 

[Dodge This]

My dealership told me I should go by the gauge in the truck. I just did the first oil change since buying it new and my truck has a little over 7k miles.

 

[stimpy433]

I go buy the oil life meter also, today's oils are way better and can easily go beyond the old 2000 - 3000 mile rule. Heck, I've seen them advertise one oil that suppose to last up to 20,000 miles!!!!

 

[14RAM1500BG]

How much are you really saving by extending a oil change? Is it really worth a cam and lifter failure. Not in my book. Some will spend more on a darn fancy coffee then spend it on a early oil change.

 

[14RAM1500BG]

I go buy the oil life meter also, today's oils are way better and can easily go beyond the old 2000 - 3000 mile rule. Heck, I've seen them advertise one oil that suppose to last up to 20,000 miles!!!!

And who it going to pay for the engine failure if it doesn`t hold up to 20,000? Surely not the oil company.

 

[14RAM1500BG]

Sticker says 3000 miles. I think dealers put 3,000 miles so you come back often and spend the money. If RAM says 8,000 miles I'm pretty sure I should be fine if I stick to it. I don't tow often. Maybe every few months. And 95% I drive in the city.

It seems to me you knew what you were going to do before you even asked the question.

 

[dexter]

And who it going to pay for the engine failure if it doesn`t hold up to 20,000? Surely not the oil company.

How much are you really saving by extending a oil change? Is it really worth a cam and lifter failure. Not in my book. Some will spend more on a darn fancy coffee then spend it on a early oil change.

Don't forget your to do your differential and transfer case fluids every 3,000 miles also.

 

[zrfraser]

I go by the computer which is usually 10,000 miles. Last oil change I went 16,000, not recommended but I simply did not have the time.

 

[rwreuter]

Don't forget your to do your differential and transfer case fluids every 3,000 miles also.

HAHAHAHAHA

 

[ColdCase]

How much are you really saving by extending a oil change? Is it really worth a cam and lifter failure. Not in my book. Some will spend more on a darn fancy coffee then spend it on a early oil change.

Oil discussions typically lead to peeing contests, but thats typical quick lube FUD and scare tactics... no data bears that out. If you are going to have cam or lifter failure you will have it regardless of using 3000 miles or the oil life indicator (with modern semi or full synthetics). Our company rarely pushes engines or trucks out beyond 300,000 miles, but their oil gets changed per the manufactures recommendation. They routinely do oil analysis to have some assurance the Pensoil Semi-Synthetic is doing its job.

Dealers sometimes put 3000 miles on because for severe duty, off road, dusty and fording, 3000 miles is the right number. I run away from dealers that put 3000 mile stickers on as they are just looking for shop traffic at your expense.

If you want your truck to last a long time, just don't drive it... works better than 3000 mile oil changes

Now no one post photos of those gelled engines quick lube guys spread across the web, the one where corn startch was used for effect And none of these shops are going to tell you that there is more damage done by grease monkeys while changing oil than extended oil change intervals.

 

[Hydrasport]

As long as your choke is set correctly, you may be able to extend your oil change to 3500 miles instead of the old 3000 mile recommended change interval.
Oh wait, carburetors and chokes went away a few years ago. Today's engines do not put as much fuel into the crankcase as they did many years ago. If your engine has enough contaminants in the oil system in 3500 miles to require an oil change then that engine may have other problems that changing oil every month will not correct. For me, once a year or when the OLM gets down to about 10 or 15%.
We placed half our fleet of trucks on the OLM program and the other half was getting regular scheduled oil changes based on time and mileage. Of the over 200 vehicles using the OLM system, we have not had a single oil related problem.

 

[BiGMERF]

Since I use nothing but ful syn. I just do it every 5 k


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[rwreuter]

Every 5k and i have sent oil samples off to Blackstone for testing....the results say I can go longer.

I'll stick with 5k and synthetic oil.

Read some of the oil analysis comments and you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

[TerraNewf]

10,000 kms here and tire rotation the same time. Full synthetic

 

[KrisIL]

Thanks guys for all the replies. I asked the question cause I wasn't sure if I'm doing the right thing by doing my oil change according to oil life monitor. I'm pretty sure RAM engineers knew what they were doing by putting this in the trucks. Another question is can the dealer decline any warranty work if I won't do it every 3,000 miles as recommended?

 

[Jimmy07]

Thanks guys for all the replies. I asked the question cause I wasn't sure if I'm doing the right thing by doing my oil change according to oil life monitor. I'm pretty sure RAM engineers knew what they were doing by putting this in the trucks. Another question is can the dealer decline any warranty work if I won't do it every 3,000 miles as recommended?

Nope. As long as you follow what your manual says, which is, go by the monitor, unless 10,000 miles or 12 months comes first.