Watch Idle Hours & Change Oil every 3k Miles to Avoid Engine Failure!!

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Coming in Hof

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If you own 2014-2018 heavy duty with 6.4 Hemi; do yourself a favor and try to never idle engine and change oil every 3k miles or earlier. If you can’t do those 2 things, get rid of truck now!

Just went 2 months without a truck due to engine failure and $9,000 later(for rebuilt) due to having to go to more than one shop for fix. Parts are scarce and marked up. Hard to find new 6.4 engines anywhere for Ram Trucks. Most places won’t warranty 3rd party engines. If you know how to work on engine yourself, you’ll spend half of what I spent.

My truck only has 105k miles (+\- 900 idle hours and 3,500 drive hours). Camshaft was completely destroyed, it clogged oil pump and starved engine of oil. I changed oil whenever truck oil notification went off (I learned my lesson not to trust it). Always used recommended pennzoil and never drove with engine light on or went cheap with replacement parts for engine. If you have an engine tick that doesn’t go away after truck is warmed up, get truck fixed immediately before it gets worse or trade in for another one. Seriously! I’m out a total $19,000 total since owning my truck with repairs. Tranny destroyed itself at 85k miles. Water pump at 90k miles, coil packs and spark plugs at 95k miles, ball joints at 104k miles, etc.
 

MontanaHandyman

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5.7 Hemi
If you own 2014-2018 heavy duty with 6.4 Hemi; do yourself a favor and try to never idle engine and change oil every 3k miles or earlier. If you can’t do those 2 things, get rid of truck now!

Just went 2 months without a truck due to engine failure and $9,000 later(for rebuilt) due to having to go to more than one shop for fix. Parts are scarce and marked up. Hard to find new 6.4 engines anywhere for Ram Trucks. Most places won’t warranty 3rd party engines. If you know how to work on engine yourself, you’ll spend half of what I spent.

My truck only has 105k miles (+\- 900 idle hours and 3,500 drive hours). Camshaft was completely destroyed, it clogged oil pump and starved engine of oil. I changed oil whenever truck oil notification went off (I learned my lesson not to trust it). Always used recommended pennzoil and never drove with engine light on or went cheap with replacement parts for engine. If you have an engine tick that doesn’t go away after truck is warmed up, get truck fixed immediately before it gets worse or trade in for another one. Seriously! I’m out a total $19,000 total since owning my truck with repairs. Tranny destroyed itself at 85k miles. Water pump at 90k miles, coil packs and spark plugs at 95k miles, ball joints at 104k miles, etc.
Good reminder...as they say, oil is cheap, engines are not!
 

kurek

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Hemi 5.7
My truck only has 105k miles (+\- 900 idle hours and 3,500 drive hours).

It's good to have something to compare against. I'm generally not an idler, no remote start, I don't go out and preheat the vehicle before driving it in winter. Also not a fan of drive-thru food, coffee, banking, etc.. I like to get out of the vehicle and eat at a table or talk with a human face to face. That has nothing to do with idling but incidentally it means I don't spend time idling in the drive-thru lane.

I don't think I go to any special effort to avoid idling it's just not part of my habits. I haven't checked in a while but I think I'm at just about 100 hours idling and 45k miles. 2015 5.7

That's not meant to tell anyone what's right or wrong to do with your own truck just a point of reference.
 
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Coming in Hof

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Kurek-
You’re in good shape as long as you’re changing oil way before your oil change reminder on dash goes off.
Idling my engine was almost a daily thing I did during hotter months before now. Usually on long hot days watching my son play ball from my truck.
I’m expecting my emissions system to go next probably needing a new catalytic converter down the road. Hopefully after that, with my built tranny, rebuilt motor, and new cat, my truck will last as long as I hoped it would when it was new.
 

HEMIMANN

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OP - sorry to hear you lost your engine. What model year is it?

I'm changing @ 5k OCI's, with Red Line and Royal Purple filter. Some members have noted their EVIC's aren't accurate, back-calculating their average speed was 275 mph! :D Red Line has extra moly & zinc additive to help prevent lifter roller sticking and spalling. It also clings to metal parts better due to the POE base stock blended in.

My EVIC shows app. 10% idle time, which is pretty good (low) given my xurb location. I don't ever let it idle while I go off and do something. Members are sharing their experiences and best practices, as the manufacturer won't do or say boo about it. I've done what I can - let the chips fall where they may.
 

Bigskyroadglide

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In addition to reducing idle hours, and frequent OCIs, one of the no cost things I implemented was raising my idle speed from 550 to 650.

Can not really tell the difference between the two speeds and oil pressure is 42 at idle vs 38.

If you are tuned, this cost nothing and is reversible.
 

Marmay

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Well,my 2019 with 30.000km have the tick,dealer do the diagnosis,nothing wrong with the engine this tick is normal,just keep driving,I do have full warranty 5y/100.000km powertrain, so in my case I am gonna keep it till the warranty is over,then we see.
 
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Coming in Hof

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Marmay,
Dealer told me same thing since my truck was new. It’s only normal for the Hemi engines, but comes with a cost if you ignore the maintenance, and don’t stay ahead if EVIC oil change indicator.
 
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Coming in Hof

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My truck is a 2014 2500 with the 6.4 hemi. I’ve never tuned my engine but I do have CAI and Cat-back exhaust with the Banks throttle controller.
 

Marmay

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I do my research here and on the entire net,so for now I change the synthetic oil for mopar conventional 5w20 at the dealer,and I am willing to change it every 5.000km,with their oil filter,for warranty purpose,at this point ,is not much I can do about it,time will tell,still very dissatisfied&frustrated ,so I gonna keep my eye on it if getting worst for now.
 

dwade

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Indiana
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5.7L Hemi
This made me go out and look at my hours. This truck was a fleet lease vehicle from Texas. It has 172k miles with 1244 idle hours and 3518 drive hours. When it comes to oil changes I don't go by the % of oil life, I go by the color of the oil, when it starts to change is when I change my oil, typically around 5k miles is what it has been for oil change for the year that I've had it. It was 5 year lease and I have all of the maintenance records for the truck. Currently it burns no oil and has no lifter tick.
 

B250

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A friend of mine who rebuilds seized engines told me in the 90's to change the oil and filter religiously every 3000 miles - since then I've not had a seized engine or a camshaft failure. Even if it's Supertech from Walmart.

As for idling, I was tought in the 80's that it is better for your engine to warm up while driving under load than to idle it (something to do with the wear patterns in the engine)
 

2020PW

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Sorry to hear this, but it could happen to any vehicle.

Don’t follow the oil change message, owners manual says change every 4k under certain circumstances. That’s the interval I use.
 

HEMIMANN

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This made me go out and look at my hours. This truck was a fleet lease vehicle from Texas. It has 172k miles with 1244 idle hours and 3518 drive hours. When it comes to oil changes I don't go by the % of oil life, I go by the color of the oil, when it starts to change is when I change my oil, typically around 5k miles is what it has been for oil change for the year that I've had it. It was 5 year lease and I have all of the maintenance records for the truck. Currently it burns no oil and has no lifter tick.

Very low idle hours on yours. Whether absolute, or as a %.
 

Joe1925

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Cummins diesel
I Ran my 2010 Ram hemi 155K without any engine problems. Changed oil at recommended interval. Everyone has different experiences with their trucks. I loved my 1/2 ton, but upgraded to a 2500 with Cummins when I purchased a fifth wheel RV. What a great truck! Sorry to hear of your expensive problem.
 

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Marmay

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Well,I hope you right and is nothing serious
 

hogan1945

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Woodbury MN.
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2012
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Hemi 5.7
I love my 2012, but remember if you have auto start don't let your eng. idle to long because you will run the possible chance of destroying your Hemi !! My 5.7 has had the oil and filter changes every 3000 mi.
With the best oil and filters available, but still at 134200 mi the eng cam and lifter problem showed up. Now I am going through the process of a new 5.7 replacement. 7-9 thousand replace cost. So be very careful and listen to your best mechanic about your 5.7 Hemi!!!
 

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