1st oil change???

[MyFirstHemi]

I just bought a 13' Ram Hemi 1500 just over a week ago. It just rolled over 200 miles this weekend. This is my first BRAND NEW vehicle ever.

My two questions are.

1. At what mileage should I be doing my first oil change? Should I just follow the oil life meter on the display?

2. At what mileage should I switch from conventional to a synthetic blend?

Thanks in advance!

Edit:

Thanks for the info guys. I guess I should have added that I will be doing my own maintenance and am not a noob at oil changes and oil types. I had a 400+ horsepower Subaru that I just got rid of. Used Castrol Syn after reading not so good reviews of Mobil1 and engine wear years back. Changed my oil every 3,000-4,000 miles on it.

1. I am just curious on a new engine now a days, is it really necessary to change the oil at say 500 miles to make sure there are no impurities in there. Or are the new engine manufacturing processes and oil filters good enough to skip this process?

2. And I plan to use conventional oil and change it either every 3,000 or until the truck tells me too. In your opinion listen to the trucks' oil life monitor or just change and reset every 3k?

3. And finally, what is a safe and preferred time to switch the motor to a synthetic blend?

 

[Graygoose]

I changed mine at 3500, then every 5000 afterwards...( have only had first done) they said every 5000 is fine,

 

[Yo Nadz]

What about with Royal Purple?? Still every 5000 miles?

 

[Chewy]

I get the OEM oil out right away... 250 miles max, then at 1500 miles, then at 4500 miles and then you're good to go every 5000 miles.

I'd wait for 4500 miles or so before running synthetic. I run the Mobil 1 15,000 mile extended oil 7500 miles.

My break in is such. 2nd gear 3/4 throttle to 4500 RPM and then let it engine brake until the RPM's are low enough to do it again. I'll do that several times to seat the rings completely then drive it normally, trying not to keep the engine at one RPM too long. Many have said the engines are broken in from the factory, but I like doing this to make sure. So far so good on 3 different engines.

Many will say to vary your speed for X amount of miles, but I vary engine RPM. I HATE being that guy in traffic that passes you and then 5 minutes later is going so slow you pass them. With my G8 I just moved from 6th gear to 5th gear.

Following the oil life meter isn't a bad way to go either. Personally, I write it on the windshield when to change it. I just prefer that method. I do all my own maintenance.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

[audio1der]

1) Some folks go by what the truck tells them (You'll get a message in your EVIC eventually).
Some go by what the dealer/owners manual state for oil change intervals; the manual states 13,000km (8,000mi?)
Some people do what they think is best. I change mine every 5,000km due to a lot of start/stop driving, and towing in the summer. I consider it cheap insurance.
2) Again- you may want to do some reading and see which train of thought you agree with. come people say the engine needs to break in, and don't change it for at least 25,000miles. Some say the engines today don't need to be broken in/are already broken in and you can change over at your first oil change.
I changed to synthetic at my first change, 5,000km. I use Amsoil XL but RP, Catrol, Lucas and Mobil 1 are valid choices. Use what is available to you, and you have confidence in. With synthetics in theory you should be able to extend your drain intervals from those of dino oil, but that is up to you.

 

[MyFirstHemi]

Thanks for the info guys. I guess I should have added that I will be doing my own maintenance and am not a noob at oil changes and oil types. I had a 400+ horsepower Subaru that I just got rid of. Used Castrol Syn after reading not so good reviews of Mobil1 and engine wear years back. Changed my oil every 3,000-4,000 miles on it.

1. I am just curious on a new engine now a days, is it really necessary to change the oil at say 500 miles to make sure there are no impurities in there. Or are the new engine manufacturing processes and oil filters good enough to skip this process?

2. And I plan to use conventional oil and change it either every 3,000 or until the truck tells me too. In your opinion listen to the trucks' oil life monitor or just change and reset every 3k?

3. And finally, what is a safe and preferred time to switch the motor to a synthetic blend?

 

[BIGBLACKHEMI]

Just did mine at 2541 and used royal purple

 

[Noved]

Had mine done at 1k miles and will do it again at 3k. I plan on doing it every 3000 miles.

 

[kkreit01]

You'll get a 100 different answers, and all may be fine (unless they tell you to ignore your manual). I typically do first change at 1500, then wait 3000 until next, then about 4-5000. I then follow OLM, time, or mileage as listed by manual. For me, I change every 6 months once broken in. I never reach the mileage before the 6 months are up. Run whatever oil you want -- as long as its 5w20, and meets Chrysler's spec. -- as posted in manual.

Your first EVIC warning will come at 3500.

 

[audio1der]

You'll get a 100 different answers, and all may be fine (unless they tell you to ignore your manual). I typically do first change at 1500, then wait 3000 until next, then about 4-5000. I then follow OLM, time, or mileage as listed by manual. For me, I change every 6 months once broken in. I never reach the mileage before the 6 months are up. Run whatever oil you want -- as long as its 5w20, and meets Chrysler's spec. -- as posted in manual.

Your first EVIC warning will come at 3500.

A) Good point on the 5W20; your MDS systems requires that.
B) I'm at 10,700km and haven't seen the EVIC message about oil change yet.

 

[Trupiano]

Did mine at 2000, 5000, and every 5K after that.

 

[MyFirstHemi]

Thanks for the info guys. I think I will change it at 1500, then every 3,000 until I change to synthetic. Then I will change it every 4-5k.

I'm just not sure at what mileage I will switch to synthetic.

 

[raptor1797]

For me, first at 3000 then every 5000 .

 

[*tim*]

My dad used to say get on the highway and get off at every exit and back on to break it in. But I've always listened to the dealer and took it easy for the first couple hundred miles then drive normal till 5k and switch to mobile1 and change every 7.5k

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

 

[smiley]

5000 would be plenty of miles to switch over to synthetic oil IMO. I have read they are broke in from the factory so not much worry there. I have never had brand new so I can't say as I have broke one in.

Oh and on the oil life meter the 2013's now have oil life meter like the GM's have had and it will tell you when to change which is pretty accurate from what I have read. 2012 and older don't have the smart system and just tells you to change it at about 3000 miles regardless of conditions and such.

$miley

 

[arod412]

I'm sticking to the manual.....8k.... just did it at 7500.

 

[smiley]

The problem with that theory is 8000 miles assumes you are not using under severe duty. If you have frequent short trips, extreme temps or tow this would not apply unless you are using synthetic then 8000 is okay with a good quality filter.

The most important part is the quality filter and most people do not think of this. Why spend good money on high quality oil then buy a Fram? You are defeating any gains in oil quality.


$miley

 

[Etroze86]

^^^^ What he said, 8000 miles is hard for me to stomach because back in the day anything over 60 psi would bypass they filter and just go straight into the motor. The reason this happens is because of a bypass valves in most filter so the filter doesn't explode or gasket doesn't get forced out do to the thick cold oil going through it. Its a big reason I still change oil at 3000 miles if using conventional and 5000 using synthetic.

 

[fonzyn75]

royal purple

 

[garner]

I do mine every 8,000 like the manual says and I've driven both my rams hard since I drove them off the showroom floor. Haven't had any issues doing that(well other than the R/T being slower than it should've been but doubt that was related)