First new truck questions

[Seth Richards]

I just bought a new 2019 Ram 1500 classic big horn crew cab and I have a couple questions about care/ maintenance and break-in. This is my first new vehicle as I have always bought low mileage used before.

First question is about first oil change. The truck was on a dirt lot for what looks like a long time before I bought it. I don’t know how long it sat. Will this have any effect on the oil? Do I need to get the first oil change sooner than normal since it was sitting around in a dirt lot for what looks like a few months at least?

2nd question is are there any tips for breaking it in ? Like anyone I want this truck to last a long time so if there is anything special I need to do during the break in period to help this happen I would love to hear it. I read the manual and know to keep my speed down and rpms varied for the first few hundred miles but any other suggestions that you learned from experience?

 

[MoparBrent]

Sitting on a dirt lot will have zero effect on your engines oil. However it’s a good practice to have your oil changed around 2000-3000km and refill with a good synthetic like Pennzoil Ultra Platinum or Redline with a quality oil filter (Royal Purple 10-48).

As for breaking in don’t baby it too much. Don’t keep your RPM’s in any specific range. Vary it as much as possible, do a couple hard accelerations, some highway driving, etc. Also a big no no is towing for the 1000 miles or so.

Other than that since you suspect your truck was sitting for awhile check your tires for any flat spots.
And your truck is a 4th gen ram. I suggest you head over to the engine/performance section and do a lot of reading regarding oil, common problems etc to keep your truck running the best it can for many years

 

[JoeCo]

And your truck is a 4th gen ram. I suggest you head over to the engine/performance section and do a lot of reading regarding oil, common problems etc to keep your truck running the best it can for many years

Just to add on to this, when you're ordering parts for your truck you will likely be better off ordering for a 2018, as most 2019 parts are for the new 5th gens. Unless stated that it is for a 2019 classic, it's likely a part for the new generation truck. As Brent mentioned, you should look over in the 4th gen area on the forums, there is endless info over there about the 4th gens.

 

[Seth Richards]

Thank you for the suggestions. I wasn’t sure about the generation since it’s a 2019.

 

[Graygoose]

Thank you for the suggestions. I wasn’t sure about the generation since it’s a 2019.

its the awesome 4th gen side

 

[mainard]

Thank you for the suggestions. I wasn’t sure about the generation since it’s a 2019.

4th gen are 2018s rebadged w 2019 so unfortunately u didnt get the 2019 redesigned portion of the 5th gen

Sent from my SM-J737T using Tapatalk

 

[JD Martin]

I like the classic version too. The only thing that kept me from buying one earlier was the tool bin built into the floor. With my dogs I always need a flat floor. My doggie is deceased now but I will have another dog and I'll still need a flat floor. But the earlier generation is a nice truck too.

 

[reefer451]

Like the others have said, sitting on the dirt lot will have zero impact on the oil.

Break-in and oil changes are always a controversial subject. The good news is the breaking period is much shorter than it used to be and seems to be a lot less important than it used to be. I favor an early 1st change just on general principals although there are plenty that will argue it's unnecessary. I would not wait for the oil life monitor to go off, that takes about 9,000 miles. I think I did the first one at 3,000. And I stayed with conventional oil for the first changes as they were free from my dealer. Once I started doing the changes then I switched to full synthetic and started to go by the OLM.

Some say drive it like you stole it for break-in, I would not do that. Basically just follow the manual. Don't baby it but don't beat on it, get a few SHORT full throttle bursts to seat the rings but not get it hot. No towing. Enjoy.