Oil change - Not at the RAM dealership?

[corneileous]

Ah no, I do not have the dealership do everything for me. I have them do the fluid changes because of my drive line warranty. I have had my DODGE Ram for 11 years and 300,000 miles and not one issue with warranty claims on the engine, trans, axles and transfer case (see running list below).

- Rear end blew @ 35000 (Warranty)
- Rear pinion bearing broke - rebuilt rear end 295,000 (Warranty)
- Exhaust bolts (Warranty)
- Upper control arm and tie rods RT side
- Rt side wheel hub (Warranty)
- Rt side axle shaft (x 3) (Warranty)
- Cam broke at 160K (new cam, 8 lifters, 10 valves - Warranty)
- Rt side coil packs 140K
- Water Pump/fan clutch 140K and 275,000(Warranty)
- Trans shift solenoid 80K (Warranty)
- Pulley tensioner (Warranty)
- 3 sets of shocks
- alternator
- power steering pump
- 2 sets of lug nuts
- 6 sets of tires
- 5 sets of brake pads
- 2 sets of rotors
- 3 belts
- 11 sets of spark plugs
- 6 trans fluid changes
- 8 axle fluid changes
- 11 transfer case fluid changes
- Heater core
- AC Evap
- 2 heater solenoids
- radiator
- upper and lower radiator hoses
- 3 batteries
- antifreeze flush and change (x4)
- Rear window switch
- 2 sets of lug nuts

My response to this thread is for the sole purpose of helping others understand my experiences and avoiding headaches from the dealer. If you feel you are different good for you, move on then.

Well, you did say ME in your second-to-last post so how was I to know you were all the sudden going back to addressing everybody again?

Even though this post is primarily addressed to you, this pretty much goes to everyone when I rebut what you said by saying you don’t have to let the dealership do your fluid changes just to avoid future headaches from warranty claims. There’s no rule, restriction, or limitation in warranty coverage by you doing your own maintenance unless you screw something up and try later to get warranty to fix it.


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[Big Daddy]

Well, you did say ME in your second-to-last post so how was I to know you were all the sudden going back to addressing everybody again?

Even though this post is primarily addressed to you, this pretty much goes to everyone when I rebut what you said by saying you don’t have to let the dealership do your fluid changes just to avoid future headaches from warranty claims. There’s no rule, restriction, or limitation in warranty coverage by you doing your own maintenance unless you screw something up and try later to get warranty to fix it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/Q

Well, you did say ME in your second-to-last post so how was I to know you were all the sudden going back to addressing everybody again?

Even though this post is primarily addressed to you, this pretty much goes to everyone when I rebut what you said by saying you don’t have to let the dealership do your fluid changes just to avoid future headaches from warranty claims. There’s no rule, restriction, or limitation in warranty coverage by you doing your own maintenance unless you screw something up and try later to get warranty to fix it.


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Listen closely sunshine, okay, you ready, YOU'RE RIGHT. There is no restrictions rules or limitations but the burden of proof then falls on the owner. Just ask the guy a few threads down with the cam issue. For people such as yourself, it may not be a problem, good for you. AS I ORIGINALLY SAID BASED ON MY EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE ITS BETTER TO HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION AT THE DEALERSHIP. If you disagree, I really don't care....

 

[corneileous]

Listen closely sunshine, okay, you ready, YOU'RE RIGHT. There is no restrictions rules or limitations but the burden of proof then falls on the owner. Just ask the guy a few threads down with the cam issue. For people such as yourself, it may not be a problem, good for you. AS I ORIGINALLY SAID BASED ON MY EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE ITS BETTER TO HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION AT THE DEALERSHIP. If you disagree, I really don't care....

Before you go callin’ me sunshine learn how to post and use the damn edit button.

But you started this pal, assuming that I was going to have issues just because I don’t have a dealership wipe my ass for me when it comes to simple maintenance.

And how do you know, even for yourself, if it is or was better to have the documentation from the dealership? You’ve had them do all your maintenance so you have no idea how things would’ve been if you would’ve done your own **** so don’t try to act like paying the dealership to do everything is the better thing to do, that’s my only point.

I don’t give a damn what YOU do.

For the benefit of everybody else, that’s why my response is there and that’s why I quoted you in the first place was so that people wouldn’t think that in order to not have issues with their warranty getting claims taken care of, that they wouldn’t feel obligated to having the dealership do their damn oil changes.


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[Big Daddy]

Before you go callin’ me sunshine learn how to post and use the damn edit button.

But you started this pal, assuming that I was going to have issues just because I don’t have a dealership wipe my ass for me when it comes to simple maintenance.

And how do you know, even for yourself, if it is or was better to have the documentation from the dealership? You’ve had them do all your maintenance so you have no idea how things would’ve been if you would’ve done your own **** so don’t try to act like paying the dealership to do everything is the better thing to do, that’s my only point.

I don’t give a damn what YOU do.

For the benefit of everybody else, that’s why my response is there and that’s why I quoted you in the first place was so that people wouldn’t think that in order to not have issues with their warranty getting claims taken care of, that they wouldn’t feel obligated to having the dealership do their damn oil changes.


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AWWWW....Poor you

 

[corneileous]

AWWWW....Poor you

Yeah, poor me. More like poor you because oh my gawd, somebody disagreed with you.


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[Wulf]

I've even had bad experiences with Dealers hiring know-nothings for quickie lubes - in effect, they're mirroring the quickie lube shop models to get business back. I don't trust any of them.

^+1 (sort of)

Let me tell you about an experience I had, well, my Dad did, but I was the one taking his truck to the local dealership for him.

It was about a 2008-2009 GMC Sierra 4x4 (that matters and you will see why in the rest) that he wanted to take to the dealership he got it from for service. This started out because of the warranty they offered on it when he bought the truck, and kept going after the warranty had expired. This, in addition to selling used cars, was also a new GM (et al.) dealership as well, so a GMC should have been right up their alley (pun intended).

After many, many miles put on by him, there was a sound coming from the front of the truck that the best way I can describe it sounded like a few marbles rolling around inside a cardboard box. Now, with the age of the vehicle at the time (if I remember right, had the better half of 100k on the odometer), he thought it could possibly be the transfer case or something related, because it seemed to happen most often when turning (more so to the right) and accelerating, like taking a corner at a 4-way.

He asked me to take it to the dealership for him (I was unemployed at the time), and have them take a look at it. I did so, described the sound, and what we supposed it could possibly be, and have them do their investigation, and let us know. They "couldn't find the problem" and were unable to recreate it, but had no problem charging us for "diagnostics". Got it back from the first (of many) visit, and the problem seemed to have gone away.

Less than a week later, the noise came back, so brought it back to the dealer again, and explained the situation, again. They couldn't find the problem, but had no qualms about charging for the "repairs", again.

Third visit (and was apparently the charm), they apparently had someone work on it who had a clue, this time, and they found out that the engine cover, the plastic one they seem to put on most engines these days, was loose, and for whatever reason the conditions were just right for it to make noise when the above mentioned conditions (turning, accelerating) were in play.

Moral of the story, even "factory" dealerships can be clueless when it comes to working on vehicles they would reasonably be expected to be "experts" on.

 

[Wulf]

You can do this - buy the oil and filter you want at Walmart. Then give it to the Walmart service dept to change it. They charged me $10.

I would likely trust the dealership's service department more than I would the Walmart service department.

Why can't you do it yourself?

Many possible reasons they don't. Age, joint issues, lack of knowledge, or maybe just don't feel like doing it themselves.

 

[Davidloveshishemi]

If you have a warranty or extended warranty, its better to have it document it through the dealership. Otherwise, if someone else does the work, the reply will be to take it back to whomever did the work...

This is the most stupid myth I have ever heard. People have been doing their own oil changes since the beginning of time. Warranty, no warranty, having the dealership do it is a waste of time and money. Stop perpetuating this myth about documentation, its stupid and isnt based in reality.

 

[corneileous]

I would likely trust the dealership's service department more than I would the Walmart service department.

That aint no joke. I dunno, maybe Walmart's service department has changed since then but many many years ago when I caught one of their techs about to toss my expensive reusable air filter in the trash, I vowed to never go back.

Many possible reasons they don't. Age, joint issues, lack of knowledge, or maybe just don't feel like doing it themselves.

All very true but I guess a lot of it boils down to how much you care what's put in, whether or not you're interested in saving yourself money by doing it yourself or if you don't plan to keep the vehicle for longer than the warranty period.

 

[Mike Murphy]

You are allowed to choose to have the maintenance on your vehicle done at any shop of your choosing. You can even perform the maintenance yourself as long as your keep receipts and a record of the maintenance. The one maintenance that you cannot do is the five year maintenance inspection from a dealership required by the lifetime warranty in the small print, if purchased.

Whether the oil is cheap or not is of no matter. What matters is that the oil meets the oil specification listed in your owners manual, such as DaimlerChrysler materials standard MS-6395 and API certified for the third gen vehicles. The API certification and specification is on the back of the oil bottles.

 

[corneileous]

Whether the oil is cheap or not is of no matter. What matters is that the oil meets the oil specification listed in your owners manual, such as DaimlerChrysler materials standard MS-6395 and API certified for the third gen vehicles. The API certification and specification is on the back of the oil bottles.

Maybe for making warranties happy but not necessarily for what's exactly best for your engine. Especially on one that has known lubrication issues and has a tendency to eat cams and lifters if following what the almighty manufacturer says.

 

[Wulf]

This is the most stupid myth I have ever heard. People have been doing their own oil changes since the beginning of time. Warranty, no warranty, having the dealership do it is a waste of time and money. Stop perpetuating this myth about documentation, its stupid and isnt based in reality.

It isn't based in expectations of a reasonable response, but depending on the dealer, and how shady they are, it is entirely plausible that some would try to give that ******** excuse. If you want them to use a different oil/filter/whatever, you can take it to them and have them use your stuff. Your peace of mind is retained, and they don't have any excuse to try to weasel out of doing the right thing.

By law, they cannot enforce that, but I would bet that the dealerships that try to pull this BS are hedging their bets that the customer won't know this.

I actually had it happen to me when I bought my new truck. They tried telling me I had to have the oil change and warranty work done through them. I specifically asked. Now, the warranty work, not 100% sure on, or if it could be done at another (closer) mfg dealer, but I know for a fact the oil change part was ******** on their part.

From https://www.autotrader.com/car-tips/do-you-need-service-your-car-dealership-keep-your-warranty-valid

How Your Car Warranty Could Get Voided​

There’s still one situation where an automaker could legally void a warranty. If you have regular maintenance performed at an independent shop and an error made by that shop causes damage to a component.


Say, for example, you get an oil change at an independent shop, and the shop forgets to replace the oil, which destroys the engine. In this case, the automaker warranty will probably not cover any replacement parts, and your claim would be with the shop that performed the work.


In general, however, you should feel fine taking your car to a shop of your choosing for maintenance and service, even if it’s still under warranty.

So, there are arguments for both sides. If you want peace of mind and to make sure 100% that they honor the warranty, have them be the ones that do the work. They cannot void your warranty if they are the ones that screw it up. Yes, it will add expense to the job, but that is for you to decide if that is worth the extra $ or not.

 

[dhay13]

I'm not against having it changed at the dealership, except my local dealership. The local dealership had been there for decades through a few owners and never had an issue. Several years ago Napleton bought it so now it is Napleton CJD in Ellwood City, PA. I quit going there after several issues (like 90% of my visits had issues). You used to need an appointment there for an oil change and the shop was always full. Now (or at least the last time I was there) no appt needed and most racks are empty. Have heard many complaints about the.

1) left oil filter loose on wifes 2006 Commander (first of 5 of these issues)
2) left oil filter loose on my 2013 Ram (3x in a row, had a buy 3 get 1 free coupon)
3) left oil filter loose on daughters 2006 Grand Cherokee
4) front end alignment on daughters 2006 Grand Cherokee a week after lift installed. They broke bolts and took a week for alignment and charged $500 for broken bolts
5) bought factory replacement tires for my 2013 Ram 1500. Next day truck shaking like crazy. Called dealer and fill in service manager says mechanic told her my wheel was bent? Which I knew wasn't true cause it was fine going in and if it was bent they would thev called me. Took it back the next day and regular service manager says she talked to mechanic and he never said it had a bent rim. Rebalanced tires and it was fine
6) picked 2013 Ram up after oil change and had permanent fingerprints in my hood that would not come out.
7) step-son took his 2015 Dart in for engine replacement under warranty. Got it back and the 'flap' in passenger wheel well for headlight change was missing. wiring harness wasn't routed properly and was out in front of exhaust manifold instead of behind it. front bumper was cracked from inside so thinking they backed it off lift or something
8) step-son took his Dart in for oil change and tire rotation and they stripped the factory locking lug and tool. Also chipped black paint all around that lug. He went to the manager and manager said it wasn't their fault. He went through the list of all the issues we have had and manager said 'fine, we'll replace the wheel but then we are done with you'. He told them to stick his wheel somewhere and none of us have ever been back.

For those reasons I will never go to my local dealer ever again