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1st oil change: Syn vs. Conv?

6K views 31 replies 21 participants last post by  sporty11 
#1 ·
hey all, first oil change coming due on the hemi and wondering what everyone else has done to replace the original oil..

Would switching to synthetic be better for break in vs. Conventional?
Or if changing to synthetic would u use different weight for break in?

Going to switch to synthetic soon as i can but would break in be affected if changed out to soon?

any help appreciated!
Cheers
 
#2 ·
I have the exact same question. Im still many miles from the first oil change. Ive always used AMSOIL in my vehicles, should I continue with this trend? I like being able to go 7500 miles on an oil change without worry. Or do I still with the factory oil and change the oil at lesser intervals? Help!
 
#3 ·
No idea if you should change weight for break in period but since the engineers say to only use 5W-20 I would stick with it. I put Mobil 1 synthetic in for my second oil change and plan to change it out every 5000 kms.
 
#5 ·
Some say dont switch to Syn on the first do it on the 2nd when there is a few more miles on the truck. I can live with that. Heck I even let the dealer do the first two so its on the record books as being done there and now I will take over and use Valovline Syn 5w20 the truck will have about 10,000 miles on it by then. Oh I aslo did a conv oil and filter change at 1,000 to get "stuff" out, and I am not aware of Dodge using a "break in oil" so I wasnt worried about changing it that early.

I also plan on keeping the truck for as long as possible (10 years) so the small price on oil changes often is cheap insurance, Plus I like doing it. My 99 Dakota had 132,000 on it when I traded it in and ran like a champ, my 06 Charger has 97,xxx and runs like a champ (that car is a road trip King). Ok Im done now!
 
#8 ·
oil

Get that dino oil out as soon as you can and put synthetic in it. 5w 20 for the hemi MDS. There is no breakin on these new engines. Amsoil and Redline are the top 2 true synthetics, group V, ester base manufactured oils. You cannot go wrong with either of these, but they are more expensive. These two have more zinc which controls the engine wear. You will get better gas mileage with synthetics. You can go the full 8k miles with the synthetics with no worries unless you are driving in extreme conditions. Alaska and oil field are extreme conditions. If money is an object most daily drivers and pulling a boat or travel trailer can do with the group III synthetics you buy at wal mart. Go for it.
 
#13 ·
In all truth I'm not sure there are any pure Group IV PAO based or Group V Ester based oils out there for automotive use. PAO based oils contain some Ester oil and visa-versa. Redline is rumored to contain as much as 35% PAO stock but of course they're not saying. Both PAo and Ester stocks are excellent oils but both have drawbacks as well. Blending the two helps deal with their respective drawbacks creating an oil that is better than either alone.
 
#15 ·
I work in the powersports industry, and esters are a very well established part of the market. That most likely is a result of the fact that motorcycle oil is also the transmission fluid, so esters being more durable on the molecular level than PAOs. Polymer chain break down is a major issue there.
 
#16 ·
Esters are definitely better for high heat applications as mentioned where motors reach temperatures not seen in everyday applications. Also in racing and powersport applications the oil is never used for a long enough time to experience the downsides of esters.
 
#17 ·
Ive always used AMSOIL is my vehicles. I plan to switch to it on my first oil change. Is there a better product than AMSOIL for the 5.7 Hemi? I know little about the make up of synthetic oils... any help is appreciated.
 
#21 · (Edited)
There is no Mobil 1 that isnt Full Synthetic (By current definition)
There are two Mobil 1 and three Mobil 5W20. All are SN/GF5 rated.

1.Mobil 1 Extended Performance (Designed for 15,000 mile OCI)

2. Mobil 1 Synthetic (Standard)

3. Mobil Super Synthetic

4. Mobil Super 5000

5. Mobil Special
(Mostly sold in bulk).
 
#20 ·
Had my first oil change done by the dealer 2000 miles ago plan on let the dealer do my next and around 10.000 I will start to do my own oil change as usual for my vehicles. planing to use AMSOIL since it has good recommendations from others RAM users especially here on the forumz.
 
#22 ·
sporty, first thing you need to do is do a search for "first oil change" and find the oil filter recomended as the oil filters a bit of a challenge to get off.

in 1989 i drove my brand new gmc truck home from the dealer and with less than 20 miles on the od, i dumped the oil and changed the filter and put in mobil one synthetic and changed the oil every 3000 to 3500 miles using mobil one. i sold that truck in 2003 with over 275000 miles on it and bought my first dodge. with the metals and tighter tolerances today, you can change to synthetic as early in the "break in period" as you choose. as far as oil goes, any oil you purchase will protect your engine for the 7500 mile oil change interval as specified in our owners manual. i use only 5-20 wt, again as specified by owners manuel. you also need to choose a good oil filter.
royal purple, red line and amsoil seem to be all the rage these days, but are most likely an overkill as our engines don't see the "abuse" racing engines are subjected to nor, are our engines high reving such as motorcycle engines. amsoils reputation is second to none, but new regulations regarding the additives they are allowed to use might lower their protection a tad, yet you would not notice in our type of driving. i don't do the extended drain intervals as advertised by amsoil since the time involved for oil analysis is the same as changing the oil, i might just as well change it out.
if you go to wall mart, like many of us do, you will be more than fine by choosing any one of the name brand synthetics, mobil one, penzoil, castrol, ect. a lot of people i know just go in and buy what ever is on sale.

the dealer i use uses penzoil products and durring the purchase of my truck i had him throw in 4 oil changes using pensoil ultra in the deal. i supplied my own filter. i used a kn filter. hope this helps
 
#25 ·
oil change advise



What ever the owners manual calls for is the oil type you should put in. You should change the oil every 3,000 miles.I have a 1993 Chevy S-10 pick up. From day 1, I have changed the oil and filter (oem) every 3,000 miles using castrol 10/30. Today i have 235,000 miles on her. Take care of your truck and she will take care of you..Best of luck with your new truck...
 
#26 ·
Just did my first oil change with the dealer. Put in Mobil 1 Synthetic (regular). Fortunately, since this is my first Ram, I went to the dealer before the change to meet them in person. I told the Service Manager that I always take care of my vehicles and wanted to start a relationship with their service department. His eyes lit up and his tone changed immediately. He told me to go buy my oil cheaper somewhere else and they would be happy to use it. Even told me how much it would save me (and he was right). Bought the oil at Walmart and the change only cost me $16 at the dealer. He recommended every 6,000 for a change. Time will tell, just wanted to share my first experience.
 
#27 · (Edited)
I did my first oil change in my new Ram, I went with 0w-20 Mobil 1. Was and still may switch to Amsoil, but Amsoil is yanking me around and the parts store only had 6 qts, that good enough for a Chevy but not a Hemi.

Also installed a Fumoto drain valve. Should make the next change easier. Now if Chrysler would have been smart enough not to put the oil filter over the steering rack. Chevy once thought above the front driveshaft was a good place. Still much better than my wifes 06 Commander with a Hemi, it was on the front at an angle, couldn't even see the darn thing.
 
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