[Spini Boys]

I have a 2012 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi 4X4 I bought it new back in Aug. 2012. I already have 45000 miles on it (90% highway, I live 60 miles from work), obviousely going to be a high milage truck.
I have started getting service coupons for Tune Ups, AC checks, Coolant flushes, so on.
When do you guys tune up the Hemi, at about what mileage?
When should I service the transmission, everyone tells me Dodge trans are no good so kind of worried.
what else should I be doing to help ensure a long life on the Ram?

I change the oil and filter everytime oil change light comes on.

Is it better to use a good dealership to build a relationship with them, or DIY?

This is my first new truck in 20 years and my first Dodge ever.

Thanks

 

[Hermes1]

As far as when to service, simply follow the service intervals in your owners manual paying attention to normal driving conditions vs severe service as it pertains to your situation. As far as the tranny being no good, that is crap, they might not be the best on the market but they are far from crap and with proper maintenance and not abusing it, you should be fine. As to having it serviced at the dealership, if the dealership has a good service department and you have good service with them, why not. If their service dept is not very good, you do not trust them or unsure I would not use them for the sake of "building a relationship.

 

[PaulMys]

As far as when to service, simply follow the service intervals in your owners manual paying attention to normal driving conditions vs severe service as it pertains to your situation. As far as the tranny being no good, that is crap, they might not be the best on the market but they are far from crap and with proper maintenance and not abusing it, you should be fine. As to having it serviced at the dealership, if the dealership has a good service department and you have good service with them, why not. If their service dept is not very good, you do not trust them or unsure I would not use them for the sake of "building a relationship.

Agree 100%.

Also, seeing more & more 4th gen. Rams on here with 100k+ miles, and not one complaint about the transmissions.

 

[Mopar Big Horn]

Same as both above statements. The dealership I got my truck from has done good with all there departments from sales, service, and body shop and have never had a complaint about anything they have done with my truck. I trust the work they do and don't ever have the feeling they are trying to pull a fast one on me so I let them service my truck as needed and what is recommended to be serviced at that mileage.
This is my first truck that I bought brand new and first RAM.

 

[Power247]

I will say the same for the Service Dept at my local dealer. The serviced my '09 from the day I bought it new till the day I traded for my '12 and also the wifes 'rango too. The maintenance specials they offer make it keep me from even changing the oil. $80 for 4 oil changes is hard to beat!!

 

[Mopar Big Horn]

The maintenance specials they offer make it keep me from even changing the oil. $80 for 4 oil changes is hard to beat!!

:smileup: same here on that point. My supervisor thinks I'm messing with him when I tell him that.

 

[Power247]

I asked if I could get the same deal for my Cummins.... They looked kinda like this guy... :SHOCKED: LOL!!

 

[Spini Boys]

Thanks for all the comments.
This is my first RAM as well, been a FORD truck guy for 30 years, always have done my own service. I get free Mobile oil from my neighbor who hauls it in a tanker. At the end of the day he has to drain his tank so when he has 5/20 I get him a 5 gal bucket.

I am taking my RAM in for a tune up at the end of the month becouse I got a coupon from the dealer. Im glad to hear the above comments, I love the truck.
Thanks again

 

[Turbovsix]

I think there are some items you can easily do yourself if you're even slightly handy with tools. I do my own oil changes, and recently did the fluid in my transfer case. I mean, I don't even have to jack up the truck for these two items. I had the dealer flush my trans at 100K miles and do the coolant at 90K miles. I didn't have to worry about servicing the rear differential because it was rebuilt a few times due to failures, so that gear oil is nice and fresh lol.

Plugs you can do yourself - just take your time - I have done two plug changes in my truck now, and I have it down to under two hours. In fact, the last time I pulled the plugs for what would have bee the third plug change, they basically looked brand new, so I delayed that plug change for a bit.

Front diff - yeah, I'll probably just have the dealer do that next time as I haven't done that one yet - but basically, I just follow the service intervals, more or less, in the manual. I have found this vehicle to be basically trouble free, and not requiring a ton of maintenance based on the manual specs. I think the plug change interval is a little aggressive at a suggested interval of 30K miles - I've been doing mine at 50K miles, as I put miles on fast (120K miles on my 2010 right now with occasional towing - will be four years old officially this coming August).

I have found that the air filter gets really dirty on these trucks and I've gone with a more frequent interval there. I clean the PCV from time to time - just spray it down.

Service at the two dealerships I've gone to tends to be spotty, so I try to do as much as I can on my own - I just keep receipts for all the items I purchase such as oil, gear oil, filters, plugs, etc.

 

[ghorn]

I've had good service experience with my dealer (Grapevine Dodge, TX). The only disappointment has been my own fault. (Discharged battery due to my having installed equipment on other than a "keyed" power source. Solution: add-ons can be powered from the cig. lighter power at the drivers right knee.)

I don't know what your warranty coverage will be getting oil from your tanker-driver neighbor. If I was the dealer I'd want to see receipts for oil and filters... and that the items purchased met warranty requirements and industry specs. (Don't know how you'll do that with free oil in a bucket.)

 

[JohnnyDollar]

Thanks for all the comments.
This is my first RAM as well, been a FORD truck guy for 30 years, always have done my own service. I get free Mobile oil from my neighbor who hauls it in a tanker. At the end of the day he has to drain his tank so when he has 5/20 I get him a 5 gal bucket.

I am taking my RAM in for a tune up at the end of the month becouse I got a coupon from the dealer. Im glad to hear the above comments, I love the truck.
Thanks again

I like having the oil changed at the dealer, it doesn't cost any more than anyplace else. (except doing it myself)
Plus dealer service gets recorded at moparownerconnect.com.

What kind of tune-up coupon did you get?

Note: You are past due for the spark plug change. ([email protected])

 

[Revel Performance]

+1 to everyone else. Follow the service intervals in your owners manual and you will be fine. The dealer tried to service my wife's transmission at 30k miles on her old car. Needless to say that was the last time we went there.

 

[Spini Boys]

I like having the oil changed at the dealer, it doesn't cost any more than anyplace else. (except doing it myself)
Plus dealer service gets recorded at moparownerconnect.com.

What kind of tune-up coupon did you get?

Note: You are past due for the spark plug change. ([email protected])

$107.00 tune up, I think its just the 16 plugs. It goes in friday. Also having the AC checked and/or serviced with a coupon for $30.00.
I just go on my dealers web site and they have monthly specials, you just print off the coupons.
Im going to start having the dealer do my oil as well, they did it the first 20,000 then I started doing it.

 

[JohnnyDollar]

$107.00 tune up, I think its just the 16 plugs. It goes in friday. Also having the AC checked and/or serviced with a coupon for $30.00.
I just go on my dealers web site and they have monthly specials, you just print off the coupons.
Im going to start having the dealer do my oil as well, they did it the first 20,000 then I started doing it.

If they are doing the tune up including new spark plugs for $107, I would be jumping on that.
My wife got quoted about twice that when she got the oil changed last week.
Truck will be due for the plugs next oil change.