[bsmith79]

I got my 2013 Ram 1500 about six weeks ago. I was reading through the manual and in the maintenance section it shows the maintenance schedule starts at 20,000 miles! :wow: Surely, this is not when I take it in for the first service, is it? I hear some say change the oil at 1000 mi but I haven't seen that or any mention of an initial service until the oil life indicator says I am due for an oil change. I wonder if anybody has seen or heard anything different.


On a side note, the Ram owners manual writers could have done a better job. :alc:

 

[rambill]

The owner's manual states under no circumstances go more than 10,000 miles or longer than 12 months. I would go no longer than 5000 miles for the first oil change. I'll probably change mine around 3000 for the first change. If you switch to synthetic you could go longer than 5000.

 

[MOTH3R]

The owner's manual states under no circumstances go more than 10,000 miles or longer than 12 months. I would go no longer than 5000 miles for the first oil change. I'll probably change mine around 3000 for the first change. If you switch to synthetic you could go longer than 5000.

Where does it say that?

All I can find in mine is to go by the service indicator, which based on what I am seeing at 5k miles and 50% oil life indicated, it should be around 10k miles. I really don't remember seeing anything saying any specific mileage though.

 

[Rygi]

Yeah the manual kinda leaves it up to the owners discression. I immediately switched to synthetic and am changing oil and rotating tires every 7500. Conventional oil I would do every 5000.

 

[rambill]

It's on page 642 under Maintaining Your Vehicle in the Owner's Manual I called and requested along with a Uconnect User's Manual and a Warranty Information booklet. The user guide I received from my dealer has the phone numbers to call and request these on the first page.

 

[mrolow]

I got free oil changes at my dealer every 6 months or 6000 miles for the first 3 years. The amount of driving I am doing, it will be done every 6 months.

 

[Grubrunner]

The owner's manual states under no circumstances go more than 10,000 miles or longer than 12 months. I would go no longer than 5000 miles for the first oil change. I'll probably change mine around 3000 for the first change. If you switch to synthetic you could go longer than 5000.

What page of the User's Manual is this information on?

 

[ValleyRacer]

Change the FILTER

I got my 2013 Ram 1500 about six weeks ago. I was reading through the manual and in the maintenance section it shows the maintenance schedule starts at 20,000 miles! :wow: Surely, this is not when I take it in for the first service, is it? I hear some say change the oil at 1000 mi but I haven't seen that or any mention of an initial service until the oil life indicator says I am due for an oil change. I wonder if anybody has seen or heard anything different.


On a side note, the Ram owners manual writers could have done a better job. :alc:

If you have concerns about 'engine break in' and small metal fragments getting in your engine oil, change the FILTER, once or twice if you see fit.

Otherwise, take control of your engine oil and filter regimen and put YOUR CHOICE synthetic in at 2000/3000 miles and never look back.

 

[hattitude]

What page of the User's Manual is this information on?

"638 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Change Engine Oil

The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance. Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” for further information.

NOTE:Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km) or twelve months, whichever occurs first."


This is page 638 of the 720 page owner's manual, not in the 200 page user's guide.

 

[SKID65]

I went into my dealer after 5000 miles for service and the papers they gave me when i left and the sticker on the truck both said i need to come back in 3000 miles.so that made me think i needed to do it every 3000 miles. Unless there trying to get all my money, like they havent got enough yet. right.

 

[GTyankee]

Keeping in mind, most owners manuals when referring to the motor oil, they mean Conventional Motor Oil

In 2009 the manual read to change motor oil every 3,000 miles, that is old school thinking

either in 2010 or 2011, the manual was changed to read 5,000 miles

i believe in 2012 the manual again was changed to read 8,000 miles

now they put the OIL SERVICE Indicator in the Rams, you can go by that, it is like sending a sample to a laboratory & having it tested for the % of oil life that it still has

what i don't know is what kind of oil is now put in the engine at the factory, conventional or synthetic 5w-20

many people are now using synthetic oil & a good quality oil filter & choosing to run the engine to 5,000 miles between changes, just because it feels right to them, not because they have to according to a book

at the dealership, when they change my oil & oil filter, ( i take my own to the dealership )
sometimes the printing machine that types out the NEXT SERVICE DUE sticker reads 3,000 miles, other times it reads 5,000 miles
yet the Service Engine Light comes on at 2,800 miles every time
i just reset it & continue driving & wait for it to come on a second time, unless i know that i am going to be on the road & no where near where i can stop for the service.
Then i get it done just before the trip

 

[Lobo]

I went into my dealer after 5000 miles for service and the papers they gave me when i left and the sticker on the truck both said i need to come back in 3000 miles.so that made me think i needed to do it every 3000 miles. Unless there trying to get all my money, like they havent got enough yet. right.

That's about it. 3K doesn't really apply anymore with the dino oil available these days, and more so for synthetic. Don't give them any more of your money than you have to.

 

[lbram81]

Took mine in for its first oil change last Friday. Only 3 months old with 1800 miles but don't trust that "factory oil". I think getting the factory oil out ASAP is better than waiting until 5k miles. Although my dealer disagrees with me and states metal flakes or any unwanted materials will NOT be in the factory oil, why take the chance.

 

[marvin02]

. . . .

now they put the OIL SERVICE Indicator in the Rams, you can go by that, it is like sending a sample to a laboratory & having it tested for the % of oil life that it still has
. . . .

The oil service indicator light is not like sending in an oil sample to a lab. You will never get the accuracy from the oil change indicator that you will get from an analysis of the oil.

Here are two articles from Allpar about how the Chrysler oil change indicator works:

Chrysler adds Oil Change Computer

Fewer Oil Changes needed

Here's another from How Stuff Works that covers the systems in general.

I don't know if they can tell that the indicator was reset without the oil being changed, but I would not ignore it if you are under warranty. If it is coming on at only 2,500 miles you may want to find out why. Are you getting condensation in your oil or some other contaminant?

 

[bsmith79]

"638 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Change Engine Oil

The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance. Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” for further information.

NOTE:Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km) or twelve months, whichever occurs first."


This is page 638 of the 720 page owner's manual, not in the 200 page user's guide.

I've seen this but it still concerns me that all they say is to wait for the oil change indicator. No mention of how many miles you should have at that time or how much time has passed from purchase or last oil change.

Another issue I have is, what the heck kind of oil is in the engine from the factory? Synthetic? Fossil? Break-in oil? 5W-20? 20W-50? 5W-20W-50W-100!!! :shy: