Just wanted to put this out to those that are more familiar with engine oil consumption trends in the 2nd gen 5.2 litre engine:

Original engine in 1998 ram 1500, it's the 5.2 with 226,000 km. Oil and filter has been changed every 5,000 k like clockwork. Recently drove 1,986 km's in two days towing a large 7' x 16' cargo trailer with an extended roof,(8' high). Total weight of trailer was 3700 lbs. and 400 lbs. was stowed in truck box. The engine consumed 3/4 of a litre of oil. I'm thinking that that is pretty darn good and would indicate cylinders, rings and valve seals are all in good shape.

Mileage was 24 litres of fuel for every 100 km which stung however I pulled a lot of long hills and as described above I had a fair load on the truck.

Any thoughts on the above description and details? Thanks for any input.

 

Perfectly normal.

 

Wow! You have a very healthy engine! What oil are you using?

 

Thanks guys for some input. I too think it's still strong however it's nice to hear from others.

I bought the truck direct from factory, it had 14 km's on it when I first sat down.

Changed the engine oil and filter at the first 500 k and every 5,000 k since. I have used the exact same oil and filters since day one: Castrol 10w-30 GTX and Fram PH16. I have also changed the transmission fluid and filter every 25,000 k and adjust the bands every 3 time.

As the truck enters the high mileage zone I'm curious to know how all my maintenance diligence in the early years will pay off.

 

Fewer problems than those that don't keep up on the maintenance, and a reliable truck. Maintenance is ALWAYS worth your time.