I just got my Durango in December and today I am getting a message to "Change Oil Soon". I got a standard oil change last month. I still have 1,200 miles to drive before hitting 3,000 miles for my next oil change, so I don't know why I am getting this message. Currently, the car only has about 29,000 miles on it. My older car before this, would be the same way, but that was because it was an old car so it was burning or leaking oil. Can a car shop actually mess something up or forget to put something back when doing the oil change? I can't think of any other reasons why the oil message would come on so soon. I'll go back to the original shop and let them take a look at it, but if they did something wrong, they might not admit it anyways, so I just wanted to ask for advice or opinions here first for what could have caused this? I know that I should just change my own oil, but I don't have the tools and kind of hard living at an apartment complex. Thanks a lot for your help!

-Vanessa

 

It's probable that the shop didn't reset the "Oil Change Indicator System". Refer to the owner's manual for how to do it.

 

Agreed ^^

 

I also suspect the oil change indicator was not reset by the shop that did the recent oil change. If they changed the oil before the indicator was displayed, they may not have even know your Durango has such a system. The indicator needs to be reset, it doesn't automatically reset just because fresh oil is installed.

Is there a reason you plan to change the oil after 3000 miles versus using the appropriate interval per the owner's manual? For a modern vehicle, 3,000 mile oil change intervals are excessive unless you're EXTREMELY rough on your vehicle (such as constantly towing maximum loads in hilly, dusty environments). That frequent of interval is typically a waste of your time, money, and resources. If it gives you piece of mind and you don't mind the waste, fine, but if it's just because that's what you've always been told be aware you should not need to change the oil that frequently.

-Rod

 

Thanks a lot everyone for your help! That is a big relief to know that it is just simply a reset button that was causing the message. In response to why I am choosing to do it every 3,000 miles, using the standard oil, I was always told back then that it's better to use standard oil since its better to change oil more frequently instead of using synthetic and changing every 5,000 miles. The shop, Just Tires, also has me marked down on the sticker to come back in another 3,000 miles. Obviously, I trust you guys! What is recommended for these Durangos, like regular or synthetic and after every how many thousand miles should I change it? Every time I have to refer to the owner's manual, I just look up the downloadable manual online, since the sales people couldn't find the manual when I bought the car. Thanks again for everything!

-Vanessa

 

For newer vehicles such as yours, I'd run full synthetic and change it per your owners manual recommendations. Normally, wait for the oil change message to come on, but don't exceed 12 months or 10,000 miles. Of course an oil change place will want you to come back every 3000 miles. That's the way they make money, by preying on the uninformed.

 

To give you some extra help I downloaded the 2016 Dodge Durango Owner's Manual and , on page 671-672 it states the recommended oils for the 3.6L and 5.7L engines. Looks like the 3.6L calls for a SAE 0W20, which I believe is available in synthetic only. Also, make sure that the label on the bottle states that is meets FCA's Material Standard MS-6395, such as MOPAR, Pennzoil and Shell Helix. Note that I read on the internet that Mobil 1 does not show on its label that it meets MS-6395. As for the interval for changing oil, there is also a statement in the manual on page 676, which for severe driving conditions recommends changing at least every 4,000 miles. The days of 3,000 miles oil changes for the most part are gone. Just follow the owner's manual and you'll be good. In my case, I have the 5.7L engine and I only drive 6,000-8,000 miles per year; I still change the oil twice per year (fall and spring) using regular grade 5W20 because of the concern that the short trips I mostly do may result in moisture build up in the oil, so, refreshing the oil every 6-months is not that costly. I have the dealer do the oil changes during promotion times (lower cost) and it also helps validate the extended (lifetime) warranty in case of any major issues.

 

 

It won't hurt a thing. Just wait for the light to come on again.

 

Thanks! If the manual is only recommending synthetic oil and saying to change it every 10,000 miles or 12 months, since I put in non-synthetic oil, shouldn't I change it earlier than 10,000 since basic oil isn't rated to go for as long?

-Vanessa