I hate to see whats going to happen at 30K when the dealer says 300.00 for a spark plug change lol.

Of course the maintenance schedule is trying to get you in the dealer's door for work, they try to make you think unless they do it the warranty will be void and thats not the case at all. Take reasonable care of it, keep some records and reciepts of whats done, dont abuse thing and most likely it will never have to see the dealer for anything except recalls. But if the engine explodes and they suspect abuse they will sent the oil our for analysis, but that has to be some pretty extreme abuse like running it out of oil completely or not changing it in 30K miles, it happens - I've seen it.

Dont go to the dealer if you dont want to, there is absolutely nothing that makes you take it there for routine maintenance, I know the lifetime powertrain cars/trucks had to go in at a certain mileage to have them looked at to keep it in effect but not the 100K powertrain.

 

Dunno 'bout yours, but my manual says the top plugs (under the coils) "are a standard plug and must be changed every 48,000 miles (80,000 km)."

Oil & filter will be changed every 6k miles, religously & recommended inspection points will then and there be so-inspected & tires will also be rotated. However, these items will not be done on any ridiculous 6-month intervals. However, they most likely will be done annually, as we've always driven the (old) truck more than the car, so I expect to be hitting the recommended mileage milestones at 12 mo. intervals. When (if) it goes to the dealer at the mileage milestones for specific higher-tier service, the dealer will only be looking at the mileage, not the calendar. Nobody will so much as give a chit what day it is.

By the way, on the 4.7 it's the 96,000 mile point where both sets of plugs are due.

My thoughts precisely. I have a local independent shop in whom I put full trust. My only concern is sometimes they've been a little sloppy with under-hood fluids.

 

I assumed you had a Hemi, all 16 hemi plugs need to be changed every 30-32,000 miles according to the manual. Local dealer here kind of laughs at that and recommends 50-60K miles. Either way if that isnt a cash cow for the dealer nothing is..

A lot of dealers just have a 'fast lube' or 'oil change tech' doing the cheap oil changes, so they may or may not be as sloppy as your local guy. I worked for Ford Warranty for 20 years and I have seen my share of oil filters and drain plugs falling off and engines started and ran with no oil in them by dealers. Whather its a seasoned tech or an oil change kid, its not their car or truck.

I still do my own oil changes and inspect everything, even though its cheaper to have the dealer do it these days. But I'm kind of OCD and I always climb under and check their work so I may as well just do the whole thing while I still can

 

Actually, most people are on a fixed income if they're on salary!

Well, I'm in that fixed income category (retired), but I also understand the mechanics of motor vehicles. The time interval associated with maintenance items on cars and trucks is a universal recommendedation and it is not just done to skewer you out of your income. As already ponted out by others, some fluids are vulnerable to contamination, most serious among them is moisture. Synthetic fluids are not immune to this. Any fluid that gets heated and cooled repeatedly is going to absorb moisture. Engine oils are the most prone to this, especially in high humidity or moisture conditions.

Based on your description of your driving cycles, you probably are not in any great jeopardy by ignoring the time interval. But keep in mind that the manufacturer has no idea of how a person is going to use the vehicle, hence they are going to err on the conservative side because they are, after all, the one's who'll need to pay for a repair if a customer does not maintain the vehicle correctly.

You seem to have some animosity towards your dealer or dealers in general. Please be advised that it is not the dealer who has established the maintenance schedules, and regardless of the up-charges, even independent auto repair shops have the same overhead costs. You just may not see them listed out. In my area the average hourly rate is $85 and it so happens that most dealers and independents are pretty much close to that.

If the cost is of primary concern there might be some quick oil change services in your area. Most around here (Quick Lube, etc.) usually get $19.95+tax for cars using up to five quarts and a filter. Your Ram is going to be more because they hold seven quarts (4.7 & 5.7s). In my experience they usually try to up-sell on services, too.

My dealer gets $29.95 and that gets Havoline oil (factory fill) and includes a Mopar oil filter and I'm out in 30 minutes.

I usually do my own oil changes and use synthetic oil. However, on a day like today where the temperature is 18 F and blowing snow, I will gladly pay the $31.00 for an oil change! Personnally I think $31.00 twice a year, or for that matter four times a year, is pretty cheap for proper maintenance and the comensurate peace of mind.

Best regards,
Dusty
2010 Ram Big Horn 1500 Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 545RFE, 3.92 LSD, dual exhaust, 20” wheels

 

Thanks Dusty.

I think it's probably fair to say that all of us at one time or another has been "taken for a ride" by a dealer, making us ever mindful that the dealership usually places their own best interests ahead of the customer's.

The up-charge for shop supplies only grindles me because it's become a separately itemized cost. I would rather see them fold that cost into their labor or parts cost like they do with their building rent, utilities, salaries & etc. To break it out as a separate line item I feel is a deliberate gouge, even though the result is net:net.

Similarly, I do not appreciate being interrupted by the ubiquitous mid-moring call to advise me that I should have my "muffler bearings" replaced or some other bulls*** service performed. They don't do it on warranty work, so stop doing it on out-of-warranty work. While I appreciate knowing that there's really & truly something else wrong, or about to go wrong, I do not appreciate the "sales pressure" to agree to unnecessary services. Dealerships have dug their own hole & done this to themselves. Many vehicle owners stop using the dealership once their vehicle is out of warranty & this is one of the several reasons why. Putting the Service Writers on commission might be good for receivables, but is a horrible disservice to the customer.

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I understand your feelings.

My Dodge dealer has yet to charge for incremental secondary service costs and I'm sensing that it hasn't become too popular around here. Yet. The independent person I deal with on my daughter and son's cars (Hyundai & Nissan) hasn't done it yet, either.

These are not particularly good times and as overhead costs and taxes rise I cannot say I'd be surprised to see more of this happen. As it is now, many tire dealers have been listing the New York State charge for tire disposal as a line item and the same was done for battery disposal years ago until the state legislature required all battery sellers to take the old ones back.

Dealers are at a price disadvantage when it comes to service operations. They must pay for mandatory and optional technician training, maintain an inventory of up-to-date and obligatory special shop tools, and use and sell factory parts. Most independents have the ability to use non-OEM repair parts that are made offshore. Many don't require or pay for additional training, and some, like the independent guy I deal with doesn't provide health care coverage for his workers.

I'm sympathetic to your feelings about service writers if they are trying to pressure you in to services you don't really need. My current dealer has yet to do that with me. I see nothing wrong with informing a customer of a recommended service that's due, or advising me of a mechanical situation that could be of concern. I would expect that. I guess in some dealerships the service writer is on commission, others are not. My worst experiences have come from the national muffler and tire stores. In one case a lady friend of mine was charged $120 a piece for outer tie-rods, plus $22.50 labor for each one, then the price of a front-end alignment on a 2002 Sebring. The tie-rods were aftermarket to boot. The factory tie-rods were $68.00 list!

I think you're going to see car manufacturers carry a line of imported replacement parts in the future that will be outsourced from offshore to allow them to compete with the Chinese stuff.

Best regards,
Dusty
2010 Ram Big Horn 1500 Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 545RFE, 3.92 LSD, dual exhaust, 20” wheels