Use a oil that has the proper rating. A decent oil filter and let the light/sensors tell you when. Tell your dealer that civil action lawsuits are popping up because of the 3000 mile oil change that is still pushed by many shops. Its a dinosaur and long extinct recommendation. I know a few commuters that travel heavy through Atlanta from one end to the other traffic twice a day going by their OLM(oil life monitors) with 200,000 plus miles and no engine issues whats so ever. They have no clue to miles. They change it when it says to. PLUS they use Quick oil change stores to do so.

 

Oil change intervals have been increased from the age of 3kmi to 5-6kmi for EPA ONLY!!!
The governement pushed for cleaner vehicles and least amount of pullution. Extending the oil is one of them.

Also, MANY think that newer oils are better than just 15yrs ago. WRONGO. Oil companies have begun to put SOOOOO many additives in the oil to the point it's actually bad for the oil. The newer oils also have far less Phosphorus/Zinc additive in them because they are mandated by EPA to obide by oil ratings. That is the main ingerdient to reduce friction and wear on moving metal objects, BUT, since it's known to clog up catalytic converters to a degree, they have reduced that amount in oils by over half in the last 15yrs!
If you buy Race oils, they are "offroad" use and have proper levels of Zinc in them to protect against wear. What I do is buy Engine Break in additive by Lucas and pour in a small amount with each oil change to bring back up the levels.

One more thing. These "Fuel Saver" oils are the worse for engine wear. They have even less zinc additive in them causing more friction on metal-metal components and have many more additives that break down the function of the oil.

So, just because your vehicle says 6kmi betwen oil changes, doesn't mean you should go 6kmi. Most oil filter companies say 3-5kmi for oil filter changes. Additives in the oil such as Mobil Extended can cause waxy build-up and hurt viscosity ratings the longer you drive. I never install anything that's "High Mileage" or "extended Intervals". Too many additives.

That is because the machining processes for bearings and engine components are much beter than 15yrs ago. If they changes oil more frequently and we had a higher PPM of Zinc back in the oil, there's no telling howlong these newer engines would actually last...500kmi???

 

WOW. You have drank some bad cool aid. Oils changed as the engine requirments changed. Vehicles in general are the longest wearing best built then ever in history. Times have changed,don;t fight it. It will be OK. Oh yeah they were telling the truth about cigarette smoking also.

 

Same here, synpower or penzoil ultra. And a mopar filter from Walmart . Easy to remember at the 5k intervals. Since new, my oil change indicater goes off at 2500 miles, regardless so I just ignore this useless feature.
Amazing how much oil ends up in the in the catch can.

 

Amsoil XL. About the same deal as Ultra. I go a minimum of 6k and now I've if I miss 6k no worry as the late models are now up to 8k. The Ultra and Syn-Power will go 8k with no issues. Hemis are easy on oil or so I've read on the Bobtheoilguy forum Usually my indicator dosen't go off until around 6k anyway.

 

What I find weird with my truck is that the change oil warning always turns on at about 4800KM. The owners manual in my truck says to change the oil/filter every 10000KM. Can this light be altered in anyway by dealers to screw up the counters and make it pop up sooner?

I've asked my dealer about it saying that the manual states 10,000KM but the light warning turns on every 5000KM. He says the truck knows when it needs changing.

 

If your using conventional dino oil you need to change it when it says to. If your using Pennzoil Ultra or Mobil1 or Amsoil XL ect. Then run it until the max the book says you can. The LIGHT cannot be adjusted or any such thing.

 

I've got the same year and model Ram with Hemi, and my oil change light has never come on--I generally change just under 10,000 km. But I drive a lot, mainly highway, and 10,000 km sometimes comes up every 2 months. If I was using conventional oil I would change a little sooner, but I use full synthetic so I'm comfortable taking it close to 10,000 km.

How you drive has a big effect on the oil change indicator. Some indicators include average mpg as part of the oil change determination. If the average mpg is low, the system "knows" you are doing more city and stop-and-go driving.

 

It takes into consideration idle time,engine temp and such. I can change driving habits and see a difference in the reminder operation. I towed 4500lb rv all over Florida and it went 6k before coming on. I can do lots of short trips here at home and its 3k or less before it flips on. Suppose to be pretty sophisticated according to what I've read.

 

I have the same one Thiggins has...ordered mine from BT. It's a quality piece. The 3rd Gens have an internal PCV so they couldn't mount a catch can. Honestly this catch can and my Retro Conversion are my favorite most worth while mods. Every time I dump my catch can, I think of how much of that oil is going back into my intake where it should NOT be...