08 Grand Caravan - Engine: 3.3 Ltr V6 - Flex Fuel.

Not getting the kilometers btwn oil chages as advertised. The manual states 10000 km btwn oil changes, got the 1st warning at 4600 km that the dealer changed for free and now its back again at 8000 Km.

Dealer say it seem to be wide spread back in Mar and Apr 08 and it was due to the break in Oil and our driving habits.
Driving habits my ___. 30 to 40km a day with a 50/50 hi-way / city split.

Anyone else having issues?

Think Dodge blew it with this engine design. Will be unloading this Van soon and wish we kept our 05 Caravan.

 

Our service manual is writen as 6,000 miles or 10,000km , But there was more information than just miles. Does your van have a EVIC or the indictor on the cluster? If you have a EVIC you canprogram the miles between changes, but ifit lites up on the cluster, the PCM is in control. Look in your owners manual under sever use, Because chrysler list sever as stop and go driving as well as off road too. The PCM will adjust the mileage to turn the oil service lite on the cluster. So if you do a lot driving, you could do your oil changes more offen. 3,000 or 5,000km.

 

Are you having any other issues with this van? Like 'master tech' states above, it might just be driving habits.I know the stop-&-go driving in Toronto could be a factor as well. I spend just as much timestopping as driving when we go up there.

 

Bought new 2008, changed oil at 2600 miles before taking long trip. Oill Change message came on at 5600, changed oil at 5800, and message is still blinking at me when I start van, then goes off. Each time I start the van it comes on. How do I turn off or reset that message? Was my repair shop supposed to reset?

 

The change oil indicator gives an indication to the vehicle operator when a duty-cycle algorithm contained within the software of the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) (also known as the Engine Control Module/ECM) determines that a recommended oil change interval has been attained. This indicator is controlled by the instrument cluster logic circuit based upon cluster programming and electronic messages received over the Controller Area Network (CAN) data bus from the PCM

The PCM continually monitors numerous sensor inputs to determine the duty-cycles to which the engine is being subjected. A pre-programmed algorithm within the PCM then determines when to send the proper lamp-ON or lamp-OFF message to the ElectroMechanical Instrument Cluster (EMIC) (also known as the Cab Compartment Node/CCN).


Change Oil Indicator Lamp-On Message - Each time the ignition switch is turned to the ON position and the cluster receives an electronic change oil indicator lamp-ON message from the PCM indicating that a duty-cycle based recommended oil change interval has been attained, the change oil indicator will be illuminated for about three seconds, until the trip odometer reset switch button or an EVIC steering wheel switch button is depressed, or until the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position, whichever occurs first.


Change Oil Indicator Reset Procedure - Once an engine oil change has been completed, the PCM duty cycle counters can be reset using the following procedure. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position, but DO NOT start the engine. Slowly depress and release the accelerator pedal fully three times within ten seconds. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position. If the change oil indicator illuminates the next time the engine is started, repeat this procedure.

In layman's terms. The van learns how you drive, and decides when it is time for an oil change. It has nothing to do with a poor design of the engine. This is a very reliable engine. BTW, there is no such thing as break in oil anymore.

 

The poor design is that the engine requires an oil change too frequently AND that the owner's manual lies about it. My wife's 08 SXT has already "requested" 2 oil changes in the first 5600 miles - this is much too early if the interval is supposed to be 6000 mile for the first one.

Along with a poor design for the windshield defroster (see my thread on 2008 Gr Caravan Defroster), and poor body panel assembly ("fixed" by replacing the wrap-around rear bumper panel and separating immediately thereafter), are the reasons we'll never touch a Dodge again.

We were generally satisfied with our '96 Gr. Caravan but this is a real disappointment.

 

I'm curious, how often did you guys change oil on your 96 & 05 vans?
10K oil changes is under ideal conditions, Below freezing temps, stop and go traffic, idling to warm up is not ideal.

 

If the oil reminder lite brothers that much, just reset it until you are ready to change the oil.

 

Looks like Dave and Not_Happy are complainers and should have done their research a little better. Quit whining for being ignorant.

 

I also have a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan with the 3.3L engine. Most people say the 3.3L engine with cast-iron block, aluminum heads, and pushrods is conservatively designed and will last 200K miles with reasonable care. A taxi service owner told me he looks for this engine as the most reliable for Caravans. Meanwhile, my oil change light does seem to be too aggressive. It requests oil changes at a little over 3,000 miles in colder weather, about two months for me, despite daily driving on highways. That's much faster than my GM cars request the change. I just reset the thing and proceed with my own schedule, which is about 6,000 miles for this vehicle. Lots of idling, trailer towing, racing (in a Caravan?), very dusty conditions and I would change at 3,000 or less. But this engine will readily go 6,000 miles between changes over a four month period in daily driving. More is throwing money away and wasting oil.