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Oil Change Owners Manual vs. PCM.

3K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  Asur 
#1 ·
I don't know if anyone else has come across this or not, but the owners manual says the first oil change should happen after 6 months or 8,000 miles.

I found out that almost all 2012 Rams are delivered with conventional oil in them and not synthetic.

I just wanted to make other 2012 owners aware of this and the first oil change should happen between 3,000 and 4,000 miles. :wavey:

Over all I am still very very happy with this truck. :smileup:
 
#4 ·
If the manual says 8,000 then it's good for 8,000 miles. Personally, I'd change it for the first time around 1,000 miles then do it on every 5,000 mile mark after that, but everyone has their own way of doing things and they're reasons(or at least the reasons they believe) for doing things...
 
#12 ·
If the manual says 8,000 then it's good for 8,000 miles. Personally, I'd change it for the first time around 1,000 miles then do it on every 5,000 mile mark after that, but everyone has their own way of doing things and they're reasons(or at least the reasons they believe) for doing things...
Your schedule sounds better than the manuals. I will be going my oil changes soon than later as well. :wavey:
 
#6 ·
My oil change light just came on for the first time at 12,000kms. I changed it at 3k and again just under 10k. I was (and still am) a die hard 5,000km dinoco oil change guy. I am using synthetic for the first time ever in a vehicle and I'm leaning towards every 10,000km. I don't really feel comfortable with that so it may change.
 
#7 ·
The main reason that I do it at 5k mile intervals is because it's easy to remember lol. I get amsoil synthetic really cheap so it's not a cost burden on me. So I use synthetic amsoil every 5k, it is overkill, yeah, but each oil change only costs me like ~$30(includes a WIX filter). I do a few oil changes a year, no big deal, takes 15 minutes and I'd rather be safe and waste $50/year. I plan on keeping my truck pretty much forever so want it to last.
 
#8 ·
Did mine at 3k klm, truck sat 3 months before I bought it, hit 3k after I bought it 3 months later, so 6 months. Changed oil to Full synthetic, will do my next change in 6000 klm so at 9000 klm, same here as snrusnak, will be keeping this one like my last one. Last one was 12 years old going on 13 and I sold it, still on the road now.
 
#13 ·
I don't know about the whole better oil and better engines theory to why the oil lasts longer. I was recently on a NAPA training course and the man putting it on claims its just for the companies to say their vehicles have a lower cost of ownership and also it lowers the carbon credits they use.

I drained the oil out of my 2012 with 500km on it and replaced it with synthetic and I plan to change it every 6000 kms or so. I know at the garage I work at we have a couple customers coming in with newer GM's with the oil life monitor and they are going over 12000kms between changes. One of which has 48000km on it and it lowered 2L since the last change and he still wants to go by the monitor.

This system is the reason I went with a brand new truck. I could be wrong but I don't think an oil change is that expensive compared to replacing an engine.
 
#15 ·
I don't know about the whole better oil and better engines theory to why the oil lasts longer. I was recently on a NAPA training course and the man putting it on claims its just for the companies to say their vehicles have a lower cost of ownership and also it lowers the carbon credits they use.
That's what I've suspected all along. Thanks for bringing that up.

As for following the oil changes to a T no dealer could win an argument that the oil was changed too often.
 
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