2 Years Without Changing Oil?
95 that passes smog only gets driven 50 miles a month. The trips and environment warm up the oil on the dipstick beyond 120°F
Forum Discussion
I bought my 2018 Ram diesel in the Summer of 2018. I took a 4 month RV trip and drove 13,500 miles. I start up the RV about once a month and make sure it warms up thoroughly before shutting it off. After of year I had added about 500 miles for a total of 14,000 miles. The oil changes are supposed to be at 15,000 so I took it in for an oil change and they also changed the fuel filters. The dealer charges were just over $700!!!!!
A year later I still have not gone anywhere significant due to Covid. I am still just short of 15,000 miles. To preserve the warranty I decided to change the oil myself. The oil and drain pan cost me about $75 (Rotella T6). The filters are poorly located and seemed difficult to replace so I have not done them.
DEF was the other issue. I made a mistake and my DEF tank was full so after 18 months I decided I needed to exchange the DEF. Sadly there is no drain plug but I was able to disconnect the fill line and after an hour or so of tinkering I was able to siphon out virtually all of the old DEF.
I spent a lot of time with online research on this issue. If the warranty had not been a consideration I would not have even bothered with the oil change. Based on mileage and test results, 15,000 miles is very conservative. When condensation is not an issue, oil does not age at least over the period of a couple of years or so. Since I have been thoroughly warming up the engine that is not a concern either. I even wonder about water in the oil for short trips. How does water enter the system?
A year later I still have not gone anywhere significant due to Covid. I am still just short of 15,000 miles. To preserve the warranty I decided to change the oil myself. The oil and drain pan cost me about $75 (Rotella T6). The filters are poorly located and seemed difficult to replace so I have not done them.
DEF was the other issue. I made a mistake and my DEF tank was full so after 18 months I decided I needed to exchange the DEF. Sadly there is no drain plug but I was able to disconnect the fill line and after an hour or so of tinkering I was able to siphon out virtually all of the old DEF.
I spent a lot of time with online research on this issue. If the warranty had not been a consideration I would not have even bothered with the oil change. Based on mileage and test results, 15,000 miles is very conservative. When condensation is not an issue, oil does not age at least over the period of a couple of years or so. Since I have been thoroughly warming up the engine that is not a concern either. I even wonder about water in the oil for short trips. How does water enter the system?
