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oil change cost

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The dealer near me (Earnhardt Dodge & Ram) has a 3 oil change deal for $119. 95. Includes MOPAR oil and fleetguard filter, which comes out to $39. 98 per change. I don't know that it is the best oil, but all of my oil samples from Blackstone Labs. come back with great readings and below average wear indications. (truck has 129,000) I have been using this oil since new, because I was getting free oil changes from Dodge up until this past Nov.
 
I just bought 20 gallons of Rotella CI-4+ for $288. That's 6 oil changes for $48 each.

I run fleetguard filters at $13 each. This gives a total cost of about $61 for an oil change.

Hey ACerf - that Mopar oil is probably Valvoline Premium Blue. Excellent oil. I'd be running it myself if they continued to offer CI-4 + spec.

-Ryan
 
one of my ford driving friends has pretty much convinced me that synthetic is a waste of money. I'm sure this has been discussed ad infinatem already though...
 
one of my ford driving friends has pretty much convinced me that synthetic is a waste of money. I'm sure this has been discussed ad infinatem already though...



Taking advice from a Furd owner?-LOL-Just kiddin. I still believe that a 100% synthetic gives much better protection in sub freezing starts and if you run them out 25K the costs are much better then 5 conventional oil changes. In the high desert here we can go from -15 to 115 degrees in a years time. Been running amsoil in all my rides and small engine equipment for 20+ years and have been very happy. The 3K oil change is a thing of the past look how many vehicles come from the factory today filled with synthetics.
 
Back in the old days (20-30 yrs. ago) when breaker point ignition systems were common, along with carburetors, it wasn't uncommon to have engines run rich and/or misfire on a regular basis, particularly during the winter when carburetor icing was common. The 3K mile oil change was a necessity. If you strayed too far from it, you had an engine full of sludge.



With today's modern engines that are always running correctly, oil dilution is much less common. Modern oils are also much better than what was available years ago, which virtually negates the old interval. IMO, most vehicles today can get by on a once per year oil change, unless they are used in a severe duty application.



One of the reasons that modern engines last so long now is that they're always running correctly, not that they are necessarily better built than their old cast-iron predecessors.
 
rscurtis

I support your line of thinking...

I'm sure we'll find if we get a chance to make the Cummins tour in June that your correct on the quality of gray iron, and the improvements in the quality of machine technology...

Like you... I remember reading a mike to 3 places past the decimal point and two guys reading the same mike would get 2 different readings. . with the current technology 4 places is now common done by machines that have very high standards...

So we have better metallurgy, better machine process which turns into better fit... plus of course much higher quality oil to handle those clearances... .

I've run my oil changes out to 7500 miles and usually trade trucks at 500K, and can say that in the past 8 or so company trucks I've owned we've never replaced a motor or had one that used a lot of oil..... On the larger Cummins and Cat motors we might go as far as 40K miles between changes... .

Just my thoughts...
 
While I still buy Delo 15-40 for my diesel equipment, I purchased a lifetime oil change agreement from a Lithia dealership when I purchased my truck at 12k miles, even though I bought it used from a private party. The truck had been bought and serviced at a Lithia dealer in Montana, but the local dealer offered me the same deal... $595 for lifetime oil changes every 3000 miles up to 4 times a year, which is just the way I drive it. I figure the first 12 oil changes cost me $50 each (that's about what oil and filter would cost) and the rest are free. Or another way to look at it is that every time the oil is changed, the cost per change goes DOWN even more. By now at 68k I have had 18 or so oil changes, so cost of each is LESS then $35. I can barely buy the oil for that price now!!!



I DO realize that they use only CJ4 oil, but I figure at 3k oil change intervals, the CI4+ versus CJ4 oil quality issue is simply moot. And even though they occasionally (depending how busy they are) use an oil monkey instead of a mechanic, they are backed by the full dealership service dept. The only time I had a problem, (overfull and smelling it in the cab) I drove right back and they took care of it and chastised the monkey. IMHO,it has been a GREAT deal and one of the smartest things I have done for my truck!!!
 
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