"Change Engine Oil" Indicator Question on my 1/2 Ton

[jgillott]

We have a 2010 Ram 1500 4.7L V8 that was purchased new. It currently has 61k on it and I have done every oil change myself up until this point. From the time we bought it, the oil change indicator would come on at ~5500 miles. Recently, I have had the truck back to the dealer twice. Once was for an oil change through the dealer Quick Lane in early January I believe (someone gave me an oil change coupon for Christmas). And it was back this week for a recall service on the rear axle.

This morning when I started the truck, the Change Engine Oil indicator came on. Exactly 2500 miles since the change in January. There has been nothing different in my driving habits this month than ever before. My question for you all is, why did I get the change light so soon on this change? Is it possible for the dealer to have reflashed the truck or changed the perameters of the indicator while it was in for service or at the Quick Lane stop?

 

[JR]

I am not sure how your truck works, but on our Mercury you can program the oil reset light to come on at different intervals. For example, 100% oil life is equivalent to approximately 7500 miles (manufacturers recommended intervals). Say I want to run shorter intervals, I could decrease the oil life to 75% and my oil change light would come on at approximately 5600 miles. If your truck is set up similar, I wonder if the oil service interval was somehow changed? Maybe one of the oil monkeys accidentally changed the parameters when he was trying to reset the oil service light?

 

[moparguy]

jgillott, thanks for asking the question. The '11 Longhorn in my sig has started coming on at around 4500 miles and not the 7 to 7,500 miles for the several changes I performed before a shop oil change. Story is, like you I do all my own service work including oil changes. Since the first change the change oil message would come on in the 7,000 mile window above. Then while in North Dakota earlier last winter with negative temps for the high, I took the truck to the only local oil change station in town (Watford City ND, Cenex). When I picked it up I noticed the little sticker in corner of the windshield with the next scheduled oil change at 4500 miles. Well, son-of-a-gun, the oil change message came up about 4500 miles later. Since my driving includes a lot of highway miles (easy on oil), I've ignored the change message and am sticking to a 7k change.

Adding to my suspicion that the oil change parameters were altered,,, Watford used to have a Dodge dealership that recently closed and I'm told some of the shop guys at the Cenex used to work for the Dealer, giving them inside knowledge about newer Dodge/Ram trucks.

I could just be paranoid, looking forward to input from others though.