Got My First Oil Change Yesterday at the Dealership

[C M McCormick]

Morning All, I took my truck in yesterday for my first oil change at the Dealership. This is my 4th Cummins and the first that I have the Dealership to change the oil in. I have changed the oil myself in all my other ones. The cost was 97.81. How did I do??

Craig

 

[lpennock]

I think you did ok. 3 gallon of Rotella T4 is about $40 and a filter is $10-15 so around $55 in parts so you only paid about $40 in labor. My dealer charges $225/hr so sounds like a very fair labor cost.

 

[NIsaacs]

You did good if they didn't strip your drain plug

 

[Topzide]

I think you did very good. When you consider O/F is $10 - $15 and 3 gals of oil, very fair pricing. I'm assuming this was selling dealer? I know when I change my oil and fuel filters cost me around $125 plus oil. I wouldn't mind that price. Enjoy those Trucks!

 

[Jim W]

That is a very good price for your oil change.
I paid $97.21 for my first and only oil change at the selling dealer in 2007.

 

[mfurrh55]

Depends on what kind of oil they used, and if they know the difference in oil used for diesels from gas engines, just saying! I went to dealership and bought a throwout bearing for my 01 cummins and lo and behold...sold me one for Gas 5.9

 

[gsbrockman]

Morning All, I took my truck in yesterday for my first oil change at the Dealership. This is my 4th Cummins and the first that I have the Dealership to change the oil in. I have changed the oil myself in all my other ones. The cost was 97.81. How did I do??

Craig

Was this the FIRST oil change at the dealership OR the FIRST oil change for the truck?

 

[Rob S]

Morning All, I took my truck in yesterday for my first oil change at the Dealership. This is my 4th Cummins and the first that I have the Dealership to change the oil in. I have changed the oil myself in all my other ones. The cost was 97.81. How did I do??

Craig

Sure Fair! Great deal IMHO.

 

[C M McCormick]

Was this the FIRST oil change at the dealership OR the FIRST oil change for the truck?

It was the second for the truck. The first one was before I picked it up. The truck at that time was over a year old and I requested that the oil to be changed. Yesterday was my first change that i paid for.

Craig

 

[Cummins12V98]

Is it nice and clean underneath? Personally would not want to use the cellulose filter.

 

[C M McCormick]

Is it nice and clean underneath? Personally would not want to use the cellulose filter.

So far it is. Don't drive it in the winter when its wet out. As for the cellulose filter are we talking oil or fuel filter. On all my other Cummins I ran the fleetguard stratapore oil filter and fleetgard fuel filters.

Craig

 

[AH64ID]

Price is ok for someone else doing the labor... OE filters aren't great IMO and that alone is enough reason for me not to have the dealership change the oil.

A couple examples... not pushing the oil, rather showing the cost comparison to more expensive oils.

For about $5 more I can get you basic Amsoil 15w-40 and an EaO80 filter, but you get to change the oil yourself. This oil needs changed IAW the manual, which is 6 months or 15K miles.

For about $40 more you can get top tier Amsoil and the filter, and if so inclined only change it once a year vs every 6 months.

So at the end of the day it's all about your goals. An easy oil change that meets the minimum spec for warranty, or a harder oil change with better oil/filters. Or somewhere in the middle which would be to supply your own filter and still have them change it. With modern oils the gain in good synthetics isn't what it used to be, but there is still a lot of room for improvement over OEM oil filters.

 

[C M McCormick]

Price is ok for someone else doing the labor... OE filters aren't great IMO and that alone is enough reason for me not to have the dealership change the oil.

A couple examples... not pushing the oil, rather showing the cost comparison to more expensive oils.

For about $5 more I can get you basic Amsoil 15w-40 and an EaO80 filter, but you get to change the oil yourself. This oil needs changed IAW the manual, which is 6 months or 15K miles.

For about $40 more you can get top tier Amsoil and the filter, and if so inclined only change it once a year vs every 6 months.

So at the end of the day it's all about your goals. An easy oil change that meets the minimum spec for warranty, or a harder oil change with better oil/filters. Or somewhere in the middle which would be to supply your own filter and still have them change it. With modern oils the gain in good synthetics isn't what it used to be, but there is still a lot of room for improvement over OEM oil filters.

I understand that. Just feeling my dealership out. I took my truck in with 7,250 miles on it. The sticker they put on the upper left windshield shows they want to see the truck at 12,250 miles. That doesn't according to them mean the oil will need changed at that time. I'm just making a paper trial for I don't know if all dealerships are this way but I have a lifetime power train warranty. That is after all the factory warranties run out. And no I did not buy any extended warranties.

Craig

 

[AH64ID]

I understand that. Just feeling my dealership out. I took my truck in with 7,250 miles on it. The sticker they put on the upper left windshield shows they want to see the truck at 12,250 miles. That doesn't according to them mean the oil will need changed at that time. I'm just making a paper trial for I don't know if all dealerships are this way but I have a lifetime power train warranty. That is after all the factory warranties run out. And no I did not buy any extended warranties.

Craig

My dad has a lifetime powertrain warranty on his 2017 so he has to have the paper trail as well.

He supplies the oil/filter and pays them to change it. He uses the basic Amsoil 15w-40 I referenced above, and the Donaldson BDL7349 filter.

 

[Cummins12V98]

So far it is. Don't drive it in the winter when its wet out. As for the cellulose filter are we talking oil or fuel filter. On all my other Cummins I ran the fleetguard stratapore oil filter and fleetgard fuel filters.

Craig

The MOPAR oil filter is FleetGuard But it’s a Cellulose filter.

 

[SnoKing]

The MOPAR oil filter is FleetGuard But it’s a Cellulose filter.

What Ron says. RAM cheap's out on oil filters.

 

[Wiredawg]

My wife's 2019 Ram 1500 is the first vehicle that I have dealership do all the maintenance and fluid changes. I'm still doing 5500, Jeep Wrangler, and thanks to ease of access, will do the new MH, although complete oil, fuel filter change is $435 at International. With tilt hood, oil and fuel filter changes look pretty easy.

I just spent last two weeks down with my back and found out last week need surgery on my left foot, that I put off until Fall, so choice on possibly not doing my own maintenance is becoming a real consideration.

Just to show you the perception of value, a friend of mine retired USAF. is a real cowboy who owns about 30 head of cows has his Cummins Ram changed at local garage with Fram oil filters plain dino oil. He really works his truck. I told him about Fram and he told me thanks, he just fine having this done. His 98 is still chugging along, with dip stains on the door.

Anyhoo, best of luck figuring whether you do this maintenance or have done.

Cheers, Ron

 

[C M McCormick]

My wife's 2019 Ram 1500 is the first vehicle that I have dealership do all the maintenance and fluid changes. I'm still doing 5500, Jeep Wrangler, and thanks to ease of access, will do the new MH, although complete oil, fuel filter change is $435 at International. With tilt hood, oil and fuel filter changes look pretty easy.

I just spent last two weeks down with my back and found out last week need surgery on my left foot, that I put off until Fall, so choice on possibly not doing my own maintenance is becoming a real consideration.

Just to show you the perception of value, a friend of mine retired USAF. is a real cowboy who owns about 30 head of cows has his Cummins Ram changed at local garage with Fram oil filters plain dino oil. He really works his truck. I told him about Fram and he told me thanks, he just fine having this done. His 98 is still chugging along, with dip stains on the door.

Anyhoo, best of luck figuring whether you do this maintenance or have done.

Cheers, Ron

Sorry to hear about your back and foot Ron.

 

[C M McCormick]

The MOPAR oil filter is FleetGuard But it’s a Cellulose filter.

On my next appointment I will bring a Fleetguard stratapore oil filter and will see how that goes. That is what I've used in my other three Cummins. That and Rotella T 15-40. And if anyone has towed over I-68 starting at Morgantown WV to I-70 at Hancock MD you do some serious pulling. But I was doing my own oil and filters change @ every 100hrs or 5,000 miles what ever came first. (I was changing once a year) Now with the every 15,000 or every six month deal, my truck normally sits in the garage Nov-Mar. I drive it some in the winter to keep things lubed etc.. With that being said will we see what the dealership service department does.

 

[Tuesdak]

Cummins Ram changed at local garage with Fram oil filters plain dino oil

My condolences to him as FRAM has been bought out yet again. They flat don't care about anyone reporting a defect in their top of the line products and appear to be a real PIA when their garbage takes out an engine. FRAM built garbage is difficult to avoid as they make/warranty a lot of relabeled filters like Bosch, Champ labs, etc.

At least the MOPAR filter isn't a FRAM (or tear-o-later) and if it fails is FCA's warranty problem. Anymore the oil filter is more important than the oil esp. with the miles our engines are capable of.

As a side note my UOA is indicating a 6 month oil change is appropriate even at low miles. Short trip and idle time even with the 1200RPM high idle turned on isn't helping.

I made the selling dealer throw in an oil change and got the first one free... So two free oil changes. The dealer fuel filter change on the 2nd oil change was around $400 so they didn't loose money on it.