Scheduled Maintenance

[MRiehl]

All - Took my truck to the dealer yesterday for the 15k service. He tried to sell me a diesel injector cleaning for $129. Didn't see any reference to it in my user's manual, so, I declined.



Is this a necessary service? Or, is this just another way the dealer is trying to make some money?



Re the front an rear differential fluids, those are listed in the service manual as being recommended every 15k miles. Is it difficult to change on your own? I'm pretty mechanical, however, my issue is usually time. However, based on the price, I may make the time and do it myself next time around.



Thanks,

Mark

 

[DJennings]

Changing the diff fluid is actually very easy, but a little messy with the stock diff cover. Remove the diff cover bolts. I usually leave the top two in, but loose. Then you can pry open the bottom by hand and let the oil drain out. The gasket is reuseable on both front and rear diffs. I usually wipe out the bottom of the pumpkin just to check for metal, do a quick ring and pinion inspect, clean the cover and then reinstall with gasket.



The factor torque spec for the cover bolts is 30 ft-lbs, but most here think that is too much. The consensus is that 18-20 ft-lbs is enough.



When you refill, it takes almost 4 quarts of 75w-90 synthetic gear oil to fill the rear. Dodge recommends you fill it to 1/4" below fill hole +/- 1/4". You can use a bent pipe cleaner to measure. The front is almost 3 quarts with the same spec to measure if its full.

 

[KennethS]

When you go to dealer they pounce on you.

Now days when you go In for service all they want to do Is sell you more then you wanted like when you go In for oil change they start with tire rotation, trans oil change,tune up, change oil In rear end, front end alinement, and what else they can think of. It not like the old days. The service reps are being train to do this today. You just got to be aware of this when you go In to a dealer today. A service that does not do this won't be there very long. Money,Money that what It all about today.

 

[JCleary]

All - Took my truck to the dealer yesterday for the 15k service. He tried to sell me a diesel injector cleaning for $129. Didn't see any reference to it in my user's manual, so, I declined.



Is this a necessary service? Or, is this just another way the dealer is trying to make some money?



Re the front an rear differential fluids, those are listed in the service manual as being recommended every 15k miles. Is it difficult to change on your own? I'm pretty mechanical, however, my issue is usually time. However, based on the price, I may make the time and do it myself next time around.



Thanks,

Mark

I paid the dealer to do my 1st 15k service. Come to find out they used a topsider to change the diffs, if they even did it at all. There was undisturbed mud on the diff cover bolts, so I know they didn't pull the cover. $700 later I was on my way.



Second 15k service was done by me. I went to the local dealer and bought all the proper lubricants ($200) and got the filters from Geno's (good prices on Stratopores), and a case of Delo at Costco for $40.



I ordered front and rear PML diff covers from Mark Craig. I took a saturday morning and went to work.



Now I know the job was done right. I changed all the fluids and filters, and now have diff covers with drain and fill holes on them. The next time I do the job, each axle will take 10 minutes instead of a messy 45 minutes.



It ended up costing about the same, if not a little less than the first service. Next time I'll only be spending about $250 total. Works for me.