Do I Really Need to Change my Oil?

I have a 2012 Ram, 4.7L, 20k miles.

I have driven 350 miles since my last oil change, 6 months ago.

I have changed the oil and filter every 6 months since new. I don’t use synthetic.

Will I void my lifetime drive train warranty if I wait a few more miles?

What does the warranty say on oil changes. If it says to then you had better do so.

You do not need to! Oil does not go bad in six months. But as stated, if you have a warranty they may void it if you don't meet their respective limits, 6mo 3000 miles.

When you put the 350 miles on it do you get it up to operating temperatures?

I drive very sparingly in the winter. When I do drive it, it normally gets up to temp.

While searching the internet, I ran across a discussion about 5 year inspections to maintain the lifetime warranty (on a 2009 Ram, I think). I have never heard of this.

There is nothing in my manual about the lifetime warranty.

Do I even have a warranty anymore?

I'm in the same position with one of my vehicles. It didn't get an oil change last year but because of the pandemic it was probably only driven a couple hundred miles since it's previous oil change anyway.

Look at what came with the truck for the warranty.

I don't know how that Chrysler lifetime warranty worked but for most of them they won't cover a repair that exceeds the value of the vehicle so at that age you might not have to worry anyway.

My thought is that you never had a lifetime warranty on the mechanical parts. If you bought your truck new they would have told you, or tried to get you to by am extended warranty, typically it 5 years 50,000 miles which ever comes first, for manufacture warranty.

Stay with your plan to change the oil filter, every six months, and wait on the oil change.

You were the one that said you had a lifetime warranty. What paper work did you get when you bought it new? You should have the warranty guide with your owners manual. My 2015 Power Wagon had a 5 year 100,000 mile power train. I purchased a unlimited mileage lifetime extended warranty/service contract. I have paper work on both. So if you did not buy an extended lifetime warranty , your warranty most likely expired 5 years from the in service date. So basically you are on your own now. In my opinion keep doing what you have every 6 months change it.

It appears I am mistaken.

I remember talk about the lifetime powertrain warranty coming standard when I bought my truck. While discussing forgoing the extra cost warranty with the salesman and advertising at the time.

I have nothing in writing so I guess I really don't have any warranty anymore.

Your dealer can run your VIN and tell you for sure whats on it for warranty.

You can look on the original buyers order or any other purchase documents to see whats noted.

It is strange after 9 years to realize that I imagined it all.

It looks like my truck came with a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

I think I will go to a yearly, about 2000 miles, oil and filter change schedule.

Even with non-synthetic oil, that should be plenty, right?

I think I will change the schedule on my 60k mile 2014 V6 Chrysler 300 to yearly as well. That will about every 4000 miles.

Personally I would still go twice a year Oil and filter..

Chrysler did have a lifetime powertrain warranty for a short time. I don't recall the specifics of it but it did require a periodic inspection. Have a dealer run your VIN and see what you have.

Warranty’s are a scam, you have to do the dealer ‘servicing’ some are thousands of dollars a year just to keep your warranty. My 15 SRT Challenger just ran out of years (extended) (it has 21,000 miles) they wanted $3100 to extend another 3 years. Nope wont do that, I’m putting $200 into an account each month, $2400 after the first year, 2 years ($4800) should cover any major problems. If I don’t use the cash it’s still mine not out the window to them.! BTW my oil had to be changed every 12 months (which I don’t, it’s at 5000 miles) never heard of 6.

No. This has been beat to death on here and elsewhere.

I have trailer queens with oil 15, 18 years old and maybe 500 miles on them. Oil is still clean, I'm not changing them any time soon. No issues. I have beaters that maybe get an oil change every 20,000 miles, and for whatever reasons: zero issues.

It's been in the ground for millions of years, it can be in your oil pan for a million more if it's not getting used. Oil does not "break down".

You can believe the Snake Oil commercials all you like, but I'm sure not going to dump perfectly good (and expensive) oil on my neighbors' lawn.

Well, to a point. Oil does pick up contaminants as time and miles roll on, especially with vehicles that only see short trips and often don't reach operating temps for long enough periods of time to burn off the contaminants. If your vehicle runs for 30 minutes after it reaches operating temp, the oil will last a long time. If it only runs 10 minutes at a time and gets shut off for hours afterwards, the oil picks up a lot of junk the can damage your engine, you need to change the oil and the oil filter.
Also, the oil itself does not break down, but the additives in the oil can. As the additives in the oil break down, it can cause engine wear, how much additional wear may be subject to question. Will there be enough wear to cause an engine failure? Don't know. Most engines are designed to run a lot of miles, but some don't last nearly as long as others of the same design, why is that? Gene

If you are really going to lose sleep over oil with a few hundred miles on it, pull an oil sample and then fill up a new filter and spin it on. Send the sample out and follow their recommendations for change intervals. They monitor acidity and moisture levels as well as fuel dilution etc. The make up oil you add/fill the new filter with will more than keep your additive package current.

Kevin

I’m interested in seeing what ‘junk’ gets in these sealed up engines of today.

The junk comes from the burnt fuel and a small amount from the environment. While engines are better sealed today they still have fresh air intakes for both combustion and crankcase ventilation.