How often should I replace Oil Filter?

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Hey Everyone,

My car's manual ('18 Dodge Charger Scat Pack - 6.4L) says to replace the oil every 6 months or 6,000 miles whichever comes first. I drive about 6k miles a year now so I was inclined to just say change it once a year. After some other people convinced me otherwise (mainly for warranty claims) I was wondering if I could get away with changing the oil filter only after the mileage mark and not the 6 month mark, even though I would change the oil every 6 months. I have a Fumoto valve so it's very easy to change the oil but that doesn't do anything to help with the filter mess.

Thoughts? Right now I have the OEM Mopar filter installed, I have gone between that and the Royal Purple filter for my car (the RP filter did seem more heavy duty but is also 3 times the cost...)

EDIT: My car is garage kept and I live in Florida now. I use Pennzoil Platinum Synthetic (Euro Spec) 0W-40

Thanks!
 
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Under warranty, my advice would be to change the filter according to OM recommendation. That said, if you follow the plan listed you would assume the risk if something happens to the engine. Unlikely, but you need to be informed of the risk. Filter would in all likelihood be good for the year fci and outside of warranty I'd say go for it.
 
Originally Posted By: Sayjac
Under warranty, my advice would be to change the filter according to OM recommendation. That said, if you follow the plan listed you would assume the risk if something happens to the engine. Unlikely, but you need to be informed of the risk. Filter would in all likelihood be good for the year fci and outside of warranty I'd say go for it.


Sound advise
 
Thanks.

I don't understand how they can prove anything by receipts. I buy oil in bulk so the receipts don't match my changes anyways. I don't expect the engine to fail but freak accidents always happen. The car has 1900 miles on it now, I did the initial change at 1,100 miles.

My car takes 7 quarts of oil so I, like most people buy two 5 quart jugs - or actually since it goes on sale I buy 20 quarts at a time usually. Is dodge going to tell me that I can't buy my oil in advance? It is of course about the hassle of doing the change (I don't trust the quick change places or the dealers to do it right, on one of my older Chargers the dealer filled it a quart short of what it needed to be, that was the last time I took any of my cars to a dealer or mechanic for an oil change). But aside from the hassle, it also seems extremely wasteful to me to throw away a filter (and synthetic oil) after 2,500 miles...
 
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Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Your little oil monitor will rat you out if you change your filter or not.


It's that smart?
 
Follow the book. If your 6K per year intervals include mostly short trips, the 6 month interval might not be such a bad thing.
Enjoy your new car.
 
The thing is to write the date and mileage of each change in the back of your owners manual and sign/initial each time until the warranty is up. If you buy oil in bulk, just save one bunch of receipts and fold that up in the back too. Then if anything happens, you show you followed the warranty requirements.

That sort of documentation will hold up in court seeing as they have nothing to prove otherwise.

Always re-set your OLM
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Now, after warranty - going by the extensive studies done by Cali Fleet Admin (who are responsible for 10's of thousands of vehicles), the most cost effective is to change the filter every other time. So that would be annual changes for you and biennial filter changes
smile.gif
 
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Really? You pay 30K for a new car, and you can't justify an extra 6 bucks a year? I don't blame you though. I would stick with the manufacturers recommendations until the warranty is up, and then possibly switch over to once a year changes with a high quality synthetic filter (RP, Fram Ultra, Wix XP, etc). I'm not familiar with the Dodge 6.4 though. It may be harder on oil (DI?). You also need to consider how you are driving. Using a good quality synthetic and good filter should last a year in most situations. IMO, buying your oil and filters in advance doesn't have any effect on your warranty. After all, the dealers don't buy the filters and oil the day you come in for a change. They use what they have in stock. Virgin oil and filters last a loooong time.
 
Originally Posted By: SnowmanCO
Really? You pay 30K for a new car, and you can't justify an extra 6 bucks a year? I don't blame you though. I would stick with the manufacturers recommendations until the warranty is up, and then possibly switch over to once a year changes with a high quality synthetic filter (RP, Fram Ultra, Wix XP, etc). I'm not familiar with the Dodge 6.4 though. It may be harder on oil (DI?). You also need to consider how you are driving. Using a good quality synthetic and good filter should last a year in most situations. IMO, buying your oil and filters in advance doesn't have any effect on your warranty. After all, the dealers don't buy the filters and oil the day you come in for a change. They use what they have in stock. Virgin oil and filters last a loooong time.


I paid a lot more than 30k for my Charger
frown.gif


It's not about the money, really it's about the mess/hassle. My car is too low to get up on the ramps so I have to put boards our to reduce the departure angle and I'm still worried about them sliding out from the wheels when driving up on them. Also I just hate the mess of removing the filter (and the waste). It's not about not wanting to spend the $6 on the filter.

I wasn't talking about the oil expiring but the carmaker says to keep receipts to document oil changes, if I buy my oil once a year how does that prove I changed the oil every 6 months? That's all I'm saying.

I don't have a problem changing the oil every six months. It is a performance car and I do drive it like it's meant to be driven but I can't imagine the filter is shot after 2,500 miles.
 
Originally Posted By: Vanquished
....I don't have a problem changing the oil every six months. It is a performance car and I do drive it like it's meant to be driven but I can't imagine the filter is shot after 2,500 miles.

I agree, I too doubt the OF is shot after 2500 miles. That goes for the OEM or a full synthetic filter like RP or Fram Ultra. However I'd have been remiss with an answer to not point out the warranty consideration, no matter how small. Being fully informed if you choose to go with the one year fci, your vehicle, your call. As far as engine life, I don't believe it will make any difference. But I'm not assuming any risk, you are.
 
How much did you pay for the car vs. how much are you going to save by not changing the filter at each oil change .

I can not imagine leaving a filter full of dirty oil to mix with the new oil .

I am very cheap , but not that cheap . Oil / filter change is cheap insurance .
 
He could of course lie by re-setting the OLM
at the 6 months and change oil with a top quality
synthetic yearly.
The oil won't go bad in 6 months or even 12.

My 2¢
 
Originally Posted By: WyrTwister
How much did you pay for the car vs. how much are you going to save by not changing the filter at each oil change .

I can not imagine leaving a filter full of dirty oil to mix with the new oil .

I am very cheap , but not that cheap . Oil / filter change is cheap insurance .


It's not about the money... And I use good quality oil and everytime I've changed my oil on my cars it has always still been transparent and golden in color... My car takes 7 quarts of oil, a tiny bit of used oil in the filter isn't going to affect much.

Originally Posted By: dwendt44
He could of course lie by re-setting the OLM
at the 6 months and change oil with a top quality
synthetic yearly.
The oil won't go bad in 6 months or even 12.

My 2¢


Yea, I obviously would reset the OLM if I changed the oil and not filter. That's another good point, I would have assumed the OLM would keep track of time too but the manual does not say that. Most people don't read their manuals or change the oil themselves, my OLM says I'm at 87% which would work out to be about 11 months per oil change. I just can't believe the car makers would fit an OLM that would allow people to void their own warranty... Most people I know only have their oil changed when the OLM tells them it's time to do so. On another note, many new cars are sold with oil that's older than 6 months. My previous Charger was on the lot for a year before I bought it, my Challenger was on the lot for 6 months when I bought it. My '12 Focus was on the lot for ever a year...

Originally Posted By: Richie
I change my oil filter at every oil change.


I always have as well. I usually drove 10,000 miles a year so I was at the 5k mark every six months so it wasn't an issue. I work a mile away from home now so my yearly mileage dropped significantly.
 
I had the same situation with two Toyotas, every six months or 5K miles. In order to maintain warranty oil with maybe 200 miles on it got dumped along with the filter. What a waste but there was no choice, same during extended warranty.
 
Originally Posted By: Richie
I change my oil filter at every oil change.


I change cars when they need oil or filters
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant

I change cars when they need oil or filters
smile.gif



That's my attitude towards tires, lol.

I haven't bought tires for a car in 10 years.
 
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Originally Posted By: Vanquished
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant

I change cars when they need oil or filters
smile.gif



That's my attitude towards tires, lol.

I haven't bought tires for a car in 10 years.

Sadly that's me too..... lol
 
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