Dodge schelduled maintenance contract

[xpoc454]

I noticed that if you purchase an official Schelduled Maintenance Care package from Dodge that it lists what it all entails.
I was wondering while going through the list.
It states that they will only change your oil every 6000 miles on thier scheldule.

Does that mean that they are using regular motor oil and they now belive 6000 is when you need to change your oil instead of 3-4000?

Does it mean they are using some synthetic oil and changing it more often than the suggested 10000 miles?

Or, does it mean they are using regular oil and are just going cheap on oil changes which may harm your engine?

thanks
jim

[rickaren]

Hi Jim:

I too have a Scheduled Maintenance Care Plan I bought from Chrysler, but it is "Schedule B", so you must have "Schedule A", correct?

I too had many questions concerning Chrysler's Service Contract and called my Local Dealership Service Department, just yesterday. They could not answer my question and had to transfer me to sales that had to do some reading to answer correctly.

Mine , as I suspect your is, is a defined plan that states what will be covered. As a example for 6,000 miles
oil change
oil filter change
rotate tires
lubricate front drive shaft fitting (2500 or 3500 4X4 models only)
check spare tire for proper pressure and correct storage
lubricate outer tie rod ends (2500 or 3500 4X4 models only)
inspect engine air cleaner filter, replace as necessary

My question was since I do not have 6,000 miles after 6 months do they perform the 6,000 mile service? They said no, just the covered oil change each 3 months or 3,000 miles, plus the lubes and air filter shown above at 6,000 miles. If I still do not have 6,000 miles on the Nitro in another 3 months (I should)they do the same until there is 6,000 miles. Mine covers oil changes and maintenance and they can be at different times. Only the maintenance coverage is performed at 3,000 mile intervals on my plan.

To be on the safe side I will copy my defined coverage each time I take it in for service to make sure the mechanic knows he can replace the air filter as an example at no charge to me. I notice my coverage is better that what is recommended in the maintenance coverage booklet that came with the Nitro, and I want to make sure I get all the service and parts I paid for. Not sure that would happen otherwise.

Now back to your question, I would not worry about it at all since you are fully covered and many vehicles now go 5,000 miles or more UNDER WARRANTY. My Wife's Ford Explorer has a 100,000 or 7 year extended warranty and they only change the oil every 5,000 miles!

I'm sure my plan cost more that the Scheduled A one, but I wanted to make sure all maintenance parts would be covered at no charge, and it is their top-of-the-line plan. I may have over bought what I really need if I don't drive it more since I also took the 100,000 or 7 years coverage too, but it was my choice.

Let us know if you are pleased with your purchase of your Plan here. I plan to do the same. Good Luck!

[SeattleJoe]

I was wondering the same thing. The brochure for the Plan indicated it would cover service at 6K intervals, yet the manual recommends oil changes at 3K intervals.

Well, I just received the paperwork for the Plan in the mail, and it includes oil changes at 3K intervals!!!

I was happy to hear that.

Don't know if mine is Plan A or Plan B ... I'll have to give that a look.

[fcsallan]

The manual suggests 3K if you drive in harsh conditions or short distances. If your average drive is better than 20 Miles and you are not in a dusty environment or extreme cold or heat, they suggest 6-7K.

I personally don't know what has changed in motor oil in the last few years. The oil drain intervals used to be 7500 miles. Now all of a sudden (over the last 14 years or so) it is less than half of that. If there really is a concern that we will be running out of oil, I would expect them to try to extend it, not shorten the drain intervals.

I like synthetic oils myself, but with the lifetime warranty I can't extend the drain intervals so old Dino oil it is.

[rickaren]

It may not be necessary to change your vehicle's oil and filter as often as you once did. Recommended service intervals have been increasing over the past few years from as often as once every 3-4 months and 3,000 miles to as infrequently as once every 5,000 (or even 10,000 miles), depending on the car -- and its manufacturer.

The reasons for the longer change-out intervals have to do with both improved engine designs (more efficient engines don't produce as many combustion byproducts, such as unburned gasoline, that can contaminate the oil) and improved oil formulations and additive packages -- which extend the useful life of the oil itself.

But there are several important caveats to be aware of.

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LINK:
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