So how hard can an oil change be, right? Well, if there was something
that could go wrong for me, it did! I've done them before, abeit not
that much. Yesterday, I thought it was a good day to change the oil. I
wanted to start using synthetic, and it would cost the same for me to
do it myself rather than go to a quick lube joint and get dino oil. I
go to Wal-mart and buy 5 litres of Quaker State Synchron 5W50. Had to
go Canadian Tire for the filter because all Wal-mart had were Fram
PH16, and not PH16A filters. Difference? Don't know. So, I also just
picked up the last June copy of Mopar Muscle with the Dakota tips. In
there they mention a Purolator P30001 filter. Has more capacity. I
wish I never read that! I buy the Quaker equivalent: QS8A. It's about
1/3 longer, and has the same fitting (actually a Ferd 5.0 filter). Go
home, jack up the front end, drain the oil, no problem. Try to twist
the filter off. Nope. Back to Wal-mart for a filter wrench. Return,
filter comes off. Good. Now the fun begins. I attempt to put then new,
longer filter on. NOPE!!!! IT DON'T FIT! The mag says that it won't
work on 4wd Daks, and I found it don't work on 2wd either. Back to
Wal-mart (with old, oily filter in car), guess what?, CLOSED!! DOH!
Canadian Tire is closed too. No choice but to resuse the filter. I
don't like doing this. Dodge says you can go up to 24000 kms on one
fitler, and this one has 10000 on it, but still.... So I reluctantly
put the old fiter back on. Now to fill the oil. Simply enough, I put
in 4.7 liters as Dodge says. I spilled a little bit (no funnel), but
cleaned it up. My bro says, "You bought their 4x4 oil?" I said, "No.
They both come in clear bottles. The 4x4 is their synthetic blend." He
says, " Well that last bottle you put in was 4x4." I look, and sure
enough, it's 4x4 and 10W30!!! F%&*!!!! Man, am I ever pissed now! I
can change the filter to a new one easy enough, but now I have a liter
of 10W30 synth-blend in with the 5W50 synthetic. I don't want to waste
$35 on oil, just pay another $50 to have it done at a lube place. So,
2 hours later (!), I have the old filter on it, and mix-matched oil.
This is the last time I ever be cheap and do it myself. NEVER again!
I'm going to put a new filter on it (even though some old stuff is
left in there and is recirculating with the new synthetic), but that
10W30 won't harm anything will it? I don't think so, but I would like
to hear some other opinions on it. Sorry for the length, but I'm just
so frustrated and had to vent. Thanks.
Chad Niwranski
99 R/T CC Black/agate
Abbotsford, BC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:14:06 EDT