Servicing the Commander meself (5.7 Hemi)

[57 HEMI]

... so the warranty on the "PETRAHOLIC" ran out coupla months ago, and I decided to have a crack at servicing it myself, and I'm glad I did.
I get really disappointed when you pay for someone else to work on your vehicle, only to find yourself asking if they would leave their own vehicle in the same state they've left yours!
1. The air duct (bit that bolts to the throttle body) wasn't fitted correctly. The only thing keeping it in place was the rubber seal clamped to the throttle body as the rubber grommet beneath it was completely squashed and missed.
2. My air filter had multiple tears and pinches around the foam seal, allowing dust and other unwanted bits of crap to get sucked straight into the motor.
3. Here's the kicker; according the w/shop manual, the hemi requires 6.6 litres of engine oil. I measured the amount of oil sitting in the sump when I drained it... IT ONLY HAD 5 LITRES!!!
Granted, it wasn't serviced by the dealer, and I did feel that it looked a little low in the dip stick, but I didn't want risk overfilling it either. It did go in for some warranty work recently, which is when I suspect the air filter and air duct got trashed.
Having said that, it was a good chance to get stuck in and get to know the workings of the Commander a little better. One job I didn't appreciate though, was changing the spark plugs; the rear 8 were a real pig to get at, but at least I know they were done.... end rant!

[eksjay]

How sad but true that you have experienced this kind of stealer service.

Once upon a time, I used to take my car to the stealer because I knew it would get fixed the first time, despite the premium.

It could have been worse ... you could have had a turbo diesel. No offence to TD owners here...

[57 HEMI]

Gee, I'm a bit slow in replying, aren't I? :-b
You're right eksjay, it could've been worse, so I shoudn't complain.
I have noticed however, the reason why I had only 5 litres in the sump... turns out my 5.7 has been burning a little oil. The guy who used to service car wasn't short changing me in the oil department after all, so... I will now eat my boot! lol

If memory serves me correct, NULON's website recommends using 5W-30 for the hemi, which I've always considered to be a bit thin, but I rolled with it. As a result, I'ver been losing roughly 1.5 litres every 7,000 km's. Yes, I'm a little worried to say the least, but after a little research online, I noticed some Dodge Ram owners have been having the same issue, one owner even recommending to swap to a thicker oil, so I did.

I'm currently running NULON's 15W-40. It's a bit early to say yet if this alone has reduced oil consumption, but it has definitely quietened down those noisy lifters during cold startups. It's just been alot quieter in general.

Before anyone asks, yes, I do drive it like it's stolen every now and then, which would certainly contribute to oil burning

I'll keep ya's posted after my next service...

[eksjay]

It has to be leaking from somewhere. My guess is the rear main seal if it is not the gasket. Or both. I had it in both and kept putting it off. Eventually I fixed both. Expensive stealerships service that had the car taken back three times , once on a flat bed truck because the seal they fixed was gushing like the Exxon Valdez, and a fourth time to a new mechanic who had to correct a new leak in the rear diff because the stealer botched the diff service. I don't use stealerships any more. Last major service I paid 1300 dollars to stealer and they did not replace sparks, leads or air filter saying at the time of pickup it would have costed extra. It has cost them my future business including sales. My current mechanic changed the air filter during a routine oil change and he was proactive.

[57 HEMI]

... yeah, I did consider leaks, but 1.5 litres? That would leave pools of oil in the garage, and there isn't a drop to be seen anywhere underneath, thankfully. I'm certain its burning oil; my engine warning light kept coming on for a little bit while it was still under warranty. After the third time of taking it to the dealer, they decided to bite the bullet and replace my catalytic converters... with roughly 40,000 on the clock! that should've been a giveaway to me, but I didn't catch on at the time. Perhaps nothing was said at the time to avoid any other warranty work being carried out on it, who knows, I'm only speculating now.

As for major services eksjay, I'm not surprised about the dealer charging extra for it. I let my local dealer do a minor service once (oil + filter). $320, thanks and come again. Now, for someone who is happy to pay for someone to do the work for them, no worries. But, for a scrooge like meself , I'll avacrakatit!

I bought a factory manual a little while back, and it goes into some detail about what work should be carried out for a major service... cost me nearly $1,000 bucks in oil and bits alone I'd rather not think about how much I would've been charged to have the dealer to do the whole kit caboodle.

Unfortunately, the transfer case oil has to be bought from the dealer, as I haven't found an oil company willing to supply an alternative...

[08crd]

How many k's has the hemi done? Also, is it mainly use in the city?

[LSE3.9]

I have noticed over three different cars, an NL Fairlane, a BF XR6 Falcon and my V8 Rangie [country cars and all without leaks] that the oil level measured on the dipstick doesn't change until the cars reach 5000kms travelled. After this they tend to want to burn a little bit of oil so I change the oil at 5000 kms and never need to top the oil up.