I was laying under our Hemi Durango last weekend changing that ultra-thin 5W-20 oil with 30mph wind gusts. It occurred to me (not for the first time) that this has got to be the worst vehicle for routine maintenance I have ever worked on.
Misery loves company. What's your pick?
Here's mine:
2005 Dodge Durango, 5.7L Hemi
1. Oil changes. Besides going through 7.5 quarts of synthetic 5W20 every 3000 miles, I go through about a half roll of paper towels and a giant piece of cardboard with every oil change. The oil filter is directly over two hoses and the front crossmember. The crossmember also has a brake line clipped to it, holes in the side of it, and has a seam on the top that is only welded in spots. All the oil that runs out when the filter comes off gets all over all of that stuff plus usually into my armpit. If paper towels aren't used to cover the crossmember and plug the holes in the side, oil runs down into it and has to be mopped up or it runs out the end when the truck is on an unlevel surface. The drain plug is also above a crossbrace and it actually has a V shape in it for oil to run onto the brace and then dribble down.
2. Rear end fluid changes. This has to be done every 15,000 miles with 75W-140 synthetic. The cast iron rear cover has a watts linkage that bolts to it so that has to be removed. It only uses RTV with no gasket so clean up takes more time than actually changing the fluid.
3. Spark plugs. These have to be changed every 30,000 miles and there are sixteen of them. Each cylinder has one coil-on-plug connector that has to be unbolted and one slave that just has a boot. Also since it's a Hemi head they go down in deep wells in the valve covers. The passenger side has some kind of tube (maybe EGR I don't know) that runs almost directly over the holes. The back plugs are under the cowl. It takes a deep well, a universal joint, and a perfectly sized extension to fish down into the back plugs.
Misery loves company. What's your pick?
Here's mine:
2005 Dodge Durango, 5.7L Hemi
1. Oil changes. Besides going through 7.5 quarts of synthetic 5W20 every 3000 miles, I go through about a half roll of paper towels and a giant piece of cardboard with every oil change. The oil filter is directly over two hoses and the front crossmember. The crossmember also has a brake line clipped to it, holes in the side of it, and has a seam on the top that is only welded in spots. All the oil that runs out when the filter comes off gets all over all of that stuff plus usually into my armpit. If paper towels aren't used to cover the crossmember and plug the holes in the side, oil runs down into it and has to be mopped up or it runs out the end when the truck is on an unlevel surface. The drain plug is also above a crossbrace and it actually has a V shape in it for oil to run onto the brace and then dribble down.
2. Rear end fluid changes. This has to be done every 15,000 miles with 75W-140 synthetic. The cast iron rear cover has a watts linkage that bolts to it so that has to be removed. It only uses RTV with no gasket so clean up takes more time than actually changing the fluid.
3. Spark plugs. These have to be changed every 30,000 miles and there are sixteen of them. Each cylinder has one coil-on-plug connector that has to be unbolted and one slave that just has a boot. Also since it's a Hemi head they go down in deep wells in the valve covers. The passenger side has some kind of tube (maybe EGR I don't know) that runs almost directly over the holes. The back plugs are under the cowl. It takes a deep well, a universal joint, and a perfectly sized extension to fish down into the back plugs.
