The other thread about the 3.6 oil consumption problem has freaked me out a bit. I have a 2015 JK with 2500 miles on it right now. I understand that Jeeps have their quirks and that’s part of the fun, but buying a new engine after 50K or so miles, and being told by Jeep/Chrysler that this is normal, is pretty shocking to me. Honestly, if this is really happening then I think Jeep will be looking at a class action lawsuit pretty soon.
So, this all got me thinking back to the Jeep specified oil: 5W-20. I grew up in FL and live in GA now so I never much worried about the winter number, but I’ve never used a 20, that just seems really thin! I have seen it posted several times that Jeep specs the thinner oil to improve gas mileage at the expense of engine wear. Can any of you Jeep insiders definitively say this is true?
From the manual:
Engine Oil Viscosity — 3.6L Engine
MOPAR® SAE 5W-20 engine oil approved to Chrysler
Material Standard MS-6395 such as Pennzoil®, Shell
Helix® or equivalent is recommended for all operating
temperatures. This engine oil improves low temperature
starting and vehicle fuel economy.
The engine oil filler cap also shows the recommended
engine oil viscosity for your engine. For information on
engine oil filler cap location, refer to the “Engine Compartment”
illustration in this section.
NOTE: MOPAR® SAE 5W-30 engine oil approved to
Chrysler Material Standard MS-6395 such as Pennzoil®,
Shell Helix® or equivalent may be used when SAE 5W-20
engine oil meeting MS-6395 is not available.
Note the note at the bottom: you can use 5W-30. To me this implies that using a 30 weight oil does not void any warranty, but I should also note that I’m no lawyer, and in my experience so far, legal decisions are for sale to the highest payer.
So boiling all that down, my real question is this: if this thinner oil really is for fuel consumption, is 30 weight better for the engine. I’m thinking of running 5W-30 Amsoil synthetic from here on out unless I find a compelling reason not to.
Anybody have an opinion on this?
So, this all got me thinking back to the Jeep specified oil: 5W-20. I grew up in FL and live in GA now so I never much worried about the winter number, but I’ve never used a 20, that just seems really thin! I have seen it posted several times that Jeep specs the thinner oil to improve gas mileage at the expense of engine wear. Can any of you Jeep insiders definitively say this is true?
From the manual:
Engine Oil Viscosity — 3.6L Engine
MOPAR® SAE 5W-20 engine oil approved to Chrysler
Material Standard MS-6395 such as Pennzoil®, Shell
Helix® or equivalent is recommended for all operating
temperatures. This engine oil improves low temperature
starting and vehicle fuel economy.
The engine oil filler cap also shows the recommended
engine oil viscosity for your engine. For information on
engine oil filler cap location, refer to the “Engine Compartment”
illustration in this section.
NOTE: MOPAR® SAE 5W-30 engine oil approved to
Chrysler Material Standard MS-6395 such as Pennzoil®,
Shell Helix® or equivalent may be used when SAE 5W-20
engine oil meeting MS-6395 is not available.
Note the note at the bottom: you can use 5W-30. To me this implies that using a 30 weight oil does not void any warranty, but I should also note that I’m no lawyer, and in my experience so far, legal decisions are for sale to the highest payer.
So boiling all that down, my real question is this: if this thinner oil really is for fuel consumption, is 30 weight better for the engine. I’m thinking of running 5W-30 Amsoil synthetic from here on out unless I find a compelling reason not to.
Anybody have an opinion on this?
Guess I'll check my oil when I get home.
