Anyone use 5W30 instead?

I would say No also. There are tiny holes (orifices ) that run through the engine block to the lifters that trigger the MDS system. Use a quality synthetic with a good additive package like Schaeffers Supreme if you really want to protect and take care of your engine.

I've been using Mobil 1 5w-30 since I got the truck. 5w-20 is too damn thin, especially for an engine known to have lifter issues. All the sacrifices engineers make to get that one more MPG... if MPG was what I cared about I'd have gotten the V6.

i run amsoil 5w30 engine is much quiter.. i send theoil out to blackstone and it get high marks though i change my oil every 5 k

I just purchased a 2015 Ram 1500 3.0 diesel - manual recommends 5w-30 Synthetic - unlike my 2002 5.9 L Cumms which only wanted
15-40 !

David DeSau said:

I just purchased a 2015 Ram 1500 3.0 diesel - manual recommends 5w-30 Synthetic - unlike my 2002 5.9 L Cumms which only wanted
15-40 !

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I think if you research around you will find 5-30 is no longer the recommended for EcoDiesel.

IIRC RAM/FCA changed it to 5-40 due to wear issues.

Tangent said:

I've read here and there that 5W20 is just too thin, that they only use it to maximize MPG, and that 5W30 protects better.

Might just be internet lore, but I was curious.

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Use 5W-20, that is what they are designed for. Anyone using anything else are just fooling themselves into false expectations. Had 5W-30 put in by mistake about a year ago at a oil change place, could tell it was wrong within 5 miles of driving the truck, MDS was not working properly and I pay real close attention to mechanical things. Took it back immediately and they changed it out to the proper weight oil, yes it did make a difference.

I've been straddling the fence on which oil. 540 RAT website (Here) ratings list makes the Quaker State 5W20 Ultimate Synthetic look better than the PUP 5W20 for wear, but I'm still leaning toward a 5W30 oil for longer term. I've only changed oil twice so far at about 10,500 miles.

I'm changing oil every 5K miles, since that has done well for me the past two decades running multiple engines up to 200K-250K miles without issues. The Amsoil link in this thread makes an interesting point I have seen elsewhere - some of the 0WXX and 5WXX oils may actually be higher in viscosity than others at normal ambient startup temps, depending on the base oil and how it's been modified to get its high number in a multi-vis rating.

I'm convinced that early oil changes are a definite help with higher engine temps common today. I had an Acura that used no oil at all, until about 240K miles - then like clockwork, the oil would stay as-filled to about 3K miles and use a half quart between 3K and 5K miles. Shear thinning, I think, of the Mobil 1 0W40 I used then - I'd never have noticed if I had done 3K oil changes. It maintained that pattern of oil consumption until the 319K mile mark when I retired it.

Amsoil or Red Line 5W30 may be in my future.

I am of the mindset that owners should use 5w-20 until the warranty expires, then switch to 5w-30 at that point. That is also the point where the engine has worn in just a bit, and has ever so slightly greater tolerances. JMO.

2017 Longhorn hemi gas....Change oil every six months (5-6k miles)...Use PUP 5-30 in April and 5-20 in Oct. Fresh 10-48 RP filter each time.

The bearings tolerance are a lot closer now than in the past . I think using a higher viscosity than is called for could lead to unnecessary bearing wear, i think i will stick to 5w20 like the owner manual calls for.

On my 07' Quad Cab 1500, RWD, 5.7L Hemi truck I use AMSOIL 5W30XL due to having deleted the MDS in my trucks performance tune.

No reason for me to doubt the Hemi engineer, and change the factory 5w20

ilovemyramlaremie said:

No reason for me to doubt the Hemi engineer, and change the factory 5w20

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Wiped lifters and cams may say otherwise

chrisbh17 said:

Wiped lifters and cams may say otherwise

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140,000 so far, no issues

texan279 said:

Can anyone help recommend a weight for me? '17 Lone Star crew cab 24k miles with 5.7. Been using 5w-20 Valvoline Synthetic Blend. Change oil every 3-4k miles, I never go over 4k miles, so oil change every 2-3 months. Have Hemifever tune with MDS turned off. The only issue or concern I may have is that I live in South Texas. We don't really get winter here, but the summers are brutal. Got in my truck to leave at 515pm today and temp inside was reading 113 degrees with darkest legal tint all the way around and an eyebrow on the windshield. Temps here have been 95-100 for weeks with heat indexes at 115+. I do have a 180 tstat installed, oil temp rarely goes over 200, maybe 205-210 if I'm really getting on it for awhile.

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Our trucks are identical. I use 5w30 PUP with 1-2 quarts of 0w40 PUP with no problems. Also use RP 20-820 filter

For pre 2017 engines it does not matter but for newer gas engines it is foolish not to use the new motor oils that the engine manufacturers worked with the oil companies to develop over a period of years. To get an idea as to what is evaluated by running engines and then tearing them apart:

New motor oils that meet the API SP and API SN and SN Plus (cans have a Starburst symbol), the lab motor oil tests are worthless.

These new motor oils are much more effective at low viscosity and need to be with their 5W and 0W ratings. The oils have to meet much more stringent testing that is based on actual hours of engine operation where the engines are torn down and the parts are examined and the wear is measured.

The new test requirements cover kinematic viscosity increase at 40 degrees celsius, piston deposits, average cam plus lifter wear, cam wear, engine sludge, rocker cover sludge, engine varnish, oil screen sludge, hot stuck rings, cold stuck rings, oil ring clogging, bearing weight loss, aged oil low temp viscosity, phosphorous retention, high temp high shear viscosity (this is critical with multi-grade motor oils to avoid polymer shearing), evaporation loss at 250 degrees celsius, percent flow reduction with various level of water in the oil, foaming tendency and stability, high temperature foaming tendency and stability, homogeneity and miscibility, high temperature deposits, emulsion retention, and elastomer compatibility. None of this information can be provided by consumer oil analysis lab.

If an oil meets these specifications then it will do the job. For my 2018 SUV I use Mobile 1 simply because it is easy to find. Amsoil is not fit for my diesel truck with its poor additive mix and not reason to pay more for less. For the diesel truck I use Valvoline Premium Blue which also happens to be what Cummins uses. The Valvoline has one of the best additive mixes for diesel engine use and it is reasonably priced and it is also available at the local Ram dealer.

A heavier weight oil is going to provide less protection when the engine is cold and that is when most wear tends to occur. Use the weight that the engine manufacturer recommends as their engineers know what will maximize the life of the engine. Pretty dumb to go by ads in magazine or a seat of the pants gut feelings when trying to get as many hours of use as possible.

Elkman said:

For pre 2017 engines it does not matter but for newer gas engines it is foolish not to use the new motor oils that the engine manufacturers worked with the oil companies to develop over a period of years. To get an idea as to what is evaluated by running engines and then tearing them apart:

New motor oils that meet the API SP and API SN and SN Plus (cans have a Starburst symbol), the lab motor oil tests are worthless.

These new motor oils are much more effective at low viscosity and need to be with their 5W and 0W ratings. The oils have to meet much more stringent testing that is based on actual hours of engine operation where the engines are torn down and the parts are examined and the wear is measured.

The new test requirements cover kinematic viscosity increase at 40 degrees celsius, piston deposits, average cam plus lifter wear, cam wear, engine sludge, rocker cover sludge, engine varnish, oil screen sludge, hot stuck rings, cold stuck rings, oil ring clogging, bearing weight loss, aged oil low temp viscosity, phosphorous retention, high temp high shear viscosity (this is critical with multi-grade motor oils to avoid polymer shearing), evaporation loss at 250 degrees celsius, percent flow reduction with various level of water in the oil, foaming tendency and stability, high temperature foaming tendency and stability, homogeneity and miscibility, high temperature deposits, emulsion retention, and elastomer compatibility. None of this information can be provided by consumer oil analysis lab.

If an oil meets these specifications then it will do the job. For my 2018 SUV I use Mobile 1 simply because it is easy to find. Amsoil is not fit for my diesel truck with its poor additive mix and not reason to pay more for less. For the diesel truck I use Valvoline Premium Blue which also happens to be what Cummins uses. The Valvoline has one of the best additive mixes for diesel engine use and it is reasonably priced and it is also available at the local Ram dealer.

A heavier weight oil is going to provide less protection when the engine is cold and that is when most wear tends to occur. Use the weight that the engine manufacturer recommends as their engineers know what will maximize the life of the engine. Pretty dumb to go by ads in magazine or a seat of the pants gut feelings when trying to get as many hours of use as possible.

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Except the "5" in 5W-whatever is the weight of the oil when cold.

So, with a cold engine, how would 5W-30 protect any less than 5W-20, since they are both 5W when cold?

Maybe if you put them up against 0W-30 or 0W-20, but then you are out of spec according to FCA.

I do get that whatever-20 oils are more shear stable, so they stay in the range of 20 weight for the average OCI, but also take into account that each viscosity rating *is* a range. So I can have a light or heavy 20 weight and a light or heavy 30 weight.

Would you run fresh oil that is towards the light side of 20 weight? Would you run it for an extended period and have it shear down, still be a 20 weight, but just barely?

Or would you run a light 30 weight that, when it shears, becomes a heavy 20 weight, therefore protecting better for longer?

Elkman said:

Use the weight that the engine manufacturer recommends as their engineers know what will maximize the life of the engine.

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Sadly, the engineers don't have the last word (Do Roger Boisjoly and Allan McDonald ring a bell?). FCA engineers were asked to design an engine that meets the 20 weight requirements for purely political reasons, and I have no doubts they did a good job at it. But the job of choosing the recommended product was not in their hands, but the managers.

We don't have access to the bench test results of the different oils - at least I don't - but if there were better performing oil weights in those tests, as long as the results were acceptable for the 20, we got stuck with the product. I don't think this forum is the end-all for Ram information, and neither is any other online resource out there, but the overwhelming majority of 30 weight users don't report any long term disadvantage in the use of it. What seems to be relevant - statistically or not - is that cam-lifter failure is prevalent in these engines, even when using the recommended oil at recommended OC intervals. There is an after-market industry around that failure, and the free market is never wrong.

I'll stick with 30.

[QUOTE="ilovemyramlaremie, post: 2078831, member: 63095recommenason for me to doubt the Hemi engineer, and change the factory 5w20[/QUOTE]

Don't think for a minute that the "factory engineer" made his decision based upon having the engine last 100k+ miles. 5w20 at 200+ degrees is like water.

FCA chose 5w20 for the Hemi b/c it provides "just enough" lubrication while also creating less drag on the engine that 5w30. All these ridiculous steps taken to reduce emissions by a tiny bit and gain half a mile per gallon on the highway.

Now if you live up north somewhere and it doesn't get that hot in the summer stick with the 5w20. If you live somewhere that the thermometer regularly hits 90, you'll want that extra protection for when things get HOT.

[QUOTE="ilovemyramlaremie, post: 2078831, member: 63095recommenason for me to doubt the Hemi engineer, and change the factory 5w20[/QUOTE]

Don't think for a minute that the "factory engineer" made his decision based upon having the engine last 100k+ miles. 5w20 at 200+ degrees is like water.

FCA chose 5w20 for the Hemi b/c it provides "just enough" lubrication while also creating less drag on the engine that 5w30. All these ridiculous steps taken to reduce emissions by a tiny bit and gain half a mile per gallon on the highway.

Now if you live up north somewhere and it doesn't get that hot in the summer stick with the 5w20. If you live somewhere that the thermometer regularly hits 90, you'll want that extra protection for when things get HOT.