5w20 or 5w30

[pacofortacos]

Fixed orifices is the actual way oil viscosity is measured.. And it's either too small a difference to matter or it's not. If it's too small a difference to matter then going off script is just **** to be contrarian, or if it does matter then it matters equally for all considerations even the ones that don't support the theory being promoted.

The difference does directly relate to CAFE. Whether it is measurable on our trucks in our normal driving as far as mpg I am not sure. However it would be measurable in the lab.
1500 trucks are subject to CAFE requirements and every little bit helps - even at the cost of long term durability.

I can say there is a 2 mpg difference between 5w-20 and 0w-20 on my wife's mazda 3 with the DI 2.0 motor.

 

[kurek]

So if you go to any wrecking yard and see all the discarded vehicles factory specified to use 5w20 or 0w20, 100% of those vehicles got better mpg during their life.

What % of them ended up in the wrecking yard because their 5w20 oil was too thin?

 

[pacofortacos]

What's that have to do with anything? Lol

There are also just as many that had 5w-30 as a spec.

So why did the 3.6 pentastar used to spec 5w-30 and now 5w-20?
Why did they change the oil spec. on the 3.0 diesel?

Why oh why does a 2500 with a 7000# + load spec 5w-30 and only 5w-20 when empty??

 

[kurek]

What's that have to do with anything? ?

It's central to this whole discussion. You and others are making the claim that using a product other than what's in the manual provides a benefit. Burden of proof is on you.

If vehicles already aren't dying from 5w20 then that settles it conclusively except in the mind of folks who enjoy fables over concrete matters.

 

[pacofortacos]

Yet you ignore the noises that it has stopped by changing oil - on some engines.

You also ignore the 2500 question - which is almost identical to the load from a 1500 with a 8000# trailer in tow - which is not an unusual combo. Difference is the 1500 is subject to CAFE and the 2500 is not.

 

[LemmysDad]

Oil heroes!!

 

[chrisbh17]

It's central to this whole discussion. You and others are making the claim that using a product other than what's in the manual provides a benefit. Burden of proof is on you.

If vehicles already aren't dying from 5w20 then that settles it conclusively except in the mind of folks who enjoy fables over concrete matters.

5W-20 is a perfectly good oil, in the right application with a design meant for it.

Literally nothing in the 5.7 Hemi (w/MDS) changed between 2016 and 2017, yet all of a sudden FCA says "you cant use 5W-30 anymore...5W-20 only".

So, was the Hemi designed for 5W-20 from the start? It does not sound like that.

 

[kurek]

Yet again, the manual says 20. The burden of proof remains on those who would claim something else is better. Prove 30 is better in this engine.

 

[Rug_Trucker]

It doesn't really affect it much at all.


I am the same way, the last truck was a 2001 and I would have kept it, but the wife and son were just get a new one.
This one has a lifetime warranty, so I don't have to worry about the no garage to work on it situation.

Unless you read the fine print.............document all of your work like oil changes, scheduled maintenance etc. I had a friend that used to be a tech for a local Chrysler dealership. He did a big business deal and was cash flush. Put some money down on a new Dodge after hammering out the price. They were offering free oil changes for life. He walked in the next day and they were trying to shuffle him into the finance office. He pulled out his check book. They flipped and tried every which way to get him to finance. They ended up denying the oil changes as it was a dealer program only.

 

[Wild one]

Yet again, the manual says 20. The burden of proof remains on those who would claim something else is better. Prove 30 is better in this engine.

The big printed manual for the trucks up till 2017 says 5W-30 is perfectly acceptable if 5W-20 isn't available.So explain that one to us ,while you're at it why don't you explain why 5W-20 is better then 5W-30 if the printed manual says 5W-30 is acceptable.

 

[kurek]

Again, the HD 5.7 trucks don't have MDS and if the vehicle fails the manufacturer who printed the manual is liable for that both in warranties and in reputation. I don't care if you fill your engine with ranch dressing but if you advise other people to use it do you have their back financially if it ends up being meaningless advice?

 

[Wild one]

Again, the HD 5.7 trucks don't have MDS and if the vehicle fails the manufacturer who printed the manual is liable for that both in warranties and in reputation. I don't care if you fill your engine with ranch dressing but if you advise other people to use it do you have their back financially if it ends up being meaningless advice?

I don't have the printed manual for a HD truck,i have the printed manual for my 1500 and my wifes 2016 Challenger.The printed manual for my 1500 states 5W-30 is perfectly acceptable if 5W-20 isn't available,and in the printed manual for her Challenger the 5.7 stick cars use 5W-30 ,no where do they recommend 5W-20 for the 5.7's with a manual tranny. Might be in your best interest to hunt up the big printed manual for your 2015 as it'll tell you 5W-30 is acceptable in your truck,if 5W-20 isn't available. Look on the back of your CD disc you got with your truck,down in the very bottom in the really small print,it'll give you a phone number to call to get the manual for your truck,although i'm not sure if you can still get the manual as a few guys have said FCA might not be giving them out "free" anymore

 

[chrisbh17]

Again, the HD 5.7 trucks don't have MDS and if the vehicle fails the manufacturer who printed the manual is liable for that both in warranties and in reputation. I don't care if you fill your engine with ranch dressing but if you advise other people to use it do you have their back financially if it ends up being meaningless advice?

Ahh yes, the classic "show me proof!" but once shown proof we fall back onto "well its not gonna matter anyway!"

 

[craigsez]

Just bought a pre production 2030 pu from fronz at the local space truck ctr..

I dont haul anything but i do a few runs to venus and back and all i ever use is mezola cooking oil...

Trk is sound,ex ports are clean and my trans warp actuator is as soonth as silk...Only 40 lite yrs of milage on it yet and im still useing the same oil as day one...

 

[Wild one]

Kurek here's the phone number you used to be able to call and get all the printed owners manuals including the warrenty booklet for "Free" if you are the first registered owner of the vehicle,although some guys have said they don't offer them anymore,it's probably still worth giving them a shout and see if they'll send you the printed versions.Make sure you have your VIN number handy as they usually ask for it.

Canucks phone this # 1-800-387-1143

Yanks phone this # 1-800-423-6343

Look your CD disc over really close and you'll see these numbers printed in the really small print underneath where it says "Important" on the bottom of the backside of the CD disc.

 

[Arth]

Yeah I am running 5w-30 in my 2019 with no issues. MDS still functions as it should. I ran 5w-30 in my 2014 that climbed up to 65k miles before trading it in without issue. I found the same print in the owners manual as stated above that if 5w-20 isn't available 5w-30 is fine.

 

[JS4024]

So the MDS uses a slide valve actuated where it must move quickly in order to activate. If you use 5-30 the oil is thicker and may not allow the valves to move fast enough for a smooth transition. Also the bearing clearances and drain backs are very tight on the new engines, thicker the oil actually reduces the lubrication on the bearing surfaces and slows flow. If you damage your engine and the manufacturer can prove u used the wrong oil, buh bye warranty. Use a high quality stay in grade synthetic and you will NOT have issues. The lifter/cam issues on SOME 5.7’s was related to faulty bearing in the cam rollers... do not listen to the dibblers on here saying run higher weight oils. It’s total BS.....

 

[chrisbh17]

So the MDS uses a slide valve actuated where it must move quickly in order to activate. If you use 5-30 the oil is thicker and may not allow the valves to move fast enough for a smooth transition. Also the bearing clearances and drain backs are very tight on the new engines, thicker the oil actually reduces the lubrication on the bearing surfaces and slows flow. If you damage your engine and the manufacturer can prove u used the wrong oil, buh bye warranty. Use a high quality stay in grade synthetic and you will NOT have issues. The lifter/cam issues on SOME 5.7’s was related to faulty bearing in the cam rollers... do not listen to the dibblers on here saying run higher weight oils. It’s total BS.....

You need to remember the Hemi is not a "new engine". I believe the current iteration is about 7 years old, maybe even older. It uses pushrods, etc.

Its as old school as a "new" engine can be. And we can repeat: pre-2017, even FCA said you could use 5W-30. Nothing changed 2017+ but they dropped the note saying you can use 5W-30. WHY did they drop that note? The engine didnt all of a sudden become intolerant of 5W-30.

And while we're at it....Im curious when they started saying 5W-20 for the Hemi. It would be interesting if it coincided with 2011/2012, because thats where the most failed cams and lifters seem to be......

 

[kurek]

Ahh yes, the classic "show me proof!" but once shown proof we fall back onto "well its not gonna matter anyway!"

At no point was anything resembling proof delivered.

 

[chrisbh17]

At no point was anything resembling proof delivered.

Check the owners manual of a 2016 or earlier truck. Says 5W-30 is OK to use.

Now we could claim its not true for 2017+ because the manual had the note removed, but you could get every single engine part number between 2016 and 2017 and see if they changed.