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Question about oil for 2009 Town and Country touring 4.0L

35K views 35 replies 10 participants last post by  jgbat 
#1 ·
Hi.. i'm new to the forums but been lurking around for a few months already...

I just wanted to ask regarding oil for the 4.0L engine.. the oil cap recommends 10w30.. my question is would it be alright to use 0w30 all year round on the 4.0L engine? From what i've read 0w30 and 10w30 operates at the same 30 weight on operating temp.. primary difference is on cold start.. the 0w30 tends to flow better on cold start...

Any experts here would comment on using 0w30 on the 4.0L engine that requires 10w30?

I just did my oil change recently and decided to put amsoil signature series 0w30 on our 4.0L engine.. so far no problems.. not sure about the fuel consumption yet since we have been using the heater more lately and remote starting the car when needed.. so with more heater being used and remote starting the car.. i can't comment if the fuel consumption is better or worst since 0w30 should give a better fuel consumption...

if its alright to use 0w30, would running 0w30 all year round on the 4.0L engine be alright?

Also change the tires on our van recently.. it had 60k km on the odometer .. we got the primacy mxv4 and its worth the money.. its pretty quiet comparing to the yokohama avids33 and falken912.. apparently we had to get 2 falken 912 because one of the yokohama avids33 had a lump that was getting pretty big .. the falken 912 are not so bad but after we had the primacy mxv4.. my dad noticed that the car runs way quieter...

thanks! :D
 
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#2 ·
While 0w30 would most likely work ok year around, you should use 10w30 if that is what Chrysler specifies in order to maintain the engine warranty.

I am surprised that the 4.0L engine requires 10w30 however, because I thought most engines in the last 10 - 15 years had gone to 5w30. You might check you instruction book to confirm the oil in the event someone replaced the oil cap with wrong markings.
 
#3 ·
I have 50K miles on our 08 GC with the 4.0. I run Mobil 1 5-30 in winter and Mobil 1 10-30 in summer. Never had any issues as far as oil consumption or anything. I live in northern WI but if I lived in a colder climate I wouldn't hesitate to run 0-30. The oil cap on our 4.0 says 10-30.

Rather than be concerned about oil weight, get an engine block heater and plug it in at night. Or an oil pan heater at minimum.
 
#4 · (Edited)
This subject has been bandied about some in pasts Posts. I think the 30 component is what Chrysler is very, very concerned about for the 4.0L.
- 5W-20 can be easily confused with 5W-30, so they don't want that confusion to happen.
- 5W-30 has more VIs in it and can shear out of grade, so it's said, ie the 30 component becomes something less over time.

If concerned about winter use, a look at pour points may be of some help:
Amsoil comparison chart (data is a little old, unfortunately): http://www.syntheticwarehouse.com/Amsoil_compared.htm
Pour Point (ASTM D-97)
Improves Cold Temperature Startup

The Pour Point Test determines the lowest temperature at which a lubricant will flow. The lower a lubricant’s pour point, the better protection it provides in low temperature service. Unlike conventional oils that solidify in cold temperatures, AMSOIL 10W-30 Synthetic Motor oil remains fluid down to -58° F. AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil helps engines turn over easier and flows quickly to engine parts for critical start-up protection. Engines start faster and wear is greatly reduced for extended engine life.

Also note our 0W30 is a direct replacement of 10W30. For more performance chose the Amsoil SSO. Remember this is still a SAE 30 with a Winter rating which allows the oil to remain closer to the operating viscosity at ambient temperatures, 75*F and below. The oil will still flow similar to the centistoke rating under proper engine temperatures at even lower temps as well as flow better under load.
You will find this Thread interesting: http://205.243.146.146/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1738173

Bottom line: A synthetic 10W-30 should work just fine for winter due to its additional flowability at lower temperatures. Do a Pour Point comparison though, some synthetis aren't all that synthetic (Group lV based oils versus Group lll based oils versus Group ll based oils).

Chrysler allows the use of synthetic oil but per the same conditions as the conventional oil specified.

Let's take a look at three major motor oils and see what they recommend for the 4.0L
Mobil 1:
They go for 5W-30 generally per "What is the right oil for my car" @ http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Car_Care/Vehicle_Chooser/VehicleChooser.aspx
Also consider Mobil 1 0W-30 Advanced Fuel Economy, an advanced full synthetic motor oil, for vehicles where a SAE 0W-30, 5W-30 or 10W-30 oil is recommended. Mobil 1 0W-30 Advanced Fuel Economy is engineered to deliver outstanding engine protection and a potential 2% fuel economy improvement based on a comparison versus those grades most commonly used. Actual fuel economy improvement is dependent upon vehicle/engine type, outside temperature, driving conditions and your current engine oil viscosity.
Castrol:
They seem to stick with10W-30 @ http://www.castrol.com/castrol/LubesSelector.do?categoryId=3240

Valvoline:
This site give interesting results @ http://classic.valvoline.com/crmo/vehicle.asp They don't recommend their conventional oil because of low temperatures use.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the replies...

Would it be better to go back to 10w30 on my next oil change which im assuming somewhere around spring - summer? Would it always be better to stick with the recommended oil when it comes to chrysler engines?

Would running 0w30 cause in any problems to the 4.0L engine in the long run?

Funny thing is i was looking at amsoil 1 month ago and using their car selector to identify what oil to use on our town and country...they recommended 0w30 for maximum performance and 10w30 for maximum performance.. but around 2weeks ago, when i used the selector again for our 2009 town and country... amsoil only showed 10w30 for maximum performance... i dunno what happened with the 0w30 recommendation..

I live in BC Canada and its getting cold already here... so i hope running 0w30 til before summer would be alright...

I'm just wondering if dealership would actually know what kind of oil you put into your car.. cause im pretty sure thats gonna be hard to figure out unless i specifically tell them what brand and what viscosity i used...
 
#10 · (Edited)
Funny thing is i was looking at amsoil 1 month ago and using their car selector to identify what oil to use on our town and country...they recommended 0w30 for maximum performance and 10w30 for maximum performance.. but around 2weeks ago, when i used the selector again for our 2009 town and country... amsoil only showed 10w30 for maximum performance... i dunno what happened with the 0w30 recommendation..

I live in BC Canada and its getting cold already here... so i hope running 0w30 til before summer would be alright...

I'm just wondering if dealership would actually know what kind of oil you put into your car.. cause im pretty sure thats gonna be hard to figure out unless i specifically tell them what brand and what viscosity i used...
I would contact Amsoil and ask them what is going on with their site and what do they actually recommend. Both Amsoil and Mobil 1 say their 0W-30 covers all bases for anything that ends with 30.
0W-30 should work just fine in theory. Also, there's less chance for your oil filter to go into bypass mode on a cold day and if it does, the duration will be less. Bypass mode means there is unfiltered oil going through your engine. This happens in cold weather startups.
What do you get for low temperatures during the winter? Forget about windchill, motor oil isn't affected by it.
If you had an engine failure, they would likely have the oil tested in a lab. They would also have to prove that the oil caused the problem.

More "Pour Points":
Amsoil 10W-30 Signature Series synthetic: -48C (-54F)
Amsoil 0W-30 Signature Series synthetic: -51C (-60F)
Valvoline 10W-30 MaxLife synthetic blend: -42C
Valvoline 10W-30 conventional oil: -36C
 
#6 ·
Sticking with the recommended oil is better for all engines, not just Chrysler. The thing about oils that have too many viscosity improvers in them, as noted earlier, is that as the oil wears, the polymers shear and the oil becomes too thin. By the end of a 5000 mile run, your 0-30 might be 0-20. The closer the first and second number, the better.
 
#7 ·
Thanks! I understand your point.. So here's another question... its regarding honda civic 1.8L... we have the 2010 which is previous generation and it recommends 5w20 on the oil cap.. The latest generation of honda civic 1.8L has a requirement of 0w20.. I'm pretty sure that the 1.8L engine on the previous generation and current generation of civics are the same.. most people say honda made it to 0w20 for cafe standards... so if i have the previous generation civic, would running 0w20 be a problem? I think most of the 2012 honda right now are using 0w20 for their oils...

Would the increase in fuel economy on 0w20/0w30 be worth it or just stick with the oil cap recommendation to be more safer?
 
#8 ·
For the Honda, check with a dealer to see if the old 5-20 oil part number has been superseded by the 0-20 number. I bet it has, meaning that the 0-20 is fine for your engine. In a case like this, the dealer would prefer to have as few types of oil on hand as possible, so I bet they only have 0-20.

Chrysler can't do this as their engines use a few different types of oils.
 
#9 ·
Hi.. i'm new to the forums but been lurking around for a few months already...

I just wanted to ask regarding oil for the 4.0L engine.. the oil cap recommends 10w30.. my question is would it be alright to use 0w30 all year round on the 4.0L engine? From what i've read 0w30 and 10w30 operates at the same 30 weight on operating temp.. primary difference is on cold start.. the 0w30 tends to flow better on cold start...

Any experts here would comment on using 0w30 on the 4.0L engine that requires 10w30?

I just did my oil change recently and decided to put amsoil signature series 0w30 on our 4.0L engine.. so far no problems.. not sure about the fuel consumption yet since we have been using the heater more lately and remote starting the car when needed.. so with more heater being used and remote starting the car.. i can't comment if the fuel consumption is better or worst since 0w30 should give a better fuel consumption...

if its alright to use 0w30, would running 0w30 all year round on the 4.0L engine be alright?

Also change the tires on our van recently.. it had 60k km on the odometer .. we got the primacy mxv4 and its worth the money.. its pretty quiet comparing to the yokohama avids33 and falken912.. apparently we had to get 2 falken 912 because one of the yokohama avids33 had a lump that was getting pretty big .. the falken 912 are not so bad but after we had the primacy mxv4.. my dad noticed that the car runs way quieter...
thanks! :D
Have a look at what the brand, that is known for being "First In Synthetics" says about what it recommends for your vehicle: http://bit.ly/rBJwIT
 
#13 ·
You could run 0w/30 in your van, and you could run 0w/20 in your Honda. I ran 0w/30 in our 03 (with the 3.8 that recommended 5w/30) and run 0w/20 in our 10 (with the 3.8 that recommends 5w/20.

When the 0w/30 gets hot it thickens to the weight of straight 30 oil, which is the same thing that 10w/30 does. The 0 is just thinner when cold, but with Synthetic that is not an issue. I wouldn't put 5w/30 dino oil in it.
 
#19 ·
...not sure about the fuel consumption yet since we have been using the heater more lately and remote starting the car when needed.. so with more heater being used and remote starting the car.. i can't comment if the fuel consumption is better or worst since 0w30 should give a better fuel consumption...
FYI Use of the heater should not affect fuel consumption. If anything, it would result in a tiny, probably negligible improvement, since the radiator fans would not need to run as often, reducing the electrical drain, thus reducing the amount of work required by the alternator, which is driven by the engine. But to repeat, such savings would be negligible.
 
#20 ·
I've used Amsoil for 15 years and also a preferred customer/dealer. I also have the 4.0 engine in Chrysler T&C and recommend the 5W30. I've never had any problems when using Amsoil. There is nothing out there that will compare. It will not go to 20 weight as someone might have suggested, even if you use the 0W30. However, please stay with the recommended 6,000 mile change. Hope this helps.
 
#22 ·
Yes, a synthetic oil from Group lV base stocks shouldn't have the viscosity shearing issue that a conventional oil might have with a wide viscosity range, like 5W-30.
 
#26 ·
We must not be on the same level. The oil itself is not what wears down.

The oil starts life as a 5 weight synthetic or plankton based. You add a bunch of polymers to make it a 30 when hot. Same additives in all oils, wear down the same. No oil, synthetic or not, is going to be multi viscosity without the additives.
 
#30 ·
Shipo is the oil Guru, perhaps he can chime in here.
From this article entitled ZPlus Tech Brief #13 @ http://www.zddplus.com/TechBrief13 - Oil Viscosity.pdf
it states (on Page 11) that true synthetics (PAO or PAG) can have higher viscosity indexes than conventional oil without the addition of VI improvers.
Bottom line: True synthetic oils (not the quasi synthetics that are so popular) have less stuff in them that can go wrong. They are more shear resistant.
Searching the above article using "synthetic" gives interesting tidbits of info.
 
#34 · (Edited)
I had a set of tires once which leaked round the rim. The tire Dealer tried nitrogen but it didn't work in that situation. Air will seep through the sidewalls of tires over time maybe, depends on the tire.
Popular Mechanics: Is Nitrogen Better than Air in Car Tires? @ http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/repair-questions/4302788
So, to answer your specific questions: With nitrogen, your tire pressures will remain more constant, saving you a small amount in fuel and tire-maintenance costs. There will be less moisture inside your tires, meaning less corrosion on your wheels. You will not be able to feel any difference in the ride or handling or braking, unless your tire pressures were seriously out of spec and changing to nitrogen brought them back to the proper numbers.

Read more: Nitrogen vs Air In Tires - Why Nitrogen in Tires - Popular Mechanics
Consumer Reports Study @ http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2007/10/tires-nitrogen-.html
The test started on September 20, 2006 and the final measurements were taken on September 20, 2007. The results show nitrogen does reduce pressure loss over time, but the reduction is only a 1.3 psi difference from air-filled tires. The average loss of air-filled tires was just 3.5 psi from the initial 30 pressure setting. Nitrogen-filled tires lost an average of 2.2 psi from the initial 30 psi setting. More important, all tires lost air pressure regardless of the inflation medium, so consumers should check their tires' air pressure routinely. No evaluation was done to assess the aging claim.
 
#36 ·
I love Nitrogen in the tires. Even have it in my lawn mower trailer tires. Where the Nitrogen is dry and has no moisture in it, the tires to not spike in pressure while being driven on a hot road in the summer. Lots of benifits to Nitrogen. But, you can not put Nitrogen in and forget about checking the air in your tires. You will still need to keep a check on your pressures.
 
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