Changing my 3.8. 2008 model oil in the morning. What is the best weight to run in the south. Seen where folks are running 0w20 but don't know if that'll hold up here

 

I use Jeep's recommended 5w20. However, I don't think there would be any problem at all with 5w30 inch the summer when it's in the 90's and 100's.

 

I used 0w-20 synthetic for the entire 28k miles we had our 2010 winter & summer.
The engine purred was quiet with no ticking or rattling on startup. No usage either.
Will use 0w-30 in the new 2012

 

I run 5W30 currently because mine likes to sip on the oil a bit. I have had no issues and noticed that the engine ran a little smoother and quieter and this is in CO at very high elevation (10,000 ft) and very cold weather (-10 F). Next oil change I am going up to 10W30 to see if I can stop my oil consumption.

 

Mine eats a bit of oil too. About 1qt every 1000 or so miles. I think I'm going to go with Royal Purple 10w-30.

 

Xman, If yours is eating 1 qt per 1000 miles you are at the limit of what Chrysler says is ok. You should go to the dealer and do an oil consumption test and have it documented. You might be able to get a new engine from them, or at the least have them break into it and replace/inspect the piston rings.

I use Amsoil in my jeep and I can't recommend it enough. Royal Purple is good stuff too, and there are lots of people on here who prefer it over anything else.

 

Currently using Mobil 1 Advanced Synthetic Oil " 5w-20" which is guarateed for 15,000 miles or 1 year < which ever comes first. Using a Napa Gold Oil Filter. So far this setup has worked very well for me , with the traditional startup knocking noises and other associated problems that are reported using regular oil vs syntehtic, now have gone away. I can actualy let my Jeep sit for over 2 weeks and no oil light or loud knocking durring the first 3 seconds on startup.

I am thinking about going to a different weight " 5W-30" on my next oil change, just not sure if this will have a effect on the emissions later on years to come. Was told that Chrysler went with the 5w20 weight due to better emissions. Any input ???


Thanks
SKULL_FACE

 

Chrysler went with 5w-20 for the fuel mileage increase, not emissions. These engines, both the 3.8, 5w-20 & 3.6, 5w-30, are designed & engineered to run on what the manufacturer specifies on the oil cap and owners manual.

Admittedly though, I'm going to run 0w-30 Amsoil in our new '12.....

 

Thanks for the info. I know oil brands are a user's preference and can be a long winded discussion. But , "lol" ... what makes Amsoil Synthetic Oil differ from a quality Mobil 1 Advanced Synthetic Oil ?

Just wondering, Been using the Mobil Synthetic oil 5w-20 for over a year now, and am happy with the results. With the exception of changing to a 5w-30 weight oil , how does Amsoil compare TO Mobil 1 Advanced Syntehtic?

Thanks,
SKULL_FACE

 

The 3.8L V6 was originally designed to run on 10w30. Chrysler dropped this spec to 5W30 and eventually 5w20 with the introduction of the JK Wrangler. Chrysler made no significant mechanical changes to the motor's design or internal tolerances when they changed the spec a much thinner oil (purely for mileage reasons so they could hit their CAFE targets) than what the motor was originally designed to run on, which is why many 3.8L V6 Wrangler motors consume oil and suffer premature component wear & failure.

5W20 is effectively a cold climate winter-grade oil (when used in an application such as the old iron block pushrod 3.8L V6) so being in a hot climate myself (summer temps 100-110F, winter temps never approaching anywhere near freezing) I changed to 15W40 when my warranty expired and the transformation in my motor was immediate; smooth and quiet running, no more excess oil getting sucked up into the PCV system and thus no more pinging, zero oil consumption and no noticable change in mileage (if anything it seems to have improved marginally by about .5 MPG, probably due to increased compression when hot).