2018 Jeep Compass 2.4L

[ctechbob]

I historically haven't done the oil changes on my step daughters Jeep, but it looks like I'm going to go ahead and start doing them for her. I last did one with the recommended 0W-20 (Havoline Pro-DS), but it seems this 2.4 really chews through the oil and would like to switch over to using the HM 5W30 I keep for my Honda cars.

10+ Years on here tells me it will probably be ok....but

Chrysler/Dodge Engineering tells me that I'd best check before I do.

 

[HemiBenny]

Well the 2.4l in that Compass is the MultiAir system and it is sensitive to oil viscosity and very sensitive to oil level. If you're not familiar with the MultiAir system, look it up. I would stick to using the 0W20, I personally wouldn't want to be the guinea pig and find out exactly how sensitive this system really is to viscosity.
Have you looked into any recalls on that Jeep? There was a recall at some point that had to do with oil consumption. The recall was only a software update and I was thinking, "how would updating software help this situation", but after reading into it, it seemed feasible that it could work. You might look that up and check into it.
It's very strange that some of these 2.4l's consume oil and others do not. My Wife has this 2.4l in her '15 Chrysler (just under 140,000 miles on it) and it doesn't consume oil at all. My son-in-law has a 2018 Compass, just like your step-Daughter, and it doesn't consume any either.

 

[ctechbob]

They can't be THAT sensitive to (low) oil. Her's was over 1.5 qts down when I checked it last night.

 

[HemiBenny]

When they get low enough, it will shut the car down from what I've read. It has a 5.5-quart capacity, so maybe 1.5 may not be low enough, I'm not sure. I'm just providing the info that I have read while reading up on the 2.4 oil consumption issues.
As I stated, my personal vehicle with this engine doesn't have consumption issues, so I was reading up on it out of curiosity.

 

[HemiBenny]

So this thread has me interested in the 2.4 oil consumption issue again, so I decided to look at YouTube just because it’s 6:00 am and there’s nothing else to do. Right off the bat, this video pops up and this guy had the same problem with his Cherokee. He had the software update done and according to his update comment in the top right corner, it seems to have worked.
There are several comments on that video confirming that the update fixed their issue as well. It certainly wouldn’t cost you anything but a phone call to check into this.

 

[IndyFan]

Well the 2.4l in that Compass is the MultiAir system and it is sensitive to oil viscosity and very sensitive to oil level. If you're not familiar with the MultiAir system, look it up. I would stick to using the 0W20, I personally wouldn't want to be the guinea pig and find out exactly how sensitive this system really is to viscosity.
Have you looked into any recalls on that Jeep? There was a recall at some point that had to do with oil consumption. The recall was only a software update and I was thinking, "how would updating software help this situation", but after reading into it, it seemed feasible that it could work. You might look that up and check into it.
It's very strange that some of these 2.4l's consume oil and others do not. My Wife has this 2.4l in her '15 Chrysler (just under 140,000 miles on it) and it doesn't consume oil at all. My son-in-law has a 2018 Compass, just like your step-Daughter, and it doesn't consume any either.

What's more confusing is that sometimes the same 2.4 will consume oil and others not. Ours hasn't consumed oil in a good while. When it does, it isn't much, but I check it frequently. I have not taken it in for the recall but will be doing so soon.

 

[IndyFan]

Oil_Udder told me that all FCA engines were designed to meet all performance requirements from 1 quart overfilled to 1 quart underfilled. My 3.8 is an oil drinker at times so I tend to run it 0.5 quarts over filled and top it back off at 0.5 under. Lately, though, it hasn't used any oil. It's 3k miles into the current OCI and it hasn't used a drop. At times it has used nearly 1 quart per 1k miles.

Our 2.4 hasn't done anything like that. It has used maybe 1/4 quart in 1500 miles at most, but like I said, lately it hasn't been consuming any at all. I think driving profile has something to do with it. I believe I read somewhere that pre-recall, idling was where it would consume. I've told my daughter not to idle excessively, such as at drive through windows, so maybe that's been the reason it hasn't been consuming.

 

[KCJeep]

They spec 0w30 in the multi air Alfa Romeos with much higher output, I'd not be concerned about something like Mobil 1 AFE in your Jeep.

 

[BAJA_05]

Why not just run a quality 5W20 and call it a day??? Still a 20W...

 

[ctechbob]

Why not just run a quality 5W20 and call it a day??? Still a 20W...

Because I don't keep that in stock at the house. If I'm going to do it for her going forward, it needs to fit into my one oil for all plan. I don't care to chase around different thing for different cars.

 

[Dodgetracker]

I’m running mobil1 5w30ep hm in mine. Oil vis isn’t touchy on these low oil will shut them down though. So far mine isn’t using oil but it’s still new to me. It’s a jeep renegade with 2.4L 9 speed auto.

 

[ctechbob]

I’m running mobil1 5w30ep hm in mine. Oil vis isn’t touchy on these low oil will shut them down though. So far mine isn’t using oil but it’s still new to me. It’s a jeep renegade with 2.4L 9 speed auto.

Yea, I've been finding a decent amount of anecdotal evidence across the net that it doesn't really matter all that much. From people running 5W30 to people putting STP Oil treatment in (Which would serve to thicken the mix), to the Fiat versions using 5W40.

We live in the south, if we lived somewhere up north I might stress it more with cold starts and the like.

It is certainly an interesting system, but I trust Fiat/Chrysler's engineering about as far as I could place kick that engine. She's happy with the car, but I'd never own one from the little bit I've driven it and been around it. Just over 60k and its already had problems with the Auto SS system as well as having the CV joints replaced. The brakes are flat out awful, and if I get my hands on the engineer that said wheel bolts instead of studs are ok I'm going to bury him in the back 40(no, not really, but there is not one redeeming feature of a wheel bolt instead of stud).

 

[ctechbob]

The deed has been done. The Havoline High Mileage 5W30 is in.

I don't expect there to be anything to report in 7000 miles, but we shall see.

 

[The Critic]

I don't expect there to be anything to report in 7000 miles, but we shall see.

I mean, you'll probably have to top it off.... a lot.

 

[ctechbob]

I mean, you'll probably have to top it off.... a lot.

Had I not been wandering through the garage at 3am with the kids car parked in there and decided to check it, she would still be running around 2qts low. I'm hoping that the 5W30 slows that down just a little. She had it changed somewhere after I'd first changed it, so the best I can figure is that she went about 5K on the change. So 2qts in 5000 miles isn't horrible, but its not great. My 260,000+ mile Accord uses way less than that.

Went ahead and rotated the tires too, have I ever mentioned that wheel bolts can all go straight to.......