2020 Dodge Caravan 3.6L 6,000km (3750 Miles) Amsoil XL 5w30

[StevieC]

The copper being high is normal for such a new engine and the known leaching of it from the Chrysler engine oil coolers on various models. This number is similar to the 2018 Caravan and the others in our family that I have run UOA's on.

I have been testing various 20 weight oils and 30 weight oils in the PentaStars in our family and have found that the Amsoil XL 5w30 seems to yield the best wear metal numbers in our engines so that is what I'm running now. I think it might be the HTHS rating of 3.3 having something to do with it.

I used Blackstone for this report because I wanted to see the universal averages for this report.

Happy to answer any questions you might have.

 

[tasch72]

Looks like a very conservative interval for that oil. Hardly any metal shed outside of the copper

 

[StevieC]

Yeah I like to keep it conservative until I have some data and also while there is still initial wear going on and things leaching like sealers / oil cooler etc.

 

[The_Captain]

Looks like your 3.6 likes it.

 

[StevieC]

My other 3.6 in the 2018 before it was totalled was running Signature series and didn't show as good numbers as this XL series. It was still good, just this is better.

 

[parshisa]

And HE IS BACK!!!!

 

[StevieC]

I never went anywhere and have been reading here regularly. I just don't post here regularly like I used to because I don't have the time to engage in conversation as I once did. I started a new job and have been caring for my dad (and mum) because of where he stands with his health.

 

[Warlord]

I’d just use supertech for such short initial intervals.

 

[StevieC]

I’d just use supertech for such short initial intervals.

I don't intend this short of a run on the regular. If you have a look at the conversation above you will see why it was this short.

 

[Warlord]

I don't intend this short of a run on the regular. If you have a look at the conversation above you will see why it was this short.

I read it and that’s why I said for short initial intervals. What’s the sense of running a very expensive oil for super short intervals. Just to establish what you’ll see in the future in regards to the add pack and whatnot? I guess if that floats your boat who am I to judge.

 

[WobblyElvis]

StevieC, change your oil less often and spend more time with your parents. The van will still be here. Best wishes.

 

[StevieC]

I read it and that’s why I said for short initial intervals. What’s the sense of running a very expensive oil for super short intervals. Just to establish what you’ll see in the future in regards to the add pack and whatnot? I guess if that floats your boat who am I to judge.

I don't want changing oil brands (oil chemistry) to contribute to the data being off, I wanted it conservative until I ran the first report for this engine which this is. Also I'm not doing nearly the miles I used to because of where I'm working now. This was the miles I did in about 6 months. Further what I'm paying for the XL oil isn't much different than off the shelf oil from synthetic oil at Walmart / Canadian Tire because we get hosed on things here.

 

[StevieC]

StevieC, change your oil less often and spend more time with your parents. The van will still be here. Best wishes.

Yes, the next change I'm running out a lot longer now because I have a basis of where things sit and most of the new engine wear is complete judging by where the metals sit comparison to the averages (until I have a trend built by more tests).

Also I found a lab locally (Fluid Life in Brantford, ON) that will do the testing Blackstone does but without the added cost of sending the samples international mail. (Not Blackstones fault I live in Canada)

Heck I could even drive my sample there it's so close. They also offer other testing not found on the Blackstone tests at no additional cost. Works out to be $39 CDN per test. ($30 USD) The only downside is you have to buy the 10 test-kits at a time. But as I intend to monitor over the longer term and build a trend and I can use the test kits for other vehicles in the family I'm ok with that.

 

[Warlord]

I don't want changing oil brands (oil chemistry) to contribute to the data being off, I wanted it conservative until I ran the first report for this engine which this is. Also I'm not doing nearly the miles I used to because of where I'm working now. This was the miles I did in about 6 months. Further what I'm paying for the XL oil isn't much different than off the shelf oil from synthetic oil at Walmart / Canadian Tire because we get hosed on things here.

I’m in Ontario too. Where are you getting XL for anywhere near $3.50 a litre (supertech)? Please tell me I’ll buy all of it right now lol. I’ve never seen it less than $13/ litre. Almost 4x more.

 

[StevieC]

Sorry I hadn't seen the latest pricing on Supertech Synthetic. It's been a while since I relied on Walmart for anything because of them stopping price matching in the grocery department and also because every time I would go to the oil section they never had anything I wanted/needed. I didn't realize it was $17.47 CDN for a jug as I see on the website.

To answer the second part of your question I'm paying $43.99 per jug of XL series minus the points I get from all the other stuff I buy from them so usually I pay about ~ $35/jug which is cheaper than what M1 / Pennzoil etc. sits on the shelf for at regular price. The reason I talk regular price for that is because even if I wanted sale price on those brands the CTC/Walmarts here never have any even on the day the sale starts and I'm not about to get up super early to be first in the door to get an actual sale. I have better things to do.

The Amsoil product works for me, it's shipped to my door and I have 0 complaints and with XL/OE being API licensed it fits the bill for others in my family that are warranty concerned with not using an API licensed oil like the Signature Series.

As for why I'm not using the Signature Series that is because I found better wear metals on with XL and I don't do nearly the miles I was so the added cost of Signature isn't warranted for me. Also I get the benefit of an API licensed oil while my new van is still under warranty so if in the rare chance I ever needed to prove to Chrysler anything I'd be well within the clear instead of relying on Amsoil's warranty. (Which for the record I have 0 fear about).

I have nothing against Supertech and encourage everyone to use the cheapest and best oil for their application but for me the Amsoil has and continues to work for me so I stick with it. As I've posted pictures of my Santa Fe's engine here with 300K miles (535,000km) it was spotless inside with double the OCI used over what the recommendation was from Hyundai.

Could Supertech do the same, probably... But that engine was notoriously hard on oil and would make it acidic in short order so I'd probably have to use twice as many oil changes as the Amsoil was capable of most likely and at the time when I was doing 3K miles / 5,000km a month it didn't make sense for me so I found Amsoil and stuck with it.

Cheers