Oil for 2018 Ram 1500 Hemi

[Triple_Se7en]

I’ve heard that before but whether or not they’ll pull an oil sample or request to look at my maintenance records in the event I ever need warranty on my engine, I’d just rather not take that chance.

They won;t deny your warranty running slightly thicker 5w30, unless your engine contains sludge - you're dangerously low on oil or you haven't changed the oil according to the manual.

Does you manual state a specific grade as required or recommended?

 

[kschachn]

I’ve heard that before but whether or not they’ll pull an oil sample or request to look at my maintenance records in the event I ever need warranty on my engine, I’d just rather not take that chance.

It’s not true that “most” automatically go down a grade. Any such change would be either through mechanical shear of the VM (actually quite rare) or through pretty severe fuel dilution. Nearly every UOA posted on here shows oils staying in grade.

And as far as warranty goes that’s not a concern. Warranty is predicated on an oil that causes damage. No oil of a somewhat higher HT/HS is going to cause damage. That’s not how it works. Higher HT/HS protects, not the other way around.

 

[Corneileous]

They won;t deny your warranty running slightly thicker 5w30, unless your engine contains sludge - you're dangerously low on oil or you haven't changed the oil according to the manual.

Does you manual state a specific grade as required or recommended?

As far as grade, it just basically says an oil that is API certified and I’m pretty sure it says meets or exceeds Chrysler MS6395 is what’s recommended.

As far as weight, It doesn’t say required but there is that word recommended that might as well say required, to use 5w20.

They’d probably still argue against it if I was to try and use 5w30 being that my manual doesn’t include that little tidbit that the manual in my 2008 Hemi 1500 said that if 5w20 wasn’t readily available, 5w30 could be used.

 

[Govtman]

What’s not a hard spec to meet? Are you talking about the Chrysler MS6395 spec?

I guess I just don’t understand how or why it’s relevant if the Hemi does or doesn’t run dirty as I figured sooner OCI’s were more for sludge prevention and just simply keeping fresher oil in it.

But ok, if they run dirty, could that be attributed to or partially attributed to the smaller oil filters they switched to on these engines? Example, the 5.7 Hemi in the 2008 Ram 1500 I had before called for a 57899 Wix OE equivalent filter that was a little taller and a little bit bigger around than the 57060 Wix OE equivalent filter my 2018 1500 uses.

I have a '19 classic and I use the larger filter. Takes some finagling to get it in there. Have to come at it from the radiator. There is a tunnel that runs back along that you can reach back through with the bigger filter. I use the Fram Ultra or the new Fram Ultra Endurance. Testing shows it excells over the Purolator Boss in certain levels.

 

[hemioiler]

As far as weight, It doesn’t say required but there is that word recommended that might as well say required, to use 5w20.

They’d probably still argue against it if I was to try and use 5w30 being that my manual doesn’t include that little tidbit that the manual in my 2008 Hemi 1500 said that if 5w20 wasn’t readily available, 5w30 could be used.

See below, this 5.7 hemi in the 2014 2500 is the same one as found in our trucks, just detuned a little. Note the "recommended" verbiage there. They really want us to run thicker oil when the truck is being used as a truck and towing.

 

[Corneileous]

See below, this 5.7 hemi in the 2014 2500 is the same one as found in our trucks, just detuned a little. Note the "recommended" verbiage there. They really want us to run thicker oil when the truck is being used as a truck and towing.

View attachment 223720

Yeah but you gotta read between the lines, though…. They don’t worry so much about satisfying the EPA as much with an actual heavy-duty truck that was made and designed to do actual “truck” stuff. That’s why those older 3/4-tons and up with 5.7’s were recommended to use 5w-30 and why the newer 6.4 3/4-tons and up are recommended to use 0w-40 for the same reason. They know 5w-20 won’t adequately protect those engines for what most people who have those will be using them for.

Being that the half-ton 5.7’s in their minds weren’t necessarily “intended” to do truck stuff because they’re more marketed to people who just want a truck that most likely won’t be using them as trucks but more as basically large, luxury SUV’s with truck beds, most of them not even 6 foot long, won’t be abusing them using them for long trips with no trailer, taking the kids to school/soccer practice or grocery-getters and for the much smaller group who actually do take advantage of the 8,000 to 10,000 trailer-tow capacity depending on axle ratio, they’d just rather pay the warranty claims rather than recommending an oil weight that lowers fuel economy which lowers their prized EPA rating when besides, most people only keep these trucks for as long as the warranty period and then they trade them off for new ones.

 

[Plumb Bob]

20, 30, or 40 grade. Your Hemi 5.7 will be fine.

 

[Nesterenko]

If I didn’t have the warranty, I would run 5w30.

That's ridiculous. They would never know or check. Oil's clean and full, that's enough. Tough to prove you've been using a 30 vs a 20 You're sounding like a scared little puppy. Also, the proper term is grade not weight.