New truck...0w20 or 5w20??

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Just bought a 2011 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi 4x4. Calls for 5w20, Amsoil's look up says 5w20. Should I run 0w20 or just stay with the 5w20? Winter will be coming soon....

2011-09-19195935.jpg
 
If you plan on using synthetic oil then use the 0W20. People will tell you the differences are slight between 0w20 and 5W20, it doesn't matter, etc., but with the winter coming why not?

Nice ride, drive it in good health!
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
If you plan on using synthetic oil then use the 0W20. People will tell you the differences are slight between 0w20 and 5W20, it doesn't matter, etc., but with the winter coming why not?

Nice ride, drive it in good health!


+1 I agree. 0-20 is excellant for engines that spec 20 wt. oils.
 
I agree with the above that 0W-20 would be fine in the winter only let me add that Chrysler( Ram ) does not allow for 0W-20 in the owner's manual. It is 5W-20 only. Possible warranty snag for you if you ever had any internal engine issues.

I live in NH so I see bad winters like you do out there in MI. Had a couple Ram's w/ 5.7L( previous version = 04 and 08 ). Used RP synthetic 5W oils in both( 04 = 30 and 08 = 20 )and NO problems even on the coldest AM starts. As long as you are using a synthetic 5W-20 you will be fine for cold start protection and that is the only difference with the 0W vs 5W.
 
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It's your truck use whatever you want. If it were my truck I would use 5W30. The energy savings 30 weights are only slightly thicker than 20 weights. Check the CST between your prospective oils and make your decision.
 
Since a 20wt is spec'd for your truck it makes zero sense to use anything heavier. The difference in start-up viscosity can be dramatic at colder temp's.

Since you're considering using synthetic oil I'd recommend going with a 0W-20 for it's higher VI.
Amsoil unfortunately doesn't make a light 20wt oil that's spec'd for your truck but if you are sold on it, go with their XLM 5W-20, it's actually lighter than the 0W-20 and is cheaper to boot.
 
Hi CATERHAM,

I'm trying to understand how the XLM 5W20 is lighter than XLZ 0W20 or ASM 0W20?
Code:


Oil 100C VI HTHS



XLM 5W20 8.8 151 2.8

XLZ 0W20 8.3 167 2.7

ASM 0W20 8.7 166 2.8


It looks to me like the XLZ 0W20 is the lightest.
 
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Thanks for the ideas. I would normally just use the 0w20 Amsoil, but I thought I'd ask since neither "RAM" or Amsoil lists it as an oil to use. I think I'll prob use the 0w20 ASM for the winter, and then the 5w20 ALM come summer time. I also would consider AZO, but the manual says use only 5w20 for the MDS. I'm sure in all reality, a high quality oil like AZO will work fine with the MDS, but I'll use what they want. Also,not as if it matters too much, but I have a Napa Platinum 41372 which is the Ford filter. Little bit longer than the specd Hemi filter, and Napa only offers a gold version of the Hemi filter.
 
Really you're not like an older truck owner looking at the difference between 10-30 and 10-40. 5w20 runs just fine in the winter. I know my tag says Arkansas but I am in the military and from Idaho. I know what cold can do to an oil. Just run what Ram tells you to. They have done more extensive testing than any of us have.
 
Originally Posted By: OldCowboy
Hi CATERHAM,

I'm trying to understand how the XLM 5W20 is lighter than XLZ 0W20 or ASM 0W20?
Code:


Oil 100C VI HTHS

XLM 5W20 8.8 151 2.8

XLZ 0W20 8.3 167 2.7

ASM 0W20 8.7 166 2.8

It looks to me like the XLZ 0W20 is the lightest.

You're right.
The SN version of XLM is heavier than the SM version which had a HTHS of 2.7cP and a 168 VI; that's quite a surprising drop in it's VI, no better than most 5W-20 dino's.

The XLZ 0W-20 is a heavy 0W-20, heavier than M1 0W-20 due to it's lower 167 VI and nothing is lighter than M1 at extremely cold temp's but that is academic for most of us.
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny248
Thanks for the ideas. I would normally just use the 0w20 Amsoil, but I thought I'd ask since neither "RAM" or Amsoil lists it as an oil to use. I think I'll prob use the 0w20 ASM for the winter, and then the 5w20 ALM come summer time. I also would consider AZO, but the manual says use only 5w20 for the MDS. I'm sure in all reality, a high quality oil like AZO will work fine with the MDS, but I'll use what they want. Also,not as if it matters too much, but I have a Napa Platinum 41372 which is the Ford filter. Little bit longer than the specd Hemi filter, and Napa only offers a gold version of the Hemi filter.


If you are going to follow the manual recommendations and have any warrantry concerns the Amsoil lines you talk of do not meet your warranty requirements. If you want to run Amsoil you need to run the XL or OE lines as they are API certified as required by Chrysler( Ram ). The other oils you talk of are not.

No offense but I am confused. On one hand you talk about what the manual says as if it matters to you and then you are talking about using the wrong weight and uncertified oils and such? Either follow the manual to preserve warranty or run what you want and don't worry about it. Seems like you are doing 50/50 and to me that makes no sense as it doesn't benefit you in any way.

You need...

5W-20
Meets/Exceeds Chrysler MS6395
API Certified w/ Starburst
Change by OLM or 6 months/8000 miles maximum

IMO if Amsoil is what you want to run( and that is fine = good stuff )run their XL 5W-20. It meets all of your warranty requirements, it will perform just fine in the winter and summer, and it is reasonably priced for what you get. It makes no sense to run their other oils( OE is ok but lowest grade they offer )as they do not meet warranty requirements and you are limited to 6 months or 8000 miles for your OC's max so the cheaper XL/OE oils will do the job just fine.

Use the XL 5W-20 and you will be fine warranty wise and mechanically.
 
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Originally Posted By: Johnny248
Thanks for the ideas. I would normally just use the 0w20 Amsoil, but I thought I'd ask since neither "RAM" or Amsoil lists it as an oil to use. I think I'll prob use the 0w20 ASM for the winter, and then the 5w20 ALM come summer time. I also would consider AZO, but the manual says use only 5w20 for the MDS. I'm sure in all reality, a high quality oil like AZO will work fine with the MDS, but I'll use what they want. Also,not as if it matters too much, but I have a Napa Platinum 41372 which is the Ford filter. Little bit longer than the specd Hemi filter, and Napa only offers a gold version of the Hemi filter.


Why use 5-20 in the summer and 0-20 in the winter. Just use 0-20 year round. No advantage to switching wts. That's what we did in the 60s. Old School.
 
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Johnny248 said:
Use the XL 5W-20 and you will be fine warranty wise and mechanically.

Yes he'll be fine and he'll be fine with any API 5W-20 dino as well.
Just my opinion, but with about the lowest VI of any GP III syn oil and no better than a typical 5W-20 dino why buy this stuff; maybe it's the name.

If you can find some old SM XLM and get a deal on it, that may be something worth pursuing.
 
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Originally Posted By: Johnny248
Thanks for the ideas. I would normally just use the 0w20 Amsoil, but I thought I'd ask since neither "RAM" or Amsoil lists it as an oil to use. I think I'll prob use the 0w20 ASM for the winter, and then the 5w20 ALM come summer time. I also would consider AZO, but the manual says use only 5w20 for the MDS. I'm sure in all reality, a high quality oil like AZO will work fine with the MDS, but I'll use what they want. Also,not as if it matters too much, but I have a Napa Platinum 41372 which is the Ford filter. Little bit longer than the specd Hemi filter, and Napa only offers a gold version of the Hemi filter.



No offense but I am confused. On one hand you talk about what the manual says as if it matters to you and then you are talking about using the wrong weight and uncertified oils and such? Either follow the manual to preserve warranty or run what you want and don't worry about it. Seems like you are doing 50/50 and to me that makes no sense as it doesn't benefit you in any way.



I was speaking more of the weight of the oil. With my other vehicles, I've used oils other than what is recommended, sometimes with good results. I use the 0wXX oils in a couple of vehicles that are spec'd for 5wXX or 10wXX with good results. To me running a 0w20 vs a 5w20 is not really that much difference, and I don't really feel like it would cause any problems to use the 0 over 5. Just wanted other peoples opinions. As far as the warranty goes, I'm not really concerned if the oil is "API Certified" or "Meets API". To me, one is just as good as the other when you are talking high quality brands. I just want to use a oil that gives me piece of mind, and I feel better running the higher end Amsoil vs the XL or OE lines. While others may shake their heads, I don't mind using something like expensive AMSOIL 25k oil for 5k intervals. The money is really not that big of a deal when it comes to making my vehicles happy. I am the service manager a dealer, and I've worked at a couple Chrysler dealers in the past, and never once has there ever been an issue as to what oil was used in a engine that experienced some sort of failure. As long as the owners has maint receipts, or there are no signs of sludge in the engine, things have been fine. Brands, weights, or API's have never come up. Intervals have.

I am very familiar with the Amsoil OE. We sell a TON of it at my dealer. We sell aprox 85-90% Amsoil OE Lof's vs the regular LOF's these days. Customer like the extended drain intervals, and feel confident with the synthetic oil.
 
Oh, one other thing I had a question about is the two filters. a 51372 shows 20mmx1.5 and the 57988 shows 20mmx1.5 6H. What is this "6H" and are they not interchangeable? Amsoil shows the EAO11 for the Ram , which is the same as app's that call for the Ford 51372 filters.
 
If 0-20 and 5-20 has same base stock (group 3 for example), 5-20 better for the cars calls for 5w20.
To make the 0-20 oil used more thinner base oil than in the 5-20 oil, and then put in viscosity modifiers in greater numbers than in oil 5-20. As a result, after 3-5 thousand kilometres oil 0-20 to become more liquid and less HTHS than 5-20 oil with the same initial parameters. (viscosity modifiers work out)
If 5-20 is a mineral oil, then there is not to say so clearly and is likely to be the best choice 0-20.
Of course there are exceptions, but I would advise you to follow the manual and use 5-20, but synthetics (group 3 oil).
Sorry for my english
 
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