What oil do you use in your Chrysler 300C HEMI?
- Thread starter BlazerLT
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Blazer, I really have doubts that running a 5W-30 in a MDS Hemi will "break" the hydraulic actuated valve components.
And I base this on my experiences with hydraulic servo valves & pumps on plastic injection presses.
If the MDS system will truly not actuate for oil viscosities over the 8.5 to 9.0 cSt range, then with our cold winter weather, there's alot of Hemi drivers who can't get the MDS to activate due to the 5W-20 in the crankcase being only 195C degrees and 10 cSt.
And I base this on my experiences with hydraulic servo valves & pumps on plastic injection presses.
If the MDS system will truly not actuate for oil viscosities over the 8.5 to 9.0 cSt range, then with our cold winter weather, there's alot of Hemi drivers who can't get the MDS to activate due to the 5W-20 in the crankcase being only 195C degrees and 10 cSt.
Well is the Chrysler engineers say 5w20, I am going to use 5w20. Why go thicker and get worse fuel economy and due to thicker oil and having that oil in addition not having the MDS kicking in.
The manual states in bold, USE 5W20 ONLY. I have read that people were having bad economy only to find out that the oil change shop put in 5w or 10w30 in their engine and the MDS wasn't coming on as easily.
No one with this system should chance it. Why, so we can lose economy?
I use 5w-20 in mine with a couple of litres of GC thrown in. The GC would raise the overall viscosity to a small degree but it does not appear to be affecting my fuel economy. The dealership had put 5w-30 into it once. I told 'em all later on that the MDS requires a twenty-weight oil and they all gave me dumb looks.... Anyway, I'm looking after the oil changes from here on out.
I'm tempted to try giving it a run of straight green GC this coming summer for the heck of it. We'll see.
John.
I'm tempted to try giving it a run of straight green GC this coming summer for the heck of it. We'll see.
John.
Its funny how everyone was so afraid of the thin oil, now they are afraid of the thick oil. 10w30 or 0w30 is certainly not too thick. Especially if you go extended oil changes with a thin oil, because oil thickens with the contaminates. Now I use 5w30 oil in my 2006 Hemi and am going to 10w30, I dont have the MDS, its a 3/4 ton. But I live in Florida and the tematures never go below freezing and I want a oil that will handle the heat better than a oil that handles the cold. Why do most high dollar cars call for 5w40? There is more to how Dodge and Ford "engineer" the cars, more like economics, CAFE, and how long they keep the cars, and making it past warranty. If 5w20 is such a engineering feat, how come Ford doesnt even spec it for any of thier cars or trucks in Europe, and how come didnt change anything in alot of thier motors yet call for a lighter oil now. As far as warranty issues the dealers make big bucks on warranty issues, Ive seen this in many years of new company vehicles. They would have to prove it was a "oil only" related failure. I would bet most if not all garages use 5w30/10w30 and dont even stock 5w20 in thier bulk tanks. I ask my friends who work at dealerships and two out of three, in Pennsyvania, neverless, say they put 10w30 in all the oil changes, that is all the dealer gets, price the oil by the drum and youll see why.
Panzerman, there are plenty of people on here who have run their 5W20 spec'd cars past warranty with no oil-related issues. Furthermore, I think you can find more than a few UOAs on here where 10W30 has sheered down a bit closer to a 20 weight anyway. I'll leave it at that as there will be plenty of folks to come along and harass you about everything else you said.
If I had the MDS, I would probably use the 5w20 or a synthetic 5w30 that would have similar properties. I dont have any experience with the 0w30 and I will admit it. Brian is correct and that was my point that after the 10w30 shears down and the 5w20 loads up there is little difference in the two. If you live in a warm climate and dont need the ultra low pumpability of 5w20, I trulely cannot see the advantage of it. The oil does suspend dirt and the thinner the oil the better chance dirt is being abrasive as it can easily be wider than the film of oil it is being suspended in, if I was to use a 5w20 as I do in my wifes car I would be sure to use a premium filter, I have had UOA done on her car with MC 5w20 and Napa gold filters and they were excellent as were with Mc 820s. My company truck a 2005 F-150 with a 4.2 is my guniea pig, I have found that gas milage remains the same with 5w20 or 5w30, and only a slight decrease with 10w30. I have noticed that brands of gasoline make the biggest diference with BP being the best, I cross checked this with my other cars and it seems to be the case.
If I had a new car now that spec'd 20 weight, I'd stick to it. As it is, I bought a CR-V in 2002 when 20 weight was not very common on store shelves. I did a lot of oil changes with 5W30 M1. I never noticed any difference in fuel economy either way. I never got the advertised highway miles, even with 20 weight.
UPDATE:
Ok, well, I just had the dealer swap in an oil change with guaranteed 5w20.
The difference was almost instantly felt. Car started up much faster, MDS kicks in much quicker and with even less warm up and the fuel economy is up 2.5MPG.
The dealer scanned the computers data log and they said the Mazda dealer where I bought it from probably put in a 30 weight seeing they could see the higher oil pressure and the lack of MDS activation on the highway.
So for my application, I have to use 5w20, not a synthetic 5w30 or anything, a 5w20 only. It does indeed make a difference with the MDS HEMI.
Ok, well, I just had the dealer swap in an oil change with guaranteed 5w20.
The difference was almost instantly felt. Car started up much faster, MDS kicks in much quicker and with even less warm up and the fuel economy is up 2.5MPG.
The dealer scanned the computers data log and they said the Mazda dealer where I bought it from probably put in a 30 weight seeing they could see the higher oil pressure and the lack of MDS activation on the highway.
So for my application, I have to use 5w20, not a synthetic 5w30 or anything, a 5w20 only. It does indeed make a difference with the MDS HEMI.
I was in the autoparts store a few weeks ago and a guy pulled up in a brand new 300C. It had the US service manual specifiying 20 weight oil. Problem is finding this product in Australia because I have never seen it. Perhaps the Chrysler dealers order it for their cutomers. Anyway, I got the distinct impression that he was going to use a 40 weight.
I hope not, because that's Havoline's exact figure for their new Deposit Shield 10W-30 at 100C.
OK, so if I understand your comment, the MDS was kicking in with the 30 weight oil and it just took longer for the 30 weight to warm up & thin out.
So it looks like the MDS will operate at thicker than the theoretical 9.3 cSt that divides the SAE20 from the SAE30 viscosity grades.
Now don't assume anything, no, it doesn't work, I had to drive for close to an hour and on perfectly flat roads for it to work, any earlier and with any sort of pedal travel it would kick the MDS off.
Now with the proper oil you have to give the engine a moderate push of the throttle to get the MDS to kick off, #@$%!, I am even climbing rolling hills without it turning off.
So please, don't start to draw unfounded conclusions. It doesn't work.
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