All you 5.7L Hemi Owners, Synthetic Oil?

[PenJoe]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Spring can bring some pretty crappy weather !!!

Our neighbors headed back to Canada just as that nasty weather put a moving bulls eye on their travel route. Hopefully Mother Nature gets over her tantrums before we head back.

[HappyGuy]

5W30 is fine to run in a motor that asks for 10W30

[Crusadernoob]

I feel like the odd man out in this topic. Bought a car new late in 96, ran conventional oil from day 1, passed it on to my kid, conventional still, it's got over 250,000 miles on it and still going. Nope, it doesn't use any oil either. My "new" to me car, Dexos, it is semi-synthetic, this is what GM recommends. Our TV, conventional, every 5,000 bought it with 130,000 on it, have done a UOA once a year and it comes back in great shape. Some engines have known sludge issues, but most, with good maintenance will do just fine. Some engines, like the Duramax, have been proven over and over, time after time, with UOA's, it does not matter if you use conventional, semi-synthetic, or full synthetic. I won't say synthetic is a waste of money, I would suggest to do further homework on the engines YOU have and make a decision. FYI, for all those high mileage full synthetic oil user's, you need to run a bypass filtration system to obtain high mileage oil change interval's. As stated before an OE filter is not high quality enough, meaning low micron rating, to be effective in removing contaminates, these are what turn's it black, DIRT. A bypass filter only filter's a low percentage at a low rate. I can change a lot of oil and filter's for the price of a bypass kit.

I know, let the beating's begin!

[HappyGuy]

Or swap the filter at the prescribed interval and top up the oil by a quart in place of the bypass filter. But many folks would rather just finish the job and do a complete change. We ran an extended oil change interval on the F150 but it had remote oil filters and those were changed at the normal interval. To each their own though.

[PenJoe]

Crusadernoob, no beatings. Farm tractors, for instance, built in the 30's, 40's and 50's are still running using petro based oil provided they are maintained. However, the newer engines, many with aluminum blocks, are recommended to use synthetic oil. Synthetic oil does not break down and sludge, but it still gets dirty and requires interval changes. It is not worth running lubricants past their prime to see how long the motor will last.

[dsjohns71]

I've ran Royal Purple 5w20 (7 quarts) and royal Purple filter in my 2011 ram 1500 since the first oil change. I change oil every 5-6000 miles and with almost 200,000 miles on it now it still runs like new. Of course I maintain the tranny and rear end every 50,000 miles but let the dealer do these. Not sure if it's worth it or not, but makes me feel better... Lol

[Wolverine 1945]

I do not believe that Ford Motor Co. would put a Syn blend in every thing they build,,,
If they did not believe it was better than conventional oil !!!

[Too Tall]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

I do not believe that Ford Motor Co. would put a Syn blend in every thing they build,,,
If they did not believe it was better than conventional oil !!!

IMO, Either use full synthetic or Dino. A mix is kind of an unknown. Most 5w's are mixes.

[stevensmith2859]

Synth Blend is the minimum, but is thier any truth to the once you go full synth you cant go back?

[SKnight]

Originally Posted by stevensmith2859

Synth Blend is the minimum, but is thier any truth to the once you go full synth you cant go back?

None. You can switch back and forth every oil change, if necessary you can pour conventional in with synthetic to top it off, you just lose the advantages of synthetic.

I didn't read all seven pages, so I might be repeating, but there are a lot of advantages. Synthetic is a better lube, it's more slippery, which makes the engine more efficient. It's shear strength is higher meaning it doesn't squish out of tight spaces like bearings as easily. It will keep the engine cleaner.

It's so slick that unless the engine came with synthetic (Which involves special rings and bore finish.) it's not recommended you change to synthetic until the second oil change so that the rings can get broken in properly.

I have Mobil 1 synthetic in every engine I own including my lawn equipment, except my two stroke weed eater and when I get my next bottle of two stroke oil I'm going to see if they have a synthetic. I double my change interval, it's just as pretty coming out as when it goes in and there's a slight increase in gas mileage.

[Simplewon]

I use m one full syn in everything except the srt which gets it's recommended ow 40 full syn pennzoil. I do swap them to 10w30 instead of the 5w they call for. All show 10w30 as an optional oil in the owners manual pending temperature ranges used in.
350z high milage daily driver still has clean oil when the oil is drained during an oil change. 135k now burns no oil.
98 5.9L grand cherokee had since 98 and still has clean oil when the oil is drained. 222k on it. Burns no oil.
14 jeep srt is on a different diet 19k burns no oil.
and then the 6.0 2500 is way to early to judge. 52k and burns a touch.

I've debated on mobil one in the boat but still change it's oil with merc oem oil. No doubt a mistake.

[jeffdawgfan]

2016 RAM Laramie 4x4 with Hemi. I changed to Mobil1 and wix filter 5W30 at first oil change (5000miles). I have used mobil one since it first came out and have never had a single oil related issue. RAM says only use 5W/20 on the 5.7 Hemi with MDS but IMO during summer you really need that 5w/30. No issues.

[Kenny kustom]

Originally Posted by jeffdawgfan

2016 RAM Laramie 4x4 with Hemi. I changed to Mobil1 and wix filter 5W30 at first oil change (5000miles). I have used mobil one since it first came out and have never had a single oil related issue. RAM says only use 5W/20 on the 5.7 Hemi with MDS but IMO during summer you really need that 5w/30. No issues.

Because you know more than Chrysler engineers.

MDS has required 5/20 for years.
Tell Chrysler, I'll bet they would void your warranty...


2016 Sabre 36QBOK
2015 Ram 3500 CUMMINS

[jeffdawgfan]

No, because I understand the Hemi Engine and how the MDS works. 5W20 is recommended due to increased flow resistance through the lifters for the MDS to function. It may also increase your mileage a little. The same engine in the 2500, or several other vehicles that Dodge makes calls for 5W30 if they do not have MDS. I tow a heavy trailer in high temperatures in the South. My MDS works just fine and my engine is better protected better with 5w30 IMO. If you are not getting adequate oil flow through the lifters for MDS a pressure sensor will give you a check engine light. This does not harm the engine, just makes it sluggish to go into/out of MDS. You WILL know if you have this problem. This is my second RAM in ten years with MDS. I put 210K on the first one using 5/30W. Never any issues and it was not burning a drop of oil when I burned it. I will keep using my 5W30 in the summer and use 5w20 in winter when not towing. Chrysler Engineers also sign off on using Dino oil and longer change intervals. I go synthetic and change every 7500 miles.

[Simplewon]

The owners manual shows 10w30 as an option if weather conditions are not extreme. At least they did in an 06 jeep commander. The owners manual of my 350z shows the same as an option in the owners manual. The commander was also a mds 5.7 hemi.

engineers also know at what age a plastic knob falls apart, brake line rust and the pressed composite leather seats fall apart. They have a 7 year business plan and part of that plan is you are back buying a new one.

[Kenny kustom]

5w20 in the 3.6 and 5.7.

0w40 in the 6.4.


2016 Sabre 36QBOK
2015 Ram 3500 CUMMINS

[Simplewon]

0w40 Pennzoil makes for an expensive oil change on the srt. It's my only vehicle not running 10w30 mobil 1. A few owners on the srt forum are using mobil 1. I've kept mine on the srt Pennzoil via amazon so far.
Like the 5.7 in the commander the srt is noisy, typical of the hemi. I keep the srt in it's 1st level of sport mode so it prevents four cylinder mode. Neither the commander nor the srt has a dimes bit a difference in mds mpg. But it makes for a slight vibration and poor exhaust note. If i wanted a 4 cylinder.........I don't think so.

[Wolverine 1945]

I am sure I missed something,,, but does MDS stand for ???


I ask a Ford dealer about using 5w30,,, in my 5.4,,, because I had some,,, he said the engine might be a little noisier ???

[jeffdawgfan]

MDS=Multi Displacement system. Basically the engine turns off 4 cylinders out of 8 to conserve fuel during low load conditions. The 5.7 Hemi has used this since 2006. GMC uses it quite a bit in the Cadillac brand. Mercedes did (still) uses it quite often in their bigger V-8 engines. Process is controlled by hydraulic pressure...hence the discussion regarding different viscosities of oil. For example...Chrysler/Fiat "recommends" 5W20 oil in the 5.7 Hemi in the RAM 1500. This ensures proper operation of the MDS system. 5W20 however at high temperatures and loads provides less protection thus some of us prefer to use 5W30 during the summer hot months. This might, although most do not encounter this, cause the process of entering and leaving MDS to be sluggish. The engine may feel like it is running rough during the transition. The process of entering and leaving MDS takes fractions of a second and usually is not even noticed. I myself have not encountered this effect on either of the two RAM 1500's I have had.

[Wolverine 1945]

Thank You Jeff !!!