Dodge Charger 3.5L V-6 oil recommendation....

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The manual calls for a 3k OCI. For all conditions? Or is it for your conditions that you are going to do the 3k OCI. (short trips maybe?).

BTW I really liked how that Charger drives. That 3.5L is a much smoother engine than the Hemi. Still felt like plenty of power to me. Congrats on the car.

Allpar.com has good descriptions about all Chrysler engines.

The 3.5 liter engine in the Charger is quite a bit different than the minivan engine. The Charger engine is a SOHC with VVT and variable intake, aluminum block. The Minivan engine is an OHV engine, cast iron block.
 
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The 3.5 first came out in the '93 LH cars. I seriously doubt the factory has "messed up" in all the manuals, on the fill caps, etc, for the last 14 years.




It is just an old carry through which wasn't changed.

5w30 is completely perfect for the 5w30. They are both 30 weights at operating temperature. The only thing is that the 5w30 will flow better at cold startup.
 
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Use 5w30 in the 3.5L.

Even the Chrysler dealer I went to said someone at the factory messed it up and should have put 10w30 on the oil fill cap and such.

Use 5w30 all year round only.




I'm not sure i follow. If they should have listed to use only 10w30 then why the 5w30 recommendation?




In Canada here is says I can use 5w30 in the manuals I have seen.

10w30 will be fine for use in Houston. But in the north I wouldn't at all.
 
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The 3.5 first came out in the '93 LH cars. I seriously doubt the factory has "messed up" in all the manuals, on the fill caps, etc, for the last 14 years.


That 3.5L was an iron block engine. When Chrysler came out with the 300M they switched to an aluminum alloy block and revised the heads. This is the same engine that's used in the 300Touring and Limited models. I too am curious as to why Chrysler recommends 10W-30 for this engine when they feel comfortable recommending 5W-20, and 0W-40 for their other motors.
 
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The manual calls for a 3k OCI. For all conditions? Or is it for your conditions that you are going to do the 3k OCI. (short trips maybe?).




Yes, for short trips, etc. they specifically recommend 10W30 at 3,000/3 month OCIs. The "light duty" recommendation is still 10W30, but 6,000 mile/6 month OCIs.

They say the 5W30 is "okay" to use when the temperature gets below 0F, which never happens here in Houston.

You're right, the car is really sweet! The car is unbelievably quiet and well-mannered on the road, and the engine is smooth and powerful, with all you'd ever need for daily driving duties. For our needs, I can't see why we'd ever need any more than the 3.5L puts out. It's a great compromise between power and efficiency.

Anyone who thinks the Japanese are the only ones who make a good car, I highly recommend you look at the new Dodge Chargers and Chevy Impalas (I just bought one of those, too).
 
I agree that the 3.5L is smoother and quieter than the 5.7. I also drive a V6 Honda Accord and what surprises me is that I've seen people on import forums say the Chrysler 3.5L is harsh. Unless your driving at more than 6000 RPM the Chrysler engine is quieter and more refined. The 300 weighs a little more so it's slightly slower, but otherwise the 300 is a better car.
 
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The owner's manual specifically recommends 10W30




Are you serious?
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I thought all the Chargers were using 5w-20.
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It recommends 5W20 only for the Hemi 5.7 V8 and the 2.7L V6 engines. The 3.5L V6 specifically recommends 10W30 unless the temperature routinely goes below 0*F, in which case it says 5W30 is okay to use.

Swear to #@$%!.

I was shocked, too.




I've been using 5w20 in the 3.5 in my Chrysler for going on 3 years. 5w20 has shown the best wear numbers of any oil in my engine. Even beat the vaunted GC 0w30.
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I agree that the 3.5L is smoother and quieter than the 5.7. I also drive a V6 Honda Accord and what surprises me is that I've seen people on import forums say the Chrysler 3.5L is harsh. Unless your driving at more than 6000 RPM the Chrysler engine is quieter and more refined. The 300 weighs a little more so it's slightly slower, but otherwise the 300 is a better car.




Uhhh.. no it isn't. The HEMI is so overpowered you barely touch the throttle to get it going.

The V6 IS A FABULOUS motor, but don't start talking about it being smoother than the MDS HEMI seeing I have driven both, and I own one of them and the 3.5L is not smoother than the HEMI by a long shot.
 
By the way it is really not a HEMI...It has a Pent Roof Chamber....Not a Hemi Head like the 426 Hemi in the 60s and early 70s...The new hemi is just a Name....
 
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By the way it is really not a HEMI...It has a Pent Roof Chamber....Not a Hemi Head like the 426 Hemi in the 60s and early 70s...The new hemi is just a Name....




And what does that have to do with this thread, just keep on topic. It does still have a hemisperical combustion chamber.
 
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By the way it is really not a HEMI...It has a Pent Roof Chamber....Not a Hemi Head like the 426 Hemi in the 60s and early 70s...The new hemi is just a Name....




Baloney. While the new Hemi doesn't have a perfect hemispherical combustion chamber like the original Hemi from the 1950s, it is NOT a pent room chamber. Now the 3.5 that is the subject of this thread, that has a pent roof chamber.

And BTW, the 426 Hemi from the 60s, which was based on the wedge head 425 [typo-should say 426], didn't have a perfectly hemispherical combustion chamber either, so it wasn't "really a Hemi." The only true "Hemi" that Chrysler ever produced was the original introduced in 1952 and discontinued in 1958.
 
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By the way it is really not a HEMI...It has a Pent Roof Chamber....Not a Hemi Head like the 426 Hemi in the 60s and early 70s...The new hemi is just a Name....




Baloney. While the new Hemi doesn't have a perfect hemispherical combustion chamber like the original Hemi from the 1950s, it is NOT a pent room chamber. Now the 3.5 that is the subject of this thread, that has a pent roof chamber.

And BTW, the 426 Hemi from the 60s, which was based on the wedge head 425, didn't have a perfectly hemispherical combustion chamber either, so it wasn't "really a Hemi." The only true "Hemi" that Chrysler ever produced was the original introduced in 1952 and discontinued in 1958.




true,

The new HEMI has a slightly flatter head and two spark plugs per cylinder to control the flamefront development for better emmissions.
 
Hey G-Man...You need to get your facts right...The New Hemi is not a true hemi...It does have a Pent Roof...and the 426 Hemi was as true Hemi and it was not based on the 425...Chrysler never made one...It was based off the 426 max wedge....Pictures never lie...i suggest you look at both heads for yourself...Why do you thing that All of the Top Fuel and Funny cars are still Running the OLD Hemi...Because it was and is a true hemi....The new one is not and Chrysler had the name hemi Patened...By the way the OLD Hemi also had a head that had twin spark plugs it was brought out in the early 70s and was used for pro and super stock and then Top fuel and Funny cars....
 
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Hey G-Man...You need to get your facts right...The New Hemi is not a true hemi...It does have a Pent Roof...and the 426 Hemi was as true Hemi and it was not based on the 425...Chrysler never made one...It was based off the 426 max wedge....Pictures never lie...i suggest you look at both heads for yourself...Why do you thing that All of the Top Fuel and Funny cars are still Running the OLD Hemi...Because it was and is a true hemi....The new one is not and Chrysler had the name hemi Patened...By the way the OLD Hemi also had a head that had twin spark plugs it was brought out in the early 70s and was used for pro and super stock and then Top fuel and Funny cars....




It still has the hemisperical head, just a little flatter.

Besides, we are not talking about the combustion chamber, we are talking about the oil to use in a3.5L so if you don't want to talk about the oil that goes in it, just don't reply.

Thanks for your cooperation.
 
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Hey G-Man...You need to get your facts right...The New Hemi is not a true hemi...It does have a Pent Roof...and the 426 Hemi was as true Hemi and it was not based on the 425...Chrysler never made one...It was based off the 426 max wedge....Pictures never lie...i suggest you look at both heads for yourself...Why do you thing that All of the Top Fuel and Funny cars are still Running the OLD Hemi...Because it was and is a true hemi....The new one is not and Chrysler had the name hemi Patened...By the way the OLD Hemi also had a head that had twin spark plugs it was brought out in the early 70s and was used for pro and super stock and then Top fuel and Funny cars....




The 425 was a typo. I know the 426 Hemi was based on the 426 Max Wedge. And I agree: the new Hemi isn't a true hemi, but it does not have a pentroof combustion chamber either.

And which "old" Hemi are you talking about? The one that was designed from the ground up as a true Hemi and introduced in 1952 and used through 1958? Or the one that was based on the big block wedge motor? Seems like you're talking about the latter, and that engine did not have a true hemispherical combustion chamber. The valve angle dictated by the rocker arms having to go to the cam of an engine designed for wedge heads would not permit it. The only engine with a true hemispherical combustion chamber was Chrysler's first Hemi (and first V8 for that matter) from the 50s.
 
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It still has the hemisperical head, just a little flatter.




A "flatter" hemisphere isn't a hemisphere. It can be called hemi-like or hemi-shapped, but it ain't a hemisphere.

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Besides, we are not talking about the combustion chamber, we are talking about the oil to use in a3.5L so if you don't want to talk about the oil that goes in it, just don't reply.

Thanks for your cooperation.




I did post about the oil. Based on my experience with 5w20 in my 3.5, if you want to use 5w20 I think it will serve you well. Your engine will thank you--especially on cold mornings.
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Sorry to continue off-topic. As the Wall Street Journal reported about a year ago. The V6 costs more to manufacture than the HEMI. Due to the expense of the overhead cam, aluminum block and all. That means that the profit margin on those HEMI's is huge.
 
AstroVic, I drove a basic Dodge Magnum 3.5L rental awhile ago. I was very impressed with the feel and performance of this drivetrain and chassis. Fun car to drive. IMO- I don't see the point in running a 10w-30 when 5w-30 will more than cover your bases.

Joel
 
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Sorry to continue off-topic. As the Wall Street Journal reported about a year ago. The V6 costs more to manufacture than the HEMI. Due to the expense of the overhead cam, aluminum block and all. That means that the profit margin on those HEMI's is huge.




The 3.2 (now defunct) and 3.5 are just about the best engine designs to even come out of Detroit. It's easy to see that Chrysler had two different design teams working on the 2.7 and 3.2/3.5 and which team got it right and which one didn't.

I've personally seen a 99 300M with right at 400,000 miles on it that was still being used as a daily driver. Only thing that had ever been replaced on it (other than plugs, etc) was the timing belt. If you take care of these engines that will darn near run forever. (Oh, and the 42LE in this car had never had anything done to it other than routine fluid changes.)
 
I have a 99 Intrepid with a 3.2L and it specifies 10W-30. I understand that there were engine problems using 5W-30, so Chrysler specifies 10W-30. If the manual states 10W-30, go with that, I wouldn't use 5W-30. Any 'starburst' 10W-30 dino is fine for 3K OCI. As far as the Hemi goes, there was a letter in one of the car rags asking how Chrysler can call it a Hemi. Answer: it does have special charastics of the original, and Chrysler has the right to call it a HEMI.
Charastics: pent roof cyl, and the arraingement of valves/pushrods.
 
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