Oil for 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee v8

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Hello all, I'm new here and looking for an oil recommendation for my 2002 Grand Cherokee with the 4.7l v8. It currently has 162,000 miles on the odometer.

Owners manual says 5W-30 viscosity is preferred with the API symbol. It also lists 10W-30 for temperature ranges from 0º F to 100ºF and above. The 5W-30 recommendation is for a temperature range of -20ºF and below to 100ºF

The manual also suggests a drain interval of 3,000 miles or 7,500 miles. I know I meet the 3,000 mile requirements due to my stop and go driving in the city, sometimes dusty roads when off-roading, and driving in hot weather above 90ºF.

I live in California's central valley, where it is very hot in the summers, usually 100ºF and hotter for weeks at a time. The winters get cooler, but never below freezing. However, I will sometimes make trips up to my local mountains where we do get snow.

My driving style is moderate, stop and go city driving, with sections on highways. I will get into the throttle getting on the highway. My daily drive is 10 miles to work which consists of a 50/50 split of highway cruising and city streets.

I believe my Jeep is burning oil. It goes through about 2 quarts every 1,000 miles.

I had been using Mobil1 5W-30 full synthetic, and then moved topping my oil off with the high mileage version. I just bought some Valvoline Max Life 5W-30 oil to continue topping it off with, which is a semi-synthetic. I have also been using a drain interval of 7,000 miles with a standard Wix filter.

I don't really care about full synthetic vs semi-synthetic vs dino oil.

My main question is, what oil should I run? Also, would it be worth changing to a 10W-30 for the hot summers or full time, even though my owners manual says 5W-30 is preferred?

Thanks!
 
That's a lot of oil burning. MaxLife 10w40 or Mobil 1 HM 10w40 is what I'd run for 7,500 miles.
 
I'm sure in Maine 5w30 would be preferred, but you should not worry about a 10 or 15w in your climate. I would just run a 10w, preferably a low zinc formulation with that much oil out the tail pipe, Cali emissions and all. A hm oil is worth a try, a heavy weight will not hurt a bit either. With a 7k interval a syn blend will suffice, many dino oils will as well. Defiantly top off with dino, and / or stretch the interval.
My 2c.
 
You're using a quart every 500 miles---my 2-stroke Vespa gets better oil mileage than that. If it's not leaking all over the place, your engine is burning it, and will need rebuild or replacement/retirement soon/yesterday. Pour the cheapest 10w-30 you can find into it, and start shopping for a reman. engine if you want to keep the car.
 
Based on everything I have seen with oil burners and trying different viscosities and oils, you would be best served by first trying a 10W-30 HM blend like Maxlife or Castrol or even a full syn like M1 HM. If you continue to burn more than 1 quart every 1000 miles, then move one step up to 10W-40 HM of one of these oils and you should be able to go at least 2000 or more miles on each quart. With adding that much oil over the oil change, I would buy a 10,000 mile filter and just change it every 10k miles, esp if using M1 10W-40HM. Done it many many times.

For example, my sister is so relieved to not have to add nearly as much oil to her Chrysler minivan's 3.8 pushrod engine, which originally spec 5W-20. Somewhere along the way, they did not check the oil and let it get very low a few times, which most likely caused all the rings to gum/carbon up on the pistons and then as a result, the rings could no longer control the oil and compression as well. At first she tried ML 10W-30, a HM blend. It helped some, but not enough. Then she switched to M1 10W-30 HM, which helped even more. But she was still having to add oil way more than she wanted. Well, they are in Pensacola Florida, and I kept telling her to add 10W-40HM at least in summer, which she did. Now she uses it year round and goes 10k mile oil changes on 10k oil filter. Consumption now is totally acceptable at about 1 quart every 3-4000 miles. Yes, it's a bandaid, but works on an older vehicle to help effectively reduce all that oil burning.
 
Another Cali here. I know what you are up against. So there are a few things to try, Replace the PCV system components that look bad. Hard hoses, obviously a new OEM PCV valve, grommets, etc. While you are in there looking at stuff, see how bad the oil film is where the PCV enters the breather system ...

Next get yourself a few cans of BG 109 (now known as EPR). Better if you could get KREEN, but can't be shipped into Cali, so the BG is next best. Full can every oil change. It will free stuck rings, etc. It takes time, no instant overnight cure here. But it'll get stuff free and working as it should.

Switch to Chevron Delo 400 15W-40. It may slow the consumption right off. But over time with the BG, it may bring the oil consumption down to manageable levels. It can take the heat no problem, and it'll still start easy in the snow.

I'd drop to 5,000 mile oil changes while doing the BG treatments. Say three of those for a total of 15,000 and then see where you are at ... If all OK, continue with Delo, if small leaks and weeps, switch the Maxlife blend 10W-40 and cruise on
smile.gif
 
Try new pcv valve and air filter together with pennzoil platinum 10w30. If you are brave go pyb sae 30 atleast in summer if pp 10w30 does not fix the oil consumption.
 
Wow that is a lot of oil burning for the 4.7L at that mileage. My dad's '99 Grand Cherokee 4.7L had 200k on it and only burned maybe 1/4 quart over 5,000 miles maybe less and he wasn't someone who really kept up on maintenance.

Does it leak a lot of oil or is it burning all of it? I would check the PCV valve and look for leaks. I would think with that kind of consumption you would see blue smoke from the tail pipe.
 
give a name brand high mileage oil a try for a while. I've seen a lot of good stories regarding Castrol GTX High Mileage & Valvoline Maxlife on oil consumption. Mobil 1 HM/Pennzoil HM are good as well.
 
My 4.7 used a little oil when i first bought it. I went to 10w30 HM and changed the PCV. Those two thing slowed the oil usage way down.
 
Thanks for all of the recommendations, they are greatly appreciated.

I've replaced the PCV valve but nothing else around it. I'll check for cracks in hoses and look for leaks too.

From what you're all saying, I'll definitely be changing over to a heavier oil. Should I jump to a 10w40 or start smaller with a 10w30?

I think I'm going to start off with what BrocLuno recommended with running BG 109 for 15,000 miles at 5,000 mile intervals and also run the Chevron Delo 400 15w40.
 
Originally Posted By: justn
Thanks for all of the recommendations, they are greatly appreciated.

I've replaced the PCV valve but nothing else around it. I'll check for cracks in hoses and look for leaks too.

From what you're all saying, I'll definitely be changing over to a heavier oil. Should I jump to a 10w40 or start smaller with a 10w30?

I think I'm going to start off with what BrocLuno recommended with running BG 109 for 15,000 miles at 5,000 mile intervals and also run the Chevron Delo 400 15w40.
I'd start off with a 10w40. 10w30 HM oils aren't some magic elixir in a bottle, might as well tackle it head on and see what it does.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I'd start off with a 10w40. 10w30 HM oils aren't some magic elixir in a bottle, might as well tackle it head on and see what it does.


Thanks for the advice on the oil viscosity!
 
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
Another Cali here. I know what you are up against. So there are a few things to try, Replace the PCV system components that look bad. Hard hoses, obviously a new OEM PCV valve, grommets, etc. While you are in there looking at stuff, see how bad the oil film is where the PCV enters the breather system ...

Next get yourself a few cans of BG 109 (now known as EPR). Better if you could get KREEN, but can't be shipped into Cali, so the BG is next best. Full can every oil change. It will free stuck rings, etc. It takes time, no instant overnight cure here. But it'll get stuff free and working as it should.

Switch to Chevron Delo 400 15W-40. It may slow the consumption right off. But over time with the BG, it may bring the oil consumption down to manageable levels. It can take the heat no problem, and it'll still start easy in the snow.

I'd drop to 5,000 mile oil changes while doing the BG treatments. Say three of those for a total of 15,000 and then see where you are at ... If all OK, continue with Delo, if small leaks and weeps, switch the Maxlife blend 10W-40 and cruise on
smile.gif




Do you recommend keeping the BG 109 in for the full 5,000 mile drain interval?
 
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