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

[AstroVic]

Fellas,

I'm a longtime BITOG member and I'd like to get some of your thoughts on this engine. This is my first Dodge vehicle (so far I love it!) so I'm unfamiliar with this engine. I've heard good things about it, though, and at this point I'm very happy with it's performance and economy.

The owner's manual specifically recommends 10W30 and says synthetic is okay to use (duh!)...

Some thoughts....

1. I've used TropArtic 5W30/10W30 synthetic blends and found it to work just fine. It's about $1.68/quart at Walmart.

2. I can buy Royal Purple (API SL) synthetic oil for about $3.60 per quart.

3. This is my wife's car. I plan on following the 3,000 mile OCI recommended by the manual, and we plan on keeping this vehicle for about 8 years (200,000 miles or so).

Thoughts, commments, opinions - particularly if you know a little something about these engines - are all welcome!

Thanks!

 

[Merkava_4]

Quote:

---

The owner's manual specifically recommends 10W30

---

Are you serious?

I thought all the Chargers were using 5w-20.

 

[AstroVic]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

The owner's manual specifically recommends 10W30

---

Are you serious?

I thought all the Chargers were using 5w-20.

---

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.

 

[Merkava_4]

Ok in that case, I'd be running Maxlife 10W-30 at the factory recommended 3000 mile OCI. And that's not an opinion, just a preference.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

If you plan on a lifetime of 3K OCIs, then stick with your Conoco family of dino/blend oils.

Best of luck to your wife's new ride.

 

[jbas]

You can trace its lineage on this site:

http://www.aa1car.com/library/2004/us110422.htm

I have the same engine in my '06 Pacifica, same instructions use only 10W-30. I just changed the factory oil to the newer Shell Rotella T SM-rated 10W-30. Runs great, but don't know long-term what oil this engine prefers. Intend to put an Amsoil EaO filter on it after a couple of OCs.

 

[hominid7]

My Moms 2001 Town and Country has the same engine and it gets Castrol 10w30 at the dealer. Never any problems in Dallas winters, so i suspect 10w30 would be fine in Houston.

Being that you have a supply and have had good experiences with TropArtic i'd stick with that. I have had very good luck with TropArtic and in fact just picked up some 10w30 TA tonight at Walmart!

 

[Merkava_4]

Quote:

---

2. I can buy Royal Purple (API SL) synthetic oil for about $3.60 per quart.

---

How are you able to get Royal Purple for $3.60 a quart?

 

[AstroVic]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

2. I can buy Royal Purple (API SL) synthetic oil for about $3.60 per quart.

---

How are you able to get Royal Purple for $3.60 a quart?

---

I am a "distributor" with Royal Purple for pricing purposes. I do not resell it; I only buy it for friends and family (personal use). I live about 20 miles from their world headquarters and I was granted the distributor pricing as a favor.

Since you wanted to know.

But that's what makes this interesting for me. The fact that I can get such a great deal on Royal Purple makes it really attractive as "THE OIL" to use for the life of this car. Still, like most BITOGERs, I question whether it will give me twice the benefit over TropArtic, which costs half as much. The eternal debate rages on....

 

[Volvohead]

Schaeffers! Our 3.2 (same engine) just LOVED it.

If you move to a good blend or full synthetic, you can run 5w-30 no problems, even though you would have little reason to do so down your way.

 

[Norm Olt]

I second (or 3rd) the CoNoCo Semi-Syn recommendation, especially if you are using 3K OCI's.

A very good article about the 3.5L! One thing I did notice was an apparent contradiction regarding the heads and camshafts: one statement was that the heads on this North/South oriented engine could be removed without removing any of the valvetrain, etc. They then said that the engine had to be removed from the vehicle to remove an overhead cam(a 9 HOUR per SIDE job!)?

UGH! Terrible engineering, IMHO!

 

[va3ux]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

The owner's manual specifically recommends 10W30

---

Are you serious?

I thought all the Chargers were using 5w-20.

---

The Chrysler 3.5L V6 has been 10W-30 since it came out back in the late 90's (5W-30 for temps < 0 F). It's a good engine. It doesn't have the high temp carbon/varnish or low temp sludging problem that the 2.7 has. Be sure to change the timing belt at or before 100K miles.

 

[AstroVic]

I just checked out my local Walmart and the beloved TropArtic has disappeared completely from the shelves. They were in the process of doing a new display on the shelves and a quick look at the display sheets showed no TropArtic.

So, the question remains....

Royal Purple for less than $4 a quart including tax?

Or, Pennzoil for about $2.65 a quart including tax?

 

[98LSC32V]

If you can get Royal Purple for less than $4 a quart I would use that.

 

[BlazerLT]

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.

 

[jbas]

"and should have put 10w30 on the oil fill cap and such"

??? They did. The manual is very specific to use only 10W-30. What did your friend say?

 

[zrxkawboy]

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.

 

[addyguy]

Since you have a fairly stable supply of RP at a decent price, I would use that, and stretch the OCI's a bit - go with whatever the 'max' interval is in the manual (probably 7,500 miles). That way, you'll have to service less, get great protection, and stay within you warranty guidelines....

 

[hominid7]

Quote:

---

I just checked out my local Walmart and the beloved TropArtic has disappeared completely from the shelves. They were in the process of doing a new display on the shelves and a quick look at the display sheets showed no TropArtic.

So, the question remains....

Royal Purple for less than $4 a quart including tax?

Or, Pennzoil for about $2.65 a quart including tax?

---

Motorcraft for 2.29~2.69

 

[hominid7]

Quote:

---

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?