Been running JL with oil way too high?

[18_JLU_Stinger]

I've always changed my own oil in my Jeeps. Got the free ones with the JL and my dealership has been reliable so I figured I'd save the $. Thanks to all the posts on here, I checked the level when I got it home. Well, add me to the list of over-filled JLs. Drained the surplus and I'm back to doing my own oil changes!

Sponsored

 

[Mad Hatter]

Just had my first oil change yesterday, sure 'nuff, 6 quarts on the paperwork. So I called the dealer when I got home, the service advisor went to check with "somebody," and came back and said the 3.6 engine takes 6 quarts. Without going into detail in a losing cause, I noted to the gentleman that I read on the JL Forum that there is a lot of confusion on this subject.

Today, after my Rubi slept overnight, my dipstick was wet to the top of the "plug" that sits in the oil, about 1/2 inch above the full mark. That would sure indicate overfill to me!

Has there been a TSB from FCA on this issue? THAT would seem the ONLY WAY the know-it-all service departments are going to understand the oil capacity differences between the JK and JL 3.5 engine. Taking in a downloaded copy of an official TSB on JL Oil capacity and overfilling would seem the most instructional and efficient way of getting the point across.

On the other hand, "IF" it is "OK" to run with an extra quart of oil, because it fills the system with oil in motion sufficiently to lower the ambient oil level in the crankcase to prevent frothing, THEN somebody from FCA should officially confirm this to us lowly JL owners.

Otherwise, there may be hundreds of thousands of JL Wranglers with whatever problems come from overfilling 6 for 5 quarts lying in wait, slowing developing a slew of warranty claims...

Keep your oil change paperwork, especially if it reads 6 quarts used!

 

[DanW]

1/2 quart every 500 miles? That’s normal? What is the recommended oil change? 10,000 miles? She would have to replace 10 quarts of oil before her first oil change? I guess no need to ever change the oil then. Just keep replacing it 1 quart at a time!

FCA's standard for a long, long time has been 1 quart every 1k miles. If it loses more than that, they will do something if under warranty. My 08 JK has been going through 1/2 to 1 quart every 1k miles since 40k. It is at 132k now and runs like new. It is just a functional oilaholic. Since it goes through 5 to 6 quarts every 6k miles, I've wondered if I should even bother with oil changes, since it is basically all new oil by then, Lol. I have a lifetime warranty on that JK, so I've just kept driving it and adding oil every 1k. I'm betting this engine goes 300k. I don't like it, but it hasn't done anything except cost me for the extra oil.

So, yes, up to 1 quart per 1k is within what they consider to be the normal range. Many car companies use that threshold, including Mercedes Benz. Yes, I said Mercedes Benz considers this normal.

 

[DanW]

Btw, the standard FCA oil checking procedure with the 3.6 is that when the engine is at full operating temp, shut it off and then check the oil after it has sat for 5 minutes. Make sure you are doing that for the most accurate reading.

 

[ALEX-4LO]

Spoke with my dealer. They are saying 6 quarts. Called FCA they say 6 quarts. My dealer informed me if I want 5 quarts I would need to sign a waiver form stating them doing so, idk if that sounds right. Kinda stupid.

Till this day there is no valid source from this forum or owners manual highlight 5 quarts only on the JL 3.6 liter.........

 

[oceanblue2019]

Spoke with my dealer. They are saying 6 quarts. Called FCA they say 6 quarts. My dealer informed me if I want 5 quarts I would need to sign a waiver form stating them doing so, idk if that sounds right. Kinda stupid.

Till this day there is no valid source from this forum or owners manual highlight 5 quarts only on the JL 3.6 liter.........

Get a new dealership.....

 

[ALEX-4LO]

For shits and giggles I called another dealer in town and they said they have paperwork showing they add 7 quarts of oil on a JL..

 

[Solidaxle]

Simple , Check your oil not your invoice

 

[Szy_szka]

Where does it say all that jazz... "only 5 quartz instead of 6". I scammed through the manual did not see it.

Check page 509 (FLUID CAPACITIES).

 

[Shakey Graves]

I can confirm, this is how my first oil change went. I was super pissed that the service manager and his "top" mechanic said I was wrong about the number of qts. I told them to both wait and went in my jeep and grabbed the manual. I then made them both read the manual and then they finally caved and drained my jeep and refilled it will the right amount of oil. They were not happy when I submitted my survey to Jeep with all zeros. I highly recommend destroying them on the survey so Jeep finally gets the hint to send out a notice to dealers. This is not acceptable at all.

 

[Solidaxle]

It appears that all Jeep needs to do is update the computer program to show 5 quarts on the invoice regardless of how much oil they actually put in and everybody would be happy. The actual engine oil level appears to be not worth checking at any time during the whole process. If the jeep tech, Jeep owner, service writer, anybody bothered to check the oil wouldn’t they immediately know that it was overfilled and find out why.

 

[garfieldtcat]

It appears that all Jeep needs to do is update the computer program to show 5 quarts on the invoice regardless of how much oil they actually put in and everybody would be happy. The actual engine oil level appears to be not worth checking at any time during the whole process. If the jeep tech, Jeep owner, service writer, anybody bothered to check the oil wouldn’t they immediately know that it was overfilled and find out why.

My local dealership thinks the same way you do. My Jeep had its first service a couple of weeks ago and the paperwork said 6 quarts. So I called them on it and they said that the computer always says 6 quarts for every vehicle that gets an oil change regardless of how much oil they actually put in it. My service advisor said that they really only put 5 quarts in. And the note on the paperwork for the oil change said they filled it to the correct level based on the dipstick.

The real question is, are they lying to me. I checked the oil level on the dipstick before driving it around (engine was cold) and it was filled to here (just pulled the pic from earlier in the thread because I'm too lazy to go take a pic of my own). What says the internet brain trust. Overfilled or not?

 

[DanW]

My local dealership thinks the same way you do. My Jeep had its first service a couple of weeks ago and the paperwork said 6 quarts. So I called them on it and they said that the computer always says 6 quarts for every vehicle that gets an oil change regardless of how much oil they actually put in it. My service advisor said that they really only put 5 quarts in. And the note on the paperwork for the oil change said they filled it to the correct level based on the dipstick.

The real question is, are they lying to me. I checked the oil level on the dipstick before driving it around (engine was cold) and it was filled to here (just pulled the pic from earlier in the thread because I'm too lazy to go take a pic of my own). What says the internet brain trust. Overfilled or not?

That looks right to me. I don't see oil at the red line. I see it stopped where it should. Photos can be very decieving, though. But you won't get a precise reading until the oil is at full temp, turn the engine off, wait 5 minutes, then check it, of course making sure it is on level ground. The good news is that even cold, you should be fine with that reading.

More good news. There is a margin of safety. I'd bet that you could easily and safely run around 1/2 quart over and be fine, maybe more. I wouldn't have a colon hemmorage over this. For each of us that knows, there are literally thousands of Jeeps on the road overfilled by a full quart. If FCA were running into problems with them, the dealers would get a massive alert and TSB on it overnight and the problem would be corrected yesterday. Rest easy, check your oil, make them fix it if it is overfilled, and don't get too upset over a millimeter or two over the fill line. I'd be worried if I saw the oil was foaming or even had some bubbling in it when checking it right after running, but I doubt anyone has seen that.

 

[Solidaxle]

 

[HeavyUser]

Spoke with my dealer. They are saying 6 quarts. Called FCA they say 6 quarts. My dealer informed me if I want 5 quarts I would need to sign a waiver form stating them doing so, idk if that sounds right. Kinda stupid.

Till this day there is no valid source from this forum or owners manual highlight 5 quarts only on the JL 3.6 liter.........

Page 535 of the Owners Manual under section Fluid Capacities, it clearly states 5 quarts.

Sponsored