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Accidentally used 5W-20

Rhinebeck01

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Isn't 0w20 specified for the 3.6 now? If that's the case, 5w20 really isn't that far off. It's still 20-weight oil. 5w20 was also the previous spec for the 3.6. GO figure.
Yes, per owner's manual 0w20.

I have JK and JL and use 5w20 in both.
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Pape

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All fine unless you live at the north pole.
The oil will flow less when cold that it.
BTW 0W20 is the standard oil for the 3.6 as pointed by others
 

Dale's Jeep

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5w20 is just fine for these motors do not over think it and let folks scare you into thinking it's bad and gonna hurt something.
 

alphawolff

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You should be using 5w-30 or 0w-30 for the 3.6L. The engine was designed for 5w-30 and later changed in 2013 for fuel economy reasons.

0w-20 is purely a USA thing to eek out the maximum fuel economy performance. A lot of manufacturers that use it recommend 5w-30 literally every else in the world for their engines. Mazda is a good example of this off the top of my head.

Regardless, you do not need to drain your oil. You will be fine with what you have done.
 

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JLfromCA

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You should be using 5w-30 or 0w-30 for the 3.6L. The engine was designed for 5w-30 and later changed in 2013 for fuel economy reasons.

0w-20 is purely a USA thing to eek out the maximum fuel economy performance. A lot of manufacturers that use it recommend 5w-30 literally every else in the world for their engines. Mazda is a good example of this off the top of my head.

Regardless, you do not need to drain your oil. You will be fine with what you have done.
This has been brought up and proven to be false many times. Do you have any documentation that shows in other countries Jeep recommend 5w30 for the new 2018+ 3.6. Please post the links.
 

m3reno

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Our engines are very similar to the Maserati 3.6 and they require 0w 40.
 

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Proper fill is exactly 5 qts. of oil.
I don't quite know that this is the only reason I would ever buy a 3.6l JL, but exactly 5 quarts is kind of nice. It's always a hassle especially when you're using oil additives to sit there and try and pour in exactly nine quarts into the EcoDiesel.

Maybe someday! ? ;):like:
 

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I've used 5w30 in mine since I did the first change at 2k miles. You'll have zero issues using 4 qts of 5w30 and one qt of 5w20. I wouldn't worry about until the next oil change.
 

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azwjowner

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I don't quite know that this is the only reason I would ever buy a 3.6l JL, but exactly 5 quarts is kind of nice. It's always a hassle especially when you're using oil additives to sit there and try and pour in exactly nine quarts into the EcoDiesel.

Maybe someday! ? ;):like:
It is. Even better is that both my JL and my Honda take exactly 5 quarts of 0w20. I use Mobil 1 in both and it's absolutely wonderful to buy a 5 quart jug and be able to pour the whole jug in either vehicle. I love simplicity.
 

alphawolff

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This has been brought up and proven to be false many times. Do you have any documentation that shows in other countries Jeep recommend 5w30 for the new 2018+ 3.6. Please post the links.
Jeep specifically does not, as it's built with the NA market in mind. Other manufactures, such as Mazda, build it with their home country in mind then adapt it for other countries as needed. CAFE standards require manufacturers to egg out any possible advantage left on the table. It's why stop/start exists.

The Pentastar was originally built for 5w-30 oil. In 2013 this was reduced to 5w-20 as it was proven to gain additional fuel economy with very little additional wear under the warranty period. As you're well aware we had rocker arms failing across the entire fleet after this change as made.

With the upgraded Pentastar they changed a bunch of things, namely upgraded rocker arms (that still fail) and tighter bearing tolerances. The improvement in manufacturing quality allowed them to change to 0w-20 to allow slightly better emissions during cold engine starts. Do note that the entire reason the Pentastar upgrade exists is because of emissions. They added EGR, higher compression, lighter oil, and variable valve lift to eek out as much as possible. The engine design also technically supports direct injection, but I hope we never get that version. This is also why the newer engine should require 89 octane due to the higher compression but was left at 87 due to consumer requirements and expectations. Drive the heavier gladiator around during the hot summer and you will feel the engine knock and retard timing on 87.

The difference between 5w-30 and 0w-30 is close enough that you could run either or. I personally suggest running 5w-30 on the original 3.6L, and 0w-30 on the upgraded 3.6L as the design allows for it. The first number only effects cold starts anyway, and the second number is what we're actually trying to improve upon.

The 0w-20 (or 5w-20) recommendation is totally fine for the vast majority of users in most cases. However, if you frequently drive the vehicle in such a way that you consistently get higher oil temperatures I'd strongly suggest running the heavier oil the engine was originally designed for.

I ran 5w-40 on my supercharged 2016 JK for 46k trouble free miles before it was stolen. I know it isn't a lot to determine rocker arm failure, but I can confidently say it didn't hurt to run it. From experience I've also only replaced rockers on 2012s a handful of times. The thicker oil helps with roller bearing health.

Here's an example from the 2023 Miata's manual showing the difference depending on location. It clearly shows how manufactures change things purely for the stricter CAFE/EPA standards we have here in the states:

Jeep Wrangler JL Accidentally used 5W-20 1710224867373-bq
 

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Own a 2022 Jeep Wrangler JLU Sport. Went to go buy 5W-30 oil today and the container felt a little light on so I grabbed the one behind it….after putting it in, I realized it said 5W-20. Am I screwed?

Edit: 3.6L engine. Live in New Jersey
Don't sweat it your fine!
 

Cutterone

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I've been running 5w-20 since new, going to go 5w-30 for the summers up here in NH, if not year around going forward. Pennzoil Plat full syn...
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