Dealer messed it up again and used 7.5 quarts of oil

[Mad Hatter]

Since there are two active threads on this subject, I'll post this here and in the 3.6L Engine forum thread re. 5 Quarts:

After my first oil change last week resulted in an overfilled engine per the dipstick, I emailed the Service Manager at the dealer involved. I explained the situation as I understood it, including the observation that it wasn't his dealer's shoddy work, rather there seemed to be a communications issue between FCA and its dealers (I should have borrowed "Failure to Communicate" from a great old movie, but I digress...).

By coincidence, I received late last week both a JK and a JL Owner's Manual from Jeep Customer Service, as I had requested a printed copy to use if/when I was out of cellular range (and thus the on-screen manual doesn't work). I copied the pertinent pages showing the different capacities, 6 quarts and 5 quarts, respectively for the JK and JL 3.6L engines and put them into a pdf file, attached to the email. (Copy of this pdf is attached for your use with your own service departments.)

And I gave the Service Manager links to 3 of the pertinent threads on JL Wrangler Forums.

He contacted me back earlier today and asked me to bring my vehicle in as soon as possible for a new oil change. I was able to do that this afternoon. While I was there, he informed me that he had contacted his district rep and then went to the Chrysler Service Documentation and, reading down all the detailed specifications, confirmed the 5 quarts for the 3.6L Wrangler JL engine. He was very much surprised at this change, since apparently every Wrangler since the mid-1980's has used 6 quarts of oil! He also suggested this may have been done when they went to full-synthetic oil, perhaps to save money on the sixth quart or perhaps the extra quart wasn't needed any more, due to reduced consumption.

So Service Departments can be responsive! It's just up to us now to gently show the rest of them the 6-quart error of their ways!

Good Luck out there!

MH

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[WilliamstownLakeDude]

Change your own oil. So easy a caveman can do it. Plus you can take your time to let it drain out all the way. You don't want to know who is working on your jeep at the dealership. I can't believe people waste their money on this. Mobil1 full synthetic, do it right. This forum is mind blowing. I came from the JK forum, where everyone works on their own jeep. Some of these posts are pathetic. Looks like most of your jeeps have never seen a dirt road.

Mine has seen plenty of dirt, water, and snow. Go be an a$$ somewhere else.

 

[WilliamstownLakeDude]

Since there are two active threads on this subject, I'll post this here and in the 3.6L Engine forum thread re. 5 Quarts:

After my first oil change last week resulted in an overfilled engine per the dipstick, I emailed the Service Manager at the dealer involved. I explained the situation as I understood it, including the observation that it wasn't his dealer's shoddy work, rather there seemed to be a communications issue between FCA and its dealers (I should have borrowed "Failure to Communicate" from a great old movie, but I digress...).

By coincidence, I received late last week both a JK and a JL Owner's Manual from Jeep Customer Service, as I had requested a printed copy to use if/when I was out of cellular range (and thus the on-screen manual doesn't work). I copied the pertinent pages showing the different capacities, 6 quarts and 5 quarts, respectively for the JK and JL 3.6L engines and put them into a pdf file, attached to the email. (Copy of this pdf is attached for your use with your own service departments.)

And I gave the Service Manager links to 3 of the pertinent threads on JL Wrangler Forums.

He contacted me back earlier today and asked me to bring my vehicle in as soon as possible for a new oil change. I was able to do that this afternoon. While I was there, he informed me that he had contacted his district rep and then went to the Chrysler Service Documentation and, reading down all the detailed specifications, confirmed the 5 quarts for the 3.6L Wrangler JL engine. He was very much surprised at this change, since apparently every Wrangler since the mid-1980's has used 6 quarts of oil! He also suggested this may have been done when they went to full-synthetic oil, perhaps to save money on the sixth quart or perhaps the extra quart wasn't needed any more, due to reduced consumption.

So Service Departments can be responsive! It's just up to us now to gently show the rest of them the 6-quart error of their ways!

Good Luck out there!

MH

The problem is, mine was completely unwilling to listen. “The manual is wrong” “Do you even know how a car works” (yes) “Well my 3.6L Grand Cherokee takes 6” “The dipstick looks fine” (yea 2 seconds after the Jeep was running)

 

[Mad Hatter]

"The Manual is wrong" kind of loses credibility with the oil level on the wire above the dipstick "plug". The cross-hatched area on the plug is supposed to indicate "1 quart low" to "full." Anything above that "full" indication is overfill. Does your dealer suggest that the dipstick is engineered wrong also?

(Not picking on you, just suggesting some responses...)

I'll just start repeating the P.S. that FCA is not doing themselves any favors by the "ostrich-in-ground" approach to this problem. A TSB is way overdue!!!!!!!!

 

[blnewt]

Not hating on anyone that wants to get their oil changed at the dealer, but in all my 40+ years of DIY oil changes the JL is by far the easiest vehicle to DIY the service. Literally takes 15 minutes w/ plenty of room to get to everything, no mess from a bottom mount filter, and never worry about wrong fill amounts since a 5 qt jug is right there ready to work for you

Comes out cheaper IME, than taking it to the dealer (depending how far they are), waiting for the service, the return drive home, then the worry that it might have been done wrong or something over/under torqued, cross threaded, etc.

 

[Dice23]

Not hating on anyone that wants to get their oil changed at the dealer, but in all my 40+ years of DIY oil changes the JL is by far the easiest vehicle to DIY the service. Literally takes 15 minutes w/ plenty of room to get to everything, no mess from a bottom mount filter, and never worry about wrong fill amounts since a 5 qt jug is right there ready

Not hating on anyone that wants to get their oil changed at the dealer, but in all my 40+ years of DIY oil changes the JL is by far the easiest vehicle to DIY the service. Literally takes 15 minutes w/ plenty of room to get to everything, no mess from a bottom mount filter, and never worry about wrong fill amounts since a 5 qt jug is right there ready to work for you

Comes out cheaper IME, than taking it to the dealer (depending how far they are), waiting for the service, the return drive home, then the worry that it might have been done wrong or something over/under torqued, cross threaded, etc.

this has been a big problem for almost 2 years now. I’ve heard story’s about the customer telling the service department to only put 5 quarts in, and they put 6 in. These mechanics think they know everything so they don’t look up the proper amount to put in the JL pentastar. I do my own oil changes because usually you can get s good deal at Walmart for one 5 quart jug. I can’t believe they put over 7 quarts in a Jl. I don’t understand what is so difficult to understand. Also who knows what kind of oil they really put in at the dealer. Today everything is a scam.

 

[WilliamstownLakeDude]

"The Manual is wrong" kind of loses credibility with the oil level on the wire above the dipstick "plug". The cross-hatched area on the plug is supposed to indicate "1 quart low" to "full." Anything above that "full" indication is overfill. Does your dealer suggest that the dipstick is engineered wrong also?

(Not picking on you, just suggesting some responses...)

I'll just start repeating the P.S. that FCA is not doing themselves any favors by the "ostrich-in-ground" approach to this problem. A TSB is way overdue!!!!!!!!

No, but they can’t read it correctly either, because they said it was right where it should be...with 7.5 quarts of oil

 

[blnewt]

No, but they can’t read it correctly either, because they said it was right where it should be...with 7.5 quarts of oil

Pretty sad state of affairs I'd say

 

[8flat]

Had to come on here and tell you guys my experience last week....hahaha.......told the dealer about the 5qt change, they looked it up and it said 6qts so that's what my 3.6 got. Afterwards I pulled the dipstick and sure enough, 1qt too full. Showed the service manager, she shrugged her shoulders and defaulted to their documentation.

Best part is: the service manager is my step-mom! hahaha I think I lost this battle before I started.

I'll be doing my own oil changes.

 

[entropy]

Dealerships are like the hospital. You only go in when really really needed as a high chance you come out with more problems then when you went in......

I pay my son for one hour @ $15 to do the oil change under my supervision. I provide the oil and filter. Have a Femco valve so it's an easy exercise.

I pay him so he learns how to do it; how to work carefully and purposely and check his work; and how to manage money. He's 13. These are skills not present in todays schools or youth as our society has become pay-as-you-go.

It also gives us some time to hang out together.

I bet you he has fun doing it too! excellent idea.

 

[Pat’s Sahara Unlimited]

Change your own oil. So easy a caveman can do it. Plus you can take your time to let it drain out all the way. You don't want to know who is working on your jeep at the dealership. I can't believe people waste their money on this. Mobil1 full synthetic, do it right. This forum is mind blowing. I came from the JK forum, where everyone works on their own jeep. Some of these posts are pathetic. Looks like most of your jeeps have never seen a dirt road.

Yes, it’s not rocket science, but…
God forbid one day you’ll need warranty work done on your engine, such as the lifter issues most 3.6 are prone to have and they have no track of oil changes in their system, I’ll garantee you that the dealer will use that excuse to push back on warranty repairs and it will become an uphill battle to get your car fixed. The burden of proper maintenance will fall on you. I worked for a automotive consumer advocacy group here a few years ago, and that was one of the major fights we saw coming through. You better keep all your parts (oil, filters etc.) purchase receipts, and have the mileage info on those receipts etc. And honestly, oil change cost at the dealer is pretty much the same as a diy job (actually, in my case it is cheaper), so there are no real cost benefits to go that road while your Jeep is still under warranty…

And one last thing: change your oil at shorter intervals than those indicated. I've seen enough tear down videos of recent Pentastars engines that show a lot of varnish on the valve train, cams etc. Those extended oil change intervals are there to make you, the consumer, fall for cheap maintenance costs, but it’s a shortsighted view. If you plan to own your car for more than 5 years, oil changes are a cheap investment compared to early engine failure…

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