First oil change when? Does factory use synthetic oil?

[Paul Holland]

We’re picking up our 3.6L Rubicon soon and was wondering if synthetic oil is used at the factory. I’ve used Amzoil in the past with excellent results. Exactly when is the first oil change recommended? I’ll do it sooner than needed but just wondering about the use of synthetic oil used at the factory.

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[roaniecowpony]

I think you can change it pretty quickly without problems. Just be sure the rings are seated. That requires cylinder pressure. Cylinder pressure requires load and moderate throttle. Idling and heavy traffic stop n go isn't what I'd do. I take my new vehicles on the highway and run them 20-30 mins at highway speed, slow down to minimum highway speed (45 mph here) for 5 mins, then back up to 70 ish for 20-30 mins., repeat a few times and it's either seated the rings or its unlikely they ever will. There is no break in of bearings .

 

[Hootbro]

Having now owned 4 different vehicles with the 3.6L and doing the initial factory fill oil analysis on all of them, I am of the speculative deduction they use bulk oil derived from the Pennzoil Gold 0W-20 grade which is the bare minimum MS-6395 spec oil Pennzoil makes in that grade and is a semi-synthetic blend. It could be a full synthetic Pennzoil Platinum product but where pennies per unit makes up millions of dollars over time, I cannot see them using that when the cheaper Pennzoil Gold will meet the spec.

As to first oil change recommendation, manual states to follow the OLM but to not exceed either one year or 10K miles whichever comes first.

As to changing early, there is no evidence to suggest not following the OLM and manual recommendations will not give you adequate service life of the motor over time. The "cheap insurance" crowd will tell you change it early like 500 or 1K miles in but regardless of what you do, somebody is going to tell you are doing it wrong.

I am kind of a pick the middle of the spec/tolerance person and try to do my oil changes at 5K miles more or less because it is just a easier block of numbers to remember coupled with the tire rotation schedule on the same for me.

Pentastar motors have been pretty reliable for the most part the last few years with many fleet customers with just the minimum of maintenance going well into the 300K+ mile range for life with even one known case of 600K mile one.

If you trade in every few years, hyper over maintenance just rewards the next owner.

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