Been having the dealer change oil since truck was new because I had a stack of discount coupons.

Decided to do it myself this time since the dealer is a 40 mile round trip.

Sooooo, when I drained the old it DID NOT look or feel like 5w-20....seemed like higher viscosity similar to straight 30 weight but who knows.

I put known 5w-20 dino oil in it and:

MDS engages sooner and stays engaged longer than before. Very noticeable.

 

send it in if you still have the old oil.
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/what-is-oil-analysis.php

 

A snippet from the owner's manual:

NOTE: Vehicles equipped with a 5.7L engine must use
SAE 5W-20 oil. Failure to do so may result in improper
operation of the Multi-Displacement System (MDS). Refer
to “Multi-Displacement System” in “Starting and
Operating” for further information.

 

x2! Blackstone ROCKS!

 

No need to spend the $$. It wouldn't change the outcome.

 

i would let the dealer know, now enjoy your slight increase in mpg.

 

It could change the outcome if the dealer has been putting the wrong oil in your truck for however long....I'd flip my lid, and fight it in a professional manner and get some kind of compensation out of it...

not trying to come off as an dick head but the manual states use nothing but 5-20 if not it can cause your MDS to inproperly act....if your MDS craps out early and you have all this filed then you have something to use against them. your truck your engine...

 

My Avenger and my Daughters Caliber uses 5 20 I believe I know the AVenger does, She just got the Caliber so I am not sure.

 

My Caliber used 0W30 but it was an SRT model, talk about a hard oil to find around here.

 

I know my local dealer buys in bulk and throws 5w-20 in EVERYTHING if you don't specify different no matter what the engine calls for. I don't let the dealer touch my truck or Jeep, but my mom's Journey calls for 5w-20 and the oil changes are free for the first 3 years/36k miles.

I know the only oil that actually changes to a thicker viscosity is Amsoil which is why it lasts so long. It has properties that makes it thicker with repeated heating/coolings. I'm not an Amsoil lover or hater, but it's this reason I don't like Amsoil in a cylinder deactivation (MDS) engine.

I guess it's possible the dealer is using bulk 5w-30, but I'd hate to think that as I know for a fact that Dodge has refused engine warranty claims when an oil other than 5w-20 was found to be in the crank case on MDS engines.

But your symptoms would indicate that a thicker oil was used as you will see a slight MPG increase with less restrictive (thinner) oil.

It's never a bad idea to have your oil tested after changing just to know how it's reacting to your driving habits and conditions. I've had mine tested once in my truck and once in my Jeep (full synthetic in both) at 5k change intervals. Since Blackstone reported that I could go another 2500 miles with both I know that 5k is a good interval for me and it'd be no big deal if I was away or something and couldn't change it right away at 5k...