Hello to the seasoned CRD veterans....! Any answers or opinions to my questions would be greatly appreciated !

I have a 06 Sport CRD with 22,000 miles. I bought it in the U.S and I live in Canada, so the warranty is void.

My first question involves oil. I have owned a Dodge Cummins as well as large Cummins Cat & engines in heavy trucks. I have typically used Royal Purple 15/40 in all my diesel engines that I have owned. I also run Royal Purple in all my gas vehicles. I realize that the CRD asks for 0w/40. I called the tech at Royal Purple and asked what he thought of running 15w/40 in a vehicle that asks for 0/40. He said that the 0w oil would help with starting in cold climates, other than that the 40 is the most important protection factor in your oil. I'm close to the Seattle areas where it gets rarely below freezing on the coldest days. So from what he said, 15w/40 should be fine in my application. What do you guys think ?

I was also reading here that the pan bolt strips easily and that you can buy a drain plug of some sort, how does that work and which one exactly ?
I saw a link that show that you can use Cat fuel filters ?

My CRD has had all the updates and recalls done, including the torque converter. Is there anything else that I should be aware of ?

Thanks very much !

The FSM, Factory Service Manual, for export models calls for a 10-40w so the weight is open to interpertation. Most users here use Shell Rotella 5-40W symthetic in the blue bottle. I used 15-40 Rotella in many VW's with no problems for years so I think your Royal Purple would work fine. There are some things you should know

First the oil drain lug is some kind of "b@#$%^d" English thread and the aluminum oil pan strips easily . So get a Fomoto drain valve from Greg of lubrication specialists here and avoid that problem.

Second the dip stick is marked MIN and MAX. MAX does not mean full it means exacly what it says MAX. So the first time you change the oil put in exactly 6.3 quarts or whatever it is and see where it comes to on the stick and that's FULL. When filled to the MAX it will throw it out into the intake system real fast.

Third is the crank case vent and egr soot causing crud to form in the intake, it first appears on the MAP sensor. Those two items need addressed

Joe

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Atlantic Blue 06 CRD Limited (his)
Joined by a 2000 XJ Classic (hers)

Hello baddabing
If you travel to Seattle there is a WalMart in Marysville that has the 15-40 Rotella syntech the CRD loves. I run my CRD from the West to the east coast and have 52,000 miles on it. I found the lift pump to be of great vaule and disconnecting the MAF to shut off the EGR. These are cheap fixes the makes the CRD very enjoyable.

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2006 Black Jeep Liberty CRD Limited
K&N, Samco Hoses, Michelin 245/70-16 LTX A/T2, Fumoto F-102, V-Force Muffler, Mopar, Hitch, Trailer Wiring, Skid Plates, Slush Mats, Rear Shelf, Predator Stage 1, Transgo, ORM & CodeReader, Facet 40109 Pump
"IT'S A DIESEL THING, YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND"
Certified Services Auto & Truck Repair

15-40 will probably work fine... but if you have access to it, you could just as easily go 0-40 or 5-40 from any good full-syn manufacturer. As mentioned, Rotella-T 5-40 full-syn is quite adequate and available at wall-mart (and strangely not many other places...)

http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/vie ... hp?t=28772

Is the thread discussing the Fumoto drain valve (there are some with older ones that require an adapter, but the "102" series fits flush to the pan and gives more clearance underneath.

Dan

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2005 Silver CRD Limited
245/75R16 GoodYear Duratracs
Fumoto drain | ProVent CCV Filter
Stanadyne FM100 filter | Cummins fuel pump
GDE Eco | SEGR | BoulderBars | FrankenLift | Frankenskids

Thanks very much guys for the replys !

Which of the Fumoto drain plugs do you guys recommend ? I know there is a few of them. I read that there is concern about the Fomoto hanging down where it can get hit ! Is the 102 the one to get ? So I should expect a hastle on getting the oil pan plug out ?



The Cat fuel filter, do I just need the Cat part number, fill the filter full of diesel, hit the key (listen to it cough and sputter) and I'm set ?

I have found that oil level is more important than oil type. 5w40 is better for mpg and I suspect that is why they recommend it. The pan plug issue is caused by people who change the oil and lose the crush washer. They then install steel plug and tighten it down against the alum. pan. Dealers have been known to do this. Remember the pan is alum. so you don't need to torque the crap out of the plug. This engine is like a Cat engine in that the plug seems to magically tighten as you drive.
If you want to use Cat filters I suggest you install a lift pump and aftermarket filter head. Above all I suggest you dedicate a day to just go through all the info on this site. Many of your questions will be answered. Welcome

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2005 sport crd-SOLD No regrets

Thanks for the info !

So stay right on the levels indicated on the dipstick ?

I'm not a Cat fan, it would be convenient because the Cat dealer is reasonably close. OPther than that, I can't think why I would change.

As mentioned previously, for oil fill to 6.3 to 6.4 quarts. That will usually be centered between min and max on the dip stick. If you check the engine oil after the motor has been running, be advised that the turbo and top end of the engine can take some time to drain the oil back into the sump, until they do the reading is often low. So check it first thing in the morning if you really want to be sure.

You will likely see the oil level sitting right in the middle of min and max right after a change if you add 6.3 quarts. That is full. I would not top it off to max. If you do it is likely to go right into the intake.

Also, with this motor it is normal for the oil pressure light to stay on for a second or so after starting. It is disconcerting, but that is how it is.

MAP sensor cleaning is the best thing you can do for fuel mileage. Here's mine before and after:

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2006 CRD Limited Dk Khaki
InMotion S-II, GDE TCM, Cummins Lift Pump, Mishimoto CAC hoses
Cooper Discoverer ATP LT245/75, Rola roof basket, JCR S3 sliders
OME lift+JBA UCA's, custom front hitch receiver, Mile Marker winch
All J Products rear cargo shelf
Sips biodiesel as if it were 12 y/o Scotch

Originally, people started doing the cat swap because of the crappy stock fuel filter (only 10 micron, etc) but in the process a lot of folks ended up finding that messing with the fuel head at all tends to introduce small leaks that build up and fill the head with a big air bubble... I know. I had to rebuild it twice to get the leaks down to a tolerable level and smear the gasket with lithium grease, etc.

You have to pump/bleed the system at the head whenever you open it to the air (new filter/old filter, whatever)...unless you've added a lift pump near the tank.

If I could do it again, I'd just buy a RACOR head/filter instead of the CAT adapter. I like the CAT filters but the mopar head is still garbage. Regardless, the lift pump mod is a no-brainer if you have the aptitude to do it The only non-stock thing about it is that the part is from a dodge cummins. That's the next one on my list. With it, you don't ever have to pump the filter head again, the lift pump does it for you. You also don't have to worry about the vacuum being insufficient under high load since the lift pump is constantly supplying more than the injectors can use.

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2005 Silver CRD Limited
245/75R16 GoodYear Duratracs
Fumoto drain | ProVent CCV Filter
Stanadyne FM100 filter | Cummins fuel pump
GDE Eco | SEGR | BoulderBars | FrankenLift | Frankenskids

Here in Ottawa I get Esso XD3+ 0W40 fully synthetic from Wal Mart at about $23 for a 4l jug. I've been using this oil from new.

Thanks guys for all the reply's !

I called the place that sells the Fumoto plug and left a message. I called again the next day and there message machine came on again. Hopefully they're still open for businuss ?

What's the verdict on Amsoil for the CRD ? It looks like it can be a pain in rear end to purchase from these reps vs buying at a retailer !