Well for my first oil change I stuck with Mobil 1 5W40 synthetic, as indicated in the owners manual. It was readily available at Wal-Mart.

Problem with Mobil 1 is, it's ridiculously expensive. So, for oil change #2 I switched to Shell Rotella 5W40 synthetic oil. It was also readily available at Wal-Mart and it saved me a few pennies.

It's time for oil change #3, and I went to look for Shell Rotella again today at Wal-Mart, only to find that they no longer carry it. I was shocked. OK...well looks like I'll have to go back to Mobile 1 then. Nope....they don't stock that now either.

By the end of the day, I had checked Wal-Mart, Oreilly, AutoZone, and Advance Auto Parts. NONE of them had Rotella 5W40. Only ONE of them had Mobil 1 5W40 and they didn't have enough of it. I was starting to get annoyed, but the guy at the store showed me Castrol Syntec 5W40. It specifically listed VW TDI testing, and Mercedes Benz on the bottle, and it meets all the ratings indicated in the owners manual. So I guess I'm going to try Castrol this time around. I can't believe how hard it's getting to be to find oil for these things.

_________________

2005 Stone White KJ Limited CRD 4x4
Off-Road Pkg
Trac-Lok
Emu 790s/948s
Skyjacker H7088s rear/Bilsteins front
15x7 Black Rock Lobos/31x10.50 Firestones
GDE HOT Tune + TCM Tune
Euro TC
CB radio
Thrush Turbo muffler
AEM DryFlow filter

Mobil 1 is in the process of changing the packaging of the Truck & SUV 5w-40 oil to T & SUV for diesel's and the T & SUV oil for gas engines will be a 5w-30 which is the common viscosity recomended by the mfg's. Durring the change over there will be spot shortages or outages, but all is suppose to be back to normal by late Feb if I remember correctly.

Also for your info the Castrol 5w-40 is not a synthetic oil, the courts have ruled that "synthetic" is just a trade name and not an exact product, so any oil (class II & III) can be labeled "synthetic" these day and not just class IV oils. That was in one of our oil wars over on the TDI forum a year or two ago. If I remember correctly Castrol is class II and I seem to remember that Rottela T was a class III oil, and that in testing it didn't quite measure up to Mobil 1 and one or two other common brands. But like I said that was a about 2 years ago and some oils have been improved and some haven't. What I would recomend is a sample of what ever oil you are going to use be tested for your own protection when deviating from OEM recommended oils.

Even though I am using Mobil 1 T & SUV 5w-40 a recommended oil, I will have it tested at next oil change in 6,000 miles to just have pease of mind.

_________________
91 MB 300D 2.5L Turbo. Her's

05 MB E320 CDI. Mine

I've been able to readily get 5W40 Rotella-T at Wal-Marts in Berea and Richmond......I've also noticed it readily available at a lot of Advance or AutoZones in the area, too. We typically keep around 18 gallons or so at the S&S Tire where I work in Lexington as we do a lot of diesel oil changes on CTD's, DuraScraps, and PowerJokes.

The 5W40 Rotella-T will save you a little green :

My first oil change :

0W40 Mobil One Full Synthetic:
7 quarts @ $5.24 per quart $36.68

MOPAR Oil Filter #05003558AA $9.38

Good ol' KY Sales Tax $2.77

Grand Total : $48.83


My second oil change :

5W40 Shell Rotella-T One Full Synthetic: ($14.22 per gallon/pro-rated)
7 quarts @ $3.56 per quart $24.89

MOPAR Oil Filter #05003558AA $9.38

Good ol' KY Sales Tax $2.06

Grand Total : $36.33

Greg

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2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 3.6L and A8
*SOLD*2005 Jeep Liberty Limited 4x4 CRD, Bright Silver Metallic, Dk/Lt Slate Gray Leather w/bun warmers, 5 spd auto, 22G pkg, Trailer Tow, 3.73 Rear Axle w/Trac-Lok Differential, P235/70R16 Firestone Destination LE's, Power Sunroof, Selec-Trac 4WD, Infinity 6-Disc In-Dash, Magnaflow #15870 System.

Yeah, Mobile 1 is up to $5.60 per quart for the 0W40 now which I don't want to use but I assume the 5W40 would be the same price. That is nuts. That's why I want to use Rotella but I just can't find it anywhere.

Here is what it says on the bottle of Castrol Syntec I bought:

"Specially formulated to meet the needs of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen"

"5W40 full synthetic motor oil"

"Offers full synthetic performance engineered specifically to meet the needs of...WV TDI..."

"API Service SL/CF"

So it sounds like it meets all the requirements listed in the owners manual. I should be perfectly fine with this oil. Next time around I'll buy Rotella again, even if I have to order it on the Internet.

_________________

2005 Stone White KJ Limited CRD 4x4
Off-Road Pkg
Trac-Lok
Emu 790s/948s
Skyjacker H7088s rear/Bilsteins front
15x7 Black Rock Lobos/31x10.50 Firestones
GDE HOT Tune + TCM Tune
Euro TC
CB radio
Thrush Turbo muffler
AEM DryFlow filter

Wonder if they are cdoing the same thing Mobil is doing? Although the new Rottella T is easy find here in SE MO.

_________________
91 MB 300D 2.5L Turbo. Her's

05 MB E320 CDI. Mine

Also try Tractor Supply Company. When the local Wal-Mart was out, I went to them, and there were at least 20 one gallon jugs of Rotella 5W40 on the shelf. Also, the local NAPA stores have started carrying Amsoil 5W40 European Car Formula synthetic.

_________________
Mitchell Oates
'87 MB 300D Diamond Blue Metallic
'87 MB 300D - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Sport CRD Stone White
Provent CCV Filter/AT2525 Muffler
Stanadyne 30 u/Cat 2 u Fuel Filters
Fumoto Drain/Fleetguard LF3487 Oil filter
V6 Airbox/Amsoil EAA Air Filter
Suncoast TC/Shift Kit/Aux Cooler
Kennedy Lift Pump/Return Fuel Cooler

Yeah I didn't think about looking at TSC. And my uncle owns the local NAPA but interestingly that is the only store I didn't check yesterday. I'll have to check them. Thanks for the tips.

_________________

2005 Stone White KJ Limited CRD 4x4
Off-Road Pkg
Trac-Lok
Emu 790s/948s
Skyjacker H7088s rear/Bilsteins front
15x7 Black Rock Lobos/31x10.50 Firestones
GDE HOT Tune + TCM Tune
Euro TC
CB radio
Thrush Turbo muffler
AEM DryFlow filter

Man life is going to be tough for you when you get to be an old gezzer like me.

_________________
91 MB 300D 2.5L Turbo. Her's

05 MB E320 CDI. Mine

NAPA carries Valvoline Premium Blue Extreme 5W40 which is also a decent diesel oil.

_________________
2005 Liberty Limited CRD

Here's the web site for the info on the Valvoline oil:

http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products ... roduct=103

Cheers!

_________________
2005 Liberty Limited CRD

Mobil 1 0w40 is about 8 bucks a quart at my dealer!!, not that I use it, and a mopar filter is about 16 bucks!! WTF your dealer "only" charges about 10? can you say highway robbery! ( for me that is)

Have been getting my Mobil 1 from Bi Mart. It was $3.88 a quart. So if you're in the Pacific Northwest.......

_________________
No one knows as much as all of us.

First of all, how often are you changing your oil - that a dollar or two extra per quart (which on the CRD works out to an extra 6 to 12 dollars) is really that big of a deal?

An extra $12 every 10,000 miles for good oil sound worth it to me.

Second, there are variations of Rotella. You need the one that is in the BLUE container, as it is the synthetic one. (as of today, that may change tomorror )

Finally - no one should be using API SL/CF oil in the CRD.

What you want is CI-4 (and CI-4 PLUS).

The API Diesel Service Categories says:


In a diesel, especially a TDI with EGR, the one of the more important factors for the oil longevity is the soot retention capacity. The EGR system puts more soot back into the oil than a regular diesel, so the oil has to have the capability of retaining more soot for longer - if you want to run extended oil change intervals.

A CI-4 PLUS rated diesel oil (Rotella T Synthetic , Mobil 1 Truck & SUV , Mobil Delvac 1 ) can actually go 20,000 miles easily in the CRD. Many people have tested the oil after 20,000 miles in TDI EGR engines and found the oil to be in really good shape (better than lower rated oils at 3000 miles!)

I would say that 12,000 is a more realistic interval for most CRD owners if you use CI-4 PLUS rated oil. Because of driving styles, quality of fuel, and all sorts of other variables - there is no need to push the envelope. And I am pretty sure that 20k OCI would void warranty.... Also, I wouldn't run an oil filter in the CRD for 20k. However 10k oil changes with CI-4 PLUS oil would be a good cost effective OCI, in my opinion.

However, if you are not going to use a CI-4 PLUS rated oil, and the oil mentioned in the manual is Mobil 1 0w40 which is only CF rated, then you should NOT attempt long OCI. I would not recommend more than 5000 miles...

The Jeep CRD is a Turbo Charged, High Pressure, Direct Injection, EGR system diesel engine.

API Diesel Service Categories

_________________
http://www.pdxbiodiesel.org

Well first of all I'm changing my oil approx. every 6,000 miles, in accordance with the owners manual. I drive stop and go, drive off-road, and tow heavy trailers at times. Therefore I MUST change my oil every 6,250 miles or risk voiding my new vehicle warranty. It plainly says that in the owners manual.

Second I have been using the Rotella in the blue jug. The white jug is not even the same viscosity. So that mistake would be a difficult one to make.

Third, DCX recommends an oil rated "CF" in the owners manual. I'm sure an oil you mention would be great. But CF is the recommendation straight from the people who built the thing.

And lastly...yes when you are buying 7 quarts at a time plus diff. fluid, air filter, etc...dollars matter. So if one oil is $4 and Mobil sitting next to it is $5.50, guess which one I'm buying?

_________________

2005 Stone White KJ Limited CRD 4x4
Off-Road Pkg
Trac-Lok
Emu 790s/948s
Skyjacker H7088s rear/Bilsteins front
15x7 Black Rock Lobos/31x10.50 Firestones
GDE HOT Tune + TCM Tune
Euro TC
CB radio
Thrush Turbo muffler
AEM DryFlow filter

Very well written and to the point Valkraider, too bad some fail to understand what you are talking about or could care less.

I have a friend running a TDI on 20k oil changes and oil filter change every 10,000 miles. He has had several oil samples tested, and last time he was up from AR he was getting close to 200,000 miles on a 2000 VW Jetta TDI. Needless to say all that that's been done to car is TB changes, water pump, clutch and other normal wear items. Here's the hard to believe part, this is a country car and is always covered in 10 lbs of mud or dust. Has been stuck in the mud several times requiring the tractor to get unstuck. Most of us would look at it and think it's a rual mail carrier car, but it's just the daily driver of a guy who lives in the sticks. Almost forgot to mention he uses Mobil Delvac 1 5w-40 and OEM oil filters.

Last week I was telling him about our CRD and that maybe he should step up to a Jeep. He ask me if the Jeep averaged over 45 mpg like his TDI, I had to say no. But I was tempted to fib a bit to him.

Edited for a point about the Dodge OM, it looks the as they did 15 to 20 nyears ago. I will say I would rather use a CI + 4 oil over the old CL oil any day, and I still cant believe Chrysler Corp. (Jeep) has been so long changing oil spec's on car & trucks. Case in point is to see how long they recommended 10w-30 oil in engines not designed for that thick of an oil, not to mention using obselete API standards for the newer cars & trucks.

The owners manual for my 2.7L Dodge Magnum states 10w-30 as standard oil to use and then states 5w-30 for colder climites. One way to get the 2.5L to fail earlier is to use 10w, because it too thick to flow fast enough out of the heads which run a much higher temp then the 3.5L V6 also used by Chrysler in LX cars. The Mobil 1 was designed with this problem in mind for gassers and they realised it would also be a fair oil for diesels under the right conditions. That said it is and the OM may be correct in the miles for changes for that type of oil, but a full service diesel oil with a much higher TBN ability such as the Mobil Delvac 1 5w-40 or the Truck & SUV 5w-40 and a far better API rating then the OM calls far could oly help in engine life.

I have said several times here that the most likely reason for the Mobil 1 0w-40 is it is an excellent oil for all the gasser line and that those engines that really need it like 6.1L SRT8 and all the other SRT Chryslers including Viper is about shelf space and less likely hood of putting wrong oil in a car or truck.

_________________
91 MB 300D 2.5L Turbo. Her's

05 MB E320 CDI. Mine

The API Service Ratings
info here:http://api-ep.api.org/filelibrary/API_MotorOilGuide_2004.pdf
info here: http://api-ec.api.org/printerformat.cfm?ContentID=99EAFC66-2882-41BB-84BCFB52B25D4CA3

specifically say:

API CI-4 oils are superior in performance to those meeting API CH-4, CG-4 and CF-4 and may be used in engines calling for those API Service Categories.

That clearly states that CI-4 rated oil meets and exceeds the specs for CF oil.

Now, the CRD is a HIGH PRESSURE turbocharged DIRECT INJECTION diesel engine with an EGR system.

The CF rating is for:

off-road, indirect- injected and other diesel engines including
those using fuel with over 0.5% weight sulfur.

The CRD is direct injected, and does not use high sulfur diesel.

The CI rating is:

For high-speed, four-stroke
engines designed to meet 2004 exhaust
emission standards implemented in 2002. CI-4
oils are formulated to sustain engine durability
where exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is used
and are intended for use with diesel fuels
ranging in sulfur content up to 0.5% weight.

Additionally the service rating for CI states:

Can be used in place of CD, CE, CF-4, CG-4,
and CH-4 oils. Some CI-4 oils may also qualify
for the CI-4 PLUS designation.

The CI-4 PLUS designation is "extra" to the CI-4 rating:

the “CI-4 PLUS” designation identi-
fies oils formulated to provide a higher level of protection against soot-related
viscosity increase and viscosity loss due to shear in diesel engines.category to maintain performance.

Shell Rotella T Synthetic, Mobil 1 Truck & SUV, and Mobil Delvac 1 all are CI-4 PLUS rated, and not only may be used in place of the required CH rating as stated in the manual, they exceed the performance of the CH rated oils - and are specifically designed for the type of motor that the CRD is.

Additionally, the service intervals in the owners manual are only "recommended" service intervals. They cannot void your warranty for not meeting their service interval unless they can prove that failure to do so was the cause of the failure. They would have to test your oil and if your oil was still within or better than spec for a CH service rating - then it doesn't matter if it has been 25,000 miles since your last service. However - this can cause extreme hassle and extended battles and arguments and in the long run may not be worth it.

According to the Magnusen-Moss warranty act they cannot require you to use any specific brand of oil, nor require your service be done at any specific place, nor at any interval. This does NOT mean that they won't try and deny you warranty coverage without a fight

However, you are required to keep your oil within spec, and use fuel that is within spec, and keep your fluids within spec. Failure to do so is your responsibility and at your risk.

If you plan on only using CF rated oil - then you are smart to stick to the minimum change intervals. In fact I would drop to 5000 miles on only CF rated oil in the CRD engine.

If you use oils that are designed to run for longer intervals, then they will still meet required specs further - how much further is debatable. Some people have had CI-4 PLUS rated oil tested at 20,000 miles and it has been in better shape than some CF rated oils right out of the bottle, like I mentioned before.

However, that does not mean that 20,000 miles is good to do in light of arguments that might arise about warranty issues. However, a 10,000 mile interval is within the DC recommended 6000 - 12000 range. With CI-4 PLUS rated oil, 10,000 mile oil changes should be easily within spec. And since you would be within the recommended parameters - should avoid unnecessary hassles.

And $15 extra dollars every 10,000 miles for good oil is not an issue for me. The Shell Rotella T Synthetic (blue) is CI-4 PLUS rated and cheaper than the Mobil 1 Truck & SUV.

My biggest problem with the Mobil 1 products - as they are quite good - is that Exxon-Mobil makes so much money... I would love to give my money to someone else.

Maybe I will start looking at Amsoil. The API ratings are just so expensive to get and maintain that it keeps smaller companies out of the game...

_________________
http://www.pdxbiodiesel.org

First let me state the Exxon-Mobil proffet margin from all I have read and seen is only about 12% to 14%, where the average retail store will average anywhere from 15% to 300+%, so I don't see them doing anything wrong there. Ok,ok back on subject.

Well almost. Let me say that the previous post of my was not directed at anyone here although it miught look like it, but that just do to the delay in my posting from an interuption by the grandson.

Now for sure. The problem I have with Amsoil is the two things, way it is sold and the lack of proper API/ACEA cirtification on most of their products. I guess the thing that bugs me is that if I am traveling and need oil where do I go?

Almost forgot. Again well written reply dude.

_________________
91 MB 300D 2.5L Turbo. Her's

05 MB E320 CDI. Mine

When I picked up the Jeep this morning after having it serviced yesterday, I talked for a while with the service advisor. She has been with that dealership for some years.

She asked why I had brought in 2 jugs of Rotella 5W40 and asked them to use that instead of the Mobil 1. I explained to her what I had learned about the API ratings for diesel engine oil. She said that up until a couple of years ago, when any diesel trucks came in for service, they always used Rotella for the oil change, before switching to Mobil 1.

She did make sure they used the Rotella in the Jeep, and they even put the jug with the leftover back inside when I picked it up this morning.

One thing I did notice - they didn't use a Mopar filter - it was from Carquest, part number on the side was B192 if I remember correctly. Someone at work stated that Carquest has theirs made by Purolator, can anyone confirm/dispute this? Looked somewhat larger lengthwise than the Mopar filter, but then I haven't done a side-by-side yet.

BTW, they dissected the two old filters I had, plus the one that was on the Jeep when I brought it in. No evidence of casting sand or anything out of the ordinary. And yes, I did get to look at them myself. Audible sigh of relief! They even gave me back the first two filters to keep.

_________________
Mitchell Oates
'87 MB 300D Diamond Blue Metallic
'87 MB 300D - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Sport CRD Stone White
Provent CCV Filter/AT2525 Muffler
Stanadyne 30 u/Cat 2 u Fuel Filters
Fumoto Drain/Fleetguard LF3487 Oil filter
V6 Airbox/Amsoil EAA Air Filter
Suncoast TC/Shift Kit/Aux Cooler
Kennedy Lift Pump/Return Fuel Cooler

I am using Purolator filters for my oil. PL25230 I believe is the part number for the CRD.

And like I said...I was using Rotella oil, and I want to continue using it. But I can't find it anywhere...not even the auto parts stores around here. So I'm using the next best thing...which still meets the requirements of the owners manual. So I can't go wrong. And maybe next time around I'll be able to find Rotella again.

_________________

2005 Stone White KJ Limited CRD 4x4
Off-Road Pkg
Trac-Lok
Emu 790s/948s
Skyjacker H7088s rear/Bilsteins front
15x7 Black Rock Lobos/31x10.50 Firestones
GDE HOT Tune + TCM Tune
Euro TC
CB radio
Thrush Turbo muffler
AEM DryFlow filter

Talking about oil is kinda like talking about politics or religion - every one has their opinion on it. I personally liked the Mobile Truck & SUV formula, but can't find it anywhere. I was actually thinking about trying some Elf CRV 506.1 oil in the CRD. It was made for the VW PD TDI engine which has much higher cam lobe pressures. It combines extended drain properties with extreme anti wear properties along along with increased fuel economy. I'll do just about anything to increase fuel economy!

_________________
2005 Liberty Limited CRD