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Vehicle SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING

430K views 1K replies 227 participants last post by  Badge56 
#1 ·
Oil filter change

I just changed the filter at 1400 miles and cut it open to see what kind of debris was in there. Not too bad, but you can see some speckles of aluminum as expected. But the oil is clean and the filter looks to be doing its job. I'll probably do it again in another 1500 miles. Super simple. 24mm socket and a rag to grab the filter. Nice and neat.
 

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#93 ·
For most of my life, I have been in the habit of making the first oil change between 2000 and 3000 miles. Why? Used to be that it was advisable to get the break in oil out of the engine in that time frame, as it supposedly contained whatever metal particles resulted in the mating of wear surfaces. True? I don't know. But oil is cheap for peace of mind. All of my cars, bought new, have been run over two hundred thousand miles (one went to the 350,000 mile mark), and were all driven to the junkyard. Never due to engine or drive train problems, always for rust issues.
 
#74 · (Edited)
To be extra cautious, a lot of people (myself included) do the first oil change early. A new engine breaking in may generate more contaminants. FCA doesn't think it's enough of a concern to warrant an early change per the manual. Probably doesn't hurt either way. Also, I was eager to learn how to do an oil change since I do them myself. I use Penzoil Platinum 0w-20.
 
#75 · (Edited)
Mobile Supersynthetic first time (I'm old-school and need to get break-in oil out so I sleep well).
Penzoil Platinum second time

Whatever synthetic you get make sure it is 0W-20 and has Chrysler ms-6395 written on the container (Mobile 1 does not list MS-6395 but Mobile has the others that do).
Save your receipts for oil and filter and write the mileage on them. My dealer said they want to see the last three for warranty (I assume "last three" brackets 20,000 miles if you wait 10K between changes))
 
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#77 ·
I haven't checked lately but am under the impression that 0W-20 is available in blended Synthetic but is not available in conventional. I'll go double check
 
#81 ·
I'm surprised that isn't specifically called out in the owner's manual. I guess you'd find out if you went to buy 0W-20 conventional oil that doesn't exist. But it could be a surprise for someone trying to use a $29 oil change coupon that excludes synthetic oil at the dealer. As someone who's hasn't done my own oil changes for about 20 years, I had no idea.
 
#84 ·
I found this statement in Consumers Report
Fuel economy race brings expensive oil to inexpensive cars

James Linden, chairman of the SAE Fuels and Lubricants Council, says that while oil companies could theoretically make 0W-20 non-synthetic oil, in practical terms it requires a synthetic process to make the oil meet all the relevant standards automakers require.
 
#85 ·
I found this statement in Consumers Report
Fuel economy race brings expensive oil to inexpensive cars

James Linden, chairman of the SAE Fuels and Lubricants Council, says that while oil companies could theoretically make 0W-20 non-synthetic oil, in practical terms it requires a synthetic process to make the oil meet all the relevant standards automakers require.
Interesting. Well, when I need my first oil change, I'll hand the dealer a $29 coupon and see what happens. I'll be prepared to be disappointed when it costs more than $29 for the required synthetic oil.
 
#86 ·
Yeah, who knew we were driving an exotic European race car!? I last changed my oil when it was still in the 90s here in Houston. What I found disconcerting is how thin this oil feels on my finger. I'd like to avoid calling any oil "watery" but that's how it struck me when I dipped my finger in to lubricate the filter cover's o-ring.
 
#87 ·
Exotic! My Mercedes uses 0-40 Mobil 1, and 8 quarts of the stuff too! My Porsche uses 15-50 and uses 11 quarts! I'll gladly use semi synthetic for my pac!
 
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#90 ·
I used Walmart once in my lifetime and had to run to Auto Zone to get a filter since they didn't stock it. I remember using a different quick-change once or twice a number of years ago, but things were different then. No synthetic or blend, just oil, maybe you had a choice of brand or viscosity that's all. Not like now days. And I agree, be careful who's working on your vehicle, best to know rather than trying to save a few minutes or a few bucks.
 
#94 ·
About how much oil was in your van from the factory? On the dipstick I'd say mine is just barely above the halfway point. I've also found that the van has to be on completely flat ground to check the oil. Being on the ever-so-slight incline of my driveway barely caused it to register on the dipstick.
 
#99 ·
FWIW My 2001 S2000 Honda requested that you do *NOT* do an early oil change. cut/paste from the manual "break-in" section: "Do not change the oil until the recommended time or mileage interval shown in the maintenance schedule." They also wanted you to "Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid acceleration. Do not exceed 5,500 rpm for the first 600 miles (1,000 km) of operation. Avoid hard braking. New brakes need to be broken-in by moderate use for the first 200 miles (300 km)."

I assume Honda had a break-in oil load and wanted it to run for a specific number of miles.

The Pacifica manual does not rule in or out an early oil change. It says: "..ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS A long break-in period is not required for the engine and drivetrain (transmission and axle) in your vehicle. Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or 55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within the limits of local traffic laws contributes to a good break-in. Wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detrimental and should be avoided. The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a high-quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil changes should be consistent with anticipated climate conditions under which vehicle operations will occur. For the recommended viscosity and quality grades, refer to “Dealer Service” in “Servicing And Maintenance”.
 
#383 ·
Engine Breaking + oil Change

Hi, I'm a newb but been gear heading for some time (see +3 engine rebuilds) I have always heard never change the oil early when breaking in the engine as the engine debris created is what actually breaks in the engine and sets the rings. I have also heard about moderate acceleration and deceleration which helps the rings to set properly.
 
#100 ·
I changed the oil recently and it took 5 qts. I have the tow package. I did have to leave it sit before the dipstick registered full. Immediately after the change and running the engine for a minute it was reading very low. The next morning the dipstick was reading full. I've never had a vehicle where you had to wait quite a while before reading correctly on the stick.
 
#103 ·
I logged into the Mopar site and looked at the available oil change coupons. They now list different prices for conventional, semi-synthetic, and synthetic. The same coupon has varying prices depending on the dealer that you select. The Chrysler/Dodge dealer where I bought the Pacifica lists a synthetic oil change for $74.95. The Jeep dealer across the street lists $84.95. The Fiat & Alpha dealer a few miles away lists $59.95. I may just go to the Fiat dealer for oil changes since I should be able to use my Max Care free rental there as well.
 
#105 ·
$75 for a 5 quart oil change! A jug of Mobil 1 (which I know isn't "approved" by FCA) is $28 at wlamart. I already have an oil evac I use on my other cars, so it looks like I'm going to be doing my own oil changes if I get the Pac.
 
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#108 ·
"During engine development, FCA US powertrain engineers were challenged by the potential negative effects of
incremental weight, wrought by the engine’s new feature content. However, clever component redesign produced an
engine that weighs only 326 pounds in the all-new Chrysler Pacifica. That’s four pounds less than the previous
generation 3.6-liter Pentastar engine, despite the addition of new content weighing 13 pounds.

A thin-wall strategy was used to reduce the nominal thickness of certain die-cast components – without compromising
the superb noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) characteristics for which Pentastar engines are known.

Windage-tray weight was slashed by 19 percent and front-cover weight was cut by 5 percent. The oil pan was
redesigned from a two-piece to a single-piece pan and the sump was reduced from a 6-quart fill to a 5-quart fill –
resulting in an overall 5-pound weight savings compared with the previous generation Pentastar V-6 engine."

Sounds like all Pacificas should have a five quart fill. Perhaps the six quart fills are very early builds? What is the build date on the door sticker for anyone with a six quart fill?
 
#110 ·
I changed my oil at 8,500 miles with Pennzoil Ultra Platinum which was purchased on Ebay at $30.00 for a 5 quart bottle. It took 6 quarts for the oil change, and my guess is that the USA sourced engine has the larger oil pan, as my Touring L was made in May 2016. Now the oil price on Bay is up to $47.00 on Ebay. Has the price of the Pennzoil Ultra Platinum gone up that much since last fall? I see there are no more rebates on oil purchases on the Pennzoil website. I plan on using an oil extractor for my next change. Have any other 6 quart oil change engines been USA sourced? Maybe the Mexico sourced engines all have 5 quart oil pans.
 
#111 ·
With all these reports of how easy it is to change the oil and filter in the Pacifica and the fact that synthetic oil changes at the dealer are expensive, I'm starting to think I should just do them myself. Which oil extractor is everyone using?
 
#112 ·
Don't know if DIY is that much cheaper. We've got a few places here, one of which we've used a lot for oil changes in the past, are touting $49.95 full synthetic changes. The one we usually go to is including tire rotation and fuel treatment. There is a $3.50 "shop fee", but all-in-all, not much difference in buying the oil and filter and doing the job yourself. Yeah, I suppose our dealer would be charging in the $80 range, but even then, I see an occasional discount coupon for there.
 
#115 ·
I've been using a 4 gallon hand pumped extractor on my cars for the past 20 years or so. Don't miss climbing under to change the oil one bit. Today I'd probably go for the harbor freight unit mentioned above - with the ubiquitous 20% off coupon it's cheaper than my old hand pump. About the only thing I'll shop at Walmart is oil - they have all the major brands of full synth for about $24/5qt, and manufacturers are usually running a $10 rebate on their website. There's also a Mopar dealer on Amazon offering our oil filter for under $7 with free shipping.
Been changing my own oil for over half a century - gives me an excuse to poke around the engine to see if anything is falling off ? Haven't done a change on Pacifica yet but it looks like a piece of cake.
 
#117 ·
There really are a lot of them out there now. I've see that particular one in several videos so I assume it is pretty popular. I like that it supports both air compressor and people power.
It holds 6.8 quarts so you'll be good-to-go if it turns out your Pacifica is a 6 quarter.
 
#119 ·
As an early adapter (build date 5/16), I had my first oil change, and yes, it took all of 6 quarts of full synthetic. However, I was a bit curious and found this in the owner's manual:
You may use synthetic engine oils provided the recommended
oil quality requirements are met, and the recommended
maintenance intervals for oil and filter changes are
followed.
Note the word, "may", implying that full synthetic is not a requirement, but an option unless there is a later edition specifying otherwise....
 
#120 ·
Note the word, "may", implying that full synthetic is not a requirement, but an option unless there is a later edition specifying otherwise....
Well, technically synthetic oil is not required. But since 0W-20 is required and it only seems to come in synthetic, we don't have much of a choice. If somebody does start to manufacturer 0W-20 conventional oil, we should be okay using it.
 
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