E-46 330ci. I do miss it, I only got rid of it because most of the insulation around the wiring was crumbling/falling off and wires were shorting to each other in multiple circuits. Effing biodegradable insulation, what a stupid idea.
Finally changed to "high mileage" oil
- Thread starter WestCoastDan
- Start date
I just had to get rid of my e36 m3
it was a dream car since I was about 9-10. I couldn’t keep it and the Jeep currently and I’m enjoying the Jeep a little more. It’s top of the list when I graduate.
Not true information. Synthetic oils are thinner and can more easily leak past worn or shrunken seals - while this means the synthetic might leak more than conventional in the same engine, the oil doesn't cause the wear.
If you're changing up to thicker oil to reduce leaks or build oil pressure, you're just delaying the inevitable. Your engine is dying and you should be building a new one. That is if you want to keep the car for a while. Actually you're putting off this task and accelerating wear. Most wear happens on startup. Changing from 10W30 to 20W50 might stop leaks but it also increases the time it takes for the engine to be fully lubricated after start.
OOh That sounded so 1970,s This aint Hill Street Blues era ya know
lol "Warriors Come Out To Play Hay" lolI say Bullshit! sorry
You cant even tell the difference between 10w-30 and 20w-50 to feel, if the Climate is ultra freezing cold use a thinner oil, Jeep 4.0 can easily tolerate 20w-50 in hotter climates! The difference in an "Old tech" worn engine running thicker oil is even negligible in Cold climates!10w 30 in an old engine because why? Take a TJ to a dealer and tell them your RMS is leaking and I will bet they say your RMS needs changing not put 10w-30 "conventional high mileage" in it for a cure.Jeep recommends 10w-30 because they odds their warranty bets on a diverse USA/Canadian climate and that's it! The proof is in the pudding so to speak by the amount of people actually running 15w-40 and above in their TJ,s, Most people in Australia run 15w 40 or 20w-50 all year round some even run 5w-40 all with no adverse affects to the engine. You should never "knock" something unless you have personal experience backing it up.
Last edited:
Three or so decades ago 15W-40 oil was always in my VW 1.5 diesel. I figured if it could keep a diesel with a redline of 5000RPM from destroying itself, it could keep anything running so I used it in at least a couple different vehicles that I had bought used. I don't remember how long I used it in the other vehicles but I do know i never had any problems from using it.
Head Lice
TJ Addict
Live in Canada, put 660,000 km on one of my Cummins/Dodges. Shell Rotella T 15W-40.
Run the same Rotella 15W-40 in both old Honda 450 Foreman quads, summer and winter. It has the JASO-MA (wet clutch) designation.
Would I run that same Rotella 15W-40 in my 4.0L TJ?
Might try it.
Run the same Rotella 15W-40 in both old Honda 450 Foreman quads, summer and winter. It has the JASO-MA (wet clutch) designation.
Would I run that same Rotella 15W-40 in my 4.0L TJ?
Might try it.
I'm not talking about going to thicker oil because of hot climate. I'm specifically referring to using thicker oil to reduce leaking on old, worn engines. If you have a leaking seal, it's time to change that seal. If you are motivated to change to different oil by engine wear and age, it's because seals need to be replaced, which means rings, bearings, bushings, who knows what else should really be inspected next - overhaul time is impending. This could be 1 year or 10 years away and it's partially up to you to decide if you want that to be sooner rather than later. Oil passages do not wear the same way as seals so, thicker oil will not flow as well to vital areas such as crankshaft journals and you will accelerate wear by choosing to ignore the need for replacement of a leaky seal and use thicker oil instead.I say Bullshit! sorry
Jeep recommends 10w-30 because they odds their warranty bets on a diverse USA/Canadian climate and that's it! The proof is in the pudding so to speak by the amount of people actually running 15w-40 and above in their TJ,s, Most people in Australia run 15w 40 or 20w-50 all year round some even run 5w-40 all with no adverse affects to the engine. You should never "knock" something unless you have personal experience backing it up.
The TJ is not quite old enough for these problems to be so obvious yet. I am more seasoned in classic (70s) automobiles such as my 78 Alfa Romeo - which is a good example of this problem of thick engine oil. In the 70s and 80s, Alfa recommended US customers run 10W40 which is what the twin cam Nord engine was designed for and ran best with in American climate. These days anyone who still has the original engine in their car has moved to 20W50. You might ask, why do this if the OE spec is the correct approach?? Because replacement of the front and rear seals in-situ is a real pain in the tush and owners want to drive their cars. Except by now we have had over 5 decades to learn that when the seals start to leak and you're on the original engine, switching to 20W50 so you can keep driving is just going to make yourself a hanger queen faster. However, the alternative is pulling the gearbox, picking up a
OP
All I can say to this is that neither my '74 or my '77 Alfa's leaked oil (I know, right?!), but if they had, I would have switched to thicker oil in them too.
The deciding factor onthe TJ is quite simple; where I live, there is little need to be concerned about the dreaded 'cold start without oil at the valves/top end' that most immediately spew forth when hearing about going to thicker oil.
Going from 10W-30 to 10W-40 is certainly not enough of a significant change that I'll suddenly have no oil pressure, or that the rings will wear out, etc.
The I6 has 168,000 miles on it and it will need a complete rebuild or replacement within the next 50-60K miles anyway.
I made the swap to a thicker oil to keep my floor cleaner.
How do you figure? have you done pressure and leakdown checks? have you pulled the pan and measured your bearing journals? Are you just hard on it, and thrash it without maintenance?
The 4.0 has a good reputation on going 500k+, the AMC castings of the late 80's were even better... had a friend tear his down just to inspect at close to 700k, and it still had the factory crosshatching in the cylinders.
The 4.0 is a great tried and true design, and even in the newer model years I'd expect them to outlive anything newer.
OP
I failed to include the word 'probably' in my post.
I simply don't have faith that it will last more than 200-225K or so miles before needing some serious repair/rebuild, mostly due to smog requirements here.
I strongly suspect that at 200K+, there will be parts breakdown and failures that extend well beyond normal maintenance (needing to open the engine, hence a rebuild).
I simply don't have faith that it will last more than 200-225K or so miles before needing some serious repair/rebuild, mostly due to smog requirements here.
I strongly suspect that at 200K+, there will be parts breakdown and failures that extend well beyond normal maintenance (needing to open the engine, hence a rebuild).
Old seals means my engine is dying?
LOL. I drove a Toyota with leaking seals for 200k miles. Gave it to a friend who needed a ride many years ago, it's still running.
And we're not talking about going to a thicker oil, just using the high mileage blends that have the seal conditioner in it.
Wish I could say the same, the OE engine in my '78 Alfa on 20W50 was leaking oil out of its wherever. As for the TJ, I drive mine in the winter and it gets to be so cold here I switch to 5w30 near the end of October because of the cold start lubrication concern. Frankly I agree with your assessment, mine has 140k miles and I'm thinking the same thing.
Maybe a small bump in viscosity is not the end of the world, but I would treat it as such if it means ignoring a problem. But I'm used to hearing thicker oil proposed as a magic solution as if it makes an engine last forever. Perhaps what I really need is to stop dating women whose dads drink stop-leak with their breakfast. Regardless have you seen the price of a new 2L twin cam crankshaft?? That is enough for me to be a little meticulous.
No. Ignoring engine problems and pouring thick oil in there because oil drips on the garage floor means an engine is dying. You're obviously not ignoring anything because you took the time to identify the source of the problem and choose how you were going to address it. Big difference.
Bighammer
TJ Enthusiast
I get it… The RMS is like a “barometer” that reveals the condition of the internal wear of the engine. If it’s leaking oil, it’s time to rebuild. What a great invention
No one, especially and certainly not me, is espousing we pour in "extra-thick" (higher viscosity) oil to try to stop the RMS from leaking from it having deteriorated. When I changed to a High Mileage conventional engine oil to stop my RMS from leaking, it was the same exact viscosity I was using before. Switching to a High Mileage conventional 10W-30 (same viscosity as before) cured my RMS leak due to its high mileage additives that are meant solely to restore a deteriorated RMS's original consistency and ability to seal.
Yes and I'm agreeing with you. You say you changed to oil with different additives at identical viscosity and your seal leak stopped. OP said,
it's implied that high mileage oil and increased viscosity are both beneficial, my comments were directed at the latter. Actually you beat me to it,
When I read OP I had the same thought. Hence I suggest if additives alone are insufficient to resolve the problem and one is motivated to increase oil viscosity as well, it's ignoring the problem instead of addressing it and creating new issues at the same time because of the decreased oil circulation on startup.
Head Lice
TJ Addict
OP
For reference, high mileage 10W-30 was not available locally, and since the temps here in SoCal rarely get cold enough for the difference between 10W-30 and 10W-40 to have an impact on the ability of the oil pump to do it's job at start-up, I chose to make the swap. I'm not sorry I did, nor do I suspect that i ever will be.
Check out NAPA the next time. They have a NAPA brand 10W-30 High Mileage that is made for them by Valvoline.