Oils ain't oils!

[Splashdown]

I was surprised to find my local jeep retailer doesnt use mopar oils for their jeep servicing. Instead they use castrol.

I couldn't even buy mopar oil for my diesel because they don't stock it???

I this a common thing? What do other retailers use?

[glend]

Oils used in Jeeps by dealers seems to be determined by what they (as a business) source in bulk from the mainstream suppliers. As many Jeep dealerships are also selling 'other brands', it makes sense for them to go for a few oil specifications that meet most of their product requirements. Some service managers hate questions about oils used, they seem to get asked often. I took it upon myself to supply my own oil for the servicing and get them to credit back to me on the bill. Now that the warranty is up I have taken Eddy's advice and do it all myself.

As to buying it yourself, I have found that even the retailers have gone over to stocking the oil spec levels required by the newer vehicles (this is especially true of the diesel oils). Penrite used to make a very nice pure Synthetic oil for diesels (SIN Diesel) which had a very good additive package spec'd at CI-4. Penrite dropped SIN Diesel early this year and when asked why they suggested that I use their Penrite HPR Diesel 05 - which is a semi-synthetic (and thus cheaper for them to produce). Penrite, looking at their product mix now, seem to have taken the approach of using just two main base stocks (a Semi and an Synthetic) and putting in the additive packs for the most popular (high demand) petrol and diesel specs. This is good business for Penrite but cuts off owners of older model vehicles from better additive pack solutions (mainly diesels). Most true diesel synthethics sold today are CJ-4 spec, and trying to find a synthetic CH or CI is now impossible (let me know if you see one). I had to drop back to a CF to get a reasonably priced synthetic. Stay away from Mobil 1 Turbodiesel as it too is CJ-4 now. Suppliers will claim backward compatibility but with CJ spec'd at zinc and phosphate levels way below CH it is impossible to be backward compatible (but they claim it on their labels).

For the owners of diesels manufacturered and sold without DPFs, this cuts off supply of a very good oil additive package in order to have just a few products that meet the new market. The only work around seems to be buying an additive package of ZDDP to restore the CH spec levels to the CJ-4 oils - if your obsessive.

[SteveC]

Have a look at redline oils
They may have what you're looking for abiet a bit pricey

[Wooders]

I've been a long time user of Penrite oils - and now we are actually stockists of them. So excuse me being a little biased ;)
I was also not given a reason the fully Synth Diesel oil was dropped - but the HPR diesel is far from a "cheap" semi-synthetic.
Also I believe (would need to check the app sheets but I'm pretty sure I'm right), that the Enviro range of fully Synthetic are an option for the diesels like yours Glen.

[glend]

Thanks Dave, I checked out the product sheet on the Penrite Enviro and (at JASO DL-1) it appears to be a CJ-4 equivalent (they have a lower Zinc and Phosphate content to protect the DPFs) and this is consistent with the way all diesel spec oils are going these days - discount wear protection to protect the DPF.
BTW my comment in relation to HPR being a 'cheaper' product than SIN diesel related to the Semi-blend base stock composition not the additive package. I know people have complained to Penrite but pointing pre-2008/9 model diesels (without DPFs but with EGR) to CJ-4 (Enviro) oils is brushing them off. I believe that better value and protection (for pre-2008/9 CRDs) is available from the good CF graded full synthetics (Shell Helix Ultra is one) that still have the higher levels of zinc and phosphates (and it meets the OEM handbook specs for the CRDs of those years).

Cheers
Glen