What Oil do I Use (USA Multiair Turbo)

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What Oil do I Use (USA Multiair Turbo)

Post by MadFiat » Tue Jul 21, 2020 12:08 pm

Oil is a hotly debated topic.

On the Multiair engines, it is vital to use the correct oil. Not only should the oil be Full Synthetic, it should meet the manufacturer specification. While common wisdom says manufacturer oil recommendations are nothing more than marketing deals, that is not true for the Multiair engine.

FCA Recommends the following oils:

* 1.4 Naturally Aspirated (Pop/Sport/Lounge/Gucci/57 prior to 2018)- 5W30 oil meeting specification MS-6395
* 1.4 Turbo (Abarth/Turbo/GQ, others with Turbo Engine) - 5W40 oil meeting specification MS-12991 (Supercedes MS-10896)

This post will focus on MS-12991 for the Turbo.

There are claims that these specs are virtually identical to some other specifications, specifically that MS-12991 is the "same" as MB 229.5, Porsche A40, BMW LL-01, VW 502/505. However this is unverified at this time, so refer to those specifications with caution. It is best to stick to labels that indicate the correct MS category, however in some cases the "MB 229.5" specification should get you "close enough".

OILS THAT MEET MS-12991:
Pennzoil Platinum Euro 5W-40 - Purchase
Havoline ProDS 5w-40 Full Synthetic (Not Euro?) - Purchase
Shell Helix Ultra 5W40 - Purchase
Total Quartz 9000 Energy - Purchase

OILS THAT MEET MB 229.5 that are Recommended (but not guaranteed!)
Motul 8100 X-cess Purchase
Ravenol 5W40-VST - Purchase
Liqui Moly LEICHTLAUF HIGH TECH 5W-40 - Purchase

OTHER OILS:
Some other oils may meet MB 229.5 but are not recommended for a variety of reasons. Your mileage may vary (literally). Some have lower additive protection and may need more frequent oil changes. In particular, oils formulated for use in diesel engines tend to be "LOW SAPS" which indicates reduced additives. The reason is that these additives tend to be hard on diesel particulate filters, and therefore have to be reduced in diesel engines. However, the additives are useful for prolonging the life and performance of oil in gasoline engines. Therefore, DIESEL OIL (such as Rotella, etc) and other "LOW" or "MID" SAPS oils are not recommended. For our multiair engines, you should always use a FULL SAPS oil, which the oils listed above should meet. Castrol, Valvoline, Mobil One, etc may be LOW-SAPS oils and are not recommended.


Additionally, using thinner oils in extremely cold climates, or heavier oils in hot climates is NOT recommended. Thinner oils will not provide the expected valve operation once engine temperature has been reached, nor will thicker oils respond as expected in hot conditions. If your car is going to be used in extreme cold, it will need to be garaged or have a block heater installed to help with cold starting.

For more information about oils that do or don't meet the correct specifications, see the following thread: https://www.124spider.org/threads/oil-f ... ead.15041/
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