alabat

Cowboy Mark<br>I did not have the dealer put in his oil. I brought my own and had him put it in. I used Mobil 1 synthetic, which is a GL-5, 75W90 weight.<br>I checked the Mobil website and I did not see a lube with that weight, you say is now required. Did your dealer show you the new service bulletin that changes what's in the owners manual?????

cowboy Mark

No, of course not. <br>There is such a weight (not mobile 1), I've seen it in the auto parts store but I have not seen (in writing) where he feels this is required...<br>Long story short: Dealer has already replaced my axle because of the problems dicussed earlier in this forum.. When I drove it home (50+/-) milles I heard it whine (again) pulled the plug and sure as shootin the axle was NOT in the 1/4&quot; &quot;below the hole&quot; range... more like 1-1.5 inches.. I took the wife's car back to town bought Mobil 1 GL-5 75W90 synthetic, took it home, topped it off (took about 4/5 of the quart) and it has been quiet ever since... HOWEVER when I called the dealer to complain the next work day, he told me that I had &quot;put in the wrong lube&quot; but as a &quot;courtesy&quot; to me would change it out for the &quot;right stuff&quot; @ no charge (since the owners manual is &quot;incorrect&quot; (his words)....These Jack-are so frustrating!!!!

pwabbott

When my dealer topped off fluid work order said, &quot;1 1/2 quarts low toppen of with Moper 75w 140 synthitic fluid&quot;.

Oh, well techs were not hired to spell correctly. I think I understand what he means.

cowboy Mark

Phil, did your dealer address the inconsistancy with the owners Manual? I guess what I'm afraid of is that they're looking at &quot;last years&quot; specs or something and doing something contrary to what the &quot;new&quot; differentials require...

pwabbott

No, dealer did not discuss viscosity with me. In my case it was a temporary fix as new ring and pinion gear and bearings were being ordered. With damage already done they must do a complete tear down. <br>Remember switch to synthetic lube was made as tow ratings were increased because of higher temps when towing, less tendency of synthetic to break down under heavy duty use.<br><br>Considering the noise rear end is making anything to quiet it down was welcome.<br>

alabat

OK this is crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br>First I called my dealer service manager and there is no service bulletin changing the spec on the rear end oil.<br><br>HOWEVER the Chrysler private label oil they use to fill rear ends is a 80w140 synthetic oil. The owners manual says GL-5 75W90<br><br>The Mobil tech hotline told me that there is a growing demand by auto builders for a 80W140 and that it started in 2002. Mobil does not have one at this time but they are looking into offering one in the future.<br><br>The 140 is the viscocity of the oil at 100 degrees centigrade. I believe that translates to about 213 degrees fahrenheit.<br><br>This is probabily for heavy towing needs. I am OK with what I have done because it meets the owners manual spec. I do still have the two quarts drained from my axle and I am going to ask tha lab if they can check the viscocity on it.

cowboy Mark

C'est bon! Thanks BYu....<br>Now at least I know I'm not crazy.....and that my dealer is not messing with me....<br>Thanks for taking the time to get to the bottom of this. This is a great website to see that other people are having similiar issues/solutions but some times FACTS take a back seat to personal experiance.... I (and everyone else here should) appreciate you taking the time to get the &quot;skinny&quot; on the viscosity issue.

MrBilly

[move]This is NOT Rocket Science![/move]<br><br>You guys are making me so nervous about the truck I haven't gotten yet, but on order for 6 weeks. :'(<br><br>I have written to DC requesting that they send to me. and to all dealers. the exact information on rear differential fluid levels, type of fluid to use, and to clarify the discrepencies between the manual vs. dealer information discussed on this board. <br><br>I also told them that unless I receive this information, I will not drive the darn tuck off the lot - no cash has been exchanged yet. <br><br>I also recommended that they include the fluid level check in there pre sale check up which apparently is not done, and to issue a new service bulletin to this effect to clarify the issues raised. It is to their fincancial advantge.<br><br>I doubt I will get a response to my satisfaction, but I do feel better for having adressed the problem.<br><br>I will keep you posted on their response, or lack of it.<br><br>MrBilly ???

pwabbott

MrBilly, there is not a discrepancy in the type of differential lube, its GL-5 synthetic. The difference between 75w-90 and 75W-140 is a matter of choice. The 75w-90 is the old standard viscosity which will lubricate properly and because of lower viscosity gives slightly better fuel mileage. The 75W-140 is the lubricant of choice for extremely heavy duty service. It provides better protection at high temperatures and as a trade-off gives slightly less fuel mileage.<br><br>Using GL-5 synthetic in either viscosity will not harm your vehicle nor void your warranty, ask your dealer. Ask an independent lube manufacturer. ???

cowboy Mark

MR Billy, <br>Don't worry you'll love your truck...We're finding (as with any NEW product I guess) there are some issues and discrepencies(regardless of what Sierra Phil says): 1) the manual says 75W-90, many (if not all) of the axles apparently have 80W-140 in them from the factory (granted,the type is not in question, but the weight/viscosity is). 2) The manual says 1/4&quot; below fill plug, many of the axles are way below that.<br>This is a great place to bounce questions and concerns off the wall, see if others have similiar issues, and get a feel for the approaches people are taking to resolve....maybe even throw in your own 2 cents worth.....<br>But as in real life, some people just like the sound of the their own voice. Be cautious of taking any one statement as FACT.<br>

MrBilly

Now it is finally making some sense Sierra Phil and Cowboy. Thanks. So what is the correct level the fluid should be at?<br><br>Mr. Billy :<br><br> Here is the response to my questions from DC. <br><br>&quot;Thank you for contacting DaimlerChrysler regarding the 2003 Dodge Ram.<br><br><br>The service department of your DaimlerChrysler dealership is the best place to go for detailed information regarding your question. However, you did indicate that you already spoke with the dealer. Should your dealer require factory assistance, it is available through our zone office. <br><br><br>Our websites provide a wealth of information, including vehicle information, specifications, towing capabilities and more. <br><br><br>Visit the website at: <br><br><br>http://www.dodge.com <br><br><br>If you would rather speak to someone on the phone, the number is as follows: <br><br><br>1-800-4ADODGE (423-6343) <br><br><br>Thanks for writing.&quot;<br><br><br>

cowboy Mark

That, is the $60,000 question...
I'm having my &quot;incorrect lube&quot; swapped out for &quot;correct lube&quot; tomorrow morning... I am going to ask to see (with my own eys) what directs them to fill the diff, to ANY level other than what the manual says AND I'm going to buy an extra quart or two to take home.
In MY experiance, even after I got my new axle and they &quot;filled it to spec&quot;, the rear end whined... When I topped it off (nearly a quart) with the mobil 1 , it stopped whining COMPLETELY....
Frankly If I hadn't already said something to the dealer I would not be going back tomorrow, I would leave it like it is (apparently 3/4 80W-140 and 1/4 75W-90)....but I don't want to give them ANY excuse for down the road... so back I go.. But I will put it to 1/4&quot; mark (when I get home if need be)

pwabbott

As early as 1995 Chrysler specified SAE 80w-90, API GL-5 Hypoid Gear Lubricant for non-towing applications. For towing applications they specified SAE 75W-140, API GL-5 Synthetic Hypoid Gear Lubricant. It does seem strange that after 8 model years of the 75W-140 Synthetic for towing applications they would suddenly switch to the lighter viscosity gear lube. It is highly probable that someone took editorial license to eliminate a portion of the gear lube specification in the owner's manual through their ignorance of the numbers. :

MrBilly

Way to go Cowboy. Get a xerox copy of the directive and then post it and tell them you will do this so everyone can see and learn. Good Luck.<br><br>[move]Dah -Da- Duh- Doodil- Dah[/move]

pwabbott

Cowboy Mark says, &quot; . . .many (if not all) of the axles apparently have 80W-140 in them from the factory (granted,the type is not in question, but the weight/viscosity is).&quot; <br><br>If your statement is true, Cowboy Mark, the manufacturer of the axles, AAM, must concur with D-C as to the correct lube, as they are the ones who put the lubricant in the axles. Surely you don't think they would deliberately use the wrong lubricant, they have the responsibility and liability for any failures. <br><br>Under filling the differentials is another issue, probably a careless employee is at fault.<br><br>As for the problem with the Owner's Manual, the first printing of any publication is usually full of things that need to be corrected.<br><br>The person that raised the issue of the correct level of lube being 1 inch below fill hole has been silent on the issue since the axle failures started appearing. Since I have never been provided with a document to contradict the fill level as printed in Owner's Manual, I would rather over fill than underfill. 8)<br><br>Has anyone heard from Wantabee since Nov 13th?