[NeilG]

I have a 2018 renegade since new, well I bought it in 2019 as a back model but it had the bad oil consumption issue right off the bat. I bet in the first 10,000 miles, I put 4 quarts in. The first coming after only 2500 miles. I am a mechanic...well industrial by trade (30 years) and I do ALL my own car work. NEVER paid a mechanic to do anything. Point is, I knew something was weird, but was ok putting oil in it, and had read that the 2.4 engine was known to burn some oil.

So I let myself get past it.

Stories all over about the oil consumption and it goes like this " My jeep died in the middle of an intersection, had it towed to the dealer and it had NO oil! its only 8 months old!"

Thankfully I tuned into the issue right off the bat, although in all honesty since the oil consumption DID slow down after about 15,000 miles I got lax about checking the oil so often. There was a point at about 30,000 miles where I did get the engine shut down due to low low oil. It is a protective measure after all...some people dont understand that. I agree its a bit harsh and even dangerous.

It has 39000 miles on it and so far so good. I got a letter about a recall a couple months back and it said it was about excessive oil consumption. It said some units got out with certain parts tolerances that caused the high oil consumption...and that the motor may shut down because of that.

I was expecting an offer to rebuild the valve train, maybe shut the diesel sounding idle up, but as I read the notice, they are going to re flash the computer...and its clever the way they word it---to make sure the motor doesnt shut down, and to reduce oil consumption. Im not sure how, if the oil issue is caused by excess mechanical clearances, how re-flashing the computer is going to reduce consumption.

It seems to me that all they are going to do is remove the shut down routine. So next time the Jeep runs very low, the driver would keep going until the engine throws a rod. Thats like my smoke detector in my work shop...its very sensitive and sometimes will go off when Im grinding. My fix, if I was jeep, would be to disable the detector.

ok, its a crappy analogy, but in my estimation they are not fixing anything with this recall. If they would replace the shut down with an ominous alarm on the screen "Hey idiot, put some oil in!" then that might work...but again, Im not buying the bit about being able to reduce oil use by a re-flash.

Anyone have any thoughts about this recall, etc?

Thanks,
Neil

 

[ImperialCrown]

The reduced oil consumption trick is in the new software. They changed the valve timing on decel to reduce cylinder vacuum that pulls oil up past the piston rings.
The rings are 'low-tension' against the cylinder walls to reduce frictional losses, it isn't really accurate to call it 'excessive mechanical clearances' as the rings do seal all the way around the piston circumference.
It became a safety concern because of the stalling. The MultiAir valvetrain requires oil pressure for valve actuation and if the level is allowed to fall to a point where pressure is affected, it can stall.
It was covered very well in this thread:

W20 Recall for Oil Consumption

 

[DC-93]

What he said....

 

[NeilG]

thanks I read the thread I’ll put the rest of my whining over there. 🤣

 

[mopar22]

The engine shutting off isn't a safety measure to save the engine. It's that there's so little oil left it cant open and close the valves

 

[Brokenpinata]

The reduced oil consumption trick is in the new software. They changed the valve timing on decel to reduce cylinder vacuum that pulls oil up past the piston rings.
The rings are 'low-tension' against the cylinder walls to reduce frictional losses, it isn't really accurate to call it 'excessive mechanical clearances' as the rings do seal all the way around the piston circumference.
It became a safety concern because of the stalling. The MultiAir valvetrain requires oil pressure for valve actuation and if the level is allowed to fall to a point where pressure is affected, it can stall.
It was covered very well in this thread:

W20 Recall for Oil Consumption

FWIW, I had the reflash done back in February and oil consumption has dropped significantly.

I just changed the oil this weekend and I was only about half a quart low prior to draining. Prior to the reflash, I was easily adding 2 quarts between oil changes (after several shutdowns, consumption test and being told its all within spec, etc).

Now I just got the recall notice on my Dart GT for the same issue; taking it on Friday for the reflash.

 

[ImperialCrown]

Trying to measure oil consumption or fuel economy while the car is still breaking-in is invalid.
Most product uses motor oil that has to meet Chrysler MS-6395. Read the label before pouring it in.
I think that all 2.4L's are suggested to use synthetic 5W-20 now. Follow the suggestions in the owners manual, at least while the car is under warranty. Some aftermarket PCV valves can increase oil consumption. There are a lot of factors.
These are the guidelines sent from FCA to the dealers regarding oil consumption:

Engine Oil Consumption Guideline - 2012-2016 FCA US

THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES SERVICE BULLETIN 09-001-12, DATED JUNE 27, 2012, WHICH SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM YOUR FILES. ALL REVISIONS ARE HIGHLIGHTED WITH

chrysler.oemdtc.com

If your oil consumption is within the guidelines given in the document, the dealer may not do anything for you regarding oil consumption concerns.

 

[Ceemarie33]

I have a 2018 renegade since new, well I bought it in 2019 as a back model but it had the bad oil consumption issue right off the bat. I bet in the first 10,000 miles, I put 4 quarts in. The first coming after only 2500 miles. I am a mechanic...well industrial by trade (30 years) and I do ALL my own car work. NEVER paid a mechanic to do anything. Point is, I knew something was weird, but was ok putting oil in it, and had read that the 2.4 engine was known to burn some oil.

So I let myself get past it.

Stories all over about the oil consumption and it goes like this " My jeep died in the middle of an intersection, had it towed to the dealer and it had NO oil! its only 8 months old!"

Thankfully I tuned into the issue right off the bat, although in all honesty since the oil consumption DID slow down after about 15,000 miles I got lax about checking the oil so often. There was a point at about 30,000 miles where I did get the engine shut down due to low low oil. It is a protective measure after all...some people dont understand that. I agree its a bit harsh and even dangerous.

It has 39000 miles on it and so far so good. I got a letter about a recall a couple months back and it said it was about excessive oil consumption. It said some units got out with certain parts tolerances that caused the high oil consumption...and that the motor may shut down because of that.

I was expecting an offer to rebuild the valve train, maybe shut the diesel sounding idle up, but as I read the notice, they are going to re flash the computer...and its clever the way they word it---to make sure the motor doesnt shut down, and to reduce oil consumption. Im not sure how, if the oil issue is caused by excess mechanical clearances, how re-flashing the computer is going to reduce consumption.

It seems to me that all they are going to do is remove the shut down routine. So next time the Jeep runs very low, the driver would keep going until the engine throws a rod. Thats like my smoke detector in my work shop...its very sensitive and sometimes will go off when Im grinding. My fix, if I was jeep, would be to disable the detector.

ok, its a crappy analogy, but in my estimation they are not fixing anything with this recall. If they would replace the shut down with an ominous alarm on the screen "Hey idiot, put some oil in!" then that might work...but again, Im not buying the bit about being able to reduce oil use by a re-flash.

Anyone have any thoughts about this recall, etc?

Thanks,
Neil

I just bought a used 2018 Renegade in beginning of Aug. I knew it had a recall on it for oil consumption. I brought it to dealer and they said it's a 2 part test. They are filling the oil and silicone capping it off. They want me to drive 1500-1700 miles and bring it back. If it consumes "too much" they will replace the engine. I have a feeling the previous owner may have had the shut down issue. Why else trade in a jeep at only 22k miles. Anyways it was a great buy for me. Either no problem or a new engine.

 

[World14]

I think that all 2.4L's are suggested to use synthetic 5W-20 now.

Using a link I have to tell what fluids a vehicle needs (via a dealership haha), the only 2.4 vehicles I see (the Renegade, Compass, Cherokee, and Promaster City) all still say 0W-20.
Unless it's changed where the techs look, I don't think it's actually changed.

 

[ImperialCrown]

I stand corrected. It was the older (2014) 'export' 2.4L that asked for synthetic. Europe uses different oil classifications than we do. Everything domestic can use API-certified, MS-6395 motor oil.
The viscosity dropped from 5W-20 (2014) to 0W-20 recently. See your owners manual for your recommended motor oil particulars.

(2014):

(2020):

 

[voiceofstl]

at least you always have fresh oil in it.

 

[gdwest]

I have a 2018 renegade since new, well I bought it in 2019 as a back model but it had the bad oil consumption issue right off the bat. I bet in the first 10,000 miles, I put 4 quarts in. The first coming after only 2500 miles. I am a mechanic...well industrial by trade (30 years) and I do ALL my own car work. NEVER paid a mechanic to do anything. Point is, I knew something was weird, but was ok putting oil in it, and had read that the 2.4 engine was known to burn some oil.

So I let myself get past it.

Stories all over about the oil consumption and it goes like this " My jeep died in the middle of an intersection, had it towed to the dealer and it had NO oil! its only 8 months old!"

Thankfully I tuned into the issue right off the bat, although in all honesty since the oil consumption DID slow down after about 15,000 miles I got lax about checking the oil so often. There was a point at about 30,000 miles where I did get the engine shut down due to low low oil. It is a protective measure after all...some people dont understand that. I agree its a bit harsh and even dangerous.

It has 39000 miles on it and so far so good. I got a letter about a recall a couple months back and it said it was about excessive oil consumption. It said some units got out with certain parts tolerances that caused the high oil consumption...and that the motor may shut down because of that.

I was expecting an offer to rebuild the valve train, maybe shut the diesel sounding idle up, but as I read the notice, they are going to re flash the computer...and its clever the way they word it---to make sure the motor doesnt shut down, and to reduce oil consumption. Im not sure how, if the oil issue is caused by excess mechanical clearances, how re-flashing the computer is going to reduce consumption.

It seems to me that all they are going to do is remove the shut down routine. So next time the Jeep runs very low, the driver would keep going until the engine throws a rod. Thats like my smoke detector in my work shop...its very sensitive and sometimes will go off when Im grinding. My fix, if I was jeep, would be to disable the detector.

ok, its a crappy analogy, but in my estimation they are not fixing anything with this recall. If they would replace the shut down with an ominous alarm on the screen "Hey idiot, put some oil in!" then that might work...but again, Im not buying the bit about being able to reduce oil use by a re-flash.

Anyone have any thoughts about this recall, etc?

Thanks,
Neil

 

[gdwest]

I purchased our 2018 Renegade in 2019 too, due to all the rebates offered for last years model as the Phoenix metropolitan area dealers had 100+ units available per dealer. We have been experiencing the oil consumption problem too, having to add a few quarts in between oil changes, ours just failed the oil consumption test and they are going to install a newly redesigned motor, our dealer stated that the Renegades are the only models with the 2.4 tigershark motors that can’t be re flashed and require the newly redesigned motor.

 

[ImperialCrown]

Customer Satisfaction recall W20 is the PCM flash that fixes most of these.
Customer Satisfaction recall W80 is the oil consumption test which may lead to a long block replacement that should fix the ones that the flash doesn't fix:

 

[J’s Jeep]

I purchased our 2018 Renegade in 2019 too, due to all the rebates offered for last years model as the Phoenix metropolitan area dealers had 100+ units available per dealer. We have been experiencing the oil consumption problem too, having to add a few quarts in between oil changes, ours just failed the oil consumption test and they are going to install a newly redesigned motor, our dealer stated that the Renegades are the only models with the 2.4 tigershark motors that can’t be re flashed and require the newly redesigned motor.

Really? That’s odd, that’s what I have and they reflashed mine. I don’t think it worked but they also didn’t tell me that and are not wanting to repair the engine either!

 

[ImperialCrown]

Welcome to Allpar. Did they perform an engine oil consumption test after the flash? What reason are they giving for not replacing the engine if it still fails the oil consumption test?

If you are not satisfied with the dealer's answer, you can contact FCA. A past member 'ChryslerCares' used to frequent this website to assist members needing assistance with repairs.

Oil Consumption
The accepted rate of oil consumption for engines used in the vehicles listed above is 1 quart (0.946 liter) in 2,000 miles (3,200 km) for the 1st 50,000 miles (80,467 km). For vehicles with more then 50,000 miles (80,467 km) the acceptable oil consumption for engines is 1 quart (0.946 liter) in 750 miles (1,207 km).
CAUTION: This above rate only applies to personal use vehicles, under warranty, that are driven in a non-aggressive manner and maintained in accordance with the appropriate maintenance schedule.

CAUTION: This rate does not apply to vehicles that are driven in an aggressive manner, at high RPM, high speeds, or in a loaded condition (for trucks). See ‘Causes for Oil Consumption’ below. Oil consumption for vehicles driven under these conditions will be higher and may include Fleet and Commercial customers.
There are many factors that can affect a Owner's concern with oil consumption. Driving habits and vehicle maintenance vary from owner to owner. Inspect each condition listed below prior to determining if the vehicle in question has abnormal engine oil consumption. If abnormal oil consumption is suspected, refer to the detailed diagnostic procedures available in DealerCONNECT> TechCONNECT under: Service Info> 09 - Engine> Diagnosis and Testing - Oil Consumption Test And Diagnosis.

 

[gdwest]

Really? That’s odd, that’s what I have and they reflashed mine. I don’t think it worked but they also didn’t tell me that and are not wanting to repair the engine either!

Our recall notice was the W80, and all is good since they replaced the motor ( long block), had to add 1/2 a quart after breaking in the new motor which is normal, haven’t had to add any oil since, ask your dealer about the W80 recall notice, but yes, that’s what our dealer here told us, reflashing a renegade won’t solve the problem. Good luck to you!

 

[Amado Rodriguez]

Our recall notice was the W80, and all is good since they replaced the motor ( long block), had to add 1/2 a quart after breaking in the new motor which is normal, haven’t had to add any oil since, ask your dealer about the W80 recall notice, but yes, that’s what our dealer here told us, reflashing a renegade won’t solve the problem. Good luck to you!

sorry if I’m a bit off topic. Son is looking for car and likes 2018 Renegade with 94k miles. We got the carfax on vehicle and I see the W80 notice on 1/14/2021 - Status :remedy available- how can I tell if and what was done to this Renegade?

 

[ImperialCrown]

Welcome to Allpar. If you submit the VIN to a dealer service dept., they should be able to tell you if the recall was completed or not.
It may or may not have a service history record stored on the Chrysler computer if it hasn't visited a dealer in 2 or more years.

 

[Amado Rodriguez]

Thank you!
ill try that and will share how it went...