2020 Jeep Compass, 50k miles. Uses 0w-20 oil. Manual says to use Mopar or Pennzoil. I’ve been using Pennzoil but the regular 0w-20 Pennzoil is getting harder to find. Pennzoil has plenty of “carbon neutral 0w-20” and very easy to find. Is it ok to use carbon neutral type of oil?
Oil is oil, as long as it meets API specifications or newer GF-6 specs, and is the right formulation. As long as you use the proper detergents, it's fine. Mopar doesn't create motor oil, some other corporation produces it and Mopar slaps its name on it.
Carbon neutrality is only a gimmick. They might use something other than petroleum to distill the crude oil, but that's it. You're still burning something. The tiny amount of oil burned to produce motor oil compared to gasoline is basically irrelevant. Like shooting a BB gun at a freight train dock.
“carbon neutral 0w-20
the lengths they'll go to, and buzzwords they'll use to market anything to the trendy greta crowd is hilarious.
Just make sure you don't fart while driving, or you'll completely offset your carbon footprint man.
oil is actually very good for removing CO2, since oil is about 85% carbon. It was captured out of the atmosphere by plants and algae. (sure maybe it was millions of years ago but it counts)
Why would you want to? "Carbon neutral" is just a scam to begin with, and while they probably just plant trees somewhere or some such nonsense it's possible the oil is compromised in some way. (Whenever you "go green" you're getting a worse product that is more expensive.)
It's pretty odd that your owner's manual says to use specific brands. How is it worded, does it say "recommended" or "required"?
In any event I would only use the brands the owner's manual calls for during the warranty period just so the dealer can't claim any engine problems are due to the oil. After that any brand of oil that meets the vehicle's specifications is fine.
Thanks, the manual is a recommendation to use Mopar or Pennzoil
Then you are not tied to those brands, you can use any that meet Jeep specifications.
Please read the FAQ
Oil type is well covered there
Carbon neutral could mean many things, some alluded to above.
It could mean a carbon offset like planting a tree.
It could mean a carbon credit.
It could mean carbon capture.
It could mean making the production process more “efficient”.
The irony is they TMK, oil itself is a hydrocarbon.
I was once conversing with a carbon accounting guy, and he asked said what the biggest carbon contribution to creating soda was transportation. I argued back, it’s the carbon in the soda. He wasn’t amused.
