If you’re reading this, you’re probably considering purchasing (or currently own) a Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCA) vehicle with the 2.4-liter Tigershark MultiAir inline-four cylinder engine. If you want to learn more about its issue with excessive oil consumption, keep reading.
What is the Tigershark MultiAir engine? The Tigershark engine is a member of the World Gasoline Engine (WGE), a family of I-4 engines based on the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) design, a partnership originally between Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai dating back to 2002. This engine family consists of 1.8L, 2.0L, and 2.4L displacements, SOHC or DOHC valvetrain design, and can include valve lift technology, called MultiAir. The name “Tigershark” is used to describe the next generation of the WGE with improved intake and valvetrain designs. It comes in 2.0L and 2.4L configurations and powers various Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, and Jeep vehicles worldwide, being first introduced in the 2013 Dodge Dart sedan. In this article, I’ll specifically be discussing the 2.4L Tigershark with MultiAir. What is the issue? The Tigershark MultiAir has been around for a little while, but an emerging issue over the years is its excessive oil consumption. Like I’ve talked about in other articles such as Ford and Honda, the issue of oil consumption can stem from several areas. With this engine, the initial cause is blamed on the piston ring design incorrectly adhering to the cylinder wall. Upon deeper research, though, this may not be the core problem. After years of owner complaints piling up, FCA has developed a PCM software update in the form of a Customer Satisfaction Notification in an attempt to decrease the created vacuum during the vehicle’s deceleration under certain circumstances. According to the Dodge Dart Forum, a member explains this update reduces the vacuum by explicitly allowing the intake valves to continue opening rather than remaining closed to conserve fuel. This Tigershark’s MultiAir system can fully control the timing, lift, and duration of the intake valves opening, including not opening them at all. When I read this, I first thought of the article I’ve written about Honda’s oil consumption problem with its J-series V6 equipped with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM). Similar to MultiAir, VCM allows the intake valves on certain cylinders to remain closed during light loads to conserve fuel. VCM creates a strong vacuum sucking oil past the rings and into the combustion chamber. For J-series V6’s without VCM, oil consumption is rarer to come by. In Honda’s case, the piston rings weren’t the core problem. Instead, the vacuum was far too great for the piston rings could handle when VCM engages. What should I do if I own or want to buy a vehicle that has this engine? When it comes to oil consumption, usually not a lot can be done to mitigate or prevent it, and the root cause stems from the design of the cylinder and its piston/oil control rings. Upon learning how MultiAir works, I believe the vacuum it creates is the primary cause of oil consumption, and the blame does not entirely fall on the piston and oil control ring design. It would be worth the company’s time to improve the ring design, but the greatest step toward resolution is decreasing the strong vacuum MultiAir creates. According to the same Dodge Dart forum, the owners indicate the updated software eliminated consumption. For most owners, it was common for their Dart to consume more than one quart of oil every 2,000 miles, but after the software update controlling MultiAir, the engine consumes no oil even after driving for more than 6,000 miles. And the piston rings were not replaced. The downside to this update, at least for now, is it’s (strangely) only offered to owners of specific brand models and model years, leaving out many owners who also experience this oil consumption. Should I buy a vehicle with this engine? I never recommend buying a car with an engine known for consuming excessive amounts of oil, but I’m pleased to hear that a simple PCM update controlling MultiAir appears to eliminate the consumption, according to Dodge Dart owners of this engine. Because this Tigershark MultiAir is in more than just the Dart, I’m assuming this update will work for all affected vehicles. If you’re looking at buying a FCA vehicle with this engine, I’d remain cautious and take the time to investigate its other flaws. Given the PCM update is not available to all vehicles with this engine, try to choose a model eligible for the fix or purchase a used one where the update is already applied. And as with any car, I can’t stress the importance of regularly changing the oil no more than 5,000 miles and using quality fuel. Opinion Of all the research I’ve performed on engines, oil consumption is one of the most common, including fuel diluting engine oil. Some of the reasons for excess oil consumption include the piston and oil control ring design, internal pressures, and loose tolerances between components. The issue with oil consumption is not just the oil consumption itself but the lack of warning the vehicle gives to the owner about it. In an ideal world, the car can accurately and correctly notify the driver of low oil through warnings before damage occurs. In reality, this doesn’t always happen, and frequently owners are left dazed when their engine stalls and locks up. A few years ago, General Motors faced an uproar of complaints regarding the oil life indicator incorrectly monitoring the level, leaving owners with little to no warning the engine is close to running out of oil and damage is imminent. This also presents a safety hazard if the vehicle were to stall while driving, especially at high speeds. If you want to save yourself countless headaches and stress, do not solely rely on your car telling you when the oil level becomes low. The low oil level warning is not a foolproof way of knowing what the oil level is. Because of this, you become responsible for checking the oil level as often as needed physically (assuming your car has an oil level dipstick). In every owner’s manual I’ve read, the automaker always explicitly states to check the oil level at least once every other time you fill up with fuel. The automaker isn’t necessarily implying the engine will consume an astronomical amount of oil, but by mentioning this, they take a proactive measure in protecting themselves from lawsuits. Due to strict emission regulations, automakers must find new ways to make their engines as fuel-efficient as possible, but this almost always results in lowered reliability due to the effect on the engine itself. I personally have no tolerance for excessive oil consumption with my cars, even slight oil consumption for that matter (and so far, none of them exhibit it). Automakers will tell you oil consumption is normal (i.e., one quart every 1,000 miles), but the reality is it is not normal, and that should not be happening if the internal pressures and vacuum forces are appropriate according to the durability of the engine’s piston rings and seals, among other components. For every issue I investigate, I especially think about the plausibility of the automaker intentionally designing the components in question in a way that would result in premature failure so dealerships can make more money in repairs. With the 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir, I believe its oil consumption is a design oversight and not deliberate negligence. Most likely, the company learned about it over time but decided not to do anything about it because of cost and inconvenience. Additional resources Dodge Dart Forum | 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir Excessive Oil Consumption FCA 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir Excessive Oil Consumption Lawsuit Now you know the truth behind FCA’s 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir I-4 engine and its excessive oil consumption. I hope you have found this information informative and helpful. Still have questions or comments about this issue? I'd love to help. Feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
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