Chrysler Pacifica Oil Change, Gas and Plug-In Hybrid

The Pacifica replaced the Town and Country for 2017 and it has been the minivan of choice for a lot of families in south Reno and the Carson Valley ever since. Two versions share our bays: the gas van with the nine-speed automatic and, from 2021, available all-wheel drive, and the Pacifica Hybrid, a plug-in that can run its first stretch of every trip on battery power. They take the same grade of oil, but they wear it out in different ways.

At a glance

• 3.6-liter V6, SAE 0W-20 to MS-6395, about 5 quarts with filter (Chrysler 2022 Pacifica fluid table)
• Oil change indicator, service within 500 miles of the message, never past 10,000 miles or 12 months (Stellantis manual)
• Nine-speed automatic on the gas van takes ZF 8 and 9 speed ATF, 6.35 quart service fill
• OAT 10 year or 150,000 mile coolant
• Plug-in hybrid: the same 0W-20, the calendar limit does most of the work

Pacifica oil specs at a glance

Chrysler's table tells owners to check the oil filler cap for the correct SAE grade, and that is our first step on every Pacifica. We fill a full synthetic 0W-20 that meets the MS-6395 standard and set the level on the dipstick after the engine has run.

When the indicator lights, and when it does not

The Pacifica has no printed mileage interval. Its computer turns on an Oil Change Required message based on how the van is used, and the Stellantis owner's manual names the things that bring it on early: frequent short trips, towing, extremely hot or cold temperatures and extended idling. Once you see it, the manual asks for service within the next 500 miles.

A van that does long highway miles to Sacramento can go a long way between messages. One that idles in the Galena High pickup line every afternoon will see the message much sooner. Either way, the manual's ceiling is 10,000 miles or 12 months.

The plug-in hybrid's twelve-month clock

On the Pacifica Hybrid the gas engine starts only when the battery needs help or the driver asks for more power. Owners who plug in every night and stay inside Reno and Sparks can put thousands of miles on the van with the engine barely running. The oil is still aging, collecting moisture on cold starts and sitting in the pan, so the 12-month limit in the Stellantis manual is the number that usually decides the change on a hybrid.

When the engine does run, it often starts cold and runs briefly, which is one of the short-trip conditions the manual lists. Reno averages about 122 nights a year at or below freezing on the NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals. We set the sticker by date on every hybrid. The battery pack and high-voltage parts are dealer territory; we leave them alone and work on the engine side.

Transmission, coolant and filters on the Pacifica

The gas Pacifica's 948TE nine-speed uses ZF 8 and 9 speed ATF with a 6.35 quart service fill, per Chrysler's 2022 table, and it has no dipstick, so its level is not part of a quick check. Ask about a transmission fluid service if your van tows or has high miles and we will tell you what applies. The hybrid uses a different electrically variable transmission, which we do not service.

Coolant is Mopar 10 year or 150,000 mile OAT, about 13.1 quarts on standard cooling. We check its level and condition and never top it off with a different type. The cabin filter sits behind the glovebox; in smoke season it is often the first thing a Pacifica owner notices.

Our Pacifica checklist

• Grade confirmed on the cap, full synthetic 0W-20 to MS-6395, new filter
• Oil Change Required message reset
• Engine air filter and cabin filter pulled and shown
• Coolant level and condition, brake fluid, wipers and washer fluid
• Tire pressure, including the third-row passengers' extra load
• Battery test at participating locations, lights and an under-van look for leaks