Dodge 1500 EcoDiesel

TCDiesel, out of curiosity what did you find when you tore yours down that needed a fix?

The dealer called me and asked me to pick the truck up they can not find the issue. I will pick the truck up and get it home, won't drive it though till I have the OA back and find out what it has to say.

Two undersized crank Journals. TQ spec's way to loose, Bottom end only. I welded the Drive sprocket to the gear just for piece of mind.. but it can still slip if the bolt comes loose.

Couldn't key it?

Update

Since the dealer gave me paperwork saying that there was nothing wrong with the truck I have been driving it. I put about 600 miles on it in three days and on my way home yesterday it popped a check engine light. Apparently you can not cycle the key on these and see the code so I called the dealer and let them know I was coming in and they needed to check the code. All gauges were fine and truck felt like it was running normal.

Dealer pulls the code and it is for the EGR/coolant valve, which has a service bulletin on it. The parts are warranty and they are ordering them today. When we popped the hood the coolant was low, the tech that had been doing the previous service, the service manager, and I all verified that it was low and then they added 2/3 of a gallon of coolant. This makes for a total of 1.67 gallons added in 1500 miles. Oil does still not look milky though.

Cleared the code and told me to keep driving it, they will order the parts and when they get in they will perform the service.

I tracked the oil analysis and it was delivered to Blackstone yesterday, so I should have results today and will promptly send them to the service manager when they get to me.

You would surely notice if anywhere near that amount of coolant was going into your engine oil. And likely would see the leak if it were external, don't you think? At least see a residue building up somewhere?

Real curious to see what plays out here. Hope it's nothing major!

Update

Added another half gallon between Friday and last night. When adding last night I did notice it puking back out but wasn't able to find the source before mother nature decided she wanted to be a ***** and send some storm thru my area.

Called Blackstone on Friday and they assured me my analysis would be done on Monday. The one time I need it back fast the post office lost it for four days and then Blackstone took three days to process it.

Update

Got the oil analysis back, doesn't look good. Called the service manager at the dealer. He said well sounds like something is mixing, keep driving it till the EGR cooler valve gets here on Wednesday, we will make an appointment for the truck once that part gets here. He again asked how much coolant it had used since I was at the dealer last and I let him know it was a half gallon and was lower since then. This puts me at a total of 2.33 gallons of coolant added.

Today when the sun comes up I will check the coolant level again and also check the oil consistency. If all of that coolant is making it into the oil it should be milky by now.

I have a feeling that I have more than one issue causing a loss of coolant, lets hope that FCA feels the same and authorizes tear down.

I am going to make a complaint to them today to let them know the issues I have been seeing, what I have reported to the dealer and what they have told me to do.

Here is the oil analysis.

Is the suggested oil change 10,000mi? Curious if Chrysler will try to use that as a denial of warranty?

I know when I had some coolant issues , I was able to drain some oil out of the pan into a glass jar, and could see antifreeze in the jar. Anyway you can drain it out? I would think since you aren't seeing the oil level rise, that it is getting consumed or sent out the tail pipe.

Dealer just called, the EGR cooler is leaking internally causing the loss of coolant. Unless I do not know how this works, how is the coolant getting into the oil if the EGR cooler is leaking internally?

I am waiting on a call back from FCA as well as the dealer to let me know how this coolant and oil are mixing.

06 DIESEL said:

Dealer just called, the EGR cooler is leaking internally causing the loss of coolant. Unless I do not know how this works, how is the coolant getting into the oil if the EGR cooler is leaking internally?

I am waiting on a call back from FCA as well as the dealer to let me know how this coolant and oil are mixing.

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So if coolant can get into the exhaust gas recirc, I assume it could get into the intake? Then since it isn't combusted, start to mix with oil?

zstroken said:

So if coolant can get into the exhaust gas recirc, I assume it could get into the intake? Then since it isn't combusted, start to mix with oil?

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That'd be my guess. Then you wouldn't see oil level change much, but the coolant would likely get past the rings a bit.

Chrysler Customer Care just called me back and told me that they were not covering anything. Even though the dealer told me to keep driving the truck when I reported an issue. Guess I need to get a price on a EGR delete kit.

So the EGR system isn't covered?

Nope the EGR valve is covered but the EGR cooler is not covered past 3/36k.

06 DIESEL said:

Nope the EGR valve is covered but the EGR cooler is not covered past 3/36k.

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It is nuts that manufacturers are getting away with not covering parts of the emissions system under the emissions warranty!!! I have heard similar issues with the Chevy Cruze Diesel and GM denying warranty on emissions related items like the DEF pump, heater and system...

I know when there are out of warranty emissions failures on my Cruze we will look for "lightweight" aftermarket components....:hehe:

06 DIESEL said:

Nope the EGR valve is covered but the EGR cooler is not covered past 3/36k.

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That's likely the life set by the EPA, but look it up anyways. I know for motorcycles (usually much more lax emissions laws) the emissions stuff has to stay effective at reducing emissions to a set amount of miles or years (whichever comes first). Last time I was dealing with it was last year and I want to say it was 30000km (~18600 miles) or five years. I would expect a diesel truck to have a much higher requirement.
If that's the case, you might be able to leverage the EPA against them and I'm sure they wouldn't love that.

My case representative with FCA does not know anything about the vehicle. She actually told me yesterday that I was causing excessive wear on the vehicle by driving it 200 miles a day. My truck is about to get lighter and get better mileage and I am 100% OK with that.

06 DIESEL said:

She actually told me yesterday that I was causing excessive wear on the vehicle by driving it 200 miles a day.

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That is unreal!? I'm assuming this lady doesn't know anything about trucks then.
I'd recommend just recording everything, just in case. Hopefully you got that recorded.
"New Ram's are designed to drive less than 200 miles a day or you could hurt them..."

She clearly is just a pencil pusher, she did not know anything about the EGR and how it worked, or anything on the diesel vehicle. I politely explained to her that the trucks were designed not to sit and idle or short trip around town all day.

Since I have owned the truck, 2-9-15 with 17 miles on it I have NEVER had the truck go into manual regen, EVER. I drive long enough that if it does get short tripped it will get cleaned out before it has to go into manual regen.

None of this was recorded, the dealer service manager is mad that FCA is not going to pay for this part. He did let me know that the EGR cooler is under a 5 year 50k warranty, not the 3/36k that I thought. He told me to stop in tonight on my way home to talk to him in person.

At this point I am ready to pull the trigger on the lighter truck with programming as well as free flowing exhaust. If you are a vendor that has this ability please PM me information. Turbo/engine braking, 20-40 HP more and dead nuts reliable is what I am after....