rebsr1

The truck is a 2003 diesel 2500 pickup, stock with 88,000 miles. I was driving home a week ago from Conn to N.C. and 35 mi. from home when I heard a slight "ticking" noise. I stopped and I checked the gages. All ok. Oil at 40psi, temp at around 200 deg. I continued driving and 10 miles from my house a dash light came on and said "check gages". I pulled off the highway and checked again. Same readings. I drove it home and brought it in for an oil change (5600 miles). My service guy, known him for 10 years, showed me the RH underside of the truck covered in oil. They washed the filter etc and checked for a leak and found none. There was only 4 qts in the pan. I had them chainge the filter and oil and had it towed to the Dodge dealer in Burlington NC. He called later and said it may have been the filter and could he see it. He got it from my guy and called me and said there was a crack in it and was probably there when they "put it on". What? 5600 miles ago? I think not as my guy said he did it taking it off and would have been out of oil long ago. The Dodge dealer said #5 cylinder wall is scored and for warranty I need a short block, $5500 and labor, $3000 to $5000. I do not think it was the filter. Chrysler will not honor the warranty because of what the Dealer told them. Any ideas as to what might have happened? I love the truck but just want it fixed and gone now. Sorry this is so long.

underwoodtransp

there must be something else to this that the dealer is not telling you. Do you have any mods or anything not stock??? Because there is no way they can say it was the filter... and by the way if it was their filter they should warranty the filter. I could see this happening when the gorrillas that install these things from the factory overtighten them something horrible!!!! Oh,,, was it your first oil change??? or the factory filter. you didn't say.. More info!!!

Hounddog

I think I'd do a oil analysis asap of the old oil.Blackstone labs.Wonder if any fuel in oil.Oil/fuel combo would have blown out vent tube on drivers side etc.OR if number five injector went south(sveral reports of this happening)it would have scored cyl. and blowby would have pushed oil out.

rammtuff

He mentioned 88k on the truck. I don't believe it would be the factory oil filter, nor the first oil change.

underwoodtransp

sorry about that.. I reread it and saw the 88k. For some reason the 5600 miles ago stuck in my head and I thaught it had 5600 miles on it. I myself have had a strange #5 injector problem from time to time but have never been able to get it to be bad enough to warrant a new one at the dealer. It just shows low in the contribution test but "within spec". I would consider the oil analysis too but he mentioned that there was only 4 qts in it and any normal human would add the other 2 gallons to it before it was even moved! so an analysis would do little I think.. but worth a try if it is still around. Also he said they tore down the motor which would involve draining the oil anyway. good luck and keep us posted!!!

fredbert

Maybe there was a small defect in the filter housing which leaked only when it was under pressure. It became a big defect when the filter was forcibly removed. I've actually seen this happen! What brand is it? Anyway, it's either DC's fault or the filter manufacturer's fault. You did nothing wrong! If push comes to shove, sue them both together and let the judge sort it out.

rebsr1

Thanks for the replys. The filter is a Bowes and the oil was the stuff Chrysler recomends. The crack-split- is about 1/2 long down at the bottom edge right adjacent to the dent the tool makes when they removed it. I put their tool on it and it matches up good. I don't see how it could have been the filter when installed as the oil would have leaked out way before I got that first dash warning, BUT it is possable. Because I saw the oil pressure at 40 psi I just never thought to check the oil level. Stupid me. I wish I knew where the reports were of the #5 injector/cylinder going south. The truck is all stock and this was the one I was going to keep forever. It got 24 mpg highway, the best ever at 2,000 rpm or a little under. I have driven it to the Keys in Fla several times and I love it. I only tow my bass boat with it. I am sick to think I may have done something to it.

J BODY

Any stress riser in a filter housing can start leaking. I had a customer that did his own oil changes. 2500 miles later pulling his camper chimes went off, by the time he pulled over it was all over but the crying. Towed it into us as he was under warranty, but there was a small dent in the orange filter that finally let go doing the same thing to his that happened to yours, covered the right side of the engine and underside with oil. He ended up buying a short block. He did mention that he was "not comfortable" with hand tight on the filter, and had put a strap wrench on it to snug it up a bit. I imagine that's when the dent occured.