Oil pressure drop at idle.
 

My oil pressure drops to nothing at idle. I changed the oil and filter and it corrected the problem for about a week. Then on my way home yesterday it dropped again at a stop sign and the check gauges light came on. I am a first time diesel owner...and I need some help.thanks in advance.

Jeff, you need to post your Dodge CTD year, engine etc. so the DTR members can better help you.

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John_P (Admin)

So I checked the oil level and it's super high. It smells like diesel as well. I had just changed the oil less than a week ago. Its hard to make heads or tails of the info ive read on the internet.. My truck is a 99 dodge 2500 with the 24valve 5.9. 4x4

I know the lift pumps on the 1st gens tend to rip the diaphragm and leak fuel into the oil causing your symptoms.
What sort of LP do you have?

I am not sure what the likely culprit is on your 99...But you need to find it and stop driving it with diesel as a lube as you will ruin you motor.
Maybe you have a bad injector leaking fuel down into the oil pan?

-----------I would change the oil again ASAP.---------

Maybe test temps [with a temp gun] on the exhaust manifold and see if all cylinders are running the same temp.. This might show you a cylinder that is not firing right and might be the location of the fuel leak.

It has a fass fuel pump if that's what you mean by lift pump. And I'll change the oil and see if the exhaust manifolds are running the same temp. How much variation would you consider not normal?

Jeff:

Thanks for posting the year of your Dodge CTD.

As the other DTR members have suggested, I would first look at your injectors. You need to take off the valve cover, then start the engine, let it idle and look at each of the injectors to see if you see any "bubbling" of diesel fuel in or around the injectors or outright fuel squirting out anywhere around them. IF you see that, the injector or injectors will need to be changed out. Another area I have seen fuel leaks on the 1998.5 to 2002 Dodge CTD 24 valve trucks is around the front seal on the VP-44 fuel pump. That you cannot really "see" but it can let diesel fuel into the oil and in that case the VP-44 fuel pump has to come off so that front seal can be replaced.

I hope this helps you some Sir.

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John_P

Thank you John_P. I found 3 injectors that have fuel bubbling out of them. Are these rebuildable?

I don't think they even want them for a core charge anymore...you can find stock Bosch ones brand new for around 75 bucks each......

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Jeff:

You are very welcome Sir!

To answer your question, YES, the Bosch 24 valve injectors CAN be rebuilt but as SIXSLUG posted to you, now you can purchase new/rebuilt units for about what it costs to send yours off and have them rebuilt. I would highly recommend "Scheid Diesel" to you for whatever you decide. Their toll-free number is 1-800-669-1593. Ask for Joe Hackman and he should be able to help you out Jeff. They are great people, they are a Bosch Certified Dealer and Dan Scheid has been in business for over thirty (30) years!

After you find out how the fuel got in, you need to at least pull the down pipe and check the inside for any fuel/ oil,

I flooded my crankcase with diesel fuel and just driving it home less than 20 miles destroyed the piston ring (oil seal) on the turbine shaft and caused the turbo to start pumping oil out the hot side.

My turbo had just been rebuilt and had less than 1000 miles on it.

Hopefully you will be fine, I wasn't so lucky.

My truck is a 1991.

Jim