I have 2004 2500. It's a 4x4, HO, 6speed. I bought it used at 90k miles. It now has 114000 miles on it. Recently it started showing these signs and symptoms:
-slow starting/hard starting
-extremely rough idle, the whole truck shakes. After it warms up the shaking
decreases.
-white smoke upon start up, once it warms up the smoke goes away
-cylinder 1 is running cool. While running, the temperature of exhaust manifold for cylinder 1 is about half of what the other cylinders are.
-if you take the oil fill cap off while the engine is running there is a lot of crankcase pressure, so much that if you're not careful the oil cap will get blown out of your hand.


My first thought was injectors, so I had them pulled, cleaned, and checked. It turns out the injectors are fine.

With these signs and symptoms I'm thinking a piston ring on cylinder 1. Next step is to run a compression test.

Herr are my two questions for y'all:

1: does this sound like a piston ring problem to you?

2: based on mileage and age, the truck is out of warranty. Do I have any basis for arguing about this problem on a young Cummins motor? This kind of thing shouldn't be happening. Is there any way I can get some kind of even partial warranty coverage?


Thanks.

 

it sounds like u need to pull the head and have a look see. could b a couple things but pulling the head will show u valves, seat, pushrods etc and u can then see the piston, walls etc. as far as warrenty i don't think so but u can try all they can say is no. good luck.

 

This type problem has been talked about here more than it should. A cummins should not have any problems for at least 300,000 miles or more. Your symtoms are very similar to others who have had to rebuild the engine due to ring wear which may or could have been caused by carbon build up on the rings.

Most think its caused by the EGR 3rd Event in the injection cycle which actual just blows around the rings and into the crankcase.

Here are three other posts from this site. I'm sure someone will jump in here later and offer more info.

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...ighlight=block

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...s-t257096.html

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...s-t253391.html

Dave

 

All those posts are about '04.5 and up. He has an '04, no 3rd event or EGR..

I would do a compression test, then pull the head an go from there.

 

One thing I would recommend before tearing into the motor is to take off your oil filter and open it up. Cut a hunk out of it and press the oil out in a vice, and then examine the piece you cut out for contamination. Most I have seen with a broken ring will have aluminum particles(piston material), and will also consume oil a lot with a broken ring/scored cylinder. Hope this helps you out.

 

Any word on this yet?

 

I seen an 03 yesterday that I think this happened to. The filter was cut open as described above and there was metal in the filter. The motor was pulled and #5 piston was bad. I didn't look real close at it but could see the skirt on the piston was eaten up. This is this guys second motor. I was told the first one gave up at 110000.