Driving home last night from work. Cruise set at 65 mph. All of a sudden I hear the engine knocking over the road noise. Oil pressure fine, all gauges good.
Looks to be a haze in the rear distance as I try to limp to exit. Truck stalls, starts back up, but not easily. Make it to the ramp LOW power. Turn into parking lot and it stalls. Call AAA. Let sit 5 min, try to start and it barely does, then knocking bad just like rod knock.

The oil was low, BUT still on the dipstick and smells almost like old gear lube. White smoke rolling out of the oil fill hole, but engine not overly hot.

Got towed home. Started up and idles. Moved my gooseneck to get access to garage. Killed batteries trying to start. Jumped it and started it, parked it.


Observation 1
fuel gauge jumps to 10 psi for a few secs when I turn the key on (never noticed that before)

This morning I started it and it smelled BAD of raw fuel (like a torpedo heater running out of fuel)

Actually sounded quieter, but still way too bad to drive.

I'm watching the oil level.

Input ????

 

When was the last time you filled up?
Almost sounds like bad fuel or gasoline.

 

injector a bent push rod, or a dropped valve seat but i dont think its the seat

 

From the symptoms it has to be the 03. Look for a failed injector. Sounds like the entire tip has failed and it is dumping fuel all the time. If so, it happens all the time on the common rail engines.

 

I would agree with RCW it sounds like a common rail engine with a bad injector.
But we are all just guessing at this point until we know for sure which truck it is ???

 

Sorry guys, YES it is the 03 > Tell me how to go about diagnosing the problem.

I sure hope it's not bottom end