2002 Cummins 2500 4x4 Auto

Had my truck plugged in but didn't realize I wasn't getting juice to the outlet till this morning.... Anyway I cycled the ignition twice before starting. (Over-night temps -5F) Engine cranked slow for about 5-10 seconds and then fired up. Watched oil pressure - It came up and then DROPPED OFF after about 20-30 seconds of running. Killed the ignition before it hit ZERO . (Also the Power Steering pump was whining during this time) Waited a few minutes and checked things out and then when to start again...... This time it fired up and ran like a champ.....

Pulled out of the drive (after a 10 minute warm-up) and noticed an oil smear??????? Good pressure on the gauge but when I popped the hood the oil seamed to come from the oil filter area..... (less than 1/2 a quart) Any suggestions - Did I mess the engine up. Engine appears to run great afterward, BUT???? I don't usually park the truck un-plugged.

 

I don't think anything is badly screwed up, but if you have a seal that's 80% worn out, it just takes a cold start with really thick oil to push it over the edge. You DO need to find out exactly where the oil came from, and fix it before you drive the truck. If the oil filter's wet, hose it off with brakeclean, and blow dry it with compressed air. Make sure the filter's tight, and there's enough oil in the engine to start it. Idle the engine and monitor the area for leakage. It could be the filter's o-ring at the mounting surface, its can may have ruptured, or it could be another component spraying oil onto the filter. Whatever the repair ends up being, monitor it closely (and often) after the repair, until you are satisfied that everything's ok. Pressurized oil leaks can kill an engine, or start a fire, real quick.

Welcome to the site, by the way.

 

Consider using a light-viscosity synthetic during the cold months (if you aren't already).