2016 Ram Hemi 5.7 metal shavings

[Miafed]

I have a 2016 Ram 1500 with a Hemi 5.7. My third Ram with same engine. This one has 96k miles. All required service has been done on time in the same dealer shop. Never a warning from dealership about a potential problem or error code.

Recently took it in for a noise suspected to be from the water pump. The original. The truck had never overheated as indicated by the gauge and lack of idiot light coming on. No overheating related error codes brought to my attention. The dealership replaced the water pump under my Ram extended warranty without a problem.

I picked it up from the dealership late after work. The truck stalled on the way home, but restarted. This had never happened before. I called to report it to the service advisor. A few days later the same thing happened. Later in the day, the check engine light came on, but was not flashing. I immediately called the dealer and took it in.

The dealership got authorization from the warranty company to do a partial breakdown and found the VVT solenoid was blocked with metal shavings. The tech is suggesting the block be replaced. It's in the hands of the warranty company now.

Does anyone know of Ram, FCA or Stellantis service bulletins addressing a metal shavings problem with the Hemi 5.7 engines?

 

[Wild one]

I have a 2016 Ram 1500 with a Hemi 5.7. My third Ram with same engine. This one has 96k miles. All required service has been done on time in the same dealer shop. Never a warning from dealership about a potential problem or error code.

Recently took it in for a noise suspected to be from the water pump. The original. The truck had never overheated as indicated by the gauge and lack of idiot light coming on. No overheating related error codes brought to my attention. The dealership replaced the water pump under my Ram extended warranty without a problem.

I picked it up from the dealership late after work. The truck stalled on the way home, but restarted. This had never happened before. I called to report it to the service advisor. A few days later the same thing happened. Later in the day, the check engine light came on, but was not flashing. I immediately called the dealer and took it in.

The dealership got authorization from the warranty company to do a partial breakdown and found the VVT solenoid was blocked with metal shavings. The tech is suggesting the block be replaced. It's in the hands of the warranty company now.

Does anyone know of Ram, FCA or Stellantis service bulletins addressing a metal shavings problem with the Hemi 5.7 engines?

Time for a cam and lifters,if it's under warrenty push hard for a new engine,or at least a new long block.

 

[crazy jerry]

they put in new water pump then it stalls and theres metal shavings. what are the odds

 

[Wild one]

they put in new water pump then it stalls and theres metal shavings. what are the odds

Water pump won't put metal shavings in the oil or onto the VVT solenoid.The oiling system and cooling system are 2 seperate systems

 

[EdGs]

You must've had a misfire code for them to pull the intake to check the oil control valve.

Shavings on the screens is an indicator to replace the engine. If you have a warranty, that is good, hopefully they cover it.

Did you have any ticking at all?

 

[Ken226]

Just a wild-assed guess, but the original noise had nothing to do with the water pump.

It was misdiagnosed as a water pump, and when the water pump replacement didn't cure the noise, they looked closer and arrived at the correct diagnosis.

 

[Miafed]

I have a 2016 Ram 1500 with a Hemi 5.7. My third Ram with same engine. This one has 96k miles. All required service has been done on time in the same dealer shop. Never a warning from dealership about a potential problem or error code.

Recently took it in for a noise suspected to be from the water pump. The original. The truck had never overheated as indicated by the gauge and lack of idiot light coming on. No overheating related error codes brought to my attention. The dealership replaced the water pump under my Ram extended warranty without a problem.

I picked it up from the dealership late after work. The truck stalled on the way home, but restarted. This had never happened before. I called to report it to the service advisor. A few days later the same thing happened. Later in the day, the check engine light came on, but was not flashing. I immediately called the dealer and took it in.

The dealership got authorization from the warranty company to do a partial breakdown and found the VVT solenoid was blocked with metal shavings. The tech is suggesting the block be replaced. It's in the hands of the warranty company now.

Does anyone know of Ram, FCA or Stellantis service bulletins addressing a metal shavings problem with the Hemi 5.7 engines?

 

[Miafed]

A mechanic friend who had worked on the truck before advised the engine may have been ruined in the dealership. The way he explained it. The cooling system has to be bleed of air after the water pump is changed. There is a special tool to do this. If this is not done properly, the engine could quickly overheat if the engine is left unattended at idle to test the new water pump.

This information caught my attention because the technician breaking down the engine, the same one who had installed the water pump, claimed the inspection was necessary to check for damage caused by overheating.

Has anyone heard of this causing enough critical overheating to ruin an engine?

 

[Ken226]

A mechanic friend who had worked on the truck before advised the engine may have been ruined in the dealership. The way he explained it. The cooling system has to be bleed of air after the water pump is changed. There is a special tool to do this. If this is not done properly, the engine could quickly overheat if the engine is left unattended at idle to test the new water pump.

This information caught my attention because the technician breaking down the engine, the same one who had installed the water pump, claimed the inspection was necessary to check for damage caused by overheating.

Has anyone heard of this causing enough critical overheating to ruin an engine?

Metal shavings in the VVT solenoid are not a symptom of an overheated engine.

Sure, if a Ram dealer technician was so incompetent as to change the water pump and not bleed the air out, of the most long produced and common engine in their lineup, then yea, they could have overheated it. It's the least likely scenario though.

An overheated engine blows the head gasket, leaks oil into the coolant and coolant into the oil. Drops valve seats into the cylinders, seizes pistons into the cylinders, amongst other things.


Given the location of the VVT solenoid in the Hemis oil plumbing, a failed cam/lifter is infinitely more likely.

 

[Burla]

Any engine can have metal shavings, seams like v8's are high on the list. Hemi's also have the additional fact of cam can go out average 75k to 130k miles (when they go out), seams like most cam fails happen then. Sounds like your goose laid a golden egg, the Tech recommended a new block, way cool for you bro. Even if you end up paying a few grand, if the warranty co eats most of that = golden egg. List what they are going to replace, and some of us might suggest some adds even if it costs you a buck. Like a non e torque hemi with a brand new engine, that's four aces, not much tops that.

 

[Burla]

Interesting thing, I haven't even heard of a fatal diagnoses, literally it is possible your engine is ok.

Literally he popped a valve and said metal yeah, but the only thing you had was two stalls, and you might get a new engine. Air in coolant happens all the time, shouldn't damage anything unless someone drove on an overheating engine for a long time or they never put any coolant back. Air pockets would be rare to see damage.

 

[crazy jerry]

Water pump won't put metal shavings in the oil or onto the VVT solenoid.The oiling system and cooling system are 2 seperate systems

thanks sherlock . was just getting a chuckle from his odd circumstances that everything went crashing down at once

 

[Wild one]

thanks sherlock . was just getting a chuckle from his odd circumstances that everything went crashing down at once

With you,i'm not sure you knew I'd think a misdiagnosis as @Ken226 stated is more likely

 

[Markw]

At 165,000 miles my truck had a lifter fail. Now it has an engine without MDS.

 

[Dusty]

I have a 2016 Ram 1500 with a Hemi 5.7. My third Ram with same engine. This one has 96k miles. All required service has been done on time in the same dealer shop. Never a warning from dealership about a potential problem or error code.

Recently took it in for a noise suspected to be from the water pump. The original. The truck had never overheated as indicated by the gauge and lack of idiot light coming on. No overheating related error codes brought to my attention. The dealership replaced the water pump under my Ram extended warranty without a problem.

I picked it up from the dealership late after work. The truck stalled on the way home, but restarted. This had never happened before. I called to report it to the service advisor. A few days later the same thing happened. Later in the day, the check engine light came on, but was not flashing. I immediately called the dealer and took it in.

The dealership got authorization from the warranty company to do a partial breakdown and found the VVT solenoid was blocked with metal shavings. The tech is suggesting the block be replaced. It's in the hands of the warranty company now.

Does anyone know of Ram, FCA or Stellantis service bulletins addressing a metal shavings problem with the Hemi 5.7 engines?

Yes, but not related to anything in the cooling system. Service procedures addressing lifter or cam failures advise checking for metal in the VVT solenoid screens and is part of the service procedures addressing noise or lifter or cam failures.

There's this thing called "coincidence," and i think either one was going to happen first followed closely by the other.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 134959 miles.

 

[dodge daddy]

Yes, but not related to anything in the cooling system. Service procedures addressing lifter or cam failures advise checking for metal in the VVT solenoid screens and is part of the service procedures addressing noise or lifter or cam failures.

There's this thing called "coincidence," and i think either one was going to happen first followed closely by the other.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 134959 miles.

 

[dodge daddy]

Noise was probably cam/lifters, and tech was lazy... if you told shop you thought it was water pump, they mightve just thrown a pump on without diagnosing. Overheating would cause a lot of other problems before cam/lifter failure

 

[QwikKota]

OP, did they ever ask you for oil change receipts? Or has all of your service been done by the dealer? I keep pretty good records since I have the MaxCare warranty but worried I didn't document things as well as I should have.

 

[js12278]

Metal shavings in the oil control valve screen is pretty much a call for engine replacement. You’ll never get all the debris out. Clean it and you’ll find it at the next inspection if it makes it that long.