HELP!! I Hope I didn't kill her

[Chief115]

I went off-roading for the first time in my 99 5.9. I got stuck a few times and I'm the middle of getting myself out my oil pressure gauge dropped to 0. Then I got really stuck and had to get pulled out. I had it in reverse and was slowly going backward when my truck just died. Then once I was out I tried to start it again and it just start just clicked. After about 25 minutes I tried turning it over again, and kept trying to start it over and over and got it to start (got the starter to finally spin until it started, which sputtered a bit but started). I left it running for 10 minutes before trying to make my way out of the woods. I got to the first hill, stopped to put it in 4 wheel drive, and it died again (the oil pressure gauge still read zero) and will not start or turn. It didn't make any weird noises or anything before after or during. Any ideas on what this string of problems could be?

 

[dodge dude94]

Ouch, that doesn't sound good. First thing that pops into mind is to check the oil level and pull the spark plugs and spin the engine over with a breaker bar to make sure it's not seized. The starter should also be checked.

 

[rowdyram]

Sounds like maybe an electrical problem but I would start with an oil pressure test.

 

[Chief115]

I checked the oil level and it was good, no leaks

 

[Chief115]

If it started that second time why would it be seized. Makes no sense to me

 

[dodge dude94]

Could be ignition. Was it water or what?

 

[leadrofthepak]

Oil level good and zero oil pressure = oil pump went boom. Keep trying to start it or run it and you WILL seize it.

 

[Chief115]

and I checked all the connections and they seem good to me.

Seems like I have a few probems. The starter clearly isn't good seeing as it won't turn the engine. The oil pressure sensor seems like a culprit as far as I can tell because of the lack of noise and the presence of oil and lack of leaks. But both of those don't don't explain it just randomly dying. I need to check if the engine rotates still, but the fact it started once before leads me to think that it's unlikely seized. Electrical seems like the option to go with, but I don't even know where to start looking

 

[Chief115]

If the oil pump when boom shouldn't there have been some indication with rattling and nasty noises? How could I tell if the pump went?

 

[dodge dude94]

Leader is on it me thinks, i bet your starter is bad and your oil pump went boom.

 

[Chief115]

I was just mudding in some clay/mud. Didn't even get half way up the rim

 

[leadrofthepak]

The starter wont turn the engine because the engine isn't lubricated enough to turn, stop, stop stop.

 

[dodge dude94]

The starter wont turn the engine because the engine isn't lubricated enough to turn, stop, stop stop.

^This.

 

[Chief115]

If that were the case why was I able to run it the first time it died

 

[leadrofthepak]

When the oil pump quits you have a "grace period" where the internals are still lubricated enough to survive. When your grace period ends **** starts rapidly falling apart inside the engine to the point of no return (the rapping, rattling, noise of metal banging together stuff) Consider yourself lucky you do not here that yet as you may be able to salvage the motor yet.

 

[Chief115]

I sincerely hope that it's an electrical problem. So my first step is to see if it'll turn at the crankshaft pulley. How will I know if it's seiZed, providing it does turn. What should I expect?

 

[leadrofthepak]

If it turns with a wrench at the crank it is not seized. Do a compression test on each cylinder to verify that your rings are still intact. Change the oil pump, and oil and filter. Do a thorough inspection of parts when you have the oil pan down, look for shavings, etc..

Expect the oil pump to be done, hope the engine has not followed suit.

 

[moparman]

Chances are you didnt blow it up. If you left it running for ten minutes and the engine didnt seize itself then, theres no way the motor is toast. Check out the starter and make sure its good, make sure the battery is fully charged, replace the oil pressure switch and check that the distributor didnt get wet. Crank it over and see what happens. I cant begin to tell you how many chrysler products ive had towed in with customers thinking their oil pump failed when it was only a bad $15 pressure switch. Check the basics before you go and tear half the truck apart.

Theres a difference here between internet mechanics and guys who actually turn a wrench for a living.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Merc225hp]

Chances are you didnt blow it up. If you left it running for ten minutes and the engine didnt seize itself then, theres no way the motor is toast. Check out the starter and make sure its good, make sure the battery is fully charged, replace the oil pressure switch and check that the distributor didnt get wet. Crank it over and see what happens. I cant begin to tell you how many chrysler products ive had towed in with customers thinking their oil pump failed when it was only a bad $15 pressure switch. Check the basics before you go and tear half the truck apart.

Theres a difference here between internet mechanics and guys who actually turn a wrench for a living.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk 2

Sorry but I disagree with that comment, there are some great back yard techs and some **** licensed techs out there.

Kiss system

Check for motor rotation at the crank via hand tools.
Check all the batt leads and grounds.
Check the starter.
Do a mech oil psi test via a mech test gauge.
Comp test.
Spark test.
Fuel psi test.

Replace the pos oil sending unit with a permanent mech oil psi gauge.

BTW a sized motor once cooled down might start, seen it many a time. This does not mean the motor is any good at all. I have yet to see an oil pump fail on one of these motors, if the motor was starved of oil more likely the pos pick up tube screen is plugged.

Good luck op and post back your findings.

 

[Chief115]

Well I had it towed 40 miles back to campbell (where I'm stationed). As it turns out the starting issue was a few things. First, the starter was just being weak. Second, somehow the fuel system relay had popped out and went into a spare slot (not totally convinced it wasn't one of the guys with me moving shot around). So I jumped the battery for some extra juice, and got the motor to rotate freely which is how I found the fuel problem.

Then I was driving down the road and truck died again. Got out and shook the neg battery ground and it started no problem, so the starting/starter issue is a bad ground (which is weird cause the clamp and terminal army corroded), but a bad ground none the less.

When I was driving the 2 miles from where the tow dropped my truck, I noticed that it didn't sound like it did before. Maybe paranoia. However when I originally started it the oil pressure gauge read 40 like it should, and down the road it died randomly. My NCO says it's due to the bad ground which is possible, but when it was running when we got back and popped the hood, there was a ticking the wasn't there before, which makes me nervous