Need Immediate Help

[Tolson93]

So just checking my oil and not seeing anything on the dipstick ... Any help ? Don't know what would cause it to be so low


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[JJP71584]

I'd put more in and see if you can track a leak and go from there

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[Tolson93]

Yeah I needed 4 quarts to get it to a safe level


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[WhiteExpress]

That's a lot of oil. Do you regularly change your oil?

Looks like you have a leaking rear main, but that's not a 4 qt leaker!

 

[Brakelate]

Top it off and get in the habit of checking your oil level at every fill up.

How many miles on the truck? My '07 1500 burns some oil between changes. Maybe a quart every thousand miles or so. No big deal as long as it isn't smoking out the tail pipe.

That leaky drip sure isn't large enough to lose that much oil.

It is normal for engines to burn oil, and more as they get more miles on them.

Just keep an eye on it. When was the last time you checked it?

Always try to keep it in the "Cross hatched" area on the dipstick. The bottom of that area to the top "Fill" mark is about a quart in most cases.

Do not let it get that low.

Otherwise, nothing really to lose sleep over.

 

[Tolson93]

Well I'm about 80 miles away from needing a oil change so it's been almost 3000 miles.. I get it changed every 3000 miles.. Just don't know why it was so low... Scary cause I don't need my truck having more issues.. Has 154,300 miles


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[Tolson93]

Well fired it up and it has some smoke coming out and does kind of smell like something burning.. Brother said when I revved it up lots more smoke came out ... So I must be burning lots of oil? Bad?


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[05daytona]

You either need new rings or valve seals. My guess is with that many miles you're going to need both. Those two together along with any external leaks and it'll go through oil pretty quick.

 

[MegaMouseGW]

Rebuild time me thinks.

 

[Tolson93]

You guys sure? Couldn't be just that rear main seal leaking? I mean it runs and drives good still pulls hard. No issues running. Miles aren't even to high... Ugh I can't go through a rebuild


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[05daytona]

Judging from the smoke I agree with MegaMouseGW. Maybe you can find a used engine for a descent price with lower miles. I guess it all depends on how long you plan on keeping the truck and your financial situation and willingness to make the necessary repairs. The rear main could still be leaking but the smoke trumps that IMHO.

 

[Tolson93]

I mean it looked white , isn't oil burning smoke black? It's not even like there was a ton couldn't see it if you were through the mirror.. I just can't afford much and gonna be devastated if it needs a rebuild. I mean if I was 4 quarts low that's a lot of oil to burn? Just seems like it'd be too much to burn that much .. I have not noticed anything wrong with performance so if it needed a rebuild... Wouldn't i notice a check engine light or it running funny?


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[05daytona]

White smoke is definitely a game changer. That means you're burning coolant, which means most likely a head gasket. The problem with high mileage and changing the head gaskets is you run the risk of blowing more oil past the rings because of increased compression. I've been there and truly feel your pain. Your other option is to do nothing and see how long it lasts. Maybe at the least you should run a compression check and pressure test the cooling system before you do anything else. I apologize for not mentioning that earlier.

 

[Tolson93]

I had the heads machined cause they were warped and had new head gaskets and manifold gaskets so I'd hope it's not head gasket...


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[MegaMouseGW]

Here is a link to a place that sells rebuilt motors for a decent price: 360 Dodge Engine | Remanufactured Engines | Accurate Engines


I know of a few other places but due to having redone my computer recently I do not have their links available.


Found their Hemi page for you: http://accurateengines.com/remanufactured-engines/dodge/57-hemi-engine/

 

[Tolson93]

Thanks but how would I know if it needs a rebuild? I mean it runs great...


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[MegaMouseGW]

First the smoke from the exhaust, massive oil loss, if there is water in the oil. Another way to check it is to have a mechanic do a leak-down test on each cylinder. If the compression is down 5% or more from new then the rings or possibly the valves need replacing. Either means a tear-down of the engine. So while the engine is torn down why not just rebuild and have it last 150k or more miles.

 

[Redtruck-VA]

Well fired it up and it has some smoke coming out and does kind of smell like something burning.. Brother said when I revved it up lots more smoke came out ... So I must be burning lots of oil? Bad?


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It sounds like you have someone change the oil for you, if so did you check the oil level when you picked it up? I have found the hemi gets shorted on oils changes as a lot of places don't know that it is suppose to have 7 qts. And you need to identify what the smoke actually is. On a cold start the exhaust makes a LOT of water depending on the type of exhaust pipes being used. This is mostly white condensation and stops after the pipes get hot. Oil smoke is light to dark blue and generally smells like oil and is seen when accelerating or decelerating. The blue tint can be readily seen at night with a light shining through it. A 03 with 150k miles may well need valve seals. If engine performance is still good I would recommend checking the oil every fill up and cleaning up the dirt and grim to sort out what all is leaking underneath. Get your budget together and plan for upcoming maintenance addressing the worst leaks first. If and when you address the valve stems plan to also change out the valve springs as 03's are a known problem. The hemi is a tough motor but still needs a little love occasionally. A compression check will give you an indication of the cylinder health and as long as she isn't knocking you will properly have a lots of life left in her. And of course if you do your own work you will save a ton of money and learn how to repair things that often elude others. Bonding time..

 

[Casper]

Compression check--Cylinder PSI will tell you if you have a problem in one or more cyclinders. Then you can make an informed decision about motor exchange, DIY rebuild etc. and how soon you need to take action.

Right now all you know is the dip stick was low.

 

[Tolson93]

Never seen any hint of blue smoke ever.. If I remember after work I'll take more pics on the engine and stuff. Hopefully it's nothing to serious


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