2016 Engine failure

[WHazelwood]

My 2016 3500, 6.7L totally stock with 110,000 miles suddenly developed a knock. It was just started from setting over night and idleing just fine with good oil pressure. I idled to the end of the drive when it suddenly started hammering.
Dealer's first diagnosis was a cracked torque plate between the engine and transmission. I laughed and told the service manager that the mechanic needed to fine another job. 2 weeks later they've come back and said #5 and #6 wrist pins were bad. All maintenance and services have been done on schedule. They wanted $25K to put a long block in. With a lot of wrangling Ram agreed to split the cost and do it for $15K. That's still a lot. I had another diesel shop quote it and they came back with $17K
Still don't know what caused it.
Thanks for listening, I'm just venting and waiting for more spit.

 

[odinjunior]

Yikes, that's a shocker. Can I assume that you have no warranty? If I had a repair bill that large it would sideline my truck.

 

[WHazelwood]

Yikes, that's a shocker. Can I assume that you have no warranty? If I had a repair bill that large it would sideline my truck.

no Warranty, they even told me that the 100K mile drive train warranty didn't cover the engine, The long block replacement does come with a 2 year parts and labor and 100K parts warranty. Yes it grounds me and puts a big dent in finances, but I can look around me at a lot of ways that I'm blessed. The truck is a tool, and even when properly taken care of sometimes they fail. Keep grinnin

 

[petersonj]

2 weeks later they've come back and said #5 and #6 wrist pins were bad.

Very sorry that this happened to you.

Since you are going to have a very expensive repair, I recommend to at least get in writing (with photos) the details of the failure. Cause and effect - not just saying "the wrist pins were bad". Wristpins don't just go bad. Have them show you the wristpins and tell you what failed and why.

I, for one, would want to know the exact cause of the failure, not just what failed. For example, one possible cause could be from a leaking injector that partially filled a cylinder with fuel which could trigger a hydraulic lock in that cylinder. This would place an unusually excessive force on the piston, wristpin, and connecting rod. That could bend a wristpin. That's cause and effect.

- John

 

[sag2]

Have them pull the piston cooler jets and see if they are plugged. That is a very unusual failure.

 

[NIsaacs]

So they disassembled the engine and know this, or just a guess?

 

[WHazelwood]

I've asked them to save all the parts for me to examine. They said that they pulled #6 out and that #5 was also loose. I agree, as a gear head and engineer I want to know root cause not just hearsay. Oil had been changed about 1000 miles prior to the knock. Oil level was not too full or diluted.

 

[endoscott]

Our engine failure was broken valve spring #6 cylinder at 77,000 miles, fortunately under warranty and Max Care was great. I think the engineers get these failed engines back and have a look but no idea what was ultimately the cause of failure in our case. Did the valve spring break due to too much heat or something? I believe #6 cylinder is the hottest or something. I am not an engineer. Maybe that spring just failed due a metallurgical problem. But at 77,000 miles, wow! Rare. I hate being that guy "we never saw one like this".

 

[Cummins12V98]

"they even told me that the 100K mile drive train warranty didn't cover the engine"

sag2 what say you??? Seems bogus to me, I think the op meant "wouldn't cover"

OP that really sucks!!! I for sure would want to know exact cause.

 

[BigPapa]

I've asked them to save all the parts for me to examine.

Unless the long block is new with no core, the assembled engine will be returned as core. You won't get to see anything.

 

[Ozymandias]

In the end, it's still man made and can fail. Though rare, it happens.

 

[Learjet]

"they even told me that the 100K mile drive train warranty didn't cover the engine"

sag2 what say you??? Seems bogus to me, I think the op meant "wouldn't cover"

OP that really sucks!!! I for sure would want to know exact cause.

5 years or 100,000 miles....he is over the 5 year mark more than likely with a 2016

 

[WHazelwood]

Went to the service center today and talked to the mechanic. He has not tore down the engine. He disconnected #6 from the crank and said that he could hear the wrist pin clicking as he pushed up and down on the rod. He cannot look at the piston oiler jets usless they do a complete tear down. the dealer warrantee man said actually there's two Warrantees, one for the engine 500K or 5yr. and another for the rest of the drive train 500k or 5 yr. In either case the truck was technically out of warrantee, It has 110k miles and was bought in September of 2016. I may never know the cause. The mechanic said that he could not see any signs of wear or scuffing on the bearing or cylinder wall so he had no explanation. The truck has been good and have no doubt that it'll continue to serve me well.

 

[AH64ID]

The truck should have had a 5 year or 100K mile powertrain warranty, and a 3 year or 36K mile bumper to bumper warranty. There are some other lengths for corrosion and emissions, but those two are the main warranties. Either way you’re expired.

Sounds like the engine is out of the truck, or at least the oil pan is off (which isn’t easy to do in the truck) so they should be able to see the oil cooling jets.

 

[Turbo Terry]

Very sad news indeed but you will have a new motor soon life will go on .

 

[NIsaacs]

With only 110k miles I would think that engine would be a good candidate for a in frame rebuild.

 

[06 Dodge]

Bet the OP wished he had a 8/125K max care warranty.

 

[Tuesdak]

Have them pull the piston cooler jets and see if they are plugged. That is a very unusual failure.

Save the oil filter!!! It may have failed clogging the piston cooling jets. There likely would be cylinder scoring.

We are second guessing a mechanic and the diagnosis I am reading isn't adding up.

Dealer's first diagnosis was a cracked torque plate between the engine and transmission. I laughed and told the service manager that the mechanic needed to fine another job.

The flex plate cracking can knock loudly. Maybe you telling them this they decided to bill you more.

 

[WHazelwood]

They had ordered a flex plate (that took two weeks to get) and tore the truck down far enough to get to that and determined that there was nothing wrong with the flex plate. That's when they started digging deeper. So far this has taken a month with propably 2 more weeks to go. I'm having serious truck withdrawal symptoms. My wife's diesel (BMW 328d) is fun but no comparison.

 

[sag2]

"they even told me that the 100K mile drive train warranty didn't cover the engine"

sag2 what say you??? Seems bogus to me, I think the op meant "wouldn't cover"

OP that really sucks!!! I for sure would want to know exact cause.

It should have a 5 year 100k warranty that covers the engine. If he is out of warranty by time I would have them put a couple of pistons in it. A wrist pin failure is clearly a rare type of failure. They have the pan off, might as well pull the head and repair it.