Common Rail 5.9 burning oil (I think)

[Jack Jensen]

Going to start this off with some background information so y’all can get an idea of what’s going on.

I have a 2006 2500 4x4 4 door long bed with an auto. It has 245,000 miles. I bought it 13 months ago and have put about 15,00 miles on it. I do oil and fuel filter changes every 4,000 miles and use Napa oil filter and AFE fuel filter. I run it on an economy tune on my edge tuner. I also have a S&B cold air intake. I am 20 years old so yes I do drive like you’d think, but I do not abuse my truck. I pull trailers every now and again. The PO was an old man and I was told the truck had a camper on it most it’s life. But this guy took amazing care of it. This thing is in amazing mechanical condition and has zero issues other then this new oil thing.

I changed my oil a few months ago. And last weekend I checked it for the first time since I did my last oil change which is bad I know, I usually check it often. But I was 7 quarts low. So damn low. I have zero leaks other then a small power steering leak. Engine is clean. Wondering what y’all think is wrong. I work at a truck shop so I know my way around cummins, and engines pretty good. I instantly thought rings are going bad, but wondering if there is other things y’all could give me advice about on this 5.9.

I live in Ellensburg and this winter was very cold. My truck would warm up for 10 minutes every morning. It doesn’t blow any blue smoke. Sometimes on start up when it’s cold it has some white smoke but every diesel I’ve owned has done that. Before now it has never burned oil. I fill her up last weekend with that 7 quarts and I keep checking and it hasn’t changed at all. It also has never shown low oil before now either. Seems like it only did it over this winter.

 

[AEdelheit]

Assuming you let the oil drain back down to the pan after you shut it off? If you pull the oil cap with it running can you feel excessive blow by? Thats alot of oil, there should be some signs if it was burning it. If you dont have excessive blow by It could be the oil seal on the turbo but there should create some smoke.

 

[AH64ID]

If you ran it 7 quarts low I am surprised it's not seized. How long after shutting it down did you check it?

Unless things have changed that AFE fuel filter is not a f/w separator, so it's pretty useless to run without other filtration.

Use a Baldwin PF7977, it's the best you can get for the OE filter canister.

You're also over servicing your fuel filter, and probably your oil too. CAT actually has a service bulletin out on over servicing fuel filters, as a new fuel filter isn't as efficient as a used one.

10 minutes of cold idling is what Cummins considers excessive. Try reducing it to 3-5 max, use a winter front, and plug it in if you want heat sooner.

 

[Jack Jensen]

Assuming you let the oil drain back down to the pan after you shut it off? If you pull the oil cap with it running can you feel excessive blow by? Thats alot of oil, there should be some signs if it was burning it. If you dont have excessive blow by It could be the oil seal on the turbo but there should create some smoke.

It sat for a day. Didn’t run at all before I checked it

 

[AH64ID]

It sat for a day. Didn’t run at all before I checked it

I would now drive it for a few miles, park overnight and see if it changes.

 

[Jack Jensen]

Assuming you let the oil drain back down to the pan after you shut it off? If you pull the oil cap with it running can you feel excessive blow by? Thats alot of oil, there should be some signs if it was burning it. If you dont have excessive blow by It could be the oil seal on the turbo but there should create some smoke.

I also forgot to mention that my dip sticks kinda of messed up and a small bit of oil comes out but hardly anything. It’s like a small film 3inch down the dipstick tube

 

[Jack Jensen]

If you ran it 7 quarts low I am surprised it's not seized. How long after shutting it down did you check it?

Unless things have changed that AFE fuel filter is not a f/w separator, so it's pretty useless to run without other filtration.

Use a Baldwin PF7977, it's the best you can get for the OE filter canister.

You're also over servicing your fuel filter, and probably your oil too. CAT actually has a service bulletin out on over servicing fuel filters, as a new fuel filter isn't as efficient as a used one.

10 minutes of cold idling is what Cummins considers excessive. Try reducing it to 3-5 max, use a winter front, and plug it in if you want heat sooner.

Didn’t run at all before, and I will start using that filter and change my service interval

 

[Jack Jensen]

Should I check my valve lash? Could that have anything to do with it? On ISX motors they will burn lots of Oil if the lash is a **** hair off

 

[AH64ID]

It never hurts to check it, but it's a pretty wide range on these motors.

How many miles since you changed the oil?

 

[Jack Jensen]

It never hurts to check it, but it's a pretty wide range on these motors.

How many miles since you changed the oil?

4000, I was about to do it now

 

[AH64ID]

That's a quart every 500 miles, you should see that smoke if it's burning it.

 

[Jack Jensen]

That's a quart every 500 miles, you should see that smoke if it's burning it.

How much smoke would you think? Like very obvious? I don’t see any smoke once it’s warm. Yeah it’ll roll coal but that smoke is from Unburnt fuel not oil I wouldn’t think

 

[AH64ID]

Oil is bluish-grey when burned.

 

[Ozymandias]

Why always that **** CAI, it is really widely known now that there is NO benefit from them other then a dusted out engine.

Why we talk about fuel an oil filters if there is a CAI at the engine, it won't matter anymore for the longevity of the engine to run it with cheapest Chinese filters.

A CAI is an 1A Engine Killer, no more, no less.
Fact. That is proven by Cummins and by Mopar - and by many users.

 

[Jack Jensen]

Why always that **** CAI, it is really widely known now that there is NO benefit from them other then a dusted out engine.

Why we talk about fuel an oil filters if there is a CAI at the engine, it won't matter anymore for the longevity of the engine to run it with cheapest Chinese filters.

A CAI is an 1A Engine Killer, no more, no less.
Fact. That is proven by Cummins and by Mopar - and by many users.

What do you recommend using?

 

[jgillott]

What do you recommend using?

Stock housing and Mopar or Fleetguard filter.

 

[Ozymandias]

Stock housing and Mopar or Fleetguard filter.

Exactly *thumbs up*


Sorry for the rant but CAIs make me really angry.
They are just a senseless POS that has not the slightest benefit on Turbo Intercooled Diesel Engine.
They harm the Engine.

So many come here from the Gassers side (first Diesel) and think that a CAI is the greatest invention since sliced bread, but in real they destroy their engines on purpose.

 

[cerberusiam]

Before you bag on the S&B CAI better take a look at how they are designed. Nothing wrong with them at all. https://realtruck.com/p/s-b-cold-ai...=cpc&msclkid=262594546cce1856bfa7c8c2b27bbf74

It doesn't really matter what type of CAI you use as long as you don't use the oiled filers, they are the biggest problem. A dry filter in an enclosure or with an added Outerwears pre-filter if exposed is just as good as the stock filter box as long as the filter is capable, that is what you need to look for more than anything. Since you already have it just make sure you the best dry filter you can find to fit it.

 

[Jack Jensen]

I like how the make my turbo sound lol

 

[Ozymandias]

Take out the baffle in the OEM intake tube just in front of the Turbo and get your whine for free. That is the silencer.

And I stand by it - there is no gain with a CAI, just wasted money and Engine damage on purpose.

No more power, no more milage, Nothing is right that the Vendors state for them, all lies.

The stock airbox and filter is perfectly fine for the stock engine, once again - it's a Turbo Intercooled Diesel Engine, not a Gasser.