Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
I changed oil via the dipstick tube while watching a movie last night in Fergus Falls, MN. (RV transporter) This night was one of only a few times I have idled all night in almost two years of doing this job (don't like the extras expense and engine wear). I decided it was just too cold to start up on 15w40 Amsoil in -11 temps with wind chills somewhere in the -20 to -30 range (forgot what it really was there). The night before I was in MT where it was about -5 or less with wind chills there too but I didn't idle. I topped off my oil in the morning and was amazed at how stiff the 15w40 amsoil was in those temps. I was able to poor it faster than the oil filler tube could take it. It was almost like honey. It took about three tries to start (had to give it a little peddle). The fuel filter leaked around the top enough to wet the top of the differential for some reason and then sealed up, the e-brake would not fully engage and the power steering sounded terrible for the first few seconds even with clean Valvoline synpower fluid.
Anyway I figured I better idle the next night since I have the wrong oil in for those temps and it really stresses stuff starting cold like that. I got parked turned on the sluggish e-brake, idled up a tad and got back on the bed to watch a movie. Well the movie is almost over when I hear the chime go off and figured it was just the low fuel in the aux tank warning but looked anyway and saw the check gauges light on and oil pressure at zero. The oil pressure came and went several times and at first I figured the sender was just dieing since I have had this trouble before and even got the PCM flashed. Finally it went down and stayed so I quickly got my shoes and coat on and got out to see if my bypass filter return was flowing or not. When I opened the hood all I saw was oil plastered everywhere with blown snow mixed in all over the driver side engine and engine bay front to back. I shut it off right away and looked around a little but it's almost impossible to detect a leak when things are soaked as bad as this was. I put a couple courts of oil in and started it back up to check for leaks. It was then that I noticed the dip stick was poking out a little and bubbling. I shut it back down and started freaking out for a few moments thinking of a bad piston/rings or turbo seal (although this couldn't happen at idle). Then after freaking for a short time, it hit me. My elaborate crankcase vent system had probably frozen up from running for a couple days in sub zero weather. This had sort of crossed my mind in the past but I just hadn't given it much thought. My current system goes into a tank on the frame and from there into another tank filled with course steel wool to help condense the vapors and drain them back into the main tank. From there the hose runs clear back over the rear axle. The system works pretty good for all the miles I put on it. I have been thinking with it for some time over this last summer.
OK, so I decided to just cut the hose up near the starter there where the stock hose would have ended where it will stay warm enough to not freeze the condensation. What a chore that was with the cold temps and laying on oiled snow with strong winds blowing snow right at me and the vinyl was hard as a rock. I tried blowing back through the rear part and it was 100% blocked. I don't know where the actual freeze happened. I put all 6 qts. of oil in that I had with me and that brought it up to near full. I went ahead and idled the rest of the night but could hardly sleep for fear of something going wrong while I was sleeping plus the scare of a major leak and all just really freaked me out. I just hope it didn't blow or weaken any gaskets/seals. I drove on in to Elkhart, IN today and didn't see anything really but it's still fully covered in oil and dripping off. I'm SOOOOOO glad I was not asleep when this happened or I would have lost the engine right there if the repeated chiming didn't wake me up. My guess is it would have but still it scares me pretty bad. I really don't feel like wiring in all kinds of safety shutdowns either. I just hope I don't have to idle very often. Hope I can quit this CRAZY job before another winter.
So if any of you have similar setups or long hoses running to the rear please be aware of what can happen when running a lot in very cold temps. Maybe a hose alone would not have done this, I don't know. Maybe the tank full of steel wool froze. The hoses looked like they had ice in them but it was too cold out to be checking that stuff.
Sorry so long, I have a hard time talking about things without a lot of details.
Anyway I figured I better idle the next night since I have the wrong oil in for those temps and it really stresses stuff starting cold like that. I got parked turned on the sluggish e-brake, idled up a tad and got back on the bed to watch a movie. Well the movie is almost over when I hear the chime go off and figured it was just the low fuel in the aux tank warning but looked anyway and saw the check gauges light on and oil pressure at zero. The oil pressure came and went several times and at first I figured the sender was just dieing since I have had this trouble before and even got the PCM flashed. Finally it went down and stayed so I quickly got my shoes and coat on and got out to see if my bypass filter return was flowing or not. When I opened the hood all I saw was oil plastered everywhere with blown snow mixed in all over the driver side engine and engine bay front to back. I shut it off right away and looked around a little but it's almost impossible to detect a leak when things are soaked as bad as this was. I put a couple courts of oil in and started it back up to check for leaks. It was then that I noticed the dip stick was poking out a little and bubbling. I shut it back down and started freaking out for a few moments thinking of a bad piston/rings or turbo seal (although this couldn't happen at idle). Then after freaking for a short time, it hit me. My elaborate crankcase vent system had probably frozen up from running for a couple days in sub zero weather. This had sort of crossed my mind in the past but I just hadn't given it much thought. My current system goes into a tank on the frame and from there into another tank filled with course steel wool to help condense the vapors and drain them back into the main tank. From there the hose runs clear back over the rear axle. The system works pretty good for all the miles I put on it. I have been thinking with it for some time over this last summer.
OK, so I decided to just cut the hose up near the starter there where the stock hose would have ended where it will stay warm enough to not freeze the condensation. What a chore that was with the cold temps and laying on oiled snow with strong winds blowing snow right at me and the vinyl was hard as a rock. I tried blowing back through the rear part and it was 100% blocked. I don't know where the actual freeze happened. I put all 6 qts. of oil in that I had with me and that brought it up to near full. I went ahead and idled the rest of the night but could hardly sleep for fear of something going wrong while I was sleeping plus the scare of a major leak and all just really freaked me out. I just hope it didn't blow or weaken any gaskets/seals. I drove on in to Elkhart, IN today and didn't see anything really but it's still fully covered in oil and dripping off. I'm SOOOOOO glad I was not asleep when this happened or I would have lost the engine right there if the repeated chiming didn't wake me up. My guess is it would have but still it scares me pretty bad. I really don't feel like wiring in all kinds of safety shutdowns either. I just hope I don't have to idle very often. Hope I can quit this CRAZY job before another winter.
So if any of you have similar setups or long hoses running to the rear please be aware of what can happen when running a lot in very cold temps. Maybe a hose alone would not have done this, I don't know. Maybe the tank full of steel wool froze. The hoses looked like they had ice in them but it was too cold out to be checking that stuff.
Sorry so long, I have a hard time talking about things without a lot of details.
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