Oil in New Truck

[lgjohnson]

I'm having issues with my new truck.
It's ticking like a bomb (and no, its not the typical diesel sound). It sounds like one of the old Ford 7. 0 liters. . and that's inside the cab.
Outside it is obviously even worse. It sounds like the valves were never adjusted.
Parked beside two 2012 dually trucks Thursday night and each of us cranked up one at a time, Those trucks were quiet... no loud knocking/ticking like mine.
I'm putting on about 100 miles/day and been barely eeking out 12 mpg per computer on the highway. The duallys are getting 16-17 mpg. Yesterday, the ticking got even worse. $50+ truck and I'm almost afraid to start it. Going in to the dealer with it next week as soon as I can get an appointment and get there.
It doesn't appear to be tossing any codes.
I checked the oil several times and it's showing full each time, but I noticed that it is jet black with only 700 miles on it and appears awfully thin on the dipstick. Maybe the Amsoil in my old truck has spoiled me... lol.
Is that normal for a new truck's oil to be that black and thin with so few miles??
Has anyone else had this loud knocking/ticking noise?
Thanks.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Can't help with the noise but the oil turns black very quick. I am running AMZ/OIL full synthetic and did a Blackstone test with 7,500 miles the fuel dilution was 0. 5% iron was 71 ppm no water and no antifreeze. They said the 7,500 was fine but not to go longer until the iron went down. The TBN was 4. 7 and good for more miles. At time of sample 15k on truck. Just giving you this info for when you get the bugs out.

 

[Jim W]

Hi, I can only answer a couple of your questions that you asked.
1. Yes it is normal for the oil to be black on the newer trucks. The reason is the EGR system is recycled into the intake and this will cause the oil to become black. There has been a lot of discussion on this and my recommendation is to follow the information display system, when this tells you to change your oil do it. This can occur anywhere from 2700 miles to 7500 miles, depending on driving conditions and how you use your truck.

2. Mileage is all over the map on these trucks and should be hand calculated to have accurate reporting's. I do not believe anyone who quotes high mileage numbers from the 6. 7L engine equipped truck.
I use to see between 9. 35 MPG to 16. 01 MPG when new, mainly averaging 11. 6 MPG for the year. My truck is a 08 and deleted now, I am now seeing anywhere from 9. 4 MPG to 18 MPG's and I average around 13. 17 MPG's a year. I do tow a 5er and this is why I have lower fuel mileage readings most of the time. I do have five years of data to back up these mileage claims most user do not and just read the display.
Jim W.

 

[lgjohnson]

Hi, I can only answer a couple of your questions that you asked.

1. Yes it is normal for the oil to be black on the newer trucks. The reason is the EGR system is recycled into the intake and this will cause the oil to become black. There has been a lot of discussion on this and my recommendation is to follow the information display system, when this tells you to change your oil do it. This can occur anywhere from 2700 miles to 7500 miles, depending on driving conditions and how you use your truck.



2. Mileage is all over the map on these trucks and should be hand calculated to have accurate reporting’s. I do not believe anyone who quotes high mileage numbers from the 6. 7L engine equipped truck.

I use to see between 9. 35 MPG to 16. 01 MPG when new, mainly averaging 11. 6 MPG for the year. My truck is a 08 and deleted now, I am now seeing anywhere from 9. 4 MPG to 18 MPG's and I average around 13. 17 MPG's a year. I do tow a 5er and this is why I have lower fuel mileage readings most of the time. I do have five years of data to back up these mileage claims most user do not and just read the display.

Jim W.

Thanks. Well, it least the oil color seems to be in line with whatever is considered "normal" now.

I've not been on this site much for quite awhile now so I've not kept up much on the newer engine.

I knew the mileage was less than the older trucks.

Man, they've come a long ways since my old '03... . and it sounds like it's not for the better either.

EGR into the intake? Really? Wow! I didn't know that. I thought by now they'd be way past all that kind of stuff.

I'm glad I kept the '03 around now. Looks like it will be staying around awhile too as I'll be unloading this thing at the first opportunity.

Jim, I see the term "deleted" a lot on here a lot. What does that mean??

Oh, and this morning, I tried to use the remote start when leaving for church. The truck turned over but would not light off.

It took me several attempts manually to get it to start. It was in the mid-50s here this morning and when it finally lit, you could hear that the motor definitely has a low-tone knock in the bottom end, especially when its cold, to go along in harmony of the unadjusted valve noise up top. Talk about depressing. I bought this truck almost exclusively because of the Cummins engine reliability.

I'm contacting the dealer in the morning to get it in there so see what ta heck is going on, but I do believe once it's fixed, it's gone.

I'll just get a gas 1/2 ton, probably a Tundra, for work and use the old '03 just to pull my RV when needed.

What a disappointing this experience has been so far.

Thanks guys.

 

[GHartzell1]

These trucks are pretty good and I have heard of a few having some problems. "deleted" means to remove or delete the emissions components. Lots of people do it, lots do not. The cummins forum is a pretty good place to learn. I usually creep over there. http://www.cumminsforum.com/ I go by upandcummer over there. Don't forget to come back and let us know what the dealer said. p. s. loving the amsoil

 

[HBarlow]

I wouldn't panic and pronounce it dead just yet. The dealer service department hasn't even had a chance to inspect it yet. Serious problems are very rare.

I've owned three Cummins-powered Rams beginning with an '01 24 valve. All three turned the engine oil black as soon as it was run after a change. That means nothing. The noise you're reporting could be engine related and a sign of a problem but could also be something simpler like the flex plate.

 

[BGlidewell]

Sadly the new diesels are plagued with pollution controls that have taken all the incentive out of them for anyone but a hot shot or farmer etc. mileage empty definitely does not compute.

 

[HBarlow]

Sadly the new diesels are plagued with pollution controls that have taken all the incentive out of them for anyone but a hot shot or farmer etc. mileage empty definitely does not compute.

Yeah, that and the fact that our dictator has screwed normal supply and demand up to the point that diesel fuel is now significantly more expensive than regular gasoline. I rarely drive my truck. It has been parked in by steel barn about 98% of the time since I bought a Goldwing. Haven't pulled my fifthwheel trailer in almost a year.

 

[RustyJC]

Sadly the new diesels are plagued with pollution controls that have taken all the incentive out of them for anyone but a hot shot or farmer etc. mileage empty definitely does not compute.

All I can cite is my experience:



2002 3500 ETH/DEE (HO/NV5600) with 4. 10s - 16-17 MPG @ 70-75 MPH unloaded



2011 3500 350/650 with 68RFE and 4. 10s - 16-17 MPG @ 70-75 MPH unloaded



Towing fuel mileage is within 1/2 MPG of the 2002.



Rusty

 

[rscurtis]

Sadly the new diesels are plagued with pollution controls that have taken all the incentive out of them for anyone but a hot shot or farmer etc. mileage empty definitely does not compute.

That should change for the 2013 models, but none of them are going to go 800 miles on a tank of fuel like my '03 can.

 

[lgjohnson]

Dealer Sales/Service Rep just contacted me at 10pm on a Sunday night.

They want me there at their door first thing tomorrow at 7:30am. Hopefully, it will start. After this morning's episode, it may not. I almost run the batteries down trying to get it to crank this morning. It finally lit off. I hope it makes it there without something breaking or letting go. Dealership about 60 miles from where I'm at here.

I'll post their findings as soon as I find out. I have a real bad feeling that truck will be in there for a while once they hear it. We'll see.

 

[lgjohnson]

Yeah, that and the fact that our dictator has screwed normal supply and demand up to the point that diesel fuel is now significantly more expensive than regular gasoline. I rarely drive my truck. It has been parked in by steel barn about 98% of the time since I bought a Goldwing. Haven't pulled my fifthwheel trailer in almost a year.

Hopefully, the "dictator" will be gone here shortly... . I, along with millions of others, sure hope so.

I just saw a news article tonight where the EPA faked the diesel pollution studies and used real people in their exposure experiments... something like that. It would be something if all this ULSD and pollution requirements were the result of faked studies... . Man, that would be as bad as the global warming scandal. Talk about billions of dollars wasted, not to mention all the misery it's caused.

I also have a Goldwing, 2006 model. Unfortunately, I can't use it on pipeline ROWs and facilities here in south Texas... . LOL

I practically live in my truck during the day. I need a good, reliable 4WD HD truck for this field work. IF this one won't cut it, I'll find one that will.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Yeah, that and the fact that our dictator has screwed normal supply and demand up to the point that diesel fuel is now significantly more expensive than regular gasoline. I rarely drive my truck. It has been parked in by steel barn about 98% of the time since I bought a Goldwing. Haven't pulled my fifthwheel trailer in almost a year.

Harvey

I can't believe you are allowing the MAN to control your life!

 

[HBarlow]

Harvey

I can't believe you are allowing the MAN to control your life!

I don't see but one way to prevent him from doing so and that chance is not available to me until November 6th.

He is controlling everyone's life and planning to do a lot more if he can. He hasn't been able (yet) to prohibit me from buying 135 gallons of diesel fuel for my truck every couple of days and pulling my fifthwheel around the US but his restrictions on oil exploration and production have taken most of the pleasure out of it for me.

I am not willing to pay the price. After January, if he is still around, everyone's taxes are going to increase significantly and I probably won't be able to afford RV travel even if I want to at that point. My truck and fifthwheel will become useless hunks of machinery with little value if he is still here in January.

 

[BGlidewell]

do a search for "smoke" in thread title only. IMO "how do I get more smoke?" and "smokin out bicycles" is the type of bad behavior responsible for the new controls. Particulates, (because you can SEE them) are bAAAAD!

 

[Cummins12V98]

I don't see but one way to prevent him from doing so and that chance is not available to me until November 6th.

He is controlling everyone's life and planning to do a lot more if he can. He hasn't been able (yet) to prohibit me from buying 135 gallons of diesel fuel for my truck every couple of days and pulling my fifthwheel around the US but his restrictions on oil exploration and production have taken most of the pleasure out of it for me.

I am not willing to pay the price. After January, if he is still around, everyone's taxes are going to increase significantly and I probably won't be able to afford RV travel even if I want to at that point. My truck and fifthwheel will become useless hunks of machinery with little value if he is still here in January.

Just ribbin ya.

I just came south into Kalifornia so I am not looking forward to the inflated prices this winter.

 

[RonD]

I have to disagree on EGR causes black oil, all Diesel engines cause quick black oil due to one thing, high compression ratio, EGR has nothing to do with the oil, every Gas engine made today has EGR, why is there oil not black?

Hi, I can only answer a couple of your questions that you asked.

1. Yes it is normal for the oil to be black on the newer trucks. The reason is the EGR system is recycled into the intake and this will cause the oil to become black. There has been a lot of discussion on this and my recommendation is to follow the information display system, when this tells you to change your oil do it. This can occur anywhere from 2700 miles to 7500 miles, depending on driving conditions and how you use your truck.



2. Mileage is all over the map on these trucks and should be hand calculated to have accurate reporting’s. I do not believe anyone who quotes high mileage numbers from the 6. 7L engine equipped truck.

I use to see between 9. 35 MPG to 16. 01 MPG when new, mainly averaging 11. 6 MPG for the year. My truck is a 08 and deleted now, I am now seeing anywhere from 9. 4 MPG to 18 MPG's and I average around 13. 17 MPG's a year. I do tow a 5er and this is why I have lower fuel mileage readings most of the time. I do have five years of data to back up these mileage claims most user do not and just read the display.

Jim W.

 

[mwilson]

I have to disagree on EGR causes black oil, all Diesel engines cause quick black oil due to one thing, high compression ratio, EGR has nothing to do with the oil, every Gas engine made today has EGR, why is there oil not black?

EGR does indeed create INSTANT black oil, non EGR diesels will go a considerable distance before doing it. It happens like right now after an oil change on the '06 truck.

Also the oil from an EGR equipped diesel will stain your hands way worse than its non-EGR counterpart.

It is not unique to our trucks either, my 2003 EGR equipped TDI does the same thing, oil is instantly black after a full service.



My '97 CTD however keeps the oil clean for a fair distance before changing color and even then it is not as black or nasty as my two above mentioned diesels.



Gas engines don't burn the same fuel, you shouldn't compare the EGR properties of a gasoline engine to a diesel. Whole different animal.



Mike.

 

[rscurtis]

I have to agree. I guess Ron D never had the good fortune to own a 305 engine.

 

[HBarlow]

Just ribbin ya.

I just came south into Kalifornia so I am not looking forward to the inflated prices this winter.

Don't stay in KA too long. KA krazy might be contagious.