Poor Engineering 2004 Dodge Oil Pressure

[kcnizdodge]

Can the stock gauge be modified to work w/sending unit?

Ok, since the stock, in dash, oil pressure gauge is just for looks (basically) is there some way it can be connected to an aftermarket sending unit installed in the top of the oil filter? I am not adverse to a separate gauge, but the one in the dash is sure a lot easier to see!!

 

[Windscreen]

Modifying the factory oil pressure gauge to read a correct value would be extremely difficult. The gauge cluster doesn't actually get signals direct from any sensors. Instead it is on a CAN bus (controller area network), and talks in digital signals. I believe the cluster is controlled by CAN messaging from the ECM, so getting the pressure gauge to show real numbers would involve reprogramming the ECM so it could take in signals from a sender and then tell the gauge cluster where to point the needle.



It would probably be easier to tear into the cluster and replace the pressure gauge positioning bits with parts from some aftermarket, electrical gauge. This would still be expensive, as the pioneer that tries it probably has a good chance of wrecking a gauge cluster or two.



Steve

 

[nickleinonen]

±20psi warm idle [drops to 15psi hot, but comes back up when oil cooler is done its job], ±45psi cold idling with synthetic 5w40 in the sump... external electronic gauge... yeah, factory gauge is POS...

 

[Rbirdy]

Hey guys thanks for the input. I got my truck back tonight and went straight to another garage for the oil pressure gauge and a pyrometer. The gauges will mount on the steering column in a 2 gauge plastic unit. There is a plug we will use on the top of the oil filter for the line.



To answer another question I had 10,000 miles on the oil which I haven't run that long since I went to Alaska last summer. Maybe it was my mistake for running it that long, but for the new Dodge Cummins there are Chrysler websites advertising that the new oil change interval for schedule A is 15,000 miles. They state the Cummins 600 cleaner combustion results in reduced sooting of lubrication oil which doubles the oil change intervals to 15,000 miles for schedule A and 7,500 for schedule B. I check my oil every week and it was never down a drop and was clean with no signs of getting dirty. I run 98% highway miles.



As far as the warranty, I have the added care package I purchased from Chrysler, 5 years / 100,000 miles in addition to the Cummins warranty. The warranties are written very good where lubrication issues are your problem. If you buy from a reputable dealer this probably would have been covered. I apparantly didn't have a reputable dealer. Interesting, I contacted my insurance company for any possibilities of coverage and they told me they have fought with this same dealer on issues of stripped drain plugs and loose oil filters to try and get them to pay for damages. The dealer that bought them out is the same one I bought my 2001 Duramax diesel from. They were excellent with service as my Duramax was in the garage on 3 occasions (6 weeks) for injectors each time. They took good care of me, supplied me with a truck each time. I'm going to approach them this weekend for any possibility of coverage.



I do like the idea of a warning light or buzzer for the oil pressure. Keep me informed. I hope I answered all the questions.

 

[BHolm]

I don't know how hard you pressed the warranty issue but..... it should be covered PERIOD! You had the service done at an authorized service center. Even IF they used an off brand filter, THEY did it. Besides that, I know that DC can not deny warranty because you didn't use a Mopar filter, NO WAY. Your truck should have new engine courtesy of DC and I personally would have unleashed the hounds of heck on them until they did exactly that.

 

[bmoeller]

i have never installed one before. why would it leak?

The mechanical gauges have a small plastic/nylon line going into the cab, and to the back of the gauge. The lines can break or rub through.



I had one in my Ford gasser. The line broke behind off right at the rear of the gauge. It pit a quart of oil on my right foot, on top of the CB radio and the carpet. Went to electric after that.

 

[bmoeller]

Could use a pressure switch to kill the motor below a set point.



Like this one- www.summitracing.com P/N SUM-G1438



For safety, I would suggest a manual over-ride switch to get you off the road.

 

[redram]

I wonder if this CAN system from FW Murphy would work with the signal on the Third Gen Dodges?

FW Murphy makes guages for most of the diesel engine mfg and are found on most industrial heavy gen sets and many off highway equipment.



I'm surprised that the engine suffered that kind of damage in such a short period of run time. Are you sure that the leak had not happened earlier and you just did not notice it until there was no hope?



I have a 96 and I had the typical Dodge oil sending unit problems (they start reading erratically in that 75K to 100K range fairly routinely). In an effort to trouble shoot whether it was the sending unit, OE dash guage, or a pressure relief valve stuck (should bypass at 65 psi) I installed a mechanical SW Oil Pressure guage run temporarily into the dash. After two weeks of conflicting oil psi readings, the two gauges agreed at 70 mph. They both read zero! The plastic tube had splittered like bamboo at the tee at the sending unit on the engine. I pumped 10. 5 quarts of oil out of the engine at 70 mph. But I did not suffer any damage to the engine. I have been doing oil analsysi on this engien since 5K at 12K intervals. I now have 172K on the engine (92K since this happened). Maybe I was lucky - I think it was the Royal Purple 15W40 that has the high film strength additive technology that the major oils don't have.



Had an oil sensor fail on my wife's import (rubber diaphram broke and allowed the oil to pump through the wire connector). That was at 75K and that engine now has 130K on it. I figure my wife drove it two days without oil from the spots on the driveway. It was 12/22 so I was not paying attention to car things. Again, was I lucky or was it the Royal Purple engine oil that was giving better oil protection?

 

[NDanecker]

WOW! These kind of stories and experiences scare the heck out of me. Just proves how unethical DC has become.

I also purchased the extended warranty with the added care option, and wish I hadn't. Just a money maker for DC... . IMO. Still on the fence of selling or keeping the Ram. Going to look at F's again... . I know... ... I know... .

As for the gaues, and the way they deny warranty claims because of 'this and that', be careful that the mechanical gauges you just installed didn't void your whole warranty. Sounds crazy, but after reading this thread along with other peoples experiences with warranty claims... . doesn't sound too impossible!

Good Luck!

 

[BIG BOB]

Rbirdy's experience is proof what a worthless POS the stock virtual oil pressure gauge is



Rbirdy, Big Bob just installed a mechanical gauge on his '03 Cummins. There is a plug on top of the oil filter mount you can remove to tap into for oil pressure. That's what Bob did.



Guess what? The dash gauge was off by a mile. His truck was showing 70psi on the mechanical gauge and 35 on the dash

Vaughn is particially right. I did install a mechanical oil pressure DiPricol gauge. Big difference in readings compared to the stock gauge.



The part that he is wrong is that mine is an 04!

 

[BIG BOB]

The mechanical gauges have a small plastic/nylon line going into the cab, and to the back of the gauge. The lines can break or rub through.



I had one in my Ford gasser. The line broke behind off right at the rear of the gauge. It pit a quart of oil on my right foot, on top of the CB radio and the carpet. Went to electric after that.

I took care of the small line problem by first running a 1/4" plastic line from the inside of the cab to the engine. After this line was run, I then fed the 1/8" line through it to the engine. So basically, I encased the 1/8" line inside the 4" line. I did this for 2 reasons, first for ease of running the 1/8" line, and 2 for protecting the 1/8" line.

 

[mikepvg]

Well, it seems being a TDR member is a necessary requirement of CTD ownership to keep abreast of technical issues etc. .



But on the other hand, all this info is making me a very nervous CTD owner.



Promptly, went out yesterday to change my oil & exchanged my Wix oil filter for a MOPAR unit for some peace of mind w/ potential warranty issues.

 

[GaryCarter]

Obviously a lot of people never even read a warranty statement.



A warranty against manufacturing defects WILL NOT cover damage from improper maintenance- which this was.

The liability belongs to the business that performed the faulty maintenance.

That business is a "dealer" for -not a part of- DC.



Assuming facts as stated, the only claim is for civil damages from the dealership that left the filter loose. Good luck.



Mike

 

[AKAMAC]

I belive that if a franchise is purchased that warranty repairs follow the franchise. An example would be Jiffy Lube. If you had the oil changed and they messed up the drain plug the repair would be performed by same store even if the said store had changed owners. There should be a liability insurance carry-over for just such occurances. I'd fight this one. Mike

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Vaughn is particially right. I did install a mechanical oil pressure DiPricol gauge. Big difference in readings compared to the stock gauge.



The part that he is wrong is that mine is an 04!

Doh!!! And I knew better Bob LOL

 

[GBrock]

Sad story. What is pathetic about this case is how the oil guage is USELESS! Dodge could have applied some quality control or engineering prowess to their product but instead decided to go with a cheap alternative. The result is that one of their customers was inconvenienced and now has to make lawyers rich by suing for damages. I am once again disappointed in Chrysler failing to assist a customer in dispair here but I am not surprised.



I am the owner of a 2nd gen dodge truck. I am surprised how many 2nd gen owners get sick of dealing with Dodge QC (or lack thereof) problems yet they fork over $36,000 for a new 3rd gen rig. After reading the 3rd gen boards, it seems these owners are facing just as many problems, albeit different ones as the older models. Of course, a newer truck should have less problems altogether but why should a dedicated Dodge customer have to buy all kinds of guages and other equipment to make their truck reliable? Why didn't Dodge make their product reliable to begin with?

 

[fj40dave]

Here's my install... . some pic's

 

[rbattelle]

Wow... such a clean engine!



-Ryan

 

[Matt400]

No sandbag'en now... how many miles you got on that clean motor?

Oh. . and did you run the line inside the cab or over to an electrical sender?

 

[DValentine]

Here is a story. A friend of mine took her D-Max to a "lube" place for a oil and fuel change. The "punk kid" working put on a dry fuel filter. They cranked and cranked. Then came out the either. She said, sitting in the waiting room, when it fired off, it sounded like a jet engine spooling up. The kid denied using either, but the smell in the intake wasn't debatable. The owner of the lube shop paid for a new engine when Chevy got the old one apart and finished fishing out all the shattered pieces.



Dave