Right after first oil change...help

[jtisdale]

Last night I changed the oil in this truck for the first time. I used a mopar rep. filter and Rotella T oil. I put the front tires on 4" blocks to get the 5 gallon bucket under the drain plug. I then drained the oil out (for about 15 min or so) to make sure it was all out. I took the filter off and filled the new one and put it on. I added a total of 11 quarts,(this is counting the oil I put in the filter). I started it, checked it for leaks-none. I checked the oil and it seemed a little full. Today I took off and got about 10 miles down the road and I could smell burning oil. I stopped to check it out, but I couldn't find any leaks. The front of the oil pan did seem wet with oil. I checked it and it still reads over full. Is the oil I smell/see coming out of a vent somewhere and getting the front of the pan wet? It seems to be coming from the front drivers side of the engine. Possibly out of that canister looking thing on the front of the engine. The dip stick reads above the safe zone. Do I need to drain some out? I have never run into this problem before on my other two trucks. Any help would be great.

--Thanks

 

[klenger]

Although I have never noticed the oder after oil changes on my truck, I understand it's quite common for the first few hundred miles. I don't remember what causes it. I doubt that it's caused by too high oil level.



I'm sure someone smarter than me will give the correct answer shortly.



ken

 

[chuck3]

May be just the Rotella oil, I quit useing it because it allways smelled after oil changes for about 5 hundred miles or so. I use Delo 15-40 now and no smell. My truck always reads overfull if I put 11 quarts in at change, if its only above the full mark a quarter inch or so I would not worry.

 

[Bob Wagner]

when I first became a member

I remember a phrase " ah the smella of rotella"



Don't worry be happy

 

[kswieringa]

klenger is correct. the smell goes away after awhile. The owners manual makes reference to the smell being due to oil additives.

 

[lschultz]

Get rid of that plastic bottle. Now the front of my pan stays dry and fan blades too. Nothing to worry about. Just a screw up from our great Dodge engineers. I extended my line back past the transfer case. No drips,no smell. I've heard the Shell Rotella has a strong odor for several hundred miles when you change it.

 

[DAWG-1]

Rotella

I use Rotella and it smells for a little while. I even removed the factory bottle and moved the hose back next to the transfer case. My first oil change was free from the dealer and I still had the smell. Sam

 

[MikeR]

Hey Bob Wagner,



File this under the darnest things wife say...



Emily was going to Walmart so I told her to pick me up a few gallons of oil. She's usually the one to get my oil,so I assumed she remembered which brand to get. She said she stood there in the oil isle and recited to herself "Delo it smello or Rotella it smella" because she remembered seeing the Rotella post,then remembered I use Delo.



-Mike

 

[D White]

I have never noticed the smell after an oil change, but lots of people do. Must be one of the lucky ones or a bad nose, don't know which. The wife doesn't notice it either, so I must be one of the lucky ones. Can't help you there, but I would ditch the bottle. I went to the local auto parts store and bought an 18 inch piece of 3/4 inch radiator hose along with a barbed connector. Drop it straight down and zip-tied it to the stabilizer bar. No more mess on the front of the engine or fan blades. First thing done when I got home.



My . 02 cents

Doug

 

[jtisdale]

thanks...

Smells like a plan!

 

[gitchesum]

We've always called it Rosmella-T

I also get the smell after an oil change with the Hydroclear. Not sure what the cause is though.

 

[Big White Beast]

Ah the smell of rotella........

Freaked me out the first time too. The second for that matter. Then I got smart and got rid of the breather bottle on the front of the engine. I plumbed it down below the engine and no more smell. No mess either. Rare drip in the drive. And the front of the engine is now clean. Maybe some of that mess under the truck will help lubricate DC's permanently lubricated front end.



Garrett

 

[RJOL]

jtisdale

Like other replies have said, the smell your getting is most likely from the oil breather line/bottle in front of the engine. Lots of TDR members have modified/removed the bottle with success.



Just a word of caution. If you mod this bottle/line make sure you don't kink it so it can't breath. Your going to mess up the inerds of your engine if you do... Also, I see by your post that you live in WI. I assume you get some pretty cold weather there, so make sure if you mod this line it doesn't get water/mud/or whatever up in it and freezes closed. Same engine problems will develop.



Last thing... If you still get some oil smell, check your rubber seals just in front of the window cowling (seals hood). If this is loose, or has a gap in it, all the engine smells are sucked into the cab air inlet openings just behind the rubber seal.



Just my $. 02... .

 

[jjdiesel]

lose 5 gallon bucket!

I would lose that 5 gallon bucket and eliminate putting your front wheels on blocks. That will cause your pan to be too far off level and will retain too much of the old oil you're trying to get out of there. Just get a 12 qt. capacity pan that will slide under you're rig without having to raise it up. Probably why you're seeing oil above full mark.

 

[Big P]

This post reminded me of a question I meant to ask. The owners manual says this:

OIL CAPACITY: 10QT

FILTER CAPACITY: 1QT

So does that mean 9qt in the pan and 1qt in the filter or 11qt total?

 

[RJOL]

Keep the bucket

I agree with "jjdiesel. " You shouldn't have to put the front up on blocks. Your signature sez you have a 4X4. Unless youv'e lowered it, a 5 gal bucket should fit. If not, cut the top rim of the bucket down a little. I like the bucket as there is no splashing of hot oil trying to hit a low profile pan under the drain. It will also never overflow...

 

[dmurdock]

11 qt total

 

[jtisdale]

Ok, I am gonna loose the bucket and not put the truck on blocks any more. I guess I figured 4" wouldn't make that big of a difference as some people put their vehicles on ramps (to me thats too far up). I'll get a bigger oil catcher and leave her front hooves on the ground. The smell has gone away too. There is a hell of a mess of crud on everything around the fan though. Looks like the bottle is going to have to go the way of the bucket too. Will DC frown on this when they see it has gone AWOL? I kinda want to leave it pretty much stock till the warrenty is gone. Then the checkbook is the limit!

Thanks for everyones input and advice.

 

[24V-DSL]

my dealer took off the bottle.....

My dealer took off the bottle at my request, and installed the hose just below the bar. They knew it was a p. o. s. design and were happy to accomodate me. I wouldn't worry about the warranty.

 

[Racechaser]

Did you remove the bottle & empty it?

I remove the bottle every oil change & clean out w/carb clean & re-install. No oil smell in 18k miles using "ROSMELLA". May be worth a try.