Driving home and noticed oil pressure gauge was very low.I had been driving for about 2 hrs at about 65-70MPH.I was about 5 min. from home so i kept going.I shut off the engine and opened the hood and checked the oil and it was bone dry.I got a light and crawled underneath for a look.The plug is intact and the filter is ok.On further inspection it seems that the oil has come out definately somewhere on the right side of the engine.I can't see any further than that without removing the skid plates.That's a job for tomorrow.


I checked my garage floor on the area where i normally park and there are NO OLD OIL stains or drips,so it has not been DRIPPING OUT over time.I had a quart of oil here so i put it in,started up and parked it in my garage.The only other thing i can add is that on Monday during a short run to the store i noticed my oil pressure was at the top limit of high,then it semed to level off at normal operating pressure.I had been watching it all week and all seemed normal,even on the outbound leg of my trip today


From what i have told you--is there ANY advice anyone can give me as to where i should start to look for the problem.


Any info relating to this will be greatly appreciated.I AM WORRIED SICK.http://dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Ermm.gif

Sorry to hear about your problem... The crankcase vent tube is on the front passenger side of the engine. One likely senario is that you have a bad injector that filled the crankcase with fuel. The fuel diluted oil was then blown out the crancase vent ...

Thanks for the reply jbplock.It's all greek to me as i don't know much about engines.I did go to the enclosed garage as soon s i read your post and there is a strong smell of diesel fuel.When i got home tonite and looked underneath like i said,i could see that the oil had been blown out as all the undrecarriage was coated in fresh oil.So,it looks like you may have diagnosed the problem.


What's involved from here?Is there a way for me to check it further to determine if you are right?Can i put oil in and dive it to a garage?Is this going to be an expensive problem to correct if what you suspect is the cause?What would you suggest i do?http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Cry.gifNow i am REALLY worried.

Sounds like Bill is correct.


You can drain oil and take a sample and do a wick test by putting a good drop of oil on a paper towel. If the oil fans out then it has diesel in it.


Making oil ,oil dilution, is the most common way that has shown to blow oil out the crankcase vent.





Mac Edited by: Mackin

"I shut off the engine and opened the hood and checked the oil and it was bone dry."


Bone dry or full of fuel???


Sounds just like what happen to mine. I also thought it was bone dry, when in reality it was full of fuel. Take it into the dealer, first thing, you should still be under the extended injector warrenty.

Ok guys--i'll do the wick test.


3 replies zeroing in and agreeing that this is my problem.


I am NOT aware of the extended injector warrenty.Is this something that is a GM STANDARD.Also,this is a 2002 with 132000km on it.


How BIG a problem is this ?Do ALL the injectors get replaced?Can i put oil in and dive it to a garage?Is this going to be an expensive problem to correct if what you suspect is the cause?How long should this job take at a qualified shop?What are the steps a mechanic has to perform to do this job?How complicated a job is it?


Asking all these questions because i am REALLY IN THE DARK about the mechanics of my truck other than the usual on-going stuff like oil changes ,lube,filters etc,all of which by the way i have learned how to do from you guys here on this site,and again i want you all to know i am very grateful for your expertise and responses


I ask the questions because i want to get a better understanding of the overall problem and the steps that will be taken to correct it as much as possible so that i can be in a position to approach the dealer or mechanic and understand what he is telling me when they tell me this and that and the costs associated with it

Yes you are under warranty.


GM up'd the waranty on 01 02 Duramaxes to 200k and 7 years for injectors.


Change the oil to some El cheapo diesel approved stuff and bring it to the dealer if it is only but a few miles away or have it towed.


Mac

Thanks for the info Mack.Would you or anyone else on the forum know if this applies in Canada.

Don't want to be a pest---but can anyone address the questions i have asked in my previos post (Posted: 20 August 2004 at 8:37pm


I need to be prepared to meet the dealer on Monday morning and i don't want to go in blind.


Any and all help will be greatly appreciated

Don't want to be a pest---but can anyone address the questions i have asked in my previos post (Posted: 20 August 2004 at 8:37pm


I need to be prepared to meet the dealer on Monday morning and i don't want to go in blind.


Any and all help will be greatly appreciated





YOU ARE BEING A PEST! Just kidding. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clown.gif You dont have a post at 8:37PM? I am assuming your questions are


1. Can I put oil in and drive it to the dealer. Yes, but try and call for a lift truck


2. How invloved is it? You will probally not do it your self. Dealer might have a mechanic that has done it before if you are lucky. ( becoming more available these days)


3. Do they replace all 8. 4 per side of problem


4. How long will it take? Depends on if they have injectors in stock or not. It can take anywhere from 2 days to a record high of 50 days. 2 weeks seems to be average.


Hope I answered all your questions.

Thanks Bronco.Now i just need one more question answered.


Mackin has assured me that this problem is covered under the following : GM up'd the waranty on 01 02 Duramaxes to 200k and 7 years for injectors.


That sounds good eh--but are there any Canucks out there that have gone thru this ballbreaker and sucessfully got GM to cover it.


I tried calling GM today and after 5 min of their electronic answering machine i finally got someone on the line.REPEATEDLY i asked if there was any bulletin/directive issued for this problem and she kept telling me to take it to the dealer and they would know.After more badgering by me she went away to get more info and finally came back to say that this was covered under a Special Policy.I asked for the Policy # and was again pointed toward the dealer.I quoted a Policy # of 04039 and she agreed it was the correct one but WOULD NOT tell me if it applied in Canada.This is the Policy # relating to a California decision between GM and the California courts.


ANY ANSWERS OUT THERE

Yes it is covered in Canada. 320,000km's if I remember correctly. Don't worry about it http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif You will have to pay a $100 deductable I think. Take off any power adders if you have them.

Just had a look at the letter GM sent me in June and as Max says 7 years/320000KM. It also states the condition will be repaired for you at no charge. No deductable.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif
And yes policy number 04039 is valid as per GM Canada Limited according to the documentation they sent me. Edited by: TC Dmax

Thanks so much all you guys that responded to my PANIC,and especially to the ones that PM'D me with copies of the official GM letter.YER GOOD PEOPLE here on this site.


I contacted a dealer today and have an appt with tech on Wed.AM


When i first checked my oil and posted here that it was bone dry,i went ahead and poured in 8 L of oil so i would know i had enough to get to the dealer.Then, after reading more posts i realized that i may have a crankase full of fuel because my fuel gauge was way down from where it normally is for the same trip i had taken many times before.Being concerned about the fuel in thecrankcase,and remembering the advice from Mackin on the paper towel test, i decided to drain out what was in there and replace it with clean oil and filter


The filter i could not budge.I imagine it is really stuck because surely the rubber gasket would have melted because my engine had been so hot.


I then pulled the plug and everything STARTED GUSHING out so fast it filled my oil change pan rapidly.I stuck another large pan under and it filled it and a bit.By now i got oil EVERYWHERE.The cardboard and tarp i had laid were soaking and overflwing onto my driveway.The end result of what came out was 24 litres of fluid. This stuff was black and reeked of diesel.The oil in the crankcase had 2600KM on it since my last oil change.Being that i have no knowledge of engines,but am learning a lot here,where the hell was all this fluid when my dipstick had been dry before i put in the 8l .I know i had lost a lot of SOMETHING because the underside of the truck is a bloody mess.


I would also like to know if you guys have any opinion on other damage i could have done based on the fact i was running pretty hard when i first noticed my oil pressure was low.I have been reading as much on the forums as possible and have read about the diesel erroding the undercoating,turbo hose-turbo seal probs,corroded fuel lines,fly wheel to name a few.How should i handle these concerns with the dealer?


Should i tell them i was running hard for a couple hours before noticing the gauge?


Should i show them what came out?


Being as there is fuel in the crankcase should i demand an oil change and filter also?

From what I have read and maybe Patrick or Eric will verify this for you, diesel in the crankcase due to injector failure shouldn't cause any internal damage to the motor. Diesel is a lubricant and even though it will thin your oil out,(causing low oil pressure) you should be alright. I would have the dealer change out the oil and filter and I would have it changed again after you put 600-800 miles on the new injectors. The therory being, the diesel/oil mix will have cleaned any crud you had inside the engine and the oil change you have done at the dealer could have some remenants(sp?) of this in the new oil. I look at it as cheap insurance.
I wouldn't mention about running the truck hard before this happened, it could give the dealer an excuse to possibly void some of the warranty work. Oh and if you have a power adder on the truck, remove it before having it serviced.

Good Luck http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif

Thanks TC MAX--from the little i know,all that makes sense.No--i did not mention the "running hard".I have met with the first dealer and i was told "we got one tech here and it will be 2 weeks before he can even look at your truck.I went to another dealer and laid out my story and all i that i have found out about this problem.They have told me it's 4 weeks before deliveryof injectors and they have 2 trucks stored in the back lot waiting for them now!!!!--- and they are balking at a loaner car.I don't have any GM telephone numbers yet but i am looking into it.If anyone has any 800 numbers of the GM "powers to be" that will work in Canada i would appreciate it.


I think i will end up in a letter to someone at GM and i am gathering as much info as possible.


Is there any info out there as to HOW LONG GM HAS KNOWN that there was an injector problem with?