Forum Discussion

StevenBigBear's avatar
StevenBigBear
Explorer
Aug 10, 2013

CHECK YOUR OIL

CHECK YOUR OIL; This week I took a leisurely drive up to Joshua Tree and when I got to my friends house, I heard an unusual knock coming from the engine in my favorite car. I got out to listen more closely and SNAP...Through a rod.

The Excursion is perfectly maintained except I failed to check the oil recently and it was bone dry. The truck is going in for an engine replacement on Monday. 6+ GRAND. The truck went from perfect to worthless, because I let a simple oil check pass.

ALWAYS check your engine oil. I am pretty good about this, but since the truck has more than 100 thousand miles on it, it has been using more oil, about a quart per tank. I am told this is normal for a 10 cylinder engine.

I love this truck and plan to own it for the rest of my life, so I am going to pay to have it repaired. The truth is the truck is worth less that the cost of a new engine. I can't let it go, it's like an old friend so I am going to get it fixed.

Check your oil...

  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Aug 10, 2013
    Good reminder!

    Don't know if it will make you feel any better but the price of a new tow vehicle of that size is a wee bit more than $6K, probably $40K more.
  • DougE's avatar
    DougE
    Explorer
    Aug 10, 2013
    When I was working in El Paso I would take my truck (Sonoma with 95k on it) in for a combination car wash and oil change on a coupon. On a trip to San Antonio, after about 300 miles of 80 mph driving, the transmission fluid boiled over. Turned out they were changing the oil but not checking other fluids or items like a normal oil change business so the fluid had gotten extremely low. I put in a couple of quarts of t-fluid in Junction and had the transmission rebuilt when I got home. So now I'm not too lazy to check all the fluids before I head out on a trip.
  • fla-gypsy's avatar
    fla-gypsy
    Explorer
    Aug 10, 2013
    Hopefully you are replacing it with the newest version of the 6.8L V-10. I do not agree that using a quart of oil that frequently is normal either. Sounds like something was going on with it anyway. You will still have a great TV when it is replaced. I love my V-10 powered F-250. Thanks for restoring a great TV rather than junking it.
  • K_Charles's avatar
    K_Charles
    Explorer
    Aug 10, 2013
    I have 7800 miles since the last oil change on my excursion. I have been changing the oil every 6000 and it never uses any. It is down almost a qt so I will change it soon. It is a V10 with 159,??? Miles. A V10 should not use oil between oil changes so yours was already on the way out.
  • Doug33's avatar
    Doug33
    Explorer
    Aug 10, 2013
    Last week the day before I was to leave on a camping trip to Delaware, the truck's Low Engine Oil light came on. I checked and had to add about a quart and half to bring it up to level. I was very fortunate the light came on before I left for the trip - otherwise I may have damaged the motor towing the TT without proper level of oil in it.

    The engine does use oil over time, and I had not checked the level since the last oil change. I learned my lesson and keep a couple quarts in the truck at all times in case I need them.

    Like the OP said - check your oil levels!
  • I_am_still_wayn's avatar
    I_am_still_wayn
    Explorer
    Aug 10, 2013
    K Charles wrote:
    A V10 should not use oil between oil changes so yours was already on the way out.


    This statement is not accurate.
  • REDF350's avatar
    REDF350
    Explorer
    Aug 10, 2013
    The lower viscosity motor oils (5w 20) used today for better fuel economy do seem to get used quicker than the thicker stuff we used to use. However, why didn't the idiot light come on to warn you?
  • byways's avatar
    byways
    Explorer
    Aug 11, 2013
    Find a 7.3 diesel and you'll never look back....just check the oil.

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