I have a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 4.7L with 180,000 miles that is burning a ton of oil. I am not much of a mechanic, and I need some help with where to start troubleshooting. I get the oil changed regularly (every 3,000 miles or so). Yesterday I put almost 5qts in, which means there was basically no oil. There are a few drops of oil on the driveway, but nothing that would indicate losing all of my oil in a few months time. The coolant doesn't seem to be milky. What else should I be checking?

 

Get underneath your truck and see if the underside is sprayed with oil.

 

This just start happening? Take a look inside the end of the tailpipe also...is it wet with black muck? White smoke coming from tailpipe? 5qts, that's alot, sounds more like a bad main seal/oil pan gasket leak. Get up under there and take a look.

 

180k is a lot on a gas engine. Are certainly need to check for external leaks and if there are none or very small ones then you would be burning oil INSIDE the engine.

If it is internal then you would be blowing smoke when you first start it up or while driving it.

If thats the case and with you at 180k, then it is time to a rebuild or re-manufactured engine

 

See now weedahoe - words and phrases like "180k is a lot on a gas engine" and "rebuild" those don't really need to be part of the solution.

Firefighter when I was given the truck I was warned that it burned oil, but this is crazy. The tailpipe is certainly black, but all dry. Also, I've never noticed it smoking.

Geezir it was surprisingly dry and clean. The only thing I really saw was the oil I spilled when filling it back up and some transmission fluid which is less than encouraging.

Starting to think I should go back to my vehicle description page and check the "for sale" box.

 

The coolant won't be milky if oil is getting in. There just will be oil floating on the coolant. If coolant is getting in the oil, the oil might be milky. If it isn't leaking, it must be burning. Five quarts in 3k miles? It must be going somewhere. I suspect you might want to look closer for smoke. A compression and a leak-down test sound in order.

 

i know man. If it were a diesel then 180K would be nothing. But at that mileage and on a gas engine and using or loosing THAT much oil, you have major issues and none of them will be cheap.

Like I said, lift the hood and look top top of the engine and look at the sides of the valve covers. Its there oil present? Get under the trick and look at the front of the oil pan (front engine crank seal) and the rear of the oil pan (rear main seal). Is there oil present there?

At 180k Im sure your have external oil leaks and Im sure you have at least a rear main leak. But I still believe you have excessive internal wear in the valve guides and piston rings.

 

I'm at 197K, I hated reading that. I pray my baby goes alot longer before a rebuild is required...esp when it's my only source of income.

OP...have you found anything yet?

 

Check around the bell housing at the tranny, you may have lost a rear seal, wouldn't demand a rebuild, but the repair wouldn't be that easy either.

 

You know how it goes. Some engines make it to 70k and some make it to 170k+