Just noticed a problem this past weekend - first let me say that the selling dealer has performed all oil changes. Last oil change was 2/13/05 -
Noticed some oil spray on the back door. I cleaned the back door and wiped off all oil from under the engine before a 300 mile round trip and had more oil on the rear when I got home - mostly highway miles so I don't think it is something I drove through. I crawled around under the Durango and it looks like there is a slight leak near the front of the crankshaft. Anyone else having an oil leak problem on a '05 4.7L? -
Current plan is to check again next weekend after the wife drives it some and back to the dealer if any more oil shows up on the rear.
New here - thanks for any insight you can offer

 

So, I guess I'm the only one?

 

I'm going to give ours a look this weekend when I drain some oil out. I just noticed that the dealer overfilled it when they changed the oil so i need to lose about 3/4 quart. We've had ours for 2 weeks so I figure it's about time to crawl under it and look for any leaks the dealer may have cleaned off before we bought it.

 

No oil leak on ours. How is oil getting all the way to your back door? Seems like the whole underneath would have to be soaked. It isn't coming from the exhaust is it? Nobody seems to reply much on this forum, they read alot but no replies?

 

Hi,

I can understand your frustration when nobody reply to your message.

Well... in my case: Mine is a 2005 SLT. I change the oil by my self, including the oil filter (I preffer scratched made by me )

Your case is very strange. I believe you must have something leaking oil while under engine pressure and then getting over something very hot so it gets burned and then create a very thin smoke cloud behind you that can't be easily seen through your rear-view mirror. It's like the water spray created by the aerodynamic when driving under the rain. Your rear door gets very dirty in less than 1 minute.

Where to check: I would check the whole exhaust system from the engine block to the end of it at the back of the -D-. Check it when cold and rub your hand at places difficult to see. Another idea: try to compare the oil oddor found on your back door against engine oil and transmission oil. Hope is not, but it could be an oil leak from your trans and that's more probable to end on your back door. Make a visual inspection on your transmission too.

Good luck!

 

Well, I crawled around under it again and it had drops of oil (new looking oil) right under the front of the crankshaft. Last weekend I washed it all off and washed the Durango (including the back door). The wife hasn't driven it much this week but the back is still clean (according to her). This weekend I plan on driving it some so I can see if the problem reappears. It may be that they overfilled it when they changed the oil the last time. I checked it and it looked a little too full but it wasn't sitting level so I just knid of ignored it. I would not have thought there would have been a place for it to blow out on this engine (not like on my Cummins in my truck).
I live about 100 miles from where I work so only get home on weekends - I'll post an update Monday (13th).

 

Did you just have the undercoating done recently ? That could account for the oily residue. Some of the stuff dripped off of my d for a while, but i knew that it was the grease because i had an explorer that did the same thing. Alot of the rustproofing gathered behind the cat converter so i had oily stuff drippng form there for a while.

I also noticed that it would smoke especially after long drives. I thought the D was going to die the first time i saw it at the gas station while i was filling up. It freaked me out. I took it to my dealership and they said it was just residue burning off the hot compnents. I had alot of oily grime on the bottom of my D for the first few weeks after buying it, but it is gone away now.

 

I had the same problem. Dealer replaced the Power Steering Pump.

 

Well, problem solved - looks like the dealer spilled oil all ove rthe engine when they last changed it. It continued to drip for three weeks, and be sprayed all over the back every time it was driven.
So, after owning it 8 months (I also own a 2004 Ram 2500 CTD; bought from the same dealer), I traded the Durango on a 2006 Ford Super Crew. This may be seen by some as a drastic move - but what really helped make up my mind was the amount the Durango had depreciated in the 8 months I had it. I quit buying cars years ago because of their lack of value when they leave the dealer's lot. Trucks (and most SUVs) do not normally loose value as quickly as cars. But this Durango did.
I could see that my equity (traded a paid-for 2000 Expedition on it) was quickly disappearing. So no more Durango issues for me.
- saw the beginnings of a recall for the Durango on the web this morning - replace the wiper motor.