Has anyone here heard of or had a oil sludge problem with their Durango'It is making me sick just reading it. My oil pressure has been jumping up and down now for the past 5 months or so but has never gone below normal. [:'(]http://www.consumeraffairs.com/autom...e_dur_oil.html

 

You will never see such stories on the forums. Those are dated early '04, '03, etc.

First, if a motor is mistreated, mixed up oils, wrong weights, incorrect change intervals, etc... any motor can have a sludge issue. However on going 'picking on the Durango' is basically BS.

Second, other than the mistreatments above, under normal conditions... 5.2Ls and 5.7Ls and 5.9Ls are fine... don't worry about it.

Now the issue, 4.7's early on (like '01) had a small issue at the PVC valve, valve cover, oil cap area. Air+moisture+oil caused a visible 'snot' on the cap. This is usually the 'sludge' most are taking about. Also related are short travel times instead of long heated up motor time. Anyway... there is a TSB that fixes that area (a baffle placed in the valve cover) and since the 4.7's have came complete with the fix.

So, under normal conditions, and if you have a newer 4.7L or one with the TSB fix applied, the rest is myth and rumor.

IndyDurango

 

What do you mean it has been jumping around? Have you not done an oil change in the past 5 months?

 

How do Iknow if I have this TBS? Also is it normal for the oilpressure to not to stay in one spot? After aweek, after an oil change it has done it and never stoped. It nevers goes out of the normal range but will go higheror lower depending on the engine speed. I do have a 01' Durango. with a 4.7L.

 

This is normal for any vehicle. When your engine's RPMs increase, the oil pressure is raised because your oil pump is working harder to distribute the oil effeciently. As long as your oil pressure is staying between the two premarkedlines on your oil pressure gauge, you are fine. If you are going under the lower line,check your oildipstick because you will need to be adding oil. If you are going over the upper line, check your dipstick because you will be needing to drain some oil. It is better to have too much oil than too little oil. Too much oil will lead to blown head gaskets and premature wear on your oil pump. Too little oil will lead to overheating, and we all know what happens when you cook your motor.

You will also see an increased oil pressure when you first start you vehicle (unless it had been running within the hour prior). This is because the block is cold and hasn't expanded yet, which decreases the volume of oil channels, which increases oil pressure until the motor heats up to operating temp.

I think that answers your question, but let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Thanks for the info. We got the Durango in 05' but the car fax gave all the service dates(it was a lease) and it was there every 2-3 months. I never notice the pressure gague to move the first year we had it. But like I said I never noticed it. But it never goes into the high or down to the low. Do you know what this TBX fix it? Thanks for all the help. This is a great place for info. Maybe you have an idea on this one. I noticed water once and a while dripping outside in the R corner of the car. It is not from the tail pipe and the HOT heat will not work in the rear. And the AUX pump is hot on the in-letand out-let side so I figure that is working.

 

I don't know what you mean.

This is most likely your air conditioning system "sweating". No need to worry.

You will want to check to make sure the hot/cold valve is working properly for the rear vents.

 

Thanks Chris for all your help. I don't know what TBX is. Itwas mentioned that in the 4.7 there was a sludge build up and they put something on the vavle cover to fix this problem. Someone mentioned TBXearly on. Is the hot/cold valve in each vent?

 

No, there should be one main one. I have a club cab Dakota, so I don't have the rear vents. Simply follow them back until you find it. When you do, move the temp controls around and see if they valve moves.

 

PM Indy Durango he can give you the link to the TSB but he doesn't have a TBX [sm=icon_stickpoke.gif]