Backstory:
This past Monday I noticed a sound in my daughter's 2006 Grand Caravan (our old van that she uses for college that has 117K miles) that sounded like a stuck oil lifter. No lights on the dash were on. It was getting close to time for an oil change but still OK at about 3,500 miles, so when I went to put in the engine flush fluid as recommended by a number of places, the oil was really low. As in it took 4 quarts to get it to the proper level. I put in the flush fluid and 5 minutes later I drained the oil, replaced the filter, and filled it with Valvoline 1 full synthetic. Things seemed fine.

Fast forward to today, Thursday... My daughter has only driven the van to and from work (about 1.5 miles in town from home) three times and to the mall, about 5 miles in town one time. She complained tonight that the van was making noise when she left the mall to head home. No lights on the dash again.

She pulled up and it was noisy for sure. I popped the hood and the oil was still full.

I uploaded 3 short YouTube videos. The first is the van starting, the second is it idling, and the third is with a light tough of throttle. Not sure what to do...

Van starting:

Van idling:

Van with a touch of throttle:

 

It's tough to tell because recordings seem to change how noises sound, but in my opinion that is either really bad lifter noise or rod knock. You said the van was run low on oil, the factory idiot light comes on at a REALLY low oil pressure, as in "your engine is already dead" oil pressure, so even if the light didn't come on it might have been oil starved.

Use a mechanics stethescope to check the front and rear valve covers. If the noise isn't coming from there check the oil pan.

 

You can spin a rod/main bearing and still have oil pressure.

HOLY CRAP!! Listening to that 3rd video is making me as positive as I could be without hearing it in person that that engine is toast. That definitely sounded like rod knock, especially as you cut the engine off.

 

Well, rods were knocking. Engine is toast. Dealer wants $5200 to put in a used engine. Ouch. The Grand Caravan doesn't even book for that much in "excellent" condition, which ours isn't. Can't afford to get a different vehicle either.

Found a shop about an 75 minutes away (back "home" where my folks live that they go to a lot for things) that can do it for $2400 mainly due to not being a dealership and the fact that my parents spend a lot with them every year with all of their multiple vehicles and motorhome. Trick is to get it back there. My dad has a 1998 Dodge Dakota with a V8 that used to be used to haul a double horse trailer with tack room and 2 horses (about 5000 pounds) but that was back when the Dakota was newer. It only has a little less than 70,000 miles on it, but I'm still not sure how to do it.

Pretty sad to spend that much money on a vehicle that isn't worth much, but such is the state of things.

 

1. If it were me, I'd get a good buddy, a tow strap and some large coffees and gently drive it the 75 minutes while they follow. If you just go real easy and not put any big loads on the engine, it just might make it. If you're not comfortable with a tow strap then skip this.

2. 70,000 miles is nothing. My 02 Grand Caravan with over 100,000 miles pulled a car trailer with a 68 Corvette on it last year, grand total for weight was almost 7,000 pounds. THere is no reason in the world that Dakota should skip a beat towing your van.

Either of those gets you there.

In my mind, the reason the engine died was a lack of oil coupled with that flush. The damage was done then you basically washed the bearings dry with the flush and that is the most likely reason they were gone.

 

Personally I'd just drive it there. Keep the revs low and you could try changing to a very heavy diesel oil or a racing oil (10W40, 20W50, something thick and heavy) if you wanted a bit of extra protection. Rod knock doesn't mean the engine is 100% dead right now, it got you to the dealership, right?

That said, I'd have the dakota at the ready and knowledge of where you can pick up a UHaul tow dolly should that rod finally let go.

Never pay the dealership replacement price, it's ridiculous. You should be able to track down a good used engine for around $1000, and the labour to install it should be $1000-$1500 or less. Sounds like the $2400 quote is right in line with this.

You say it is sad to spend this much money on a vehicle that isn't worth it, but just as often you hear the opposite argument - Why am I spending so much more money on a vehicle I just spent $X on?!. The fact is, sometimes cars break down and sometimes they cost quite a bit of money. Take the opportunity to teach your daughter to check her oil level regularly, and generally take better care of the vehicle if you want the next engine (and the van as a whole) to last.

The flush didn't do the engine in. Sure it might have slightly compromised the oil film on the bearings while it was in there but the damage was all done long before that.

 

Thanks everyone.

ANother learning experience of comment for everyone out there that stumbles across this.
Do not get comfortible waiting on dash lights to know that something is wrong and when you do see a light, even a flicker of a light, find out then what is wrong. Don't wait (in this case until after the major problem) to find out or tell someone (like your dad.... Me in this case).


In this example, the oil was very low after 2500 miles. Previous oil changes done by me were around the 4000 mile usage mark and were down maybe 1/2 - 3/4 of a quart from the 5 original quarts.

It is still frustrating that the oil pressure light didn't come on sooner. I am sure that there is some flexible tollerances there to make sure that it doesn't light up incorrectly but holy crap. With only 20% capacity, and of that, probably a very thick sludgey (yes, I made that word up) oil, you would think that a solid light would come on. In my 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix, if the oil is even down 1 quart, my check oil level/pressure indicator lights on the dash and comes up on the dash "computer". That only happened to me once and it was when the car was "new to me". Ended up that 2 bolts on the oil pan were slightly loose and it was just dripping super slowly. At the time we were living in an apartment, so I never noticed the oil leak.

Oh well, nothing I can do about it now but get this fixed.

 

If the engine is still running, maybe it could make it the 75 miles on its own. Even if it dies somewhere along the way, your towing insurance coverage, assuming you have it, should cover a good part of the tow.

 

Our towing insurance cover 15 miles. We might have some options. I've got the place that is going to do the work trying to locate a tow dolly or one of those that a whole vehicle goes up on. I should know tomorrow. Then it could be picked up at the car place 75 miles away by my father-in-law who offered, as mentioned, to come and haul/tow it, and then it ends up back where it started.