My Charger gave me a wake-up call this morning...

Signs I'm letting my life get out of control...

I'm running errands before taking the family to Thanksgiving at the in-laws today and suddenly my engine stalls, the check oil light comes on and the car just flat out cuts off. Fortunately I was in the mail-drop off area so its not like I died in freeway traffic. I restarted the engine, rolled slowly/conservatively to a Kragen parking lot down the road and checked the oil.

My last oil change was scheduled for early October and yes, I pulled a stupid chick number and didn't bother getting it done, figuring I'd only put 1000 miles on the clock, I could go a while longer. So here we are, late November and my car's giving me what for.

So when I checked, the oil was clear and ambery, but just up to below the ||SAFE|| zone. Of course Kragen was closed, but fortunately I had my emergency kit in the trunk, with three quarters of a quart of 0w40. I added that and checked the oil again, it was into the ||SAFE|| zone on the stick. Still, to be safe since I had to drive everyone to San Jose, I went to the Shell station and after looking over their limited offerings, got two quarts of the 10w30 synthetic Shell oil *gag* and topped off the oil with one quart.

So tomorrow I figure I'll call my dealer (yes, I still use a dealer for my service) and see if they can fit me in for a real oil change.

So yeah, times are tight, but don't neglect your poor car is the message I guess.

I'll be beating myself up over this one for a while. oh:

 

Wow...didn't realize these things were so picky.

Thats good news since I'm coming up on my 30K mark....

 

This is ambiguous... What does "I'd" mean. "I had" or "I would"?

If you had only put 1000 miles since the last oil change then 1.75 quarts is a bit much to be down. I you meant that you would only put another 1000 over the 3000 (which is fine) then 1.75 quarts is still a lot but maybe not so far over the line...

 

I had. So yeah, where'd the oil go?

 

Our cars do burn oil but not that much! I would say that who ever did your oil change did not put the correct amount in, in the first place? Also I find it interesting that the car would cut off? If you have a predator I would check for codes, as IMO I could maybe! Maybe see the check engine light come on? Bu the car shut off? IMO I just don't see that one happening? I think there might be something more going on?

 

Or justa hiccup...CG, you have a catch can?

 

1 day,i did a 3 point turn and the magnum cut off on me.i waited about 20 sec,started rite up.

 

Well, I felt the engine stall in the middle of a left turn and thought "Um, ok, weird." But nothing else happened, no lights. I then pulled into the post office and put the car in Park to drop the mail in the slot. I hear DING and look down to see the Oil Can light has come on. When I try to put the car back in Drive, nothing, the engine was off. I turned the key and the engine startd up like normal, and the light was cleared. I then drove it to the nearest Kragen (about a quarter mile away), parked, popped the hood and checked the oil.

I do not have a catch can and I do not have a Predator. There was no CEL light and after I added the oil from my emergency stash and the store bought, I drove the family down to San Jose and back, with no issues whatsoever. I am going to check the oil level in a few minutes and then call the dealer service department. My gut says they didn't give me as much oil last time, thinking to save me a couple of bucks or something. I guess I better take that window sticker reminder more seriously, geez!

I have not experienced any burnt oil smell or smoking problems, the engine temp was fine and the oil pressure on the way down to San Jose and back was in the mid 50s on the EVIC. When I initially checked the oil, it was right at the line below the |Safe| area on the stick. If the system really is this sensitive, its a good thing because it prevents morons like me from burning up the engine.

 

It may be, but I doubt it. As long as you have good pressure, the motor should run...and you can achieve good pressure with alot less that 5.25 quarts...I would chalk it up to a hiccup...stalled out when going from D to P...Happens alot on cammed cars without a perfect tune...I know you're mostly stock, but your tune may be adjusting some with weather changes and such.
As for the oil consumption...i've seen 1 quart per 5000 miles when stock without catch can...perfectly normal. And if they didn't put in 7 quarts when last changed, well...

 

Yeah, my mods are all pretty mild: CAI, catbacks, 180* t-stat, fan mod (which is off for the season).

This isn't the first flukey thing with the car. The traction light came on after I exited the freeway (78 mph to stopping at a stop light, but not aggressively braking). I had to wait until I got home to turn off the engine and restart to clear it.

The car went into limp mode when I was at WSIR a couple of years ago. I was on the front straight, under full accelleration when I had to brake hard for a car trying to pass. Apparently I confused the transmission with my reaction time and it retaliated by limping thru turns three and four. By turn five I was able to get up to speed enough to get through five more turns and return to pit lane. Meister was there to check the codes and reset them, thankfully.

This is the first time the oil light has come on and so yeah, I was a bit panicky.

 

Tamara, you are going to confuse the everliving hell out of Kyle with all this talk of turns! He's from Loosiana....keep it redneck simple! LOL

 

It does that when it stalls in D...and I followed along just fine...we have plenty of turns down here, just look at NASCAR, they have 4 of em, look another LEFT turn YEEE HAWWW!...
Not all of us have a family pole instead of a tree.

 

Haha! Yeah and what about Dukes of Hazard and the bootleggers. "Straightening the turns!" :grin:

 

LMAO....You guys are CRAZY!!!! :huglove:

 

You can keep that homo Cali-fornication shit...i like my hugs and kisses from child bearin humans. :whistle:

 

Shit....I'm California by duty station only! I'm a God damned Texan Boy....Houstonian to be exact!!!


Oh....Tam....thanks for letting me piss on your thread.....I hope you get your car thing figured out! hehe

 

TEXAS? Holy shit...nuttin but Steers and Queers in Texas...you sportin a rack on ya head?

Hahah...jfwy...Sorry CG, back on topic now.

 

Are you sure that the oil light didn't come on because the car stalled and the run & ignition was still on?? After a stall, the light comes on to indicate no oil pressure (because the engine isn't running)

Also,are you sure you didn't add too much oil?? There should only be 1 quart between the upper and lower full zone marks on the dip stick.

Also also.. don't forget tha twhen the engine is first shut down, there is oil out of the pan circulated throughout the engine, when this drains back it will raise your level.

A good amount of oil passes through the pcv valve - I'm up to 13,000 miles and I still get i once in the catch can for every thousanf miles...and I'm sure the can dosn't get it all.

 

Hope you get all the "kinks" out!!!

 

No prob about the threadjacking, and probably right about the stall - oil light sequence. I am at the dealer now getting it checked out. Service guy said the stall may have been from not quite enough oil to the lifters. Also between being two months over due and freezing temps the past several nights...

Gotta say driving the fifty miles to the dealer with no passengers, blasting AC/DC and Van Halen is very very therapeutic! :happy: