DMAX goes Splat

[GadgetBoy]

Driving home Monday evening my DMAX went into limp mode and SES came on as I accelerated onto highway. Pulled over and had a look under the hood, nothing out of place or abnormal and I only had <400miles since last service "LOF, Fuel Filter, Trans filter, rotate tires". Truck ran fine back up to steam next 30 miles. Turned off highway and made it to my road. Truck goes into limp again as I accelerate up hill towards house gauges all look good just no power. I'm 1/4Mile from home so I press on. Get into driveway and stop, smoke rolls out from under truck and hood. Entire bottom of truck is dripping oil and diesel. Pop the hood and check dipstick, just a drop on the end of the stick. Crankcase is almost dry!

I've read the posts of injectors going bad and filling the crankcase. But, mine is empty. It blew all teh oil and fuel out of the breather line on passenger front side of engine and coated the underside of engine/transmission, skid plate, exhaust and the rest of the underside.

Dealer sent a flatbed for it, C5500 Dmax, and is "researching the problem" They said the crankcase does smell like diesel and it is likely injectors but no one can understand why the crankcase is empty.

Ideas?

[ADub]

Sounds like the injectors filled the crankcase will oil. Too much oil in the crankcase, it has to go somewhere. All the other seals held, so it blew out the breather.

[More Power]

I agree with ADub. If the crankcase was mostly filled with thin & clear diesel fuel, the dipstick would be hard to read - possibly making it appear as though it were empty.

MP

[madmatt]

I'm w/ MP! Has anyone drained the contents of the pan to see whats really in there? It's hard to read the fuel level in your crankcase w/ a dipstick.

[GadgetBoy]

Dealer called late yesterday and said they drained crankcase and it was mostly diesel. Injectors are to be replaced and I should have my truck back Friday afternoon. Now I need to keep a very close eye on my wifes truck. I only had 74K on mine and hers is at 80K and has been running an Edge/Attitude for the last 30K of that. Too bad GM didn't just recall these so we could drop her truck off and get them preemptively changed out.
I'm just surprised at how sudden it was. from SES and loss of power it was 30 miles or so till all hell broke loose. Besides, I just recently changed oil and there was nothing unusual about it, no more than usual amount and black as ever. No more diesel smell than normal either.

[Kennedy]

If it's any consolation, the Dmax has proven to be VERY tough and resilient in cases like this...

[Jim Brzozowski]

Think possitive, you've got the cleanest engine inside as any truck in Elgin. I don't recall seeing anyone here say their engine quit after such an event. Like JK said they are....