Dodge's 5.7 Hemi and its problems

[donsjave]

Yea, I know, this is a AMC site but I just got to let someone know who is thinking of a Dodge truck. I got one a year ago (only 9200 miles on it) and it appears that Chrysler may have laid an egg with this engine. As most know, the Feds forced Chrysler to recall the Durango's for their defective ball joints, well consumers of their 1500,2500, and 3500 series pickups with the hemis may have a big problem on their hands. It would seem that the 5.7 hemi (03 and 04) have a minor oiling problem with the lifters. I have viewed a half a dozen sites that people are really get pissed off because of the lifter clatter that engines have at startup and several more cases of total collasped of the lifters themselves on warmed up engines. There has been some cases of total oil pump failure. I do have the same problem with mine, love the engine, hate the noise. Question lends itself to be asked---- Drive this thing like I stoled it or baby it???? Got the 7 year/70,000 mile warranty on it. As a side note: Chrysler claims that the lifter noise is normal upon startup and have no answer for the lifters collasping. Oil pump failure is fixed however. So next question, Is 5.7 hemi lifter noise normal? The new hemis have roller rockers and lifters (Hyradlic non adjustable) and Dodge does bring this feature out in their advertising. Wonder if the lemon law would apply here.

[Big Bad AMX]

So I guess I won't need to ask "hey, that thing got a HEMI?" I'll just listen for the valve train noise. :)

[donsjave]

As a update, I have taken the truck in twice and was told that it is in my head. Not to say, I was not very kind to the service rep at the dealer. Also asked why the oil gauge never moves off the middle (even when the engine is turned off). No real answer there either, just seems that Chrysler just wants to pass it off as normal I guess. Not in my book.

[Big Bad AMX]

As a update, I have taken the truck in twice and was told that it is in my head. Not to say, I was not very kind to the service rep at the dealer. Also asked why the oil gauge never moves off the middle (even when the engine is turned off). No real answer there either, just seems that Chrysler just wants to pass it off as normal I guess. Not in my book.
Maybe Chrysler has too many customers (insert sarcasm) I think I'd be looking at a Ford or Chevy in the near future.

[donsjave]

Never had any serious problems with GM as far as engine noises in concerned. Perhaps you are right, keep it a couple of years and beat the living daylights out of it. IF it gives up the ghost, then I can slap Chrysler with a "I told you so" attitude and put it where the sun does not shine

[RadioMan]

Chrysler was not gonna have a call back on the balls joints either EVEN after
the news showed wheels under trucks. They said, it was not a safety issue.
Finally the PR person for Chrysler suggested they call them back or loose lots
of business.

My suggestion is to try and find that PR person and send letters to him/her.

I have a Dakota and love it! It *may* be my last Chrysler product..

[ChevelleSSLS6]

\Also asked why the oil gauge never moves off the middle (even when the engine is turned off). No real answer there either, just seems that Chrysler just wants to pass it off as normal I guess. Not in my book.

if you turn the key to run without starting it it better indicate zero pressure.

[ChevelleSSLS6]

Never had any serious problems with GM as far as engine noises in concerned. Perhaps you are right, keep it a couple of years and beat the living daylights out of it.

a) GM's 3100/3400v6 has some lifter noise when cold sometimes, but its nothing serious.
b) if it has a Hemi in it, I'd beat on it too, heck, isn't the original firedome/wedge/hemi designed for racing... essentially, beating the heck out of? :)

[jmalyski]

i own an o4 rumblebee 1500 ram and i have been back to the dealer multiple times on the lifter question, they are not concerned, so i will drive the wheels off this truck and let you know when she blows due to lifter failure...

[8bit]

Have there been any complaints concerning the 6.1 liter version? The SRT edition of the 300C looked like a nice car to me.

[fuelieguy]

I have a 2002 Dodge RAM Pickup owned since new now with 120K miles, I also have a 2005 Dodge Magnum 5.7L HEMI with 57K miles also owned since new. Both of these vehicles have had lifter noise early on within the first 20K miles. When I first noticed it with the RAM Pickup I thought of changing the weight and type of the oil to a heavier weight from the recommended 5W-20 the factory recommends but I decided against it since the warranty might be violated if I changed it. So I decided to continued to use the 5W-20 Oil until the warranty was off.

I actually continued to use the 5W-20 oil past the warranty period of 36K miles until one day I noticed that the lifters were rattling when I started the Engine and that it continued to rattle for several minutes until the engine was warmed up. It was time for a oil Change anyway so I decided to change the oil and this time I had 10w-40 put in. I immediately noticed a difference in the sound of the Engine, the rattling lifters sound was gone. Even after 1500-2000 miles on the fresh oil there was virtually no rattling lifter noise. Especially on Engine Start-up when I would hear the most lifter rattle noise in the 5.7L HEMI in the Magnum.

This made me wonder what was going on with the 5W-20 Oil and why would it appear to break down so quickly that the lifters would rattle so much. I began to search on the web for 5W-20 oil to see if others had a concern about this oil too. What I discovered was that there was more information regarding the purpose of the 5W-20 oil than I thought. Almost every article and white paper I found reported that the real purpose of the manufacturers recommending the light weight oil like 5W-20 and 0W-15 was so that the overall fuel mileage of the manufactures engines could gain a higher rating. Most applications of the light weight oil was so that the major Automotive Manufacturers could gain the increase fuel mileage rating without making significant changes to the Engine designs. It does this by reducing the flyweight resistance on the rotating components of the Engine and not necessarily reducing surface contact friction on items like the Pistons, Rings and Lifters to the Engine Block cylinder walls. In addition these articles point out that the consumer does not have to use the manufacturer recommended 5W-20 weight oil to maintain the warranty on their engines.

After I read about this fairly significant revelation of what I would consider “Engine Early wear from light weight oil” I decided to change the weight of Oil in the Magnum right away while I still could save it since it had only about 30K miles. So I immediately had the oil change done to the Magnum 5.7L HEMI and had 10W-30 Oil put in. I got a lot of funny looks and questions when I asked for this change. The HEMI 5.7L would always exhibit Start-up Lifter Rattle after the engine would sit overnight. It sounded like the lifters were actually moving with no oil in them at all, and it probably was since the light weight 5W-20 was most likely draining down out of the engine and into the pan overnight. The rattling would last for only about half a second or so but it was so harsh sounding that it always bother me. The Next day after the fresh oil change and sitting overnight I listened very carefully as the engine was started, listening for that same lifter rattle that it always had since new, but this time there was nothing not even a hint of it. That was more than two years 20K miles ago and still today even with 3K miles on the oil change it doesn’t make a sound on Engine Start-up. I now use 10W-30 or 10W-40 weight oil on all my vehicles. Also, I do not use Synthetic, but I do change the oil at 3K miles.

The Truck has 120K miles and the Magnum has 57K miles both run smoother than when new and still get nearly the same fuel mileage as when new and neither has any lifter rattle or ticking.

[Big Bad AMX]

I've heard the 5-20w claims for mileage increase but wonder if it really makes much difference, sounds like it's a minimal gain from your experiences. I am surprised that changing to a thicker oil doesn't void the warranty. They usually try to find any excuse to get out of a warranty claim.

[Bandana]

It's not in your head. Assuming you only hear it at idle - The noise you hear is not lifter noise though. It is the solenoids that operate the engine cylinder deactivation system. When the engine has no or low load on it the cylinders are intermittently dropped out to save on fuel and the solenoids are what accomplishes the task. The The modern day Hemi engines are darn near bullet proof.