Air cooler hose, turbo resonator and oil?

HMR TYM

New member
I thought about jumping in on the 'Turbo Resonator' thread but i have a different question...

One of my 2004 3500 limped home today only able to travel at speeds of 60mph with the check engine light on. I jumped on the forum to read up on the 'TR' issue because after i got the call from the driver i immediately expected 'TR'.

I have one of the aluminum billet versions that came with my recently purchased 04 3500 as a spare but before i start replacing it i reached down to feel if the air cooler hose came off the same way my other one did and the hose is bathed in motor oil???

a few days ago i re-attached the air cooler hose on the other sprinter and in doing so i noticed oil on the hose and in the hose and now this one has the same evidence of oil, where is it coming from and is this normal?? Both show normal levels of oil on the stick and were recently changed.

Should i just wiped it all of, re-attach and not worry about it or is there something more to this??
 

BaywoodBill

pre-Yuppiedom
There have been reports of oil at the location you indicate and my recollection is that it generally is not anything to be worried about though it could mean a failure of the turbocharger bearings. I tried to search for such comments but there are very many posts that included the relevant words.
 

KL2BE

Member
I thought about jumping in on the 'Turbo Resonator' thread but i have a different question...

One of my 2004 3500 limped home today only able to travel at speeds of 60mph with the check engine light on. I jumped on the forum to read up on the 'TR' issue because after i got the call from the driver i immediately expected 'TR'.

I have one of the aluminum billet versions that came with my recently purchased 04 3500 as a spare but before i start replacing it i reached down to feel if the air cooler hose came off the same way my other one did and the hose is bathed in motor oil???

a few days ago i re-attached the air cooler hose on the other sprinter and in doing so i noticed oil on the hose and in the hose and now this one has the same evidence of oil, where is it coming from and is this normal?? Both show normal levels of oil on the stick and were recently changed.

Should i just wiped it all of, re-attach and not worry about it or is there something more to this??
A "small amount" of oil in in the intake track is normal; comes from misted oil in the blow-by that is routed back into the intake. "Small amount" means a few drips in the hose or Turbo Resonator that have collected over a long period of time (a few drops of oil on the seam of the Turbo Resonator is a sure sign the the TR is blown or about to blow). An engine with high mileage will collect a bit more oil due to more blow-by causing higher pressure in the crankcase. A lot of oil collecting (a few drops every day, say) probably means a bad Turbo bearing or too much blow-by pressure in the crankcase from badly worn rings.
 

What Next

New member
Exactly as KL2BE says, just had my resonator replaced under warranty because of oil coming out of seam. A little oil can look like a lot when it comes out under turbo pressure. Tech assured me it was normal. Early 04 don't have a resonator mine is a late 04 I have one. I had the hose come loose early on also.
 

stp57

Member
I just noticed alot of oil residue all over my air cooler hoses also. It looks to be coming out of the upper hose and/or the plastic housing (which houses the sensor) that connects the upper & lower hose. I have a new assembly that I purchased off Ebay awhile back, but after pulling the upper hose off & wiping everything else down, I just can't see a problem? No cracks or anything? I put everything back together & cranked the hoses down tight & I'll keep an eye on it for leakage. My dad has always used Permatex on the inside of hoses to insure a good fit, but I am a little hesitant to use it on this vehicle.
Mine is a 2006, 2500 cargo.
Steve
 

LastDtichRacing

New member
Just back from a long trip and noticed a wet spot on the driveway. I too have oil coming out at the same spot. Frame rail is wet. Anyone have any more info on what we should be looking for? My turbo was replaced about 8 months ago.

Thanks! John
 

talkinghorse43

Well-known member
As reported many times before, oil in the intake is entirely normal due to the crankcase breather being ducted to the turbo inlet. Since a diesel's intake is always at atmospheric pressure or above, oil consumption is mainly from oil entrained in blowby around the piston rings. So, most of the oil your Sprinter consumes will flow through the intake piping and be burned as fuel. So, as far as quantity of oil in the intake piping, measure how much your engine consumes with the engine oil dipstick over time and that will be the max you might expect to see outside the piping if you have a leak. If you chase and solve all the leaks, then you will see no oil on the outside of the intake piping.
 

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