Exhaust Smell

[Daniel Gagnon]

Greetings all, bought a new 2016 ram Eco Diesel back in 2016. 60 K kms ago still experiencing intermittent but certainly ongoing foul odor / smell issues. Truck has been back and forth to dealer without resolve. Once they noticed oil was overly dark and sludge-like where we had had the oil changed the week before. Another time the oil level showed higher than normal level where they blamed oil change company. Checked my oil level last night before taking it into dealer today for somekind of check the Chrysler tech people recommended them to verify. Oil level I checked 4X showed high 2 quarts high being very black again only 2 weeks or so after dealer oil change. After service today they found oil level in truck normal and other checked for issue normal as well. Before starting truck to depart from dealer I re-checked oil level which showed right on normal line. Dealer has been using their head mech. to service our truck for a bit now. Since our smell problem was intermittent a few times they told us they could not notice foul abnormal smell so one morning as tempts were getting colder and smell was often present during most cold starts I went to pick this mech. up with different vehicle taking him to our home for cold start of the eco-diesel. The mech. did smell the foul odour but stated it was a smell he was not familiar with. Anyways once we got back to the dealer he had told the service manager that he smelled nothing which opened my eyes to the dishonesty involved. Both this head mech. once I confronted him and the service manger indicated during one on one interactions that I should sell / trade-in this truck! They acknowledged that they did not know the problem! What about the next person who gets this particular truck! We spent mega $, haven gotten extended warranty for at least a 10 year period. DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM? And yes we have had various case files open then closed by FC? ....... WOULD APPRECIATE FEEDBACK AS WELL AS QUESTIONS , KIND OF LOST FOR WHAT ACTION TO TAKE. WE MADE THE MISTAKE OF PAYING OFF THE TRUCK WITH A MORTGAGE INCREASE WHICH I DO NOT RECOMMEND! SHOULD HAD GIVEN THE KEYS BACK LONG AGO, Thank You

 

[JMF157]

You say the odor is present during extended cold weather start up. Does it smell like spoiled Greek Yogurt? If that is the smell you are experiencing, then it is from the DEF as it is injected into the exhaust stream. The longer a vehicle idles, the more inefficient the combustion. as in the case of this type of vehicle, the more NOX is produced and therefore the computer compensates by injecting more DEF into the exhaust stream. My truck has the same smell during cold starts and extended idling. You could try changing the brand of DEF, but since it is a 3:1 mix of water and urea, the small may not change. I have tried both Blue DEF and Tractor Supply brand with no real difference.

As for the other problem with the oil, I am sorry but have no answers for that. The only two (2) reasons I know of for the oil to be overfilled is:
1. The mechanic that changed the oil overfilled it.
2. A major gasket is leaking causing antifreeze to enter the oil. (usually light brown, very dark green and frothy.) OR you have a leak in the radiator allowing Transmission fluid into the oil. (usually dark brown and sludgy.)

Hope some of this info helps. Good Luck.

 

[cs in Alabama]

You said they blamed the oil change company. You need to be real careful with who you let change the oil in this truck and what oil they use. You need to use 100% synthetic CJ-4 oil and not jiffy lube swill. This little engine does not like bad oil at all.

I think JMF157 is right on the smell. These trucks unfortunately use concentrated cat piss to clean up the smoke. Just ignore it knowing that it is just part of having an emissions controlled diesel.

 

[John]

You say the odor is present during extended cold weather start up. Does it smell like spoiled Greek Yogurt? If that is the smell you are experiencing, then it is from the DEF as it is injected into the exhaust stream. The longer a vehicle idles, the more inefficient the combustion. as in the case of this type of vehicle, the more NOX is produced and therefore the computer compensates by injecting more DEF into the exhaust stream. My truck has the same smell during cold starts and extended idling. You could try changing the brand of DEF, but since it is a 3:1 mix of water and urea, the small may not change. I have tried both Blue DEF and Tractor Supply brand with no real difference.

As for the other problem with the oil, I am sorry but have no answers for that. The only two (2) reasons I know of for the oil to be overfilled is:
1. The mechanic that changed the oil overfilled it.
2. A major gasket is leaking causing antifreeze to enter the oil. (usually light brown, very dark green and frothy.) OR you have a leak in the radiator allowing Transmission fluid into the oil. (usually dark brown and sludgy.)

Hope some of this info helps. Good Luck.

Just an FYI. The oil has a separate oil cooler mounted next to the oil filter housing and is cooled by engine coolant. No possibility of oil and trans fluid mixing at the radiator. I think this is what you are saying?

 

[JMF157]

Just an FYI. The oil has a separate oil cooler mounted next to the oil filter housing and is cooled by engine coolant. No possibility of oil and trans fluid mixing at the radiator. I think this is what you are saying?

John, I have not had the opportunity to really study my truck yet while on a lift and am just going on my past experience. The vehicles I've owned in the past, cars included, always had lines from the transmission running to and from the bottom of the radiator. When I had a separate cooler added for towing, the mechanic always disconnected one of the lines and went to the cooler then back to the radiator. Technology has changed and it may be different now. Thank you.

 

[danelwayne]

thank you for asking a question I am also facing the same problem in a towing truck of towing service in new york which i drive.

 

[carlhenry]

one post and gone????

 

[jdjj]

Temperature dipped to 11degrees F for 2 days and stayed 20 degrees for another 2 days three weeks ago in Texas (occurs once in 25 years). My 2015 ecodiesel also had an offensive smell all during this time. I finally pinpointed it to my exhaust. It smelled like burnt turpentine or a burnt electric motor. That is the best smell i could attribute it to. it was strong if you pulled into a garage and outside with 20 mph winds you could smell it strongly 30 yards away. i have 2 codes showing up PO128 and P20EE. I'm replacing the thermostat (PO128) now and the other is a NOX sensor code which i thought was the problem; not sure. But the smell quit when it got 50 - 70 degrees. Any ideas?

 

[AndyIRV]

Try cleaning the DEF injector. I use a steam cleaner. Takes longer for the steamer to get to temp then it does to clean.