Gen5 - Damptronic strut leak?

[kaamacat]

Question. (And did not spot a thread on this). Has anyone had issue with a coilover leaking? With the
GT, it sports the Damptronics and I do have some oil traveling down the tube towards the base. (So its
not the expansion coupling and from the base directly). No doubt from top-down, and I've cleaned
it off just to 2x check the leak.

Passenger side, and I am at about 1800miles on the car since Jul27.

Obviously it will be taken to the my local dealer for warranty coverage, but, wanted to see if this is
more isolated or?

[mjorgensen]

It has happened a couple times, but not an epidemic.

[98intrigue]

I had my driver's front replaced for the same reason. I've read of a few other reports, but it's an easy warranty replacement.

[Coder]

Drivers right, same thing. Was told they need to build the part because Dodge Canada doesn't keep them in stock. Warranty ftw

[Voice of Reason]

Yep. My passenger front blew last fall and was replaced this spring. Three weeks ago I noticed a pool of oil under the drivers front and it's gone now as well. That one is on order. A while ago I though we talked about how for the original TAs there was a bad batch made but no others were reporting failures at the time.

Even after it leaks the oil out you can still drive it. I just tracked mine yesterday and while it may have cost me something in terms of time/stability I'm not so in tune with the handling while on the ragged edge yet to have noticed.

[kaamacat]

Looks like there is a Service Bulletin out there from earlier in the year on this item. They said to bring it in,
and they have some pics in the bulletin to compare with. If it is a match, then they replace. If not, then leave
as-is. (The amount of oil coming out is clearly going to be a replace...... considering the oil is what does your
dampening through the spool valves..etc)

[caseyse]

I detected leaking on my '16 TA right front at 200 miles. Dealer confirmed and now waiting for new replacement shock.

[Sprockett88]

I know this is an old thread but I'm dealing with this issue right now. On a new to me car the passenger side was 'sweating' and replaced under warranty (gold plan extended). I get the car home for the first time and the top 1-1.5" of the drivers shock is also wet. I send a pic into the dealer and the service advisor tells me there is a tech bulletin for the drivers side shock and that one isn't leaking enough to qualify. Drivers side only? Same part number on both front shocks right? Ok...

So I drive the car like 10 miles to a friends shop for something else and while under there we notice the drivers shock is now 2.5"-3" down wet. Original Dealer won't reply to my emails so I call supposedly the best Viper dodge dealer in town that has two licensed techs...warranty manager assures me from the description I gave just like above to bring the car in and they deal with it. So I go through the trouble to tow it in (it's winter up here) and now there are telling me the same thing. There's a tech bulletin and its not wet enough.

I can't exactly drive the car as it's -20F today but I fear the only reason the entire shock isn't covered in oil is because I can't put some miles on it. The next time the car sees the road I'll likely be in 2,000 miles away in California in March so I don't really want to deal with a blown shock.

Does anyone have info on this service bulletin? The number? How for down are they measuring the oil?

[Sprockett88]

No replies here but I'll update. This is the bulletin I they eventually provided me with:


Capture.jpg

[Bryan Savage]

Well, the photo of the scan of the print of the fax of the TSB you posted says "Light fluid film in the top one-third of the strut/shock is considered normal."

I read "fluid film" as "it can be wet", but if it's dripping actual drops, replace it.

I don't think I'd worry about it. Plus, the springs hold the car up; not the shocks. If a seal blows out for some reason, you'll just have a bouncier ride until you get it replaced.