Another Viper blew its engine at the track yesterday

[swexlin]

It has been reported that 2 Qts low is all that is required to cause engine failure if high G turning, accelerating or braking occurs. The safe zone on later Gen5 was only 1 Qt. Real time is not required, but reasonable accuracy is. Dynamic measurement would be incredibly difficult as the oil surface looks like the ocean during a hurricane (and yes I have viewed crankcases via video and windowed oil pans during operation), with the prevailing surface moving up and down based on oil temperature, oil foaming (dynamic based on aging), engine speed and of course engine tilt.

One good reason why the dipstick was changed to have a 1 qt safe zone instead of 2.

[ellowviper]

Kinda strange debate here. I think I might design a simple electronic dipstick that easily reports oil level. Oh wait, those exist in other markets already. Hummm.

[Vegaskid]

Kinda strange debate here. I think I might design a simple electronic dipstick that easily reports oil level. Oh wait, those exist in other markets already. Hummm.

Having something transmit the oil level back while the car is operational may be difficult. I think a compromise would just be an electronic transmitter that could at least notify you what your oil level is before you start up. It could be easily calibrated after an oil change and integrated to a smartphone application. There are many many existing level indicating transmitters readily available

[ViperTony]

Or.....check the dipstick. Pussification, it seems, has reached a new high.

[SilverACR]

Or.....check the dipstick. Pussification, it seems, has reached a new high.

LOL yep we have gotten to the point we won’t check our oil without an app/ electronics... hi everyone I’m a recovering dip stick user. (I just can’t quit you) Yes everyone check your oil with your dipstick even on your shit box DD with the electronics. Do not trust it! I seriously check my oil even on my Mercedes with the oil level sensor. I popped an oil cooler seal and it fell below the safe spot on the stick... no warning popped up on the dash kids.

[swexlin]

Or.....check the dipstick. Pussification, it seems, has reached a new high.

Agreed, but some help wouldn't hurt - if even for the benefit of 2nd owners!

[Topplayer]

after every drive check the stick its that simple, at the track check it after every session. This is a viper not a 911, were supposed to be real car guys lol Checking the dip stick is like the first thing a car guy learns....

[ForTehNguyen]

wonder how many engines would blow when oil level sensors didnt read accurately vs a tried and true dipstick. Cant believe people want this claptrap junk because the owner was too dumb to check the level themselves. That junk has a greater chance of failing than a dipstick.

[ViperJon]

Nobody is suggesting it would replace the dipstick. It would be a sensor to warn about an extreme low oil condition the way a fuel gauge, oil temperature, tire pressure, coolant gauge warns about impending conditions. Just a discussion in a discussion forum some people have trouble comprehending that. Holy f**k forget it.

[Bill Pemberton]

Well, like many of these discussions we get to cranky , then elevate to super cranky , then we get to name calling and finally ....................................we find a reason to just walk away , since the reality is why can't change history or past manufacturing. So, in an effort to mellow all of us out a bit , " How about them crazy ass wheel sensors , ha,ha!!??""

Yep, Friday , time to chill down and think about what we can do with our Vipers over the coming weekend? TGIF and everyone get off work and polish your dipsticks!

[Bruce H.]

Yep, Friday , time to chill down and think about what we can do with our Vipers over the coming weekend? TGIF and everyone get off work and polish your dipsticks!

Amen to that!

[Viper98]

“TGIF and everyone get off work and polish your dipsticks!”
LOL!
Are we still talking about oil level?
LOL!

[ViperTony]

Yep, Friday , time to chill down and think about what we can do with our Vipers over the coming weekend? TGIF and everyone get off work and polish your dipsticks!

Its turnining into twat-waffle Friday for some on this topic. I'm with you Bill cant wait to get out in the viper tomorrow...before I do....

I'll check my oil level.

[swexlin]

wonder how many engines would blow when oil level sensors didnt read accurately vs a tried and true dipstick. Cant believe people want this claptrap junk because the owner was too dumb to check the level themselves. That junk has a greater chance of failing than a dipstick.

Valid point.

- - - Updated - - -

“TGIF and everyone get off work and polish your dipsticks!”
LOL!
Are we still talking about oil level?
LOL!

Hey, that's a fun Friday night for me! LOL!

[ky13]

wonder how many engines would blow when oil level sensors didnt read accurately vs a tried and true dipstick. Cant believe people want this claptrap junk because the owner was too dumb to check the level themselves. That junk has a greater chance of failing than a dipstick.

How many times has your fuel gauge failed to relay an accurate reading? I think everyone is in agreement that the dipstick should be checked regularly. The suggestion for an oil level sensor was in addition to, not in lieu of.

[blingnoring]

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...2&&FORM=VRDGAR

[mikesax]

What's a "dipstick"?!

Hehehehe-according to the dictionary it's a "stupid or inept person"- JUST SAYIN!


Oh yeah- and a "rod to measure"!

I like the first DEF!!

[SilverACR]

There is an extreme low oil level sensor on your vipers guys... it’s your oil pressure gauge!

[ek1]

I don't mean to distract anyone from a serious discussion on how pussies should man up and start using their dipsticks vs. how Dodge screwed up by not integrating an electronic oil pressure monitoring system in Gen 5, but here is a pretty funny story that happened to me at the track almost 3 years ago.

So one fine summer day...I am at the track...having fun...

I do want to mention that I check the oil before every track session religiously (as clearly stated in the owner's manual) and so I did before that particular session. So I check my oil, get into the car, get belted in, go out there and start having fun. About 3 laps in I get black flagged. I'm thinking "WTF?". So I pull into the pits and as I slow down, I see SMOKE coming out of the engine compartment. Obviously the first thing that comes to mind is "The motor is done....". So I stop in the pits, shut the car off immediately and then I start seeing A LOT of smoke coming out of the hood vents. So I immediately think "It's going to catch fire any second now". I jump out of the car and grab my fire extinguisher...expecting to see flames any second. Other folks are running over with fire extinguishers as well. But...no flames appear and the smoke disappears a few minutes later. So I pop the hood and see freaking oil everywhere. So I start looking for a hole in the engine block. Nothing. At the same time I recall that the car was running perfectly fine before I shut it off in the pits. After 30 minutes of looking and finding nothing, I decide to check the oil level.....and that's when I see that I did not push the damn dipstick all the way in. To be clear, it wasn't anywhere close to being completely out, but apparently with oil pressure in the system all it takes is a millimeter or two. So as I went flying around the track, so did the oil...out of the hole. Everything around the dipstick was covered in oil in the engine compartment...some of it got onto the headers....hence the smoke. I checked the oil level and actually found it to be OK (not even close to the low mark). So I added around half a can of oil to get the level right in between max and min, wiped the oil from everything I could (including myself) and she started right up. Not a hiccup. So I went back out, had 2 more sessions and then drove home trouble free. A few days later I took the car to my mechanic and he made the engine compartment spotless again.

Moral of the story...make sure your dipstick is all the way in

P.S. By now I have just over 10k miles on the car, about 20% of it is track miles and never had a single issue except a rear driveshaft seal that was damaged at the factory and failed a year later. My car does not consume any oil either, although I do change it every 2 full track days or 5000 road miles, whichever comes first.

[ky13]

There is an extreme low oil level sensor on your vipers guys... it’s your oil pressure gauge!

There's also a no oil 'sensor' (as that is what spurred this thread initially) :P

[Bryan Savage]

Moral of the story...make sure your dipstick is all the way in

Good to know!!!

[Arizona Vipers]

How many times has your fuel gauge failed to relay an accurate reading? I think everyone is in agreement that the dipstick should be checked regularly. The suggestion for an oil level sensor was in addition to, not in lieu of.

This. The oil level sensor is never a gauge, it's just a warning if oil drops below a dangerous level, it would have save Dodge millions

[Martin]

This. The oil level sensor is never a gauge, it's just a warning if oil drops below a dangerous level, it would have save Dodge millions

This is why I think the whole debate around an oil level warning is so humorous. Lots of people say "just check the dipstick" and assume that would solve the problem for everyone. Well, it would. But, as we've seen, there have been LOTS of cases of people not checking the dipstick, and they blew their engines up. That led to tons of cost, a lot of warranty claims, probably some litigation, and definite reputation damage. A stupid oil sensor that warned someone when they started up the car that the oil was low would have saved millions.

I have to say that I totally agree that "car people" should be conscientious and do simple things like check the oil level at every fill up. But, history has shown that, despite the rules of common sense, lots and lots of people just didn't do it. I hate nanny devices, but this is one that I would vote for on any car that is known to use a lot of oil.

[ek1]

I have to say that I totally agree that "car people" should be conscientious and do simple things like check the oil level at every fill up. But, history has shown that, despite the rules of common sense, lots and lots of people just didn't do it.

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[est8esq]

I can only speak to my own experience, but I took the time to break this engine in as instructed (per Bill P.). I changed oil at 500 miles and INCREDULOUS at the metal shavings inside my oil filter after we cut it apart?? We took time to keep rpm's low, downshift for reverse compression.
Changed oil again at 1000 miles (again, still couldn't believe how oil shavings in the oil filter?).
My Viper today burns ZERO oil.
Coming off my 991 GT3 .1, that thing was a PIA sipping Mobile like Vodka. This Viper burns no oil whatsoever.