Got a leak in the oil cooler

[ViperGTS]

Last Viper meeting for this year. Yesterday evening parked the car in the hotel garage. Saw 1 hour later oil on the front fascia and under the fascia.

Decided to drove home, kept an eye on the oil pressure gauge and checked and filled up oil some times. Car is dirty, rear is covered with oil.

:-(((

What is the usual procedure to repair/replace the oil cooler? Improvements?
What about a "grid" in front of the cooler to protect the cooler against stones?

 

[Nasty 10]

I took mine to the dealer, in hopes they would cover it under warranty, NOT! They billed me $1000 for a new cooler installed. I was going to take my car to a Viper tech or do it myself, but the dealer said if the car left the lot with the oil leak, they would void my warranty

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I took mine to the dealer, in hopes they would cover it under warranty, NOT!

I would think it would be covered. Maybe Tator can give us his opinion.

I had a leak where the male fitting is welded to the cooler. I took it off and had it TIG'd. Seems to me it cost me about $20.

 

[99 R/T 10]

I took mine to the dealer, in hopes they would cover it under warranty, NOT! They billed me $1000 for a new cooler installed. I was going to take my car to a Viper tech or do it myself, but the dealer said if the car left the lot with the oil leak, they would void my warranty

Yep that's garbage, should be covered. Especially on a 2001! Do you have more than 36K mikes or 3 years in service? If not, isn't it a "bumper to bumper"?

Mike

 

[Paolo Castellano]

Viper GTS, I bought a Setrab oil cooler that fits in the stock location that has almost double the thermodynamic heat dissipation characteristics of the stock unit. I ended up going with an even bigger one. Jason Heffner still has it. I do not think he has sold it yet. You might want to call him and ask him if it is still available. It is about $400.00. I am sure he can weld on some brackets so it will bolt right on.

 

[Nasty 10]

[/QUOTE]Yep that's garbage, should be covered. Especially on a 2001! Do you have more than 36K mikes or 3 years in service? If not, isn't it a "bumper to bumper"?

Mike

[/QUOTE]

My car was only 4 months old and had only 3k on it. The dealer said since a rock or something off the road put a hole in the cooler it wasn't covered. They did try to get me to bill my insurance, NOT! Dealers around here don't want to fix anything under warranty, man I wish Chuck was in CA

 

[ViperGTS]

Thanks for the help so far.

Does anybody know why the GEN-II engines do have a pressure controlled valve for the oil cooler (GEN-I had a temperature controlled valve)?

What is the average oil temperature during normal driving (not on the race track)?

 

[jimandela]

Nasty 10,
find a new dealer.. that is soooo wrong..
if warranty would not cover it insurance should have unless your deduct was $1k
anyhow.. bummer.


Jim

 

[ViperGTS]

Asked the dealer today: price is 445 Euros!
However, a repair is possible and much cheaper!

 

[Andrew2KRT10]

Doesn't matter where Chuck is, he can ship! I changed my lines to the Oil Cooler. Easy! Changing the actual cooler is even easier, but it sure helps to have the Manual. It's about a 1.5 hour job if you take your time.

AC

 

[SAM Team]

Gentlemen it happenend to me on Saturday!

"Got up at 8:00am on Saturday my daughter and I headed up to the car show in Statesville, NC to help out a fellow Yellow Viper Buddy Brian Mills, it was 280 miles round trip. We had a great time and one first place in our class, got the plaque for the farthest traveled, there were really only a few new cars there you know the real nice ones were the vintage ones. Man when I pulled in the drive way after our 280 mile journey I backed it into the garage my wife met us and said what is it leaking in the driveway. The Viper is sick it was "pouring" oil out from the front must have just started the last mile or so....we were very lucky it could have put us down or we could have ruined the engine. It looks like it is coming from around the oil cooler right behind the front fascia. I am going to have to pull it down and find out or have it towed to the shop and let them do it. The problem is it takes a special flat bed to transport the thing because of the wing on the front. I am going to try and do it here, first." It is still leaking from under the entire car were it was slung from one end to the other...

Since Andrew you have had the front fascia off any advise before I get started???? I am going to call my dealer and see if they will warranty if I bring them the bad one...

Any input would be apprecaited. The Viper is a 2002 GTS with only 5400 miles on it. Bummer!!!

 

[Vipersrule]

Took my snake in for the 6,000 mile oil change. The fittings around the oil cooler were loose and leaking oil.

Dealer caught it for me and tightened them back. They ran it for awhile to make sure it wasn't leaking anymore.

I didn't notice much oil (hardly any at all), but they said I was about a quart low.

Glad they spotted it on the oil change.

 

[ViperGTS]

What size are the screws on the oil cooler lines?
1 inch? Or metric: 25/26?

And, what size have the two mounting screws. 1/2 inch?

My service manual is silent about the screw size, however, the oil cooler can be replaced without removing the front fascia.

 

[SAM Team]

How do you get to the oil lines without removing the fascia? Do you just disconnect at the oil filter assembley and pull them out with the cooler?

 

[ViperGTS]

According to the service manual:
* remove the lower oil cooler line from cooler
* loosen the left side oil cooler mounting screw
* remove the right side oil cooler mounting screw
* support the oil cooler with a wrench
* remove the upper oil cooler line
* remove the left side oil cooler mounting screw
* remove the oil cooler through the fascia opening

 

[SAM Team]

1 inch wrench on the lines you will need two of them...1/2 inch wrench for the bolts.

Well I got it off but I had to remove the fascia. It took about an hour and half and it was not the easiest thing I have ever done. I can not see how anyone could replace it without pulling off the fascia you must be good and my hands are to big..... The bolts that hold the unit on are to long as I backed them out they ran into the bumper assembly. I will put a shorter one on the right side when I put it back. It will be a bear to put back on but the wife and I can handle it. The oil cooler definitely had a nick in it, I cranked it to make sure. The oil cooler is very vunerable to this happening again!

Guys thanks for all your help the fascia will get a good wax job before it goes back front and back!

 

[ViperGTS]

Sam: Thank you - now I have to get the inch tools.....

Lets see whether I can remove the oil cooler without removing the fascia

 

[ViperGTS]

NO way to remove the oil cooler without removing the front fascia!

The service manual is one thing - reality another thing!

There is no way to use a 1 inch wrench on the nuts of the upper oil line. The opening in the front fascia is very small and a part of the front fascia is direct in front of the upper oil line nut. It is not possible to access and turn the nut with the wrench!

Access to the two mounting bolts and the lower oil line nut would be ok.

 

[SAM Team]

My friend the more I think about it is worth the effort to drop the fascia. The new one will be very delicate you do not wnat to damge it and you need to be able to get both wrenchs on there at the same time.

I ordered the new one today along with (11) of those pop out clips you pretty much ruin them when you pull them out.

 

[sbkim]

ViperGTS - I am glad you made it home ok. Is there anything we can do to prevent this? Perhaps some sort of a shield?

Thanks

 

[Jack B]

Use a shorty wrench or cut down a standard length wrench to 6". All you have to do is break it and it should run without to much problem.

A bigger problem than the hose connection is the removal of the unit. It appears larger than the openings. I have a suggestion, put in the Roe fascia kit, now you can remove the cooler thru the new opening

 

[ViperGTS]

There is no way to access the upper line nut with a wrench! A part of the front fascia is in front (distance less than one inch!) of the nut.

I have a dealer I trust. I will bring the car with the trailer to the dealer and have it fixed. Season is over here in Bavaria and my license plate allows for driving in March through October only. Doesn't matter whether the car sits in my garage or at the dealer...

Anyway, I will put a grid in front of the cooler! I don't like it if this happens again - may be at high speed on the autobahn, travelling for 2-3 hours with a hole in the oil cooler, loosing all the oil and getting an engine damage!!!

What about "oil" on the brakes or tires. The next turn could be the LAST turn?

 

[SAM Team]

ViperGTS and Friends,

How did you secure the mesh screen in the fascia. I am going to do it.

Warning to the Viper Family:
Take a close look at these notes. My viper lost almost 4 quarts of oil in 140 miles when the cooler started leaking. The red light never came on but I am not sure about the oil pressure who watches the guage that closley "all the time". It looks like a rock on the interstate just came hit the oil cooler. This is a dangerous design especially if for the guys on the track. The last stop sign I stopped at did not work very well with all the oil all over the tires...can you imagine on a track! I saw a 911 track car yesterday that has roughly the same design as the Viper and they had put the mesh screen in the nose to protect it. It did not look bad.

Think about this one it has been a pain in the butt and I still have yet to put the car back together but I think I have fixed all the leaks. My last leak I hope was just the residue from the first one. I have pressure washed the underside and front twice now and drove it for about 20 miles and no leaks. The fascia is still off, it must come off to replace the oil cooler unless you are Superman! Especaill to get all the oil out of the fascia, air conditioner condenser, radiator, ect. What a mess!

Have a good weekend!

 

[ViperGTS]

Got my car back today. Runs better than ever before!
New spark/ignition lines. Had the car on the dyno for the first time.

The people from the dyno do Ferrari tuning - they never saw a car with more than 500 Nm torque at low rpms ))

I will post pictures of the mesh screen in the fascia soon.
I have to ask my dealer how he secured the mesh screen.

 

[Jeff Torrey]

Hey Viper GTS, glad your up and running again. Winter's closing in here too. I will let you know about the auto-show and factory tour as soon as I hear.

 

[SAM Team]

Well I got it all put back together this afternoon boy was the fascia a monster to put back on. I have no skin left on my knuckles and the back is dead. Those pop in tabs, try it some time. I even removed the hood so I could get to the ones on the top easier. If you ever take your fascia off there are two pop in clips inside of the fascia and they are a bear to get off and a bear to put back in consult the manual before starting. Pretty much you sneak in from the side of the headlight and gain access to them once everything is loose.

Saturday I will clean her up and hopefully put it back in the street.

VperGTS I am still very interdested in those pictures of the mesh.

Have a good weekend!

 

[Larry Macedo]

The Oil Cooler can be replaced without removing the front fascia. I've tried, but it was a PIA. The front fascia isn't that hard to remove so I'd recommend servicing it that way instead. You'll have to use shorty wrenches and mask off the front fascia around the area of the cooler so not to scar or scratch. A Gearwrench works well to remove the cooler mounting bolts.

 

[ViperGTS]

Pictures will follow tomorrow. I am "out of town".

 

[ViperGTS]

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[ViperGTS]

Sam: Mesh grid is secured by 5 screws on top and at the bottom it is glued to the backside of the fascia.