McViper came home on a Mcwrecker last night :(

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Last night me and a friend are at a Sonic eating and talking to another guy with a Supra. Supra guy and his friend tell us to go across the street where some more friends of there's are. Thats when the trouble starts. We hopped in the Viper, cranked up and I could tell the dash lights were dimmer than usual. As soon as we start moving, the dash lights and my headlights start to go dim to bright to dim to bright and my alternator gauge is sweeping from 8-14 amps constantly. Great, alternator is shot! We get across the street and get parked. As we're talking about the McAlternator problem, I notice a puddle under the front of the car on the passenger side. Please, don't be from my car. Its from my car. Its motor oil. Hey, good, a bad night gets worse. We can see drips on the steering rack but can't find the source. I crank up the car and it starts a steady drip of motor oil. I call the 2 mechanics I trust to work on the Viper. I talk to meachanic #1 for 20 mins trying to locate the leak. We finally determine its a oil cooler line. Mechanic #2 returns my phone call about the same time mechanic #1 and me hang up. He's at a food place eating about 300 yards away from me. He comes over and confirms its a braided oil cooler line right at one of the fittings. With all this going on, I forgot to mention the alternator issue. So an hour later a wrecker shows up and back to the house we go. I'm thinking some oil leaked down on some alternator wire(s) and caused the alternator to go haywire. Anyone experience this before? Common Viper problem? Common misdiagnosis and should I really be looking for something else? TIA!

 

[99 R/T 10]

Hey Chad,
I have heard of it. Seems a ground wire can get loose near the oil cooler line and starts to arc, causing a hole to burn thru. I would think it would have presented itself sooner, but call Chuck T. He can give you more insight to the problem.

 

[big-n-italian]

its probably from all that greasy/fatty Mcd/****** food chad.

have you ever checked your cars cholesterol?

we all know your car gets enough exercise!

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

its probably from all that greasy/fatty Mcd/****** food chad.

have you ever checked your cars cholesterol?

we all know your car gets enough exercise!

We're actually close to being on the same page for a change. I was thinking a ******* girl sat on the hood wrong and that oil cooler line got crimped somehow.

 

[santo]

I've had issues with the braided oil cooler lines. They rub together and get frayed after a while. When this happens, one of the metal ends punctures the other line and you have a leak. I had oil cooler lines made up that were double walled (braid within a braid). Not sure if it will help but I couldn't find OEM cooler lines so I had to get them made up at a hydraulic hose shop. It might be an option if you need new lines. I think I got both of them double insulated for the price of one OEM line.

Hope this helps,
Santo

 

[Asp Man]

"We're actually close to being on the same page for a change. I was thinking a ******* girl sat on the hood wrong and that oil cooler line got crimped somehow."


When you've got the new one(s) on there, wrap them in split loom or something to keep them from abraiding each other and the frame and whatever else they touch and rub. I'm talking about the oil cooler lines, here (not the ******* girls!).

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

Had the exact same thing happen 90 miles away and airing up for an autocross about 3 yrs ago. Oil was spewing out of it. It was not a good Viper moment, my wife and I crammed in with the tow truck driver, to be flat bedded past the autocross site in front of all participants for the 90 mile ride home. When the new hoses were put on (under warranty--so I had both done) there was no sign of visible damage to the leaking hose. Doug Levin chipped in about the potential ground problem back then. Another possible cause for the ground issue I think he mentioned was if your car ever goes into the no start mode (which did happen to us a weeks before this problem), where even overiding the glove box key thing doesn't work---and the PCM needs to be disconnected and reset---when you try to start the car in this condition---The electricity does not use the normal path because that path is blocked from the above condition. It will then take the path of least resistance which could possibly be the braided hose against the frame if you have a bad ground condition. Of course, that arc will immediately burn through the braid and likely damage the hose. I put a small piece of hose on the braid at the contact point on the frame after we got fixed. I also had every ground reference point on the car checked for proper ground potential values. The results came back all normal. Our cooler line failure remains a mystery. 30,000 miles since -- no trouble.

Steve

 

[VIPER BAZ UK]

As said above the cooler lines rub together and rub through...
Changed a couple now and they are easy to do,But be sure to put some rubber between them..

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Here's a update:

Took the front facia off to remove the cooler lines from the oil cooler. The bottom hose was SUPER TIGHT. I tried and tried, no luck. My friend tried and tried. He ended up torquing it so much the damn weld on the oil cooler broke. Freaking great. So now we had to pull the oil cooler off so we can replace it. One of the fittings going into the block was also super tight. We finally got it loose and got the oil cooler off. Its sitting on top of my trashcan for now. So, whats a good replacement for an oil cooler? Go back stock or go aftermarket? Which aftermarket?

 

[jbrasco70]

That is the type of luck I would run into..def going to upgrade my lines. Good luck on the fix.

 

[Qualitywires.com]

I would stay stock so that way you are not messing with the psi of the flow of oil. May want to put some anti sieze on the threads.

 

[plumcrazy]

ditto ..........

 

[Joseph Dell]

There is nothing wrong w/ an aftermarket oil cooler. in fact, there are quite a few nice ones. If the inlet and outlet size are the same AN size, then you shouldn't have any issues.

I run an Earl's and it is quite good. i don't remember the part # though but the Earls was cheaper than a replacement stocker.

JD

 

[HP]

When you have a threaded joint that won't budge with normal torque -
spray WD-40 or penetrating lube on it and use a heat gun on the area.
You may have to do this a few times. The heat will usually open the joint enough to allow the oil in.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

The McTitle of this McThread had me McWorried. I thought you had gotten in a McWreck.

Glad it was a fixable issue.

 

[kcobean]

The McTitle of this McThread had me McWorried. I thought you had gotten in a McWreck.

Glad it was a fixable issue.

McDitto. I'm glad it was McMisleading.

 

[2001 GTS]

Wow...thats a bad night.

Is this problem something that all vipers need to check for?

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

McDitto. I'm glad it was McMisleading.

Sorry if it was Mcmisleading. If I was in a McWreck, the McTitle would've been "McViper in a McWreck, Chad in McJail for McBeating person who McHit him" What McSucks is the Georgia ******* bikini finals are Thursday night. I don't like my McChances of having the McViper there

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Sorry if it was Mcmisleading. If I was in a McWreck, the McTitle would've been "McViper in a McWreck, Chad in McJail for McBeating person who McHit him" What McSucks is the Georgia ******* bikini finals are Thursday night. I don't like my McChances of having the McViper there

Just take your other one.

...oops, sorry.

 

[DodgeViper01]

Sorry to hear about that Chad. When I first saw the title I thought that you had been in an accident. Glad to hear that it was not that. Good luck with the fix!!

 

[NHL2133]

Sorry if it was Mcmisleading. If I was in a McWreck, the McTitle would've been "McViper in a McWreck, Chad in McJail for McBeating person who McHit him" What McSucks is the Georgia ******* bikini finals are Thursday night. I don't like my McChances of having the McViper there

That's a McMouth full!

 

[JUCD VPR]

Yah the McWrecker part scared me, glad that it was only a oil cooler/line problem. Good Luck getting it fixed up chad!

 

[Vic]

Hydraulic elevator motors are submersed in oil, running 3 phase 480 volts, also- many municipal transformers are oil cooled, running tens of thousands of volts, in direct contact with oil. Most oil is non-conductive, includes motor oil, and not the specific cause of the alternator issue.

More likely an oily serpentine belt, causing the alternator to slip.

 

[Tom Sessions]

chad the ground that needs to be checked is on the passenger side of the engine.It runs from the area of the belt tensioner to the right side frame rail just behind the cross brace in front of the motor.If this is not tight it then uses the oil cooler lines as the ground strap.Bad things happen.It is close to the ol dipstick tube for a better reference.This wire is the only thing that ties drive train to the frame for grounding.Hope this makes sense.Call me if need more help.

Tom
910-228-8477