engine problem
7.2
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$1,966.00
Average Mileage:
86,096 miles
Number of complaints:
16 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (11 reports)
- have oil sending unit replaced use 5w-30 only!!!!!!! (2 reports)
- replace cam chain tensioner (1 reports)
- the dealer replaced the connector for the oil switch. (1 reports)
- wrapped both upper catalytic converters with woven fiberglass (1 reports)
Helpful Websites About 2001 Dodge Intrepid oil light comes on when idling
2008Jul 15
Intrepid ES 2.7L
- Automatic transmission
- 96,000 miles
Ok, My wifes car just experienced the oil breakdown/ oil lamp on at idle symptoms.
I got a good answer from a Dodge mechanic on the oil sludge problem these engines face. Here it goes.
These engines(2.7L) in a Dodge Intrepid suffer from extreme heat under the hood. This is due to the very low profile hood, and inadequate fresh air opening on, and under the grill. These engines have the 2 upper catalytic converters mounted up right next to the engine block, and head. This is the source of the heat, and the lack of proper airflow into the engine compartment doesn't sufficiently get rid of it.
This excessive heat causes the engine oil to breakdown, resulting in sludge. The sludge plugs up the oil passages, and starves the engine from oil in the worst case scenarios. This may be the oil by pass in the pump sticking, or the cam tensioner failing.
In my case the oil light would flicker at idle.
What I have done, and will do is as follows:I bought some SeaFoam at the auto parts store and added it to my engine oil. Then drove around for a bit, maybe 30-50 miles.I then changed the oil and filter. Premium filter and Castrol GTX oil. I was told synthetic oil is better for high heat situations, but I have had good luck with GTX ( resistes sludge).
My oil lamp went out, but I knew it would be back.
I then purchased exhaust header wrap. It is a Woven Fiberglass like tape that insulates the exhaust. I purchased it at a local auto parts store in the performance section, along with the stainless steel bands to secure it. I then wrapped both of my upper Catalytic converters with the wrap, secured the wrap with the bands, and sprayed it with the exhaust wrap silicone spray that I also bought intended just for this purpose.
This should greatly reduce the under hood temperature.
Things I might also do; Installation of hood vents, too help move air over the engine. Installation of an axillary engine oil cooler, too stop thermal breakdown of the oil.
Change the oil pump, Timing chain, Timing gears, timing chain tensioner, since these parts have been improved/ updated from the factory.
So far the Car has been fine with what I have done. Wrapping those upper Catalytic converters I believe will do wonders. Must be specific Exhaust header wrap made for this purpose, and properly installed.
This was my solution to the problem, and it is still early to know for sure if it will cure it completly. Make youre assumptions
2006May 28
(reported on)Intrepid ES
- 140,625 miles
We should get a free motor installed because of Dodge mishaps and non efficiency in their design of the motor. This just shows that they want people to buy more cars to make more money. People can't always afford to buy new cars everytime their car dies. In the owners manual it states that when the light flashes on and off, it is a noise sensor and in our case the oil pump failed resulting in our motor seizing.
2007Dec 14
Intrepid SE 2.7L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 100,000 miles
To start with if your oil light is just starting to come on at idle get it fixed now !
Stop driving it before you blow the engine. If your a half ass mechanic take it to the dealer to fix. It is a pain in the ASS to work on. I know, Been there Done That.
But if your gutsy enough to try it then here goes.
NOTE: DO NOT TURN THE ENGINE OVER PERIOD WHILE DOING THIS !!
Youv'e been warned!!!
*Take the air cleaner cover lid loose and remove all of the air ducts back to the intake.
*Take the plenum off. There a number of electrical and vacuum lines on it, take them
loose. Also there is a 10 mm bolt in the back and under the intake port. Just take it loose. You don't have to remove it. Also take the (2) 8 mm bolts out to the intake heat
pipe on the left side just below the intake port. Loosen the (8) 10 mm bolts that hold
the plenum on to the intake module. You should be able to lift the plenum off. Put
some clean rags in the intake ports. That way you won't drop something into the
engine.
*Remove the connector wires to the coils and remove the (2) 8mm bolts to get the
coils off the valve cover.
*Take off the Left(passenger side) valve cover. You'll need a deep well 10 mm socket
for these bolts. They won't fall out of the cover, at least mine didn't. Take note of how
much sludge/varnish is on the cams and inside the valve cover. If it has a lot clean up as
much as you can. Then after you get it back together put something like SeaFoam in
with the oil to loosen it. Then change oil soon. Maybe after 100 to 200 miles. Depending
on how much sludge/varnish is in the engine. My wasn't to bad. But I'm still going to
put SeaFoam in it and change oil in 100 to 200 miles. Get it at the parts store when
you get the new tesnioner.
*Remove the cap right above the Air Conditioner Compressor. It's on the side of the
head. It's held on with two 10 mm bolts. Don't loose the O-ring on the cap.
*With a long punch or screw driver push on the chain guide and the tensioner will fall
out into your hand. Check to make sure yours has the spring clip and O-Ring on it.
If it doesn't have both, like mine didn't then the O-Ring has disintegrated and the clip
is broken. My clip fell off in my hand.
This O-ring being gone will cause the oil light to come on at idle and make one hell
of a racket when the engine runs. It causes the tensioner to oscillate in the boss in
the head. And if you continue to drive it sooner or later it will jump teeth on the cam
or crank gear taking out the valves and etc...
*Go get a new tensioner. There only about $90.00. Cheap if you consider the cost
of an engine.
*This is the tricky part. The tensioner will push in until it bottoms out. Then it will pop
out and extend again to full length. The trick is this. Push it together to a length that
you can get it back into the head without having to push hard on the cap you took off
earlier. After you have the tensioner and cap back in place, reach back inside the
valve cover and push the cam chain guide towards the tensioner. The tensioner will
compress to the bottom and then it will release and pop back to full length again.
MAKE DAMN sure that it extends out and is pushing against the cam chain guide.
DO NOT push it again after that. If you do, push it all the way to the bottom again and
let it extend back out again making sure it pushes against the chain guide.
*Put the valve cover back on. And tighten the bolts. Just snug them you don't need to
tighten them down that hard. If you really want to get technical you can torque them
with a torque wrench. 10 foot pounds should be plenty.
* Put the coils back on and the electrical connectors for them.
*Put the plenum back on.
*Check to make sure you have all the vacuum hoses and electrical connections
connected back up to the plenum.
*Start the engine. It should be fine from this point.
Hopefully I haven't forgotten a step or something.
And as usual your mileage may vary.
Just as a side note. I did take the oil pan off and measured the rod and main journals
on the crankshaft. Believe it or not the crank was within factory specs. I went ahead
and put in new rod and main bearings anyway. I also changed the oil pump. Since it
was apart at the time. FYI, oil pressure is suppose to be 25 to 105 lbs @ 3000
rpm according to Chilton Repair manual. I got the car back together last night. It runs
much better now. So after spending 800 bucks I think you may get by just for 90 bucks
and only have to replace the cam chain tensioner.
I hope someone finds this info useful. The tensioner is a weak link for sure. But I think
the engine itself is a good engine.
Take Care and be safe.
2007Nov 14
Intrepid SE 2.7L
- Automatic transmission
- 109,000 miles
CAR PARKED FOR 2 MONTH, TOP ENGINE NOISE AND OIL LIGHT ON. FLUSHED THE ENGINE, CLEAN THE OIL PICKUP SCREEN, USED 10x30. WAS OK FOR ABOUT 50 MILES, THEN LIGHT COMES BACK BUT NO NOISE, DO NOT TAKE A CHANCE,SOLD IT--SHAME ON DIAMLER DODGE FOR BUILDING SUCH A PIECE OF JUNK
2007Nov 17
Intrepid SE 2.7L
- Automatic transmission
- 110,000 miles
I ALSO HAVE A 2001 AND I JUST PUT A NEW TIMING CHAIN IN AND ALDO A NEW OIL PUMP. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS MY OIL ALSO BECAUSE I HAD JUST GOTTEN IT CHANGED A WEEK AGO AND YESTERDAY AGAIN WITH THE SYNTHETIC OIL. WHEN AT A LIGHT IT FLICKERS BUT IF I OUT IT IN PARK THE LIGHT GOES OFF AND ONLY WHEN WARM. JUST STARTED YESTERDAY. ANYONE WHO HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM AFTER ALL THE THING I REPLACED AND IF SO HOW CAN I FIX WITHOUT SPENDING ANOTHER TON OF MONEY.
2007Mar 23
(reported on)Intrepid SE 2.7
- Automatic transmission
- 70,000 miles
Pulling out of the supermarket last week, in reverse, my car died. No engine, no brakes, no anything. If a child had been behind me, I would have ran he/she over. NO ANYTHING. I could run my gear shift from park to low without putting on my brake. I turned my car off, waited five seconds, turned it back on, and it was as if nothing had ever been wrong with my vehicle. I promptly returned home, visited this website via google, (problems with 2001 intrepids) and sold my car within 72 hours. Dodge corporate office had no info, Portland metro dodge dealers had no info, but I do. Do not buy a Dodge or Chrysler product. They don't care that their products on the road are worthless and expensive to run and maintain. Buy anything but Dodge. Dodge DOES NOT CARE. Not about you, your family or the vehicles they produce. End of story.
2006Sep 14
(reported on)Intrepid SE
- 122,000 miles
Has anyone figured what the problem is regarding the oil light coming on when idling? I am replacing the oil pump tonight, and wanted to know if that was the fix.
2007Jan 30
(reported on)Intrepid LS 3.2L
- Automatic transmission
- 90,150 miles
this wasn't the only problem that happened at this time. there was also the headlight switch shorting out, the wiper switch shorting the heater core leaking and the oil pan gasket leaking. the dealer is telling me that this is a $2100 repair and that the only thing covered by the "extended warranty" which was $1700, is the oil pan gasket. Amazing that all of these things go wrong at one time.
2006Dec 09
(reported on)Intrepid SE 2.7L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 72,000 miles
At about 70,000 the oil light started to come on when stopped at lights. I took it into the dealer and they said it was a bad oil sensor. That got replaced, but a week or two later it started again. So I took it to a mechanic I know and he said the sensor was fine, but metal shavings are causing a slight blockage. I took it back to the dealer with the report from the mechanic and they replaced the engine. This was about a week before Christmas two years ago.
2006Dec 27
(reported on)Intrepid SE 2.7L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 77,000 miles
Our car has not yet failed, but is starting to show the same signs as being described by everyone else. Oil light coming on during low idle situations. I did find this web site: http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/2_7_litre
Hope that this may help.
2007Jan 01
(reported on)Intrepid ES 2.7 V6
- Automatic transmission
- 52,795 miles
My oil light kept coming on when the engine was hot and the idle was low. the dealer showed me a service aleert which stated the connector on the oil switch wiring was defective. The connector was changed and the problem went away.
2006Nov 09
(reported on)Intrepid ES
- Automatic transmission
- 48,000 miles
My oil light came on when i stopped for gas on a trip 400 miles from home and i spent the whole week fretting about it. It only happened when the car was warmed up and i stopped like at stoplights, stopsigns etc. once i hit the gas it went off. The ASE certified garage down there told me chrysler has sent out a bulletin telling people not to use any additives in their oil and also to use 5w 30 only. when i got home i had my ASE garage do the diagnostic work and determined it was the oil sending unit. the part cost about 20.00 the labor another 30.00 and the oil change another 25.00. this happened to me again after using 10w 30 so apparently you need to make sure 5w 30 is all you use. It's an easy fix and easily prevented but unfortunately not many garages get these memos and usually don't remember they got them. lucky for me the guy had just gotten it a few days before hand.
2006Oct 29
(reported on)Intrepid SE
- Automatic transmission
- 78,000 miles
I think I'm screwed. Replacing the oil pump, but not sure if engine is ruined
2006Jan 31
(reported on)Intrepid
- 56,000 miles
At first I thought it had something to do with my the oil change, but after the next one the oil light stayed on most of the time. There is no oil leaks, anything to tell me that anything is wrong, but the light is annoying and bothersome. It sounds like there is nothing that can be done except redo the engine. If someone knows the answer as to what can be done, please email me using the contact link. Thank you.
2005Dec 07
(reported on)Intrepid ES
- 35,959 miles
I have had my Intrepid little over a year and recently my oil light is on all the time when my engine is idle, i have my oil changed every 3,000 sometimes a little early, i asked around to a few mechanics and they all say that there is a flaw in the motor, something about the oil doesnt get to both sides of the engine block evenly or something like that cause sludge build up until it goes boom! I am going to take mine in this week and ask questions, especially after all this new news!
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Jun 23
Intrepid 2.7L V6
While idling the oil light would come on and go off when driving
Kimberly W.
Adrian, MI, USA
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