# Dodge dakota trouble **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** pump, oil\ **Created:** [January 20, 2009, 8:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-dakota-trouble/25226 "2009-01-20T08:27:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blakefowler10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9adbd/32.png) [@blakefowler10](https://community.cartalk.com/u/blakefowler10)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-dakota-trouble/25226/1 "2009-01-20T08:27:24Z")
I was recently stuck in a ditch the other day. I put my truck in 4 wheel low. I first tried goin real slow and got a little frustrated and ended up pegging the gas. I did get unstuck but not a a price. once out of the ditch i realized that my oil pressure had fell to zero and started driving home. it started making some noises which sounded like a rod knock. but it wasn’t as deep of a sound as ive heard before. the engine wasn’t gettin oil. could i have burned up the oil pump by usin four low improperly? Its in the shop now but they haven’t given me a definite answer on what the problem is. I did recently do an oil change and possibly that could have gummed up the filter but im just not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 10:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-dakota-trouble/25226/2 "2009-01-20T10:53:58Z")
i realized that my oil pressure had fell to zero and started driving home. I hope you have learned that you don’t run the engine with no oil pressure. It is usually a vary expensive lesson. ``` I don't think the problem was due to the way you got out of the ditch, but rather some possible damage to an oil line getting into the ditch. At this point I would suggest having it towed to your mechanic. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Loafer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loafer/32/28_2.png) [@Loafer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Loafer)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-dakota-trouble/25226/3 "2009-01-20T14:54:03Z")
Sounds like an engine rebuild to me:) ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-dakota-trouble/25226/4 "2009-01-20T18:18:59Z")
No matter what happened, you destroyed the engine. A cell phone could have saved you a lot of money. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-dakota-trouble/25226/5 "2009-01-20T19:49:16Z")
You probably damaged the oil pan when you went into the ditch. As everyone is saying, you turned a $100 repair into a $2500 repair by ignoring your manual and continuing to drive. ---
**Author:** ![blakefowler10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9adbd/32.png) [@blakefowler10](https://community.cartalk.com/u/blakefowler10)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-dakota-trouble/25226/6 "2009-01-21T03:37:33Z")
i didnt drive far i was only a half mile from my house. i had it towed to the shop. it did start making noise tho. the engine never siezed. and it still ran. do you still think there is going to be a engine rebuild involved. if so i have a 4.7 liter with no miles on it from the factory that they put in the ram sports along with a transmission and transfer case that has been sitting in my dads shop. that should make my regular cab with the 6 foot bed fly. ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-dakota-trouble/25226/7 "2009-01-21T04:04:47Z")
Remember the commercial for a Subaru or Suzuki that said “go farther”, and at the end it said “too farrrr”? Although it is possible to go a half mile without apparent damage, it isn’t good to drive it. The main bearings are made of SOFT metal. ---
**Author:** ![Loafer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loafer/32/28_2.png) [@Loafer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Loafer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-dakota-trouble/25226/8 "2009-01-21T13:48:57Z")
Your crank and con rod bearings are what took the hit. They are hydrodynamic bearings, meaning that the bearing is actually the oil. No oil means metal-on-metal and the journals are quickly destroyed. ---
**Author:** ![blakefowler10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9adbd/32.png) [@blakefowler10](https://community.cartalk.com/u/blakefowler10)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 7:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-dakota-trouble/25226/9 "2009-01-22T07:44:03Z")
If the engine never siezed and still ran when towed to the shop will some parts of the engine still be destroyed? If i get the oil into the engine will the noise go away without problems? ---
**Author:** ![JayWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@JayWB](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayWB)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 8:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-dakota-trouble/25226/10 "2009-01-22T08:16:34Z")
Running the engine without oil or oil pressure destroys engine bearings. That’s what causes the knock. Whether it seized or not, the knock means that the bearings are destroyed. Putting oil on a destroyed bearing makes an oily bearing, but it doesn’t make it a good bearing.