Wife's SRT-6 seems to have sprung an oil leak at 2,800 miles... cover plate under engine is shielding the actual location, but it seems to be near the rear where the engine/tranny meet. Pan is lightly coated with oil and forming a small drip. Seems to worsening slowly over time. Have an appointment scheduled to have it looked at and repaired. Anybody else get anything like this? If so, at what point in the odometer and what did they do to fix it? Sure hope its not a crankshaft seal or something large, time consuming, and expensive, although it would be a warranty repair. Kinda makes you wonder about the quality of the seals used... It shouldn't be like 1970 where Chrysler spends 50 cents on a rear freeze plug for a 383 cu in. hipo engine later to find out it blows and you need $400 1974 (about $1,600 today) dollars to fix the 50 cent part... Why not just put in that $2.00 freeze plug at the factory?

Will post up the conclusion and the fix for others, should their time come for the same thing. At least, check under the car every so often for a light coating of oil on the large cover plate under the engine...

 

Turns out it was just the oil sending unit... Part is ordered. Hey, at least it isn't a crankshaft seal... That would suck...Anybody else that has this minor leak, take heed. 2 day job, since they obviously don't carry the oil sending unit in stock... or anything else for that matter...

 

Thanks for the tip. We are collecting some useful information on this forum. Too bad DCX seems to find that so hard to do itself for this car.

 

I have the same problem, an oil leak between the Engine & Transmission.

 

I've got a 2004 and it just started leaking oil. Thought it was trans fluid but its oil. Sounds like it could be the same thing. Hope its covered under warranty.

 

Same problem/ The dealer just replaced the rockers and it is still leaking.They also replaced thedrive shaft and rubber bushings.

 

cudaman
Dealerships only carry the most commonly used service parts for cars and have been cutting even these back bit by bit for years.
Would you like to put your profits on the shelf on the chance that one day it may be used and quite possibly never be asked for. With a parts department filled with parts the company will have no cash and live on a line of credit.
This applies to all cars, not just Xfires. If your car needs a widget then these are ordered from the Chrysler warehouse as needed. You cannot expect a dealer to carry all the components of all their cars on the shelf, think about it.

 

Do note that my post was from 7/06 when the car was relatively new, Mercedes and Chrysler were still married (or at least thinking of divorce), Chrysler was not bankrupt, and they were still selling Crossfires. Today is 3.5 years later. So, what you say is true in today's environment. But, since they didn't sell as many Xfires as desired, I can see why they didn't stock much in replacment parts, even at that time..... It seems like a long time ago though, doesn't it?

 

I think you miss my point, dealerships only carry the most commonly used parts, filters, fan belts etc and then only for the cars that their service departments see the most use for. The other parts that they need come from the Chrysler warehouse or other suppliers. An oil sending unit would not be carried as they may never have the need to use one and the money to buy it would be on the shelf depreciating.
It has nothing to do with the Crossfire, but as they do not see too many of them you are lucky that they even carry the filter.
For example, I have a 2007 Chrysler 300 and they do not carry the emergency brake cable, it has to come from the warehouse. I did not expect them to have it, they got the wrong one the first time and the second time they said they have to replace all of the cables, seems there are three in the assembly. Now I have to go back for a third time, great fun .. not.

 

Please read my horror story before you let them loose on your crankcase.::::

Crenwelge Motors
310 Main Street
Kerrville, Tx. 78028

Service:

Rating: Bad Service



My Crossfire literally grabbed me off the street and said I’m yours. After several trial rides and 3 days of negotiations I reached agreement with the seller and Snow White and I ditched the Dwarfs and rode off into the Texas Sunset. After checking her vitals, I put her to bed while I read her statistics. 17,484 miles, birth date, 2 July 2004, NA and was sent to the school of hard docks along with thousands of her sisters. When she was finally recovered and placed in the real world, her date of resurrection was 18 August 2006. We became inseparable on 11 April 2008, giving me 16 months of free health care and checkups. Fast forward to 7 May, 2008, I took Snow White , AKA 36827,to A Mercedes Dealership on IH 10 in Boerne, TX, about 40 miles from home. I had a prescheduled appointment for Oil and Lubrication, Filter and a complete underside and brake pad inspection. Came back in several hours and the car was ready. Billed for services as follows. Oil at $5.90--$47,20..Labor $30.95.. Filter- $27.58 Total $115.+/-
The service writer informed me there was a leak around the oil sensor and that it should be replaced. He told me they could do it, but as the car was still under factory warranty, he suggested I take it to a Chrysler Dealer. I thanked him and left. Before going any further, I must say this was the most professional, most courteous, most hospitable Number 1 dealership I have ever been to. MERCEDES-BENZ OF BOERNE, 78006


REVIEW:
This narrative leads me to the crux of the horror story. I took the car in to the local Chrysler Dealership in Kerrville, TX, Crenwelge Motors 310 Main St, Kerrville TX, 78028 to have the warranty work done and they accepted the car with no problem. I asked if they had a certified Crossfire mechanic and I was assured they did. I asked about how long t would take, and was told a “couple hours”. I said OK, I’m going to get some breakfast and I’ll wait for the car.
I went and ate and walking back to the dealership I heard some God Awful banging and thought, can’t be mine. WRONG. I saw the “Certified” mechanic banging on the oil pan with a 5# brass machinist’s hammer. FEAR!!!! I asked the service manager what the H was he doing? The answer was the car has an upper and a lower oil pan and he’s separating them. I said I can’t watch, have the courtesy driver take me home and call me when the car is done. I was home about three hours when I was called to come and get the car.
I picked up the car and was assured all was in order. Signed the work order and went home and put the car to bed in the garage for the night.
Up early to go for check ride, I pulled Snow White out of the garage onto the driveway and looked in the garage before closing the door. OMG! There was a puddle of 8 qts of Mob 1 on the floor and a drip line all the way to the car. Shut down, got out, ^(%$ #%)(%^!!!I called the service manager and said Stxxx, all my oil is on the floor of the garage, send a car carrier to pick up the car and take to your shop. He said you’ll have to call, we don’t have one. WRONG!! Then I said also send up your technician to mop and clean my floor and driveway. He said “we don’t do that”. My patience was one phone call away from being non-existent. I said “we’ll see” and hung up. I then called Tim Crenwelge, the owner and informed him of the situation, he said I’ll have someone up there in 15 minutes. Also a wrecker auto carrier arrived and loaded the car. Service manager at first told me to drive the car to the shop with no oil!!
The gofer came and cleaned the floor and I road back to the shop with him. The car was on a lift and being inspected as I arrived, and determined the oil pan had a crack in it. A new one had to ordered which took a week to get in and install. In the meantime I purchased a bottle of dye-glo, some UV glasses and a UV flashlight. When the car was finally ready, I went down to pick it up and asked if there were any leaks? I was assured there were none. I had the service manager accompany me to the car and I made him stand there while I put the dye-glo in the oil filler and showed it to him. I said I’m doing a NDI check, I’ll drive the car about ½ hour and be back, I want it put back on the lift and the
Splash pan removed. He agreed. I lost use of the car for two weeks.
When the car was once again on the rack I went under it with the flashlight and glasses and it was clean. I then let him look also.
I would NOT use Crenwelge Motors in Kerrville for any auto maintenance on your car. If you have a problem, don’t argue, go to the top and get it corrected. DON’T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER! As I will later show in two more cases with this same dealer. Pictures available (PICTURE WON"T LOAD) (SEE PICTURE # 33 MY GALLERY)
John P
FTroopChief
Charter Member Date Registered: November 22, 2008, 03:45:14 PM

 

Wow, I would have had the guy that was banging on the oil pan produce his "certified SRT-6 mechanic" diploma on the first time you saw/heard the banging. This is Mercedes stuff.... they don't design something you have to "bang" with a hammer to get off.... A special $1500 tool that looks like a big coat hanger would be the most likely real thing to use.... if such a tool existed.

 

ME TOO - oil leak in same place - just started - that makes me number five on this thread which is pretty scary actually - anyone else?

I havent had an oil leak with a car Ive owned since my POS Internation Harvester Scout in high school.

 

Whats so scary? You only hear about the leaks when they happen, with all the members on here they seem to be pretty rare.

I should start a thread with a poll asking how many have or have had an oil leak in their car. then we can see if it's scary.

 

Suggestion, buy a $5 bottle (about 1 oz) of UV DYE for engine, tranny etc, also a cheap UV flashlight and goggles, under $15. put liquid n oil filler and drive about 30 miles. Then use light and look for location of leak. If you're under warranty have Chrysler fix it. If not and you have insurance or extebded warranty see abut Mercedes doing it. If you're on you're own, bite the bullet and get Mercedes to do it.
Report it to the same peolpe I do. Complaints on a forum only notify the few active members, complaints to the NHTSB can result in a recall if everyone files their complaints.
GIs Bit****n to each other in the barracks don't get anything accomplished. Gotta get it out.

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John P
FTroopChief

 

I bought mine used but went ahead and ponied up for the extended warranty through the lender (Georgia credit union) Im going to call them to get the numbers of the repair shops they honor.

 

It could be the steering box and the hose that's attached to it.

Sometimes the Oil kooks like it's dripping from between crankcase and transmission housing. But in my case, it turns out that it was dripping from the steering box instead. My car is in the shop for repairs as we speak.

Steering box cost: $850.00 - $2500

 

I just got back from Buckhead Imports (repair shop).

I guess it just looked like it was coming from under the car - apparently it was the valve cover and the valve cover connector.

Here is a scan of the bill


I asked the guy there what caused it and he said it is very common with this engine and he sees it all the time SLK32s C32s and crossfires - Im quoting here (so dont kill msngr) - he says its because the engine "wasnt well thought out" whatever that means.