Did I blow my engine? 2012 F-350 Diesel issues after oil loss

I was towing my 42-foot fifth wheel through the Rockies and lost 12 quarts of oil out of 16. The engine started making a terrible noise after that. Is my engine toast? Any help would be appreciated.

If you’re looking for advice, make sure to provide all the details about your truck and the situation. If this is about second opinions, remember that shops aren’t usually trying to rip you off. Check for any existing oil leaks and get a diagnostic scan done as soon as possible.

Yeah, sounds like it’s completely done. Sorry to say it, but losing that much oil is bad news.

It might not be completely blown yet. That noise could be something like injector knock, valve train clatter, or even rod knock.

Here’s what you should do:

  1. Take it to a reputable diesel shop and get it checked out.
  2. With the engine idling, remove the oil cap and see if there are large, pulsing puffs of blowby. If it’s steady, that’s normal. If it’s pulsing in sync with the engine, you’ve got a bigger problem.
  3. Look for oil leaks and scan for error codes.

I’ve worked on diesel pickups for over 15 years, and while the sound is alarming, it doesn’t always mean the engine is finished.

That sounds like the kind of knock where you might end up with a sightglass in your engine block. Not good at all.

Ah, the classic knock-knock joke… except this time, it’s your engine knocking, and it’s not funny. Hope it’s not as bad as it sounds.

Gotta love modern computer-controlled diesels, right? When they work, they’re great. When they don’t… well, you know the drill.