Got hit by a mini hurricane for 10 minutes last night. Afterwards my check engine light came on, power train code popped on, truk struggled to go up small hills but saw this hose hanging out with oil everywhere. Does anyone know exactly what this hose is supposed to be connected to and its purpose?
Posted by Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 71 comments
Outside_Squirrel_839@reddit
That’s just engine breather hose it’s supposed to be like that
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
I wonder where the oil came from. The leaf spring was clean when I did the pretrip
slayerofthefluff@reddit
Did you check your engine oil level to see if a significant amount has been lost?
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
No it was still hot when the tow came. He said there was a significant amount of oil on the bottom when he lifted the front of the truck.
slayerofthefluff@reddit
It can be hot when you check the oil, just not running. I check my oil twice daily. Let it sit for about 10-15 mins and check it. Just for future reference. Since it was towed, I’m assuming it’s going to a shop somewhere?
MorbidKnowledge@reddit
What sort of fucking freak checks their oil twice a day, is your car really that shitty?
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
Im fedex express so we have our own mechanics but its at a different station so we likely wont see it for months mow
slayerofthefluff@reddit
Ah, company truck then? You probably won’t see it again if it has 800,000 miles on it. Cheaper for them to replace it than to fix it in most cases unless it’s something simple. Loss of power + loss of unknown amounts of engine oil normally = not cheap to fix.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
If they dont send it back we’re keeping the 2023 with 100k miles on it they gave me to drive back. Its a hostage situation now
potatocross@reddit
Glad to see fedex operates the same way as big brown when you break down away from home lol.
Once I had the other facility tow mine back home and waited for me to get back so they could tow the one I borrowed back immediately.
buttweasel76@reddit
Amazing how much money they piss away on that stuff
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
UPS and Fedex will both keep fixing it until it cant be fixed anymore. My old truck had 950k miles same year make model engine and the only thing wrong with it was the radio didnt work but I also wrote up every little thing up or talked to the mechanics about any changes I noticed while driving and it would be fixed before my next shift. We have too many drivers that think if you write up a truck it’s automatically out for a month so they dont and then things like what I experienced happened. The regular driver probably knew something was up and risked driving it anyways.
buttweasel76@reddit
Oh, I'm aware.
I've driven some of the old international's with well over a million miles....
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
We just retired the old school long nose freightliners because they’re not “aesthetically pleasing” they run fine
potatocross@reddit
Our stuff changes based on location. You will think an entire fleet has been trashed just to see someone from a different location roll up in one.
Most our stuff starts getting trashed shortly after 1 million miles but there was an old Mack with like 2.2 still rolling around.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
Some of our ramps have the aerodynamic peterbilts, most have all automatic 2020 newer cascadias. We have a mix of freightliners, and volvos both automatic and standard
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
Thats more than likely what will happen here. It would make sense to say who wants extra hours? And send one person to drop off the new truck and get the old one back
potatocross@reddit
A lot of times our mechanics just dont want to work on out of fleet stuff. Or dont even have time to with how much crap we got broken at any given time.
Outside_Squirrel_839@reddit
If it has lots of miles could be blow by from engine wear
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
Ya 800k miles
blipsnchiiiiitz@reddit
This is a Detroit DD oil pan in what looks to be a Freightliner Cascadia. The crank case breather assembly is on the passenger side and doesn't have a long hose like what's in the picture.
This is most likely the fuel bowl drain tube, and that's fuel everywhere.
OP, check the fuel bowl drain fitting and make sure it's hand tight. They are supposed to be drained regularly, so you should know what that is, but most operators don't.
Outside_Squirrel_839@reddit
Yes does look like a Detroit plastic oil pan. I drove for yellow frt in city mainly had Volvos
SpellRoyal5566@reddit
Really? You drive a truck and don't know that's a breather hose? Damn man
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
Driver not a mechanic. I dont know what every single part and hose of the engine does or goes. If you do maybe I should call you to do a roadside repair
SpellRoyal5566@reddit
Well I only say that cause in pre trip you should know every part on the truck. You don't need to be a mechanic for that? I guess it's different for us guys that run triaxle dumps and trailers in construction ,I wouldn't hire a driver that can't diagnose what's wrong before calling saying the trucks broken. Without the driver knowing we don't know what to bring to repair the trucks on the road or wherever it breaks down. I think only 1 time did a truck come in on tow and that was cause the motor seized most all other issues we make them run.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
Good for you mr super trucker
whodaloo@reddit
He's not wrong.
That's a massively common hose and you should know what it is. Take your job seriously.
blipsnchiiiiitz@reddit
Man you guys are all wrong lol. This is 100% not the stink tube. These engines don't have a long tube for the crank case vent. It's a plastic assembly on the passenger side and is much shorter than that.
whodaloo@reddit
100% is.
slayerofthefluff@reddit
Yeah it’s a little plastic square tube on top of that lol…and it’s well behind the frame rail attached to the crankcase breather assembly hah. Bastard to replace let me tell you. Now in all fairness those used to older truck that hose 100% looks like the breather hose/tube on my C15 that is on the driver side.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
We have 70 trucks and one of them has that hose and its not in the manual
whodaloo@reddit
Then how does everyone know about it except you?
slayerofthefluff@reddit
Neither do you. You must not be familiar with Detroit motors that aren’t a 60 series. Newer motors do not have a long vent tube for the most part. They vent through the crankcase breather assembly through a small and short square plastic tube which is hidden up behind the frame rail on the passenger side, this hose in the picture is on the driver side, and requires yoga skills to reach at times.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
You all probably worked OTR and had to fix your own problems its also an after market change
blipsnchiiiiitz@reddit
You don't know the DD engine in the picture doesn't have a long breather hose, and the crank case vent is on the passenger side of the engine, not the drivers side? Damn man.
It's the fuel drain hose.
moatilliatta_lcmr@reddit
It's the drain hose for the water separator valve at the bottom of the fuel filter base.
Had this happen before on a 2024. The valve you're looking for is at the bottom of the filter base angled 45 degrees toward the front of the truck. It's black plastic in a square shape.
You, hopefully, just have one that's not all the way hand tight.
So, anyway, that's all diesel that's dropped out and wicked around everywhere.
slayerofthefluff@reddit
This makes sense if the truck is equipped with a fish bowl/water separator. Not all of them are….looking at you Prime Inc.
moatilliatta_lcmr@reddit
This things probably a 2016+ cascadia.
So what the deal is is that there's the water separator and it's element, bowl, and drain plug and then at the bottom of the secondary fuel filter space, the big micro filter there, is the sensor that will give the truck a reading of the water content in the fuel.
In the event enough water passes by the actual water separator element it, by virtue of being one lb/gal heavier than diesel will accumulate at the bottom of that cavity and you drain it out using the valve I described into hopefully a container with a white spill pad in it to verify.
There are orings on the stem of this thing that can fail if overtightened, I've also broken the little square bit you're meant to interact with, or flat spotting. In the event you break the thing you have to buy a whole new filter base as that's how freightliner do or be a fleet with decommission trucks you can rob parts off of.
Kinda drivers should know about this thing and open it from time to time but it's about as rare as drivers actually draining air tanks and whatever else.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
It’s a 2014 and standard transmission. I’ll have to talk to maintenance to ask them for signs to look out for when I get a permanent truck again. We do regular preventative maintenance but the high wind I was driving into with the heavy rain is probably what did it in. 95% of the issues I find are the def system.
slayerofthefluff@reddit
Year, make, model and engine might help with a diagnosis. The code might be helpful also. Newer trucks don’t have a “blow by hose” per se. At least not like the older trucks have. Newer trucks usually blow by through a crankcase breather of sorts and yes those spit oil like a son of a b*tch when they go out and power can be lost.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
It’s a 2013 cascadia ddr15 10 speed. The same hill I climb at 60 dropped me down to 40 and then struggled going back down which is concerning
slayerofthefluff@reddit
Do you have the code? Any smoke or noises? My DD13 lost power, spewed oil and coolant…ended up being a cracked sleeve.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
I dont remember. A handful of codes popped up but the tow driver said it was a powertrain code
slayerofthefluff@reddit
Not really a lot I can do for you without the codes then besides speculate. Sorry. That picture was the driver or passenger side? The crank case breather “blow by” is usually on the passenger side of DD15s in Cascadias fyi.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
This was on the driver side. I dont see it my normal truck but it only has 250k miles. Same year and engine too.
blipsnchiiiiitz@reddit
It's the fuel drain tube. Did you check your fuel bowl drain fitting? I think you have a bad fuel leak, not oil.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
No I pulled over and had them tow it. The mechanics can figure it out when they work on it. Im not going to keep driving and cause more problems I cant fix
blipsnchiiiiitz@reddit
Good call.
ursisterstoy@reddit
What exactly is a mini hurricane?
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
This is a fortune 100 company. They have the billions to spend to fix a lightbulb themselves. I dont care about increasing shareholder value as much as they dont care to properly staff facilities.
ursisterstoy@reddit
That’s fine. I let maintenance fix everything myself too but I’m not going to pay a ticket if I’m 3 hours away from the terminal and thirty minutes away from a Loves because I decided that I’d rather not change a light bulb. Obviously anything more complicated than that they’d never expect a driver to do themselves and that’s what road repair is for. Nobody wants to pay a $100-$200 minimum for a service call out on the road for a lightbulb but if you blew an air bag or a tire or your turbocharger exploded then it’s probably a good bet that they’ll happily pay for road service if the alternative is you’re put out of service by the DOT or stranded on the side of the road trying to figure out your life choices.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
You’re 100% not fixing anything on a fedex truck as a driver on the side of the road and coming back with a job.
ursisterstoy@reddit
Okay
jobznwerk@reddit
Did you get one of those crackerjack CDLs?
ursisterstoy@reddit
Nope. To pass the pretrip test you need to be able to identify when your truck is dangerous to drive. You should know how to fix the easy shit like burnt out light bulbs. I don’t know how anything I said would have you thinking I got a fake license from a box of popcorn and peanuts.
jobznwerk@reddit
Driver identified there was an issue and asked drivers the cause of it. You thought truck repairs were included on the CDL test which made me assume you didn’t go through any state agency or school.
ursisterstoy@reddit
I did not say truck repairs are part of the test. I said that any driver that is worth a shit should know how to fix the easy shit. Any driver who passed the pretrip test should know how to identify an unsafe vehicle. A vent hose dripping oil isn’t going to make the engine run like shit but maybe there’s a reason it’s leaking oil besides it just being worn out and they should have their maintenance department check it out. They also should know as a driver that they’re looking at a vent tube because vent tubes and oil lines are different and if they had an oil line hanging spraying oil all over the place then it would not matter if they knew how to fix it or not. It would be a rather obvious “I better call maintenance” situation.
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
Maintenance already confirmed it’s not a vent tube. That would be on the passenger side. I did my pretrip correctly. There were no leaks and tube was not hanging. That leaf spring was clean when I left.
ursisterstoy@reddit
I guess either take it to maintenance or trace the tube backwards to see what the other end is connected to.
jobznwerk@reddit
You don’t know shit from shinola. You’re a cunt. EAD.
Due-Pilot-7443@reddit
Did you run through any deep water or maybe did it rain hard enough to suck water into intake.. water may have displaced the oil..
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
No I got hit by a squall line pretty hard so I would be surprised if thats the straw that broke the camels back.
Physical_Fishing_218@reddit
Oil could have came from sloppy oil changes
12InchPickle@reddit
Trace where the line goes
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
Too late now its 250 miles away
slayerofthefluff@reddit
Man what Tardis did you get to tow your truck and how much did it cost you?
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
Management got chewed out by a vice president. They were supposed to have a contractor come get my trailer and tow me and the truck back home. Instead they had him tow the whole thing and me to the destination and frantically find me a way to get back.
Grammar__Nazi18@reddit
In less than 30 minutes? How the fuck?
Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit (OP)
This was last night
Frenchie1001@reddit
It's the breather hose. Totally unrelated to your issues.
You got water in a plug somewhere
Adventurous-Log-3648@reddit
I believe that’s a blow by