tfoley95
Junior Member
I wanted to pass on some information that hopefully someone will find useful.
My truck is an '18 RAM with 137,000 miles on it. For the past year or so, I've had the CEL light come on randomly. It's always the same 2 codes: P1524 and P0512. I also had a 'fluttering' sound periodically when the MDS would kick in. It almost sounds like a playing card in the spoke of a bike wheel. I have been turning off the MDS with the gear buttons, but of course that doesn't actually fix anything.
I started noticing that the CEL would only come on during the bottom half of the oil change. On a fresh change, no codes, no CEL, no fluttering. I also noticed that the CEL would tend to come on after a longer journey. Running around town seemed to be fine.
I had my regular mechanic put some additive in the oil, and that also seemed to help.
I started getting worried that there was something internal with the motor that might lead to catastrophic failure. It's possible that still might be the case.
All of these symptoms seem to point to oil and oil pressure. A few weeks ago, I changed my dash display to show engine stats so I could keep an eye on oil pressure. I was worried with what I found. Startup was OK in the high 40s. But as it warmed up, it went lower and lower. Hot idle was in the mid 20s. That was concerning. I noticed that it wouldn't go higher than the 30s when kicking up the RPMs.
I started thinking about a possible failing oil pump and all the teardown/expense associated with that project. I did some deeper reading on the 2 codes listed above, and there was talk of oil filters. So I started going down the rabbit hole of oil filters. And anyone that has gone down that road, knows there are lots of options, and even more opinions about them.
I asked my mechanic what type of oil filters he uses on Rams like mine and he said Napa Gold. Because of the reading I had done, I discovered that Napa Gold filters used to be made by Wix, which are a higher quality filter, but now they aren't. They are made in China. I asked him what an 'upgraded' filter would be and he said Wix XP.
This past week I bought one and installed it. Every time I mess with oil, it reminds me why I'm glad I have my oil changes done for me. It wasn't terribly difficult, just awkward and I tried to use a catch bag while taking off the old filter which failed miserably.
Anyway, now with the Wix XP filter on, cold start is around 50. Hot idle is in the mid to upper 30s now, and in the 40s to 50s while moving. Much better.
I took it out of town this weekend for a road trip, and put on several hundred miles in 90 degree heat. Oil pressure was good the entire trip. No CEL, no codes. I have no doubt with the old filter, the symptoms would've returned.
So the lesson learned for me is use a better quality filter! I will certainly be doing that from now on.
Now, I'm fully aware, as I mentioned above, that there might still be some sort of internal engine issue that might not be identified except by an engine tear down. Also, I'm aware that it's possible because I have been running it with 'low-ish' oil pressure for awhile, it might have caused a problem that has not manifested itself yet; such as the dreaded Hemi Tick. I don't let it idle long. I guess time will tell.
My hope is by sharing this information, I will help someone in the same or similar situation. Vehicle problems are the worst, especially ones that don't have a definite cause and may not be known until it's too late!
I will report back in awhile if there any change to the situation. Thanks for taking the time to read!
My truck is an '18 RAM with 137,000 miles on it. For the past year or so, I've had the CEL light come on randomly. It's always the same 2 codes: P1524 and P0512. I also had a 'fluttering' sound periodically when the MDS would kick in. It almost sounds like a playing card in the spoke of a bike wheel. I have been turning off the MDS with the gear buttons, but of course that doesn't actually fix anything.
I started noticing that the CEL would only come on during the bottom half of the oil change. On a fresh change, no codes, no CEL, no fluttering. I also noticed that the CEL would tend to come on after a longer journey. Running around town seemed to be fine.
I had my regular mechanic put some additive in the oil, and that also seemed to help.
I started getting worried that there was something internal with the motor that might lead to catastrophic failure. It's possible that still might be the case.
All of these symptoms seem to point to oil and oil pressure. A few weeks ago, I changed my dash display to show engine stats so I could keep an eye on oil pressure. I was worried with what I found. Startup was OK in the high 40s. But as it warmed up, it went lower and lower. Hot idle was in the mid 20s. That was concerning. I noticed that it wouldn't go higher than the 30s when kicking up the RPMs.
I started thinking about a possible failing oil pump and all the teardown/expense associated with that project. I did some deeper reading on the 2 codes listed above, and there was talk of oil filters. So I started going down the rabbit hole of oil filters. And anyone that has gone down that road, knows there are lots of options, and even more opinions about them.
I asked my mechanic what type of oil filters he uses on Rams like mine and he said Napa Gold. Because of the reading I had done, I discovered that Napa Gold filters used to be made by Wix, which are a higher quality filter, but now they aren't. They are made in China. I asked him what an 'upgraded' filter would be and he said Wix XP.
This past week I bought one and installed it. Every time I mess with oil, it reminds me why I'm glad I have my oil changes done for me. It wasn't terribly difficult, just awkward and I tried to use a catch bag while taking off the old filter which failed miserably.
Anyway, now with the Wix XP filter on, cold start is around 50. Hot idle is in the mid to upper 30s now, and in the 40s to 50s while moving. Much better.
I took it out of town this weekend for a road trip, and put on several hundred miles in 90 degree heat. Oil pressure was good the entire trip. No CEL, no codes. I have no doubt with the old filter, the symptoms would've returned.
So the lesson learned for me is use a better quality filter! I will certainly be doing that from now on.
Now, I'm fully aware, as I mentioned above, that there might still be some sort of internal engine issue that might not be identified except by an engine tear down. Also, I'm aware that it's possible because I have been running it with 'low-ish' oil pressure for awhile, it might have caused a problem that has not manifested itself yet; such as the dreaded Hemi Tick. I don't let it idle long. I guess time will tell.
My hope is by sharing this information, I will help someone in the same or similar situation. Vehicle problems are the worst, especially ones that don't have a definite cause and may not be known until it's too late!
I will report back in awhile if there any change to the situation. Thanks for taking the time to read!
Last edited:
