Long time lurker, first time poster. And I'm very, very sorry for the long post, but I want to be as detailed as possible.
Let me preface with sharing that I'm not a mechanic or car buff. But I'm a quick learner and am not intimidated by working on this issue (or related auto issues). I just don't dive in to anything until I've done extensive research
Know issues & backstory:
1: My engine has a knock in the mornings when it's cold. I'll crank my motor, and it would knock for either just a few seconds, or up to the first mile, even after letting it idle for a few minutes.
2: I also have a slight coolant leak. Nothing major, but I keep a few quarts of universal coolant with me just in case. I've had to add ~3 bottles of it to my reservoir over the past 6 months. I don't believe this to be related, but again, I want to be thorough.
3: It's worth noting that my tachometer has stopped reading over the past few months. And in cold weather, such as this week, the speedometer barely registers, if at all. I've been relying on a Android app to keep up with my speed. Related, I thought that the oil pressure gauge may also have gone awry...
4: Lastly, and perhaps most important, the mechanic that performed my last oil change said they had to flush my engine as the oil was very sludged up... as if it were well overdue, despite it being maybe 200 miles over.
Thursday: My oil pressure gauge was showing my oil pressure at ~20psi. On my way to work the other day, while idling at a red light, it dropped to ~8psi, which is when I got really worried. The light changed, and I slowly accelerated, eyeing the pressure as it crawled back up to ~20psi. I checked my oil when I got to work & I'm sitting at around 5.5qt. I put a quart in, meaning I'd be a little heavy. I understand this as not recommended, but as I assumed I was blowing a little oil off, or just burning it, a tad bit extra would not be an issue.
Friday: Same thing in the AM. ~20psi, mild knock which stopped a few seconds after starting. Drove to work (16mi), and caught the same red light 0.5mi from the office. Same thing happens- oil pressure gauge reads ~8psi, slowly accelerate through light, and get to the office.
Lunch time comes. It's about 32F outside, which is warmer than it was in the morning. I go to my truck, crank it, and it immediately died. I sat there for a second, thinking maybe the cold was the issue, and tried it again. It tried to start, and I felt the engine stutter/rock for half of a second as it died.
Auxiliary / power still works, though my clock as been reset. Assuming it was oil related (maybe from having too much?), and being just shy of due for an oil change, I decided to embark on that adventure for myself for the first time, as I couldn't very well take it to anywhere. When I removed the oil plug, initially, nothing came out. There was a blob of sludge on the tip of the plug. After a few seconds, it finally started draining. It seemed a little viscous, but that may be the cold (32F). Again, I'm not a mechanic, so I could be way off base here. I quickly ran in to a brick wall when I couldn't get the filter off, and then I ran out of daylight.
Today: I'm taking my wife to work in her car, then taking her car to my office to continue my oil change (after snagging a slip wrench to get the filter off). I'll finish my oil change (using 5:1 inexpensive oil to transmission fluid, with plans on another change ~250 miles in), and hope that my issue was somehow related to that. I'll also have her car there and can try jumping it off, though I still don't believe the issue to be in relation to anything electrical... but I'd rather know than assume.
Outside of these things, I don't know what else to do besides get it towed to a mechanic. Any suggestions/ideas?
Let me preface with sharing that I'm not a mechanic or car buff. But I'm a quick learner and am not intimidated by working on this issue (or related auto issues). I just don't dive in to anything until I've done extensive research
Know issues & backstory:
1: My engine has a knock in the mornings when it's cold. I'll crank my motor, and it would knock for either just a few seconds, or up to the first mile, even after letting it idle for a few minutes.
2: I also have a slight coolant leak. Nothing major, but I keep a few quarts of universal coolant with me just in case. I've had to add ~3 bottles of it to my reservoir over the past 6 months. I don't believe this to be related, but again, I want to be thorough.
3: It's worth noting that my tachometer has stopped reading over the past few months. And in cold weather, such as this week, the speedometer barely registers, if at all. I've been relying on a Android app to keep up with my speed. Related, I thought that the oil pressure gauge may also have gone awry...
4: Lastly, and perhaps most important, the mechanic that performed my last oil change said they had to flush my engine as the oil was very sludged up... as if it were well overdue, despite it being maybe 200 miles over.
Thursday: My oil pressure gauge was showing my oil pressure at ~20psi. On my way to work the other day, while idling at a red light, it dropped to ~8psi, which is when I got really worried. The light changed, and I slowly accelerated, eyeing the pressure as it crawled back up to ~20psi. I checked my oil when I got to work & I'm sitting at around 5.5qt. I put a quart in, meaning I'd be a little heavy. I understand this as not recommended, but as I assumed I was blowing a little oil off, or just burning it, a tad bit extra would not be an issue.
Friday: Same thing in the AM. ~20psi, mild knock which stopped a few seconds after starting. Drove to work (16mi), and caught the same red light 0.5mi from the office. Same thing happens- oil pressure gauge reads ~8psi, slowly accelerate through light, and get to the office.
Lunch time comes. It's about 32F outside, which is warmer than it was in the morning. I go to my truck, crank it, and it immediately died. I sat there for a second, thinking maybe the cold was the issue, and tried it again. It tried to start, and I felt the engine stutter/rock for half of a second as it died.
Auxiliary / power still works, though my clock as been reset. Assuming it was oil related (maybe from having too much?), and being just shy of due for an oil change, I decided to embark on that adventure for myself for the first time, as I couldn't very well take it to anywhere. When I removed the oil plug, initially, nothing came out. There was a blob of sludge on the tip of the plug. After a few seconds, it finally started draining. It seemed a little viscous, but that may be the cold (32F). Again, I'm not a mechanic, so I could be way off base here. I quickly ran in to a brick wall when I couldn't get the filter off, and then I ran out of daylight.
Today: I'm taking my wife to work in her car, then taking her car to my office to continue my oil change (after snagging a slip wrench to get the filter off). I'll finish my oil change (using 5:1 inexpensive oil to transmission fluid, with plans on another change ~250 miles in), and hope that my issue was somehow related to that. I'll also have her car there and can try jumping it off, though I still don't believe the issue to be in relation to anything electrical... but I'd rather know than assume.
Outside of these things, I don't know what else to do besides get it towed to a mechanic. Any suggestions/ideas?