1998.5 3/4 ton 24V, Stock truck, with ladder rack and shell.
At 70,000 2 years ago I had the vp44 and lp replaced. Now I have 125,000 miles on the truck.
I have religiously used Lucas lubricity additive every single tank since the vp44 and lp were replaced. The cummins/cat dealer here (San Fernando Valley) does not sell Stanadyne additive or I would use it,).

3 mornings ago the "check engine" light was on and the idle was a little high (1200 instead of the usual 900 or so) . I went to work anyway and it went out within a day or so.
Yesterday morning it was on again and I went to work as usual.
This morning it was on again, and WOULD ONLY IDLE. Even if I put the pedal through the floor it would only idle. It idled a little higher than it should have, and a little erratically at times.
I messed around with the throttle wires etc., for a minute or two while it was running (using a couple cuss words in between), couldn't find anything I thought was weird.
Got back in, and WAMMO!, the pedal was no longer dead. By lunch time the "check engine" light was off and all was fine.(but I don't think it will stay off or I would not be making this post).

The reason I have a very bad feeling about this is because it is getting slightly better fuel economy the last few months. (but noticeable)......ABOUT THE SAME FUEL ECONOMY IT GOT BEFORE THE vp44 AND LP WENT OUT THE LAST TIME.

I really love my truck, only tow once a year or so (I'm a carpenter), and maintain it well. It has not had a hard life. But I have long wished I owned a 12 valve instead.

Should I just take it to the dealer and open up my wallet and say "ouch" or what. Usually when I get a bad feeling about something, the feeling stays there until I have participated in a cash extraction program of some sort or other.

Please reply if you have any ideas or similar experiences.
By the way, the last time my truck was at the dealer, I had to send it back to him on a tow truck the next day (after I got it back "fixed") and threaten to sue if it did not come back running correctly, or they never would have changed out the two pumps.

Thanx,
Puke

 

Tried an APPS reset? My dead pedal was only "dead" for short bursts, I would floor it and it would act right again. It mostly happened rolling down the highway, never from a stop.

Any codes?

 

I had to reset the atts last spring because of the AT "hunting" for the right gear.
And again about 3 weeks ago.
But I have not done it in the last couple days. I will do it right now, but don't have a good feeling about it. But when I said mine was "dead" I meant deaddead dead.. There was nothing I did that made me even think the truck thought I was pushing the accelerator pedal. It was just going to idle until it felt like going back to normal. I was tempted to use the sledge hammer method.

At first I was thinking that since it was a cold morning (40 degrees....here in southern cal. it's usually about 70 every day this time of year) that the "cold" could have somehow done it.

I am seriously thinking of getting another truck.
I doubt I can find a 12V with low enough miles nowadays, so I may be bending myself over ($$$) for the new generation (after I do a web search far and wide to see if there is anything I should know beforehand, and in that case I will go back to gas if I have to, I already know enough about fords and GM).

 

One more thing,...Since the problem is intermittent, it's a real bummer.
I'm not sure how codes work, and if the computer will remember anything even though the "check engine" light is off now????

I won't even be able to see if the atts reset did anything or not...I will just be guessing.

 

I would double check your wiring since after you moved them and got back in the truck it worked again.

 

Same thing mine did, ended up replacing the entire APPS assembly.

Not as spendy as the VP but not cheep at almost $400.00

Dan

 

GET THE CODES CHECKED BEFORE YOU DISCONNECT THE BATTERIES. If the light had been on, there will be codes in the memory for a certain number of ignition cycles, until you disconnect the batteries. Without power, the codes disappear. You may have an APPS problem, or a VP44 problem. The codes will help a lot.

 

I already disconnected the batteries for the apps reset. So it's too late. I'll have to wait until it happens again. Unfortunately, I don't think it will be a long wait, maybe even tomorrow morning,..if I could be so unlucky.

Also, I don't own a code reader, so I'll have to get one from Auto zone or some place. I guess they would have one that would work, wouldn't they???

By the way, Is it only about a 20 minute deal to replace the sensor?? At this point I'm hoping I am lucky enough not to be heading toward a dead vp.
I used to do my own work always, but the last 10 or 15 years I've been too buzy mostly...... Now I only do it when I don't want to be without a truck while the idiots at dodge take a half day or more to do a half hour deal. (On my 92 gasser (Ram) they quoted me 5 or more hours to replace the a/c evaporator. So I did it myself in a little over 2. But this diesel business is getting awfully complicated with all the computers and such.)

 

It's now 6 a.m. tomorrow morning and the "check engine" light is back on again.
But nothing else is weird, and the idle speed is normal. I guess I'll head off to work with my fingers crossed. And hope Autozone has something I can buy that will read the codes. I guess I better also get an oil pressure guage to see what the lp pressure is.

 

I hope you get it figured out!

I see you've been on this site since 2003 but:

I don't understand how you can drive around, after getting 1 injection pump replaced, without a fuel pressure gauge!?!

 

Had the same trouble on an 2002, it ended up being the throttle postion sensor.
List price was $362.00. Easy to replace though.

 

By 9 a.m. the "check engine" light was off again already. Bummer. So now what do I do. I hope that code reader thing will tell me if I need to buy a new apps or whatyamacallit (or gadget, for short).

I know, I should have my a?s kicked for not putting in a lp pressure guage(way back in the old ages) to make sure it's not dead. I procrastincated knowing that it had Lucas in from the day the vp and lp were put on there (I know, excuses are like ?x?holes,). It sucks being the boss. No time for anything unless I think one of my guys are smart enough to do it for me....and I don't dare let them do much on my truck except brakes, oil, and such. Idiots can mess things up awfully quickly even if they have good intentions.

It appears the least expensive code reader that I can find and still upgrade to everything incluting the 2008 required reader specs, is around 200 bucks. So I think I will probably get that one. One of my guys says he wants to buy one for himself for christmas, and he said if I wait a couple days I can use his. But I like the idea of owning one of those, as long as I can always upgrade without having to throw away and buy another.

 

Why buy the pc to read the codes? Autozone will hook thiers up for FREE and tell you what the codes are and if they have the parts you need!

 

sounds like its your APS my previous 98.5 had the same problem

 

Already bought the ezscan 2000. Sooner or later in my life, I will wish I had one, so at least that problem is solved. Cheapest one that would still read all old and new and new to come code standards (supposedly). 200 bucks.

Haven't plugged it in yet to see what codes I have. Or read the manual to see "where" to plug it in.

I hope that there is an online place to order that apps thingermagigger., I don't like going over to talk to dodge much.

By the way, here in burbank, CA Autozone was not forthcoming with reading my codes. They wanted to rent me their code scanner for $185. or sell me a code scanner for $285. Which is what I expected here. Back home in Utah (where I used to live many years ago) I'm sure they would have been happy to check it for me,, but back there I would be more happy to just send it to the dealer and let him deal with it also. The farther away you get from LA, the less crooked the car repair/parts/etc. business is...and the easier it is to trust a repair shop. At least they'll tell you if they don't have a clue.