Krob

Long story short. Trucks stuttering and faltering especially from 1200-1900rpm and little a little higher once in a while. You can start to feel it in 3rd but it comes apparent in 4th and up.

Alright Situation. A week ago coming back from folks place over thanksgiving truck stumbled a couple of times climbing a steep windy grade (had a cord of very wet firewood in the back.) Was driving today and it started doing it all the time.

I have so far changed the fuel filter, which helped at least some but have not gotten on the freeway to really gauge how much of an improvement. I have checked the codes no codes. And I am reading 17-18 psi at the VP44.

It is cold up here though. When I filled up at the fuel station when I went in to pay I asked if it was winter diesel the guy said he thought they still had summer. I could not get to the PS since it was berried underneath the cord of wood. I bought something called Diesel Guard-which said it was an Anti Gel, Deicer, additive, 250g to 32oz. I gave the tank a liberal dose probably 1/3 of the bottle and drove on. Had no problems till today about 5 days later, it sat most of that time.

I’ve got in my hands some PS 911 should I dump that in on top of the Diesel Guard?
Should I change the Fuel filter again maybe its already water logged?
What all your opinion and yes I know it could be the VP but no codes.
Thanks Rob

Krob

Does no one have any ideas? or am i in the wrong section?

wurkenman

Sounds like the classic dead pedal

Big Blue24

Make sure the EZ has a good connection.

Does it blow a little smoke when it loses power. Thats what mine did when my
VP went out. Shop said it was losing it's brain and thus timing gets off and loss of power and black smoke result. My truck was completely stock at the time so you might want to run a few days without the ez hooked up to rule it out as a culprit.

I wouldn't add more antigel, i doubt that is the problem. I've driven through MT at 7 below zero on summer fuel. Once the truck is running, the fuel actually warms up a bit as it is cycled through the VP and mixed with a little bit of injector overflow from the head and returned to the tank. So once you are up and running and up to temp, gelling problems can be ruled out.

Krob

Well darn, I am going to go unhook the EZ tommorow and go for a long drive. My Machanic buddy back home who worked on these trucks for years for dodge tells me that most of the time they just turn over and die not these prolonged death throws.

I am really hopping i got some bad fuel or something. I think i am still living in denial using my budies experiance and the fact that i cant get it to throw any codes. But also were is the best place to get GOOD (cheapest) vp44.

swmnkdinthervr

After reading here for a couple of years....I don't think I've heard of one just dying, sorry to say but you may be in denial, at least it's a good possibly...

Krob

Why hasnt it thrown any codes.
What are the general symtoms of dead pedal.

PaulDaisy

Have you actually checked for codes or waiting for CEL to come on? 0216 will not turn CEL on, has to be read with a scanner.
Dead pedal is when you are driving along on an uphill and the truck starts slowing down. You push on the pedal and it ignores you entirely. You let off the pedal completely, push it again and it sometimes wakes up, sometimes doesn't. For me it was happening at about 65 mph, 1900 RPM.
I have read here that a truck would just die driving, VP goes out. Much more often I read about dead pedal, surging, lack of power, poor gas mileage, white smoke. Mine did not have anything but a rare dead pedal, gas mileage was about 18. I took it to Autozone and they read the codes, it had 0216.
-P

Krob

Ive checked using the key thing turn to run position then off 3 times no codes.

Trucks will excellerate faulter (alittle jerk with no exceleration then start excellerating again) a few time 2-8 times and then be fine once it reaches above about 1800 then run as strong as ever.

I am going for a drive in about 20 minutes so any ideas right now would be reall really nice. Thanks Rob

Krob

I am not sure what it was but trucks running like a champ. Un plugged ez, started her up then went to tank and dumped ps911 in it and went for a drive. Truck acted real good, so i plugged the ez back in and still ran like a champ. Drove about 50 miles turned her off a couple times ran great.

Thanks guys im still keeping my eye on everything but i think it might have been the water logged filiter/gelling diesel or the ez might have been loose.

I am thanking God and the reliability of the old girl that it wasnt the VP. Knock on wood.

Big Blue24

It will go out sometime, but maybe not for another 100K!

muddin_mavric

some people have problems with timing sutter. the ecm read the air intake temp. and and that afects the timing. some people put a resiter in there on a switch for after its warmed up to fix the problem.


One thing to remember if your reading your fuel preasure at the injection pump and you have over 5 psi changing your fuel filter will not help. if you gel up your filter will become plugged up and you will read lower than normal fuel preasure

Krob

Thanks that was interesting information about the filiter i bet the ez was loose then. Who knows. THanks guys

ScottND

What is/where is the EZ?

Ph4tty

Its an aftermarket box and it'll be wherever he installed it =P