Failed lifter pump diagnostic info:
12-31-2014, 01:26 PM
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Failed lifter pump diagnostic info:
For those of you still using mostly stock fuel systems: some symptoms of a failed fuel pump (lifter pump). First off, this is my first lifter pump failure in two trucks and 600k combined miles, so, IMHO, it appears they are not the weakest link in our trucks. My issue was made infinitely more difficult by long road trip, small town, and extreme cold (temps were in the -20 degree range the whole time). So, after a long drive and some sledding on the way, the lady and I arrive at hotel and shutdown rig with no apparent symptoms. Didn’t plug in that night as he always starts fine in frosty temps.
Next morning, get ready to head to the hills again and fire him up as normal. Step back into the room and looked out and noticed he wasn’t running still. Hmm…. THAT’S NOT NORMAL. Cycled him again and it started and died. Cranked for a bit and it gave indication of catching (like when you have air in lines but need to crack an injector to finish the job). At this point continued cranking was quickly wearing battery down in those extreme temps, so stopped and plugged it in to revisit in a couple hours, so the grid heaters wouldn’t kill the cranking potential.
Two hours later attempted start again and this time not even a hiccup. Since this has never happened I took the last thing to change as a clue and deduced that I had gotten unblended gas at the “city” station I had purchased the last tank at. It had been in the 30s and 40s the last few weeks and the maybe they didn’t have blend yet?
Walked to ONLY parts store and shop in town (pop 700) and got some Diesel 911. Dumped some in my just under half tank and spun the filter off and dumped some in there. Since I’ve never had a wax problem wasn’t sure if “waxing” was obvious or maybe microscopic in the month old filter (no obvious “waxing” was noticed). Spun it back on and cranked it some more…NOTHING…WTF this has NEVER happened in my 20yr driving of these rigs. Must be what everyone mentions as air in line from possible small leak in line in the tank>pump sectio? Cracked the injectors and cranked till fuel was spurting and he was coughing. Tightened them up and cranked till he started! Alright, the 911 is working…it’s just a matter of getting some heat generated and I’ll drive to station that has 60/40 and top off—to offset the bad fuel—and he’s good to go right?
Wrong…ran for about two minutes and died. Cranking resulted in NADA again.
So all this 3 hr parking lot diagnostics had taken place in stiff breeze at defacto -20 and I was getting uncomfortable.
Still going on gelling fuel idea, I proceeded to get more 911 and new filter. Put on new filter full of 911 and cracked injectors (must have to purge the waxing right?) and he caught and proceeded to run normal (did notice I had to hold pedal down partly, and had NEVER had to do this). He was running normal for over 5 min and I started to get ready to head down to station and top off, when he quit again. Cracked injectors again and he fired (is this air in system or gelling?) pulled him out of lot immediately and went up and down the three block town to try and generate some heat. Had to keep foot on throttle or he would die, but it seemed to improve. Topped off and all seemed good except a lower idle then normal. Pulled into lot and killed it. Tried to restart immediately and nothing…Cracked injectors and he finally caught again. Same scenario as before, so decided it MUST be getting air somewhere, because, if it was pump, it wouldn’t run at all right? Had one chance to get any “part” coming to parts store before no more deliveries for few more days (holidays and in middle of BF nowhere). Figured what the hell…I’ll try pump and look at the line while replacing it.
Long story short…got truck in to heated shop before he died again, and waited to put new pump on in morning when parts truck “came in”. New pump on and all normal for long drive home. Soooo…, diagnostic lesson learned, truck will run without lifter pump as long as on the gas, but erratic idle and no restart will be results. This troubleshooting would have been much easier if I hadn’t gone down the wrong path with the possibility of gelling fuel, but also would have been helpful if I had known that stock truck will somewhat run without functioning lifter pump.
Next morning, get ready to head to the hills again and fire him up as normal. Step back into the room and looked out and noticed he wasn’t running still. Hmm…. THAT’S NOT NORMAL. Cycled him again and it started and died. Cranked for a bit and it gave indication of catching (like when you have air in lines but need to crack an injector to finish the job). At this point continued cranking was quickly wearing battery down in those extreme temps, so stopped and plugged it in to revisit in a couple hours, so the grid heaters wouldn’t kill the cranking potential.
Two hours later attempted start again and this time not even a hiccup. Since this has never happened I took the last thing to change as a clue and deduced that I had gotten unblended gas at the “city” station I had purchased the last tank at. It had been in the 30s and 40s the last few weeks and the maybe they didn’t have blend yet?
Walked to ONLY parts store and shop in town (pop 700) and got some Diesel 911. Dumped some in my just under half tank and spun the filter off and dumped some in there. Since I’ve never had a wax problem wasn’t sure if “waxing” was obvious or maybe microscopic in the month old filter (no obvious “waxing” was noticed). Spun it back on and cranked it some more…NOTHING…WTF this has NEVER happened in my 20yr driving of these rigs. Must be what everyone mentions as air in line from possible small leak in line in the tank>pump sectio? Cracked the injectors and cranked till fuel was spurting and he was coughing. Tightened them up and cranked till he started! Alright, the 911 is working…it’s just a matter of getting some heat generated and I’ll drive to station that has 60/40 and top off—to offset the bad fuel—and he’s good to go right?
Wrong…ran for about two minutes and died. Cranking resulted in NADA again.
So all this 3 hr parking lot diagnostics had taken place in stiff breeze at defacto -20 and I was getting uncomfortable.
Still going on gelling fuel idea, I proceeded to get more 911 and new filter. Put on new filter full of 911 and cracked injectors (must have to purge the waxing right?) and he caught and proceeded to run normal (did notice I had to hold pedal down partly, and had NEVER had to do this). He was running normal for over 5 min and I started to get ready to head down to station and top off, when he quit again. Cracked injectors again and he fired (is this air in system or gelling?) pulled him out of lot immediately and went up and down the three block town to try and generate some heat. Had to keep foot on throttle or he would die, but it seemed to improve. Topped off and all seemed good except a lower idle then normal. Pulled into lot and killed it. Tried to restart immediately and nothing…Cracked injectors and he finally caught again. Same scenario as before, so decided it MUST be getting air somewhere, because, if it was pump, it wouldn’t run at all right? Had one chance to get any “part” coming to parts store before no more deliveries for few more days (holidays and in middle of BF nowhere). Figured what the hell…I’ll try pump and look at the line while replacing it.
Long story short…got truck in to heated shop before he died again, and waited to put new pump on in morning when parts truck “came in”. New pump on and all normal for long drive home. Soooo…, diagnostic lesson learned, truck will run without lifter pump as long as on the gas, but erratic idle and no restart will be results. This troubleshooting would have been much easier if I hadn’t gone down the wrong path with the possibility of gelling fuel, but also would have been helpful if I had known that stock truck will somewhat run without functioning lifter pump.
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