Ok you second geners my brother needs your help. He has a 2000 3500 4x4, 5spd that is having a wierd issue. His truck is running like crap when its cold. He stuck a piece of cardboard in front of the innercooler and told me that if the engine temp stays up the truck runs perfect. I took it for a test drive this evening and its really wierd to me. We left the driveway and drove about a mile when I made a turn and started up a slight incline the truck seemed like it was towing 20k. Its rpms wouldnt come up at all. I held it to the floor and got to 4th but couldnt get it any faster or get the rpms to come up at all!!!! He drives it about 91 miles one way to work and says it will run fine asling as it stays hot. If he runs into traffic and has to slow down he says he looses all power again! Hes owned this truck new, it currently has 141k on it. It had a new injector pump installed just under 100k and at the same time the dealer took the fuel tank down and steamed cleaned it. Ok guys let me here what you think? Thanks

 

did you run the cumputer to check for codes?

 

Yes check for codes with three key on trick.
Have you changed fuel filter in last 1,000 miles?
What is the pressure from lift pump at the IP banjo fitting?
Was it upgraded by dealer to a in tank lift pump?

 

dozer I know it never had the lift pump change. What does the temp do to make the lift pump to make it run different cold?

 

he asks because the Lift pump fails so often that an oil change will last longer than a lift pump!
sounds like the VP failed to me, pull codes as if you see 0216, means VP is wore out...again likely because the LP is not working. its been beat to death on these forums you MUST have a fuel pressure gauge, as the truck will still run with low/no fuel pressure BUT over time it ruins the VP because the fuel cools and lubs it, so if it does not recieve enough fuel it will "overheat" and or wear out the VP

do a search, classic symptom of failed VP is no power when cold/lots of white smoke on start up and "dead pedal" symptoms. if dead pedal returns when engine cools during traffic, almost sounds as if thermostat is faulty as well (likely stuck open) as you truck should not cool down that cold during intown traffic, maybe if it was idling for longer periods or its freaking cold outside

 

first thing to check would be the fuel pressure

 

It'll have to be scanned with a scan tool...the keyswitch "scan" started in '01.
Is the Check Engine light on?

 

no the key works all the way down to 98.5 if i remember right

 

From Dave's site,

http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/new00/new_for_00.htm

Scroll down to electrical system changes, 3rd sentence.

Watcha think?

 

The key won't show the codes on a 98.5

 

hmm coulda swore ti worked in both of mine . been awhile mite have been wrong

 

2000 and newer


OP- temp sensor?, they are only 8 bucks from cummins worth a try

 

Thanks for all your help guys. I will let my brother know. I havent talked to him since the friday I orginally posted it. He told me he was going to take it up to Antrim Diesel last Fri but he procrastinates way to much! So he probably didnt! I told him he needs to ditch the 24v First gens run for ever!