Commatoze

Last week, because of scheduling problems, and the need to get my truck back on the road ASAP, I was forced to have my "local" (25 miles away) dealership replace the Injection and Lift pumps. I thought I'd post the details:

Injection Pump (P/N R5019658AD) $1897.50
Labor 4.2 hours @ $75/hr $315.00

Lift Pump (P/N 68003865AA) $504.90
Labor 5 hours @ $75/hr $375.00


Bottom line with shop charges, and tax: $3293.84


Couple things of interest:

The Lift Pump was retrofitted to the tank.

Although my lift pump pressure was fine, they would not warranty the Injection Pump for 12 months/12,000 miles, unless I had the lift pump work done at that time too. This certainly sounds like extorsion, but it's their ball,I was stuck without wheels and up against the holiday, so I guess I had to play by their rules.

After effects:

There is no longer any hesitation when I hit the pedal. Previously, it would hesitate, and buck a little.

It also sounds slightly different under heavy acceleration. There use to be a howling noise, but that's totally gone now.


Another after effect is how I feel about my Dodge and its Cummins engine now that my wallet has been relieved of $3300 bucks just when I need it most.
As I said in another post, I felt quite smug driving around with 128K on the original IP and LP's. I felt that I had to be doing something right to make mine last so long, and consequently felt immune to the problems other guys were having with them.
I purchased a diesel truck for one reason, and that was the high mileage I anticipated putting on it. I drive 80 miles a day, plus I do a lot of weekend trips with the wife. Indeed, 128,000 miles in less that 5 years is a lot of mileage. But this expense really has me on the ropes. I know guys who have over 200K on their gasoline engines and they're still running fine without encountering the expense I have.
I purchased the Dodge for one reason, and that was for its Cummins engine. But I now feel that I was let down. With all of the problems people are experiencing with the injection pump, and lift pump, and the expense in replacing them, I believe that DC, and Cummins are certainly aware there's a serious problem but are choosing to ignor it.
The truck is mine in 2 more months, but the pump replacement charges are essentially adding another 10 months of truck payments. I have to look at it that way because that expense it will eat me alive if I don't.
I'll be looking for another set of wheels in a year or so. If you talked to me 2 weeks ago, I would have told you that it would only be a diesel. Now I'm not so sure. With the price of diesel oil nearly 50 cents more per gallon, the cost of the diesel option, and anticipated high repair costs of a diesel engine, there seems to be no logic in getting one if your sole reason is to put lots of miles on her.
Sorry for the ramblings, but I'm curious to see if there are others who were jolted into disinchantment with diesel ownership.

Marine

I can understand where you are coming from. But if you did it yourself, or even got some help from a member here, you could have saved about 1500.00- 1800.00 of what you paid.
My truck is 1 yr older than yours, and I have 140,000 miles on it. That is including the 2.5 years it hasn't been driven due to me being deployed 3 times. I have the original IP, but am on my 3rd or 4th LP.
I would never buy a gasser over this truck.

crobtex

I have mixed emotions, but pretty much agree with you. I bought a new Z71 in 1995, and my daughter finally got rid of it when the AC quit at 237,000 miles. The most expensive repair to the truck was a new alternator.

It averaged about 16 mpg when I quit driving it. I let it go because, as well as it ran, it just wasn't enough to haul the weight I needed to handle.

I guess the decision has to be made on your wants and needs.

RowJ

I feel your pain, but.... Being out of warranty, I would not have gone to a dealer!
I too was smug, until I lost my Vp-44 at 85,000 miles. Cost me $1,050 (remanufactured w/ latest electronics) plus 2 hrs labor. Bgt a lift pump at Cummins for $140.00. Would cost one hr labor to have had it installed!
4.2 hrs for an injector pump and 5 hrs for the lift pump (even the in-tank retrofit) sound outragous, to me.
I would check around other shops for labor time on those jobs and complain if you find discrepancies! JMO.

I have a diesel for load capacity and because I too drive 35,000 - 40,000 miles a yr and want 5-7 yrs out of my vehicle! Diesel still seems the best way to 'skin that cat'. But I cultivate a good relationship with a local shop for the work I can't, or don't want to, do myself.

The added HP and the fun of driving a 'hot' truck came later, but are now essential minimum requirements for me. I could never go back to a gasser!

RJ

Ram1999

WOW!
I bought a Lift Pump at Cummins for $89.00 and changed it in one hour in my driveway. Dealerships are ripping us off bigtime!

Commatoze

Remember, this was for an in-tank retrofit pump, and not a direct replacement lift pump. I don't know what's involved with the in-tank replacement.

There's no doubt that I would have tried to replace the IP myself IF it were warmer outside, and I had the time. But I was kind of stuck nursing it to the dealer's. I'm not trying to make excuses, I agree with you all, but when your livelyhood is 40 miles away, and there's no other way to get there, you do what you have to do to get it done ASAP.

Maybe diesel ownership is intrinsically expensive, and if you don't pull heavy loads that a gas engine can't handle, you have no reason to own one; I don't know at this point....

redpoint5

My truck died on me last week and I questioned weather I wanted to own this generation of Dodge diesel. Turns out only the lift pump died. I got the lift pump from Cummins for $65 and replaced it in an hour. Cummins is very aware of the LP/VP issue and has designed a new pressure sensor that warns the driver when the pressure is low and shuts the motor off after 30 seconds. Cummins provides this fix for the busses, but it's up to Dodge to support us. If I had to haul big loads, I would not use a gasser. From browsing on other diesel truck forums, the Cummins is the motor to have. I don't need to pull big loads, so if I didn't get diesel so cheap I would get a Tacoma. If only the Tacoma had a diesel...

J BODY

....that would have pretty much mirrored my "mopar parts estimate". Only way labor would have been that high is if there were diagnostics involved and we certainly don't get 5hrs to do the retro kits (I'm not even going to bring up what that whole job pays warranty). I would have followed that up with an injection pump from an "outside source" and also an "original" style lift pump estimate. That would have put the bill to around $1800 out the door for both pumps + filter and overflow valve installed. Yes that sounds high to 90% of the "do it yourselfers" here, but I've found that for the area I'm in that's very competitive and I've actually beat a local independant garage or two.

.....and while I love my 01, I would have to rank the VP44/carter lift pump fuel system as the WORST of any Cummins equipped Dodge. While the drivability is much better than the 12 valve it replaced I HATE driving around thinking that at any given time I'm going to have to drop $1000 for a new VP. My first one dropped at 82k under warranty. Next one is on me.......and I still run the original lift pump.

b4wheeler

I did an Edge Comp, a Big Line kit and a Draw Straw to replace the in-tank pump in just around four (4) hours. With a good lift, you can get the tank out in twenty minutes. Especially if you have done it before. I would never put the intank kit in. Just move the engine mounted pump with a relocation kit and be done with it.
These guys are charging book rate and doing it in half the time. That is just the way it is done.
You need to find someone that is compitant and only charges flat rate.

SSweeney

I just had the intank warrantied replacement. Although I was charged nothing, I leaned over to read there paperwork. They charged 370.oo for the intank lift pump and 175.00 for labor. I suppose that is what the local dealerships bills the warranty division. Its alot less then you were charged. There are vp44s for sale for 1049.00. They took you to the bank big time it sounds like.

This summer I bought and 02. I had a 93 cummins. I have already had more issues in 6 months than the entire time I owned the first gen cummins. I wish I had held out for a 03. This vp and fp, steering, weak tranny, bad track bar, on and on. If you upgrade your tranny for 4000.00, put in a 400.00 lift pump. Put in a 3 rd gen track bar with DSS probably another 400.00. Save 1200.00 for emergency vp change out. You may be ok for 200,000 maybe.

I love diesels and think cummins is a good one. I just think they owe us better than a intank low pressure replacement and a better VP upgrade for free. Dodge I hope has finally fixed some thinks with the new ones IE track bar,FP and LP, steering and ride.

droy

I like the idea of having a low pressure shutdown, is this sensor something that can be adapted to our trucks? If so would anyone have the p/n and schematic for the hookup?

redpoint5

The sensor comes with the Campain replacement lift pumps. I don't know how it could be setup to shutdown the motor, but it would be easy to rig the sensor to turn an indicator light on. The sensor turns on when pressure drops below 3.5psi.

scottsjeeprolet

they come with the campaign pump when purchased from Cummins. they also include very detailed VP44 replacement instructions, even tells you what tools needed in each step.

b4wheeler

Thank you for repeating and clerifing my post.........

cditrani

A Dodge dealership is the last place I'd take my truck for non-warranty service. I know sometimes you don't have a choice though.

Ben at BlueChip replaced my VP yesterday in 1 hour for a flat $200 fee.