herb

I HAD WRITTEN ABOUT THIS BEFORE AND AT THAT TIME I HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE MECANIC WHO WAS WORKING ON THE TRUCK THAT AMONG THE THINGS LISTED BELOW THAT THE INJECTOR PUMP WAS GOING TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE FOUND NOW THAT THE INJECTOR PUMP WAS NOT CHANGED.

RUNS GREAT UNTIL I HOOK UP MY 40" GOOSENECK TRAILER (LIGHT TRAILER (2700 LBS) AND LOAD IT WITH ABOUT 4000 LBS OF HORSE CARRIAGES. I ALSO HAVE A DECK OVER ON THE GOOSENECK WITH A V SHAPED WIND BREAK THAT STICKS UP IN THE AIR 12'. (THIS IS LOWERED AFTER WE DELIVER THE FIRST CARRIAGE)
SEE PHOTO OF THIS TRAILER IN MY GALLERY HOOKED TO MY 1500 318 GASSER
WITH THE WIND BREAK UP AND TRAILER FULL OF CARRIAGES I AM GETTING 5.7-6.3 MPG, AND CANNOT HOLD IT IN OVERDRIVE WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 55 MPH. IT ALSO "CUTS OUT" CLIMBING GRADES TO THE POINT OF BEING ABLE TO STUMBLE OVER THE GRADES AT 35-45 MPH. AS SOON AS I GET OVER THE HUMP IT TAKES OFF AND RUNS GOOD AGAIN.
AFTER DROPPING THE WIND BREAK AND A CARRIAGE OR TWO, I CAN RUN 65-70 IN OVERDRIVE AND GET 12 MPG (ALTHO ON THE STEEPER GRADES I STILL WILL GET THE "CUTTING OUT" AND LOSS OF SPEED GOING UP GRADE.
DEALER RECENTLY REPLACED LIFT PUMP, TURBO AND PUT AN AVAILABLE FLASH ON IT THAT SUPPOSEDLY GIVES YOU MORE POWER IN OVERDRIVE.
AM WAITING FOR gauges TO ARRIVE AND SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE LOCAL TO INSTALL THEM FOR ME (WEST MICHIGAN.)
WHAT IS CAUSING MY NO POWER PROBLEM? COULD IT BE THE INJECTOR PUMP?
hERB

Lrdchaos

i maybe be wrong but I don't think that at 55 your building the power you need to keep the speed up. Because at 55 your rpms are low, try running the same hill at 70 and see what the outcome is.

herb

would love to 55 was top speed when loaded

herb

big black dodge-- i have no problem doing the add on's , but am convinced i have a serious problem that needs to be found first. don't want to mask it over. have talked to a number of drivers on the road with basically the same truck and they all tell me something is wrong.
HERB

herb

gauges arrived today. hopefully will find my problem

SBishop

With your gearing, I would not think that you could tow that trailer at 55 in OD. That is really lugging your engine.
In third can you get more speed then 55? Don't be afraid to rev that engine up!

herb

it really is a light built trailer, loaded i am sure it does not weigh over 6000 . everyone i have spoke to on the road has told me it should do it without breathing hard. i don't know if you looked at the phot or not but the truck i was pulling it with then was my 2000 1500 318 and it did it fine (not in overdrive of course), but hogged the gas.

blackjack

Herb I have read your posts and know you are dissapointed in your truck. I really think you need to find someone that can sort this problem out for you. My 01 will walk right off with the load you are talking about and run 70-75 no sweat. A CTD should have the ability even with you 3:55s My suggestion is if you can't get the dealer to sort this out then take it to a cummins shop. There is NO WAY a 318 can get even close to these motors if they are running right.

roadranger

Herb, it's not so much the weight as the wind resistance. Your trailer at 12 ft tall is like a big sail in the wind.

I too agree your truck is sick. Could be your lift pump died at some point and killed your VP-44 injection pump.

Have you got a fuel pressure gauge?

herb

yes, the dealer just changed a "dead" lift pump, turbo charger and done a flash that is supposed to change the amount of power you get when using overdrive just a week before this last trip. my son got back with the truck tonite going back into dealer thursday morning.
sure hope they can find problem. I am a die hard dodge fan, bought my first one in 1972 and have owned nothing else since. (first diesel)

herb

Got it back from dealer today. they said it was full of ? between ac condenser and radiator causing it to run hot (never showed over 190 on factory gauge)
Can;t really tell until i hook it up to trailer and hit some big grades again. don"t have any in area to test it on. Hope it is not going to be another 3000 miles at 6 mpg and no upgrade power !!

ddestruel

Dont worry diesels are simple well maybe not that easy but finding the problem will just take some attention

The dealership is filling you full of crap.... no way that it was just stuff between radiator and ac condenser, check your boost lines for leaks tighten clamps check for tears in tight spots. Find a professional diesel performance shop and have them test your fuel pressure from lift to injector pump and injector pump to injectors. Something mechanical or air related is robbing you of proper efficiency and operation. Dealerships rarely have diesel techs that can actually diagnose and fix problems on these things they ussually just change parts in hopes of getting it right. Most the guys they call speciallists with some exceptions are guys who havent taken any or very few classes. Dealerships dont want to pay the money for a true trained cummins diesel tech. Remember problems like this are usually a chain of events that have amplifed and expanded.

I really do hope you find what it is because i understand how much $$ you are spending and how frustrated you are getting.

Have you got the gauges on yet let us know what kind of numbers you are pushing if you have to go out hold the brake and throttle while going down the road to put a load against the engine.

Good luck
dusty

farmer dave

I too agree that there is something wrong with your truck. I have pulled with a 30 ft. trailer full of round bails with one in the front where your wind deflector is. I can't say that it didn't bog down going up a hill up ( down to 35 mph) didn't really have speed up and no mods to the truck. I have also pulled that trailer with a bronco and a F250 on it and I didn't have any problems. There has to be something wrong to make you lose power. I wold look around and see if I could find some other dodge dealer that has more experience with dodges, or just take it to cummins. I know that there it a cummins shop in GR. Good luck.
dave

herb

well, just to rub salt in the wounds, i left the dodge dealer and stopped to get my oil changed.
guy in oil pit called to me and ask me to come down and look at the underside of the truck.
front axle seal leaking--power steering pump leaking--and oil pan leaking around seal (dry above pan )
Called dealer to set up another appointment , he suggested it might be from them blowing out junk from between radiater and ac condenser.