My truck has been into the dealer and various mechanics off and on for about a year now and nobody can figure out the problem. I love the truck and don't want to sell but I'm at my wits end and I was hoping someone on the site might be able to help me. The truck sounds good and doesn't knock or anything. when running empty you can't feel the loss until your up in 5th and 6th gear. When pulling a 4500 lb trailer on the freeway in hilly terrain (slow rolling hills) it will sluggishly accelerate to 65 in 5th and as soon as it is shifted into 6th it will start to lose speed. It's not an RPM problem because I've taken it all the way to the red line before shifting and it still can't pull up the hill. It also feels a little sluggish on take off. It also gets horrible fuel mileage, I'm running about 14 mpg's mostly freeway miles occationally there is a raw fuel "sulfer" smell in the cab and it doesn't smoke excessivly in fact it would not blow smoke at all until I put the flowmaster exhaust on it.


The dealership has checked the fuel pressure in the lift pump, the injection pump, changed the fuel filter, turbo boots, and air filter. They've replaced the turbo boost sensor. About the time this started the dealer ship replaced the lift pump and reflashed the computer. One mechanic suggested that I needed to have my valves adjusted and it was a normal mantenance proceedure but the truck doesn't run rough at all.

The truck has 59,500 miles on it and has a 4:10 gear ratio.

Sorry about the long post but I don't know where to go from here and I really don't want to sell the truck.

thanks for any help
Dave

 

I bet the lift pump fuel pressure was never tested under load,
most likely just revving the engine in the shop.

You really need to test it under load.
Load being actuall realtime driving conditions, on the road, going up hill, towing what you tow, etc.

Best way is a permanant FP guage in the cab, or you can get a temporary guage with a long hose that you can snake into the cab, or tape onto the windshield.

Since this wasn't done, by the time they replaced the lift pump, the damage to the VP44 (Injection pump) had probably already happened.

Did they ever get any codes from the computers?
You can look yourself and see using the key on/off method.

Turn ignition to on (but don't start or bump the starter), then off, then on, then off, then on, leaving it on.
Watch the odometer window, you'll see a P-PCU and a P-ECU followed by the P???? codes.
Write them down and check either here: http://www.troublecodes.net/chrysler/96-01.shtml
or here: https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...n&onlynewfaq=1


phox

 

Thanks for the info Phox. As far as I know it never threw any codes but I'll check tonight when I get home. I can't afford permanent gauges right now because of college so how would I go about hooking up a temp gauge (not really sure how its done). Any Pics would help.
Thanks in advance for the inconvenience,
Dave

 

I went home last night and tried the on/off code check. All that came up was P-done so I'm assuming that there are no error codes. As for the FP can I just get a cheap one from autozone or somewhere until I can get the gauges I want?
Thanks
Dave

 

A stock lift pump comes from Cummins only. Don't go to Dodge dealer, go to a Cummins dealer, it's cheapers.

 

I have a 99 that would do the same thing...loss of power out on the road with my 30' 5th wheel, in town was fine...it finally did send the 0216 code so tomorrow the VP is being replaced...out of my pocket.....grrrr....but i have had it checked several times and no codes...replaced my LP...and have gauges...14.5 idle...and 11 WOT....and my VP is still bad...so if the LP is changed, it may not help with your problem...could be a dieing VP...hope this helps ya out....

 

I'm really not sure if the lift pump or the injection pump are bad or not. The dealership tested them and said they are fine but I'd like to hook up a fuel pressure gauge to find out myself what the pressures are. As for the cost the truck is still under warranty until september so it's still on their dime.

CapnRam,

How long was it before it threw the code? My truck has been acting up for about a year now. Does the FP guage monitor the lift pump and the Injector pump or just the LP?

 

I got my truck in Dec. of 04...i put the edge ez in feb....thats when i started having problems...i reset the APPS,,,sent the edge to them..its fine...then finally took it in again last week...(my sis is the service manager at the dodge dealer) and this time there was a code....i guess the first time i took it in was april and there were no codes at that time..but camping season is here now so i'm hauling my trailer around now more...hope that helps ya out...as for your FP, you need to take it off the front schrader vavle on the VP, its a -4an fitting...just take the guts out of the valve, then get a line with a gauge on it and read right off the VP....my 99 i took the reading off the post filter on the filter housing...but you cant cause you have the plastic top on your filter...hope this helps ya out...

 

CapnRam,
Thanks for the info. Is the install very difficult for the fp gauge?

 

I did all 3 gauges on the pillar..and yes i used a mech. fuel gauge on the pillar, i have a shut off valve in the eng. comp.....no its not to bad...the hose itself was 50.00 to have the -4an ends and the hose made....when i did mine it took me about 4 hrs.....then i did my GF's and it took less than 2....i have a bunch of pics at home of the install, if ya want some email me at blown468@bresnan.net and i'll send em to ya.....

 

Look up Briar Hoppers fuel gauge. Cost about $35. Easy to hook up and test, should get you by till you can buy one to mount in cab.

 

You could possibly have a bad MAP sensor.

 

How would I go about checking the MAP sensor?
Thanks
Dave

 

I,m not sure on testing the MAP sensor. I thought at on time i read some resistance figures on this sight, but could be wrong. Might want to try a search on MAP sensor to see what you come up with.

 

"They've replaced the turbo boost sensor", sounds like they already replaced it. SNOKING