Hello, let me first off say that I searched these forum threads and found some good information and some similar situations, but found nothing quite like mine. So here goes.

I have a '98 Dodge 2500 w/a 24 valve Cummins. At about 99K I had problems with the truck running rough and not wanting to start. When I took it into Dodge, they ended up replacing the LP and Injection pump. I was glad I was still (barely) under warranty for that. And everything was fine.

Now recently I've been having problems with the acceleration cutting out. The truck starts and runs fine at idle and at cruising speeds. But from time to time the acceleration will cut out. I sometimes happens right away and sometimes will be fine for a hour or so and then will cut out. If I cycle the key off & on again quickly while driving, the power comes back. It will then stay back for a few seconds or will be back again for an hour. Usually I have to cycle the key about 6-8 times before the power stays for any length of time.

I took the truck back to Dodge, now with more than 150000 miles, and they replaced the LP again and said that they weren't getting any error codes from the injection pump. The truck seemed to work fine for about 2 days and then started doing the same thing again. Dodge isn't sure why it's doing it but wants to replace my injector pump again, but this time at my expense.

So, does this sound like it's a fuel problem? I'm wondering if it is something more with the ignition, the computer brain, or the turbo. Any thoughts.

Just one more part to this. I live in Colorado and recently took a trip to Arizona and Las Vegas. By the time I reached Arizona, the truck stopped having this problem. I was there for 2 days and then went to Vegas and was there 3 days. Then I returned to Colorado and went about 2-3 days before the problem came back again. During the trip I filled up mostly at truck stops since I was towing a camper and wonder if the different fuel could have made the difference or maybe the elevation.

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to be thorough. Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.

 

I would hold off on replacing the IP. Sounds like speculation on the dealer's part. I have seen APPS sensors and Crankshaft Position Sensors act the same way. Hopefully it will kick out a trouble code soon.

 

Do you have a fuel pressure guage? That would seem to be the first order of business. That way you will know weather or not the LP is failing. There is also a possibility that you might be having an APPS problem. I would try to re-set the APPS and see what happens. At about $1200 for a VP I would do a lot of other checking.
Tom

 

I don't have a pressure gauge installed yet, but am planning on getting one. Is there a manual or diagram somewhere on here that will show me how to do it? I'm not much of a mechanic, but I am mechanically inclined so I'm sure I can figure it out.

Also, I don't know what an APPS is. I would try resetting it if it will help. So what is it and where is it located?

Thanks

 

Here's the link to the APPS reset procedure.

APPS= Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor.


https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...n&onlynewfaq=1


phox

 

Thanks for the info. I will be resetting the switch in a few minutes. Thanks. I won't know until tomorrow if that helped though since I'm not going anywhere tonight.

 

OK, sorry it took a while replying back. I reset the APPS and the problem seemed to be lessened. The next two days I only had to cycle the key about three times compared to about 20-30 times it was previously doing. I also added a fuel conditioner as recommended in several thread on here.

Then I was out-of-town for a week and now that I've been back the problem now seems to be worse. I average cycling the key off/on about 40 times in a 30 minute trip. Sometime it will be fine for 20 minutes and sometimes I have to cycle the key every 5 seconds.

I will hopefully have a fuel pressure guage installed within a week to see what's happening with that. Are there any other suggestions out there??

 

Also, Dodge talks about the trouble codes and I've seen people post them on here, is there a way for me to have access to these codes without going to Dodge for them to test it??

 

OK, some new info. The fuel pressure gauge is still not here yet so hopefully I will get the installed within a week or so. However, I stopped by Autozone and they read the codes from my truck for me and they are as follows:

P1693 (M) DTC Detected in Companion Module A fault has been generated in the companion engine control module.

P0234 (M) Turbo Boost Limit Exceeded Problem detected in turbocharger wastegate.
(in there twice)

P1698 No CCD Messages received from PCM Bus communication failure to PCM. A 9Companion DTC9 was set in both the ECM and PCM.
(in there twice)

P0216 (M) Fuel Injection Pump Timing Failure High fuel supply restriction, low fuel pressure or possible wrong or incorrectly installed pump keyway.
(in there twice)

So 7 codes all together.

So I've read that the 0216 code is the dreaded Injection Pump is dead. Could this be the cause of my power loss?? Or is that coming from one of the other codes?? And if the IP is finished, why does it seem to still be working?? Could these codes be the old codes from when I had the IP changed 50K miles ago??

 

ANYONE???

 

Make sure you have fuel pressure. I bought one that only lasted about 30 miles and went to 0 pressure. If the fuel pressure is good, start saving for an injection pump. Tell you what though, they should have erased the codes, if not get them erased and see if they pup up again. The scanner is less than $100 from Autozone. I keep mine in the glove compartment. Would not be without it.

 

Does tach drop to 0? if so maybe its the ckp.

 

With a P0216 code, well, that is your VP telling you it is giving up. Were the codes cleared from before? You really need to check your fuel pressure and see if your lift pump didn't fail taking the VP with it. Here is a post by jjsj38 that may be of interest:
"Your Vp44 took a dive. I just replaced mine w/lift pump. I shopped all around the net since 1/16/05 when the truck died. The best price out there is cumminstuff.com and i ordered it Wednesday and it was at my door (TEXAS to Pennsylvania) Monday 2/7/05 It's the 027 upgrade re manufactured pump for 975.00

Good luck, and if you do it yourself, read the subject post P1688 and P0216 by me. I explained on making a puller if you don't have one".
Tom

 

OK, here's an update. I got a code reader and cleared the codes a couple of days ago and today I got the 1693 and 0216 back again. I've installed a pressure gauge and have 15 psi at idle, 12 while cruising, and 10 WOT. So it appears that my LP is OK but the VP is going to be gone completely soon.

So my next question is why can't I just get one from a local salvage yard?? There's a place here that will sell me one (if they have one in the yard) for $28. Even if it doesn't last long, I can get a lot of $28 pumps before it adds up to the $975 remans that I've seen.

Does anyone have detailed instructions on how to remove/install a VP??

MnTom -- I will definitely check out your puller post, thanks.

mini14 -- tach operates normal, doesn't drop to 0 when the pedal goes dead.

Anyone live near Denver willing to help me out with the change??

 

Lotta labor involved to be installing junkyard pumps IMHO. The VP pumps saw 27 revisions/evolutions during its rein. Junkyard is likley not the latest rev. I guess if you can loacte a junk one that was obviously replaced recently before the truck was totaolled you might be OK.