A friend of mine has a 99 Dodge 5 spd.. This truck has never seen redline nor ever had a chip in it "old Dudes truck". The problem is he was coming to work and it started missing. He changed fuel filter with no change in miss. Took it to the Dodge dealer "this dealer **cks" and they put on the computer and told him the compression is down on #3 cylinder so he needs an overhaul.??? The truck does have some blow-by coming out of the oil fill cap, and a little coming out of the blow-by tube. At 50 mph the truck quits smoking and quits missing. So any help here would be appreciated, any ideas? How can you tell the compression is down on a cylinder with the computer? The valve cover was not removed to check the compression. HELP!!!

Thanks

 

What else did the dealer check? Fuel pressure would be a must and then pulling codes for anything related to the VP pump. I believe the P0216 code is the one to trip just before it leaves you stranded..

How does the truck start?

 

He needs to take the truck to a shop that knows what they are doing. I'd expect the vp44 or a bad injector.

 

A Dodge dealer ? Jeeeeeeeeesus around here, So. Calif. you only go there to buy parts. I'm surprised they can even read.

 

They said they put the computer on it, but that is questionable. The valve cover was never removed, "still had grease with no hand print and some leave scattered around it. As far as starting it starts right up, not hard to start at all. I'm not a electronic diesel mechanic but can you tell from hooking up the computer what the compression is? The dealership kept telling him he needed a new engine, at 254k and grandpa driven, no chips and has never seen redline hard to believe.
Thanks

 

He might need to get out and run the crap out of it for a while. It may be do some injectors. Is it smoking white or blue?

 

They can indivually kill cylinders for a balance test. That does not eliminate a injector itself. Swap a injector would be appropiate to determine if a injector or a cylinder issue. JMHO

 

If I was looking at the injectors I would start the engine, crack open each injector fuel line and listen for the engine to falter slightly = that one seems to be ok, if I came upon one where there isn't any rpm or noise difference with the nut closed or open then that one could be not injecting.

 

It's blowing white smoke with a light blue haze to it. It's going to a diesel shop tomorrow. The guys there have electronic diesel experience and are going to check it out for him. These dealers are hurting in the worst way with the economy like it is, you would think they would do the best diagnostic work anywhere. As far as the smoke goes it clears up between 50 and 60 mph and doesn't have a miss, pulls hard,and runs good.
Thanks

 

all your manf of the big engine (CAT Detroit Cummins) have a method of checking compression with out removing anothing. what they basiclly do is a amp draw and with the Crank position sensor and cam sensor they know which cylinder is on compression its good for ball parking if they need to go farther into the engine i would have done cylinder cutout and confirm a bad hole and move an injector to another cylinder if i have good fuel pressures(fuel to IP fuel at crossover tube, ect.) thats my normal coarse for something like this