I have a 2003 Dodge 2500 Cummins, Crew Cab, AT, about 100,000 miles on it. I've taken great care of it, changing the oil every 4000 miles. It doesn't have a drip, leak or issue....that is until the other day.

About 2 weeks ago I had to drive the truck on about a 100 mile drive. I noticed every now and then the engine would feel like it missed, sort of like a gas engine with a bad plug. It would clear out and run fine.

I thought possibly this was a fuel filter issue and thought I would take it in to get a filter very soon.

I had to take it on another short 30 mile drive. While pulling a hill I noticed the engine seemed to be losing power. I eventually got down to about 10 mph. Then the engine seemed to miss quite badly and died. I coasted in to a grocery store and it wouldn't start. When cranking it over it would pour out white smoke from the exhaust. It smelled like raw fuel.

The tow truck came and got me and took the truck back to a local service center. They aren't a Dodge dealer but have 3 or 4 Certified mechanics (former Chev. dealership mechanics) but primarily deal with gas not diesel.

They plugged it up and the only code that came up was P-2509. They looked it up and didn't think that would be the problem with the engine. They checked the pumps and everything seems fine, its pumping fuel to the injector pump and the injectors seem to be getting the fuel from the pump.

I told them I had tried to crank it at the parking lot and a mechanic tried to crank it. It immediately filled the building with smoke and they had to raise all doors for a few minutes to clear things out.

One tech said "I think you have an electrical issue". ?????

I thought I would touch base with folks here to get your thoughts as some of you might have a clue. The last time I took it to the dealership I had some minor work done (not on the engine) but still spent around $500. I don't have the $$$$ right now to do something major. But.....???

Anyone have some thoughts?

 

Have you checked the oil level? You may have fuel in the oil and it is over the full level. The white smoke sounds like you lost one or more injectors.

 

Yes, they checked the oil and it was actually a little low. Its due for a change and will be about 1/2 quart low between changes.

I should ask Dr. Dizzle, I can see losing one injector. But what would happen to cause more than one to go?

 

Fuel quality and filtration related issues are concerns. How many miles do you have on the injectors?

 

More then likely injector issue. Need to do injector kill test and injector performance test to locate bad injector. Or you can pull all 6 injectors and have them tested, which I would recommend you do because if one is bad then the other 5 may be going out soon also. Check for fuel contamination, any water in fuel tank will cause new injector to fail in short time. 90% of all injector problems come down to fuel contamination.

 

The injectors are the original equipment. The engine hasn't had a bolt turned on it other than belts and regular filter changes. I suspicioned injector issues since it appears the pump is OK. I think I'll have the shop pull them and have them tested.

 

Good call but also check the high pressure fuel tubes also. Recommend changing them also. If any water has gotten to them they will be pitted and corroded on the bottom'. If corrosion is present then drop fuel tank and clean. The pickup screen will most likely be plugged up too. Pull a fuel sample if any water then dump the fuel. Fuel will look cloudy and water will settle to bottom.

 

I thought I would let everyone know what the final results on this issue was. I had all the injectors pulled and tested at Diesel Injection in Louisville. I actually only had 4 of the injectors tested as 2 of them were in such a shape that you could blow air through them. It was if something was in them holding them open. 3 of the 4 tested bad so I had to install 5 injectors.

What's strange about this is that all of this happened in about a 30 mile stretch. The engine went from running great, to missing severely, then puffing a large amount of white smoke, then stopped. After the mechanic installed the injectors it cranked right up. There must have been a couple of gallons of diesel in the muffler and exhaust. When I took it down the parkway on a test run, all 4 lanes of traffic had to stop as the smoke rolled! After a few minutes the smoke lessened.

I drove about 8 miles and pulled off the parkway into a station. I put in 5 gal of fuel and it wouldn't start. I cranked and cranked, nothing. I went in the station and bought a can of starting fluid and gave it a short shot in the air filter intake. It fired up and I drove it back to the shop. When I got there I shut it off and again, it wouldn't crank. I went in and talked with the mechanic and he said there was only 2 or 3 things it could be. He hooked the computer up and the rail pressure was low, about 3000 psi and it would never come above that cranking it with the starter. He pulled the wire off the back of the valve at the high pressure pump and still nothing. Then he pulled the pressure relief valve thats on the rail. He took it to his bench and did something then tapped on it, blew some air through it and out came a small piece of debris. He installed it back on the rail and the truck fired up after about a second. I turned it off, waited about a minute and again it started after about a second of cranking.

This brings up a big question. Since the injectors failed all at once and then there was a piece of debris stuck in the pressure relief, is it possible that I had a fuel filter disintegrate or at least this happen to a small portion of it? Its hard to imagine all of this happening in the matter of about 30 minutes (in terms of the motor shutting down) unless there was some sort of major failure in the system.

Thanks to all for the comments and advice.

 

I think your analysis is correct, but if debris is the culprit. You should clean the fuel system from the tank 'til the injectors or you are likely to encounter this again. Secondly, I highly recommend a fuel pressure gauge at the input to the high pressure pump. Once you get used to the normal supply pressure, you will easily see any fault from a bad supply pump to a clogged fuel filter.

 

If I was you. I would put an addtional fuel filter on it. Under the truck like a separate screw on/off water/fuel filtration system. It will also prevent FCA valve from getting contaminated.

 

That is GOOD advise---protect those new injectors and the fuel system