I guess I'm the newest guy on the block. I just bought the wife an '01 Ram 3500 with a manual trans and about 144k miles. Last night while driving down the highway the power "went flat". The engine was still running but did not want to accelerate. This cleared in about 5 second. Later, I noticed when the truck was idling, the rpm indicated on the tach was fluctuating, but the engine speed was steady. Without pulling codes and after reading some of the threads listed, I am guessing the cam position sensor may be going bad. At the time of the malfunction, the truck had a full tank of fuel and new filters were in place. I did not notice the RPM reading when it lost power. Any suggestions?

-Joe

 

IT will be the injection pump, lift pump or possibly the apps sensor if you were losing throttle response.check for a p0216 code , if so , check lift pump, if its ok then its injection pump time. If the lift pump failed it may also be injection pump time...sorry.

 

The two codes I was able to pull from the odometer display were P0500 and P1693. When I drove it home from work today, I was traveling at 40 mph in 5th gear and was accelerating for a slight incline. The engine would not accelerate even at full throttle, but would maintain speed. At the next traffic light I came to a stop and when the light went green, the problem had cleared. There was no "check engine" light and the tach stayed at a constant 1,000 rpm when the engine "went flat". Afterwards, everything returned to "normal" with the tach fluctuating about 150 rpm both at idle and while cruising.

I don't have a fuel pressure guage to check the lift pump (Yet). Does the P0216 code show up on the odometer display or will the code need to be scanned by one of the autoparts stores or the dealership?

Thanks for any input, even if it's bad news.

-Joe

 

Sometimes it shows up in the odometer, but it seems most often it needs to be scanned to find it.

The 0500 is the speed sensor, but since you don't have speedometer or ABS problems, you most likely spun the tires which set it temporarily.

If I was a bettin' man, I'd say your VP44 is dying.


phox

 

Thanks phox. I am going to get the computer scanned today and will have more info. I hope it is a lift pump issue and that the damage has not been done to the VP44 yet. Either way, it needs to be addressed. In 200 miles the malfunction has occurred for 5-10 seconds a total of three times. The more I have read posts here, the more I am convinced it is not a faulty sensor. How difficult a job is it to change out the VP44? Are any special tools required?

-Joe

 

There's a couple threads in 24 Valve Engine and Drivetrain detailing a VP44 install, with links to a couple of good online guides.


phox

 

Well, I had the computer scanned today. The most hated P0216 code - Injection Pump Timing Discrepancy was the only code to come up on the scanner at AutoZone. Is this a pretty much certainty that the VP44 is going away? If I am going to replace the injector pump, what is the difference between the stock VP44 and the upgrade (H?VP44)? I am looking at keeping this thing stock (no chips, mods, exhaust) with the exception of the lift pump relocation and the fuel pressure guage.

-Joe

 

Make sure your lift pump is good before changing the vp44.

 

I have a lift pump and a relocation on the way and a fuel pressure guage kit as well (start with the easy stuff.) Thanks hoser.

-Joe

 

Is your truck past warranty ?

 

Yep, no warranty on this one, just cash out of pocket.

-Joe