Pirate

Hi all, new to this forum and have read a lot of the threads relating to my issues. Thanks to everyone I have become a lot more educated about diesels in general and the fuel system in particular. Here it is, 1999 Ram 2500 quad cab 4x4 long bed, automatic with about 136,000 miles. I am experiencing what I believe to be dead pedal. Truck starts and idles with no issues, no black or other smoke noticed under any conditions. The dead pedal has been intermitten. I first had the problem while towing an empty 16' enclosed trailer from VA to upstate NY. The pedal was not completly dead but anything more than 1/4 pedal did not produce any difference. This came and went as I drove. Recently the problem has become worse with and with out a load. The truck will still start and idle with out any issues. Generally if I stop and either shut it down or let it idle the full power returns. Sometimes this works for quite a while (100+ miles) and sometimes the condition returns with in a few miles.

The check engine light has never come on and I read that I can not check for codes using the on/off sequence for the 1999. I don't have a code reader so I can not tell if there are any codes yet. The truck is completely stock so I don't have a fuel pressure gauge. I will be adding a few gauges as recommended on other threads.

I am looking for thougts on diagnosis and best areas to look and check before I start to spend $$ on hit or miss repairs.

Thanks for a great forum!

merrillr4

You know I had the same problem last month and it turned out the LP was done and it had also taken the VP-44. The injector pump was on its last leg. I was lucky though, it was covered under the Cummins warranty.

TNutcher

Yeah I have pretty much the same stuff.... no goofy idle but the crappy pedal deal. It does it when its cold and on the freeway and longer stretches of constant speed. I got the 0216 which is usually assosiated with the crap out of the VP. But try the APPS reset procedure and see if that helps any... i think dissconect batteries with key in "on" position for at least 30 mins then turn the key off and connect them again. then turn the key to on but dont start... slowly depress throttle all the way down and back up slowly then i think turn the key off and ur done. If it helps sweet! if not its prolly ur VP...sorry to tell ya.
TNutcher

Rauschbo

...sounds like the LP, and possibly the IP as well - get a FP gauge on it and see what you have going on.....

If it is not a FP issue, and the APPS reset works - that's cool, but you still need to be monitoring the fuel pressure, swapping out the LP before it takes the IP will save you a lot of $$$$

RCW

Try the APPS reset procedure outlined in the tech facts menu at the top of the page. Then, if the problem continues have the trouble codes scanned with a real Dodge scanner as it will read the attendent companion codes that the key flip sequence and generic scanners will not.

Pirate

Thanks everyone. At least I think I am on the right track. I had the VPPS reset today and ordered a set of gauges as well as a FASS fuel/air seperator. I will have this installed when it arrives and hope the IP has not been damaged yet. From what I have been reading the FASS system is a good upgrade even if the LP has not failed yet.