Well, I was driving down the road, and the truck just deceided to quit.....

Here's a re-cap.
It was cold last night -15C (6F?) So the truck was plugged in for about 3 hours prior to starting. Started up fine and idled for about 15min. I left home, drove about 2 miles, and the truck just shut off.
I coasted to the side of the road, turned the key off. Turned the key on, all lights come on the dash, but no ding ding noise. Crank it over, after about twice the amount of usual cranking time, it starts...can't find idle, and quits....
Try it again, same deal.
Let it sit for about 5 mins, try it again. This time it starts and idles, so I take off. It ran fine the rest of the way to work.

The only thing i can think of is the fuel tank was pretty much empty yesterday, and I filled it up to about 3/4. Could it be as simple as a little water in the fuel?

The truck only has 40K miles on it, never had a problem before...

 

those temps are most likely your culprit, either water in the seperator froze or the fuel gelled up, do you have a fuel pressure gauge? if so what did it do? I would dump the seperator, bump the starter to run the lift pump and then try to start as usual.

 

You should not let your tank get below 1/2 driving around town.

Water in the fuel is not simple. It can blow off the tips of the injectors. Not a good thing.

You need to add a fuel additive year round, but especially in the winter. Power Service is a good start. (white bottle, 16 oz per tank.)

 

Well, I dropped it off at the dealer. They can't tell me what's wrong with it. However, they feel that is "could" be the Transfer Pump (Lift pump?). Part is backordered of course. They tell me that I shouldn't drive the truck. So it sits at the dealership waiting.
I think this should be covered by warranty?? Truck only has 62000kms? This should be covered by the drivetrain 160000km/5 yr?

Dealer says that I have to pay $100 warranty "deductable"???? ***?

Help, I need some ammo to go back to the dealer

 

Lift pump is covered by warranty and a specific TSB because DC knows of the problems. They will change your lift pump to an in-tank configuration.

I've heard of the 100 buck deductible before but have never had to pay it myself ... tell your dealer to take a long walk off of a short plank to get his $100 then take your business to another dealer!

Ken

 

This just gets better and better
On top of the $100 deductible, they tell me they have to change the fuel filter. I just did it 10000kms ago (6000mi).
Well, there's no way I'm paying $240 more for that, so I'm, going in to change it myself.

......It never ends....

 

240 bucks for a fuel filter! i thought my $17 fuel filter was expensive!

 

Yep, $240 installed. That's why I drop by the Freightliner parts counter and by them for $15. What a rip...

 

yeah dodge tried to do that to me when i lost my injector pump.. i had replaced the filter a week before. thay made me get a new one. before they checked the i/p .. i said okay but if its not the filter i want my money back.. well i got my money back 2 weeks later new i/p and i very ****** off dealership.. who says the little guy cant win.. i went 3 weeks w/o my truck ( only down side) figures!! there was 7 trucks at the dealer for the i/p problems

 

It is very common for filters to fail if there was water in the fuel, which your symptoms pretty accurately describe.

Very cold weather, truck starts and runs for a short distance and then the filter plugs. The truck will shut down and if you let it set for a while the engine heat will defrost the filter. If you do not let it set for a while it will start and die, and do the following:

If you keep cranking on one that has any water in the fuel, the water will form ice and wax crystals around the filter and and can very easily cause it to crack and release a bunch of that sludge into the pump and injectors.

The advice on routinely running a water dispursant and fuel conditioner is more than just sound, it is required or you will eventually blow the solenoid stops out of your injector tips, and that is a non-warranty fix once the dealer finds ice damage (and it is obvious).