Ok, so tuesday I towed the first load with my truck...it was only a 4k fishing boat, but i could really feel it back there and have to say she rides real nice with a little weight back there.

yesterday was the worst day ever with my truck, I leave work and pull onto a busy road to find out that I have no throttle response...it will rev slightly then just sit there at a certain RPM and not fuel anymore. it happens in all gears and even if I take it outta gear and rev it...there is just no power or fuel in the rev. if i hold 3rd or 4th gear for the length of 2 blocks...it would actually pick up about 2 mph but no RPMS on a steady pull. its just dead.

to solve it I have held it to the floor and all the sudden it will "break loose" and the fuel flows and revs like normal with good ol' black smoke. Twice yesterday it got so bad that I shut the truck off while coasting, and restarted and it was fine for a little while.

I am just totally confused as to whether its an APPS problem or the vp44 going up. I have had the P0216 code for the last 15,000 miles since I bought the truck used, and never had an issue with white smoke, rough start-up, or any of that. I am going to reset the apps tonight and see what happens.

Can anyone enlighten me as to whether this could be a $400 fix (APPS)...or a $3000 fix (vp44)

 

I had the excat same problem. $1400 bucks later and a new VP44 all fixed. Get to a shop and check your fuel pressure first, which is probably gonna be next to nothing. Check it idling and at WOT.

If you have less than a minimum of 5 PSI at anytime, you need a lift pump. If that is also the problem, then your lift pump has caused your VP44 to go bad.

The VP44 needs the lift pumps extra volume and pressure to lubricate itself, and also to cool itself. Dead lift pump means not enough extra fuel for lubrication or cooling...

SOrry about the bad news man. I know how you feel. I was in denial for about 15000 miles myself, when I finally had it doen, and now it is like a new truck. get the VP fixed, and your truck won't even know 4000lbs is behind it.

 

i have a FASS fuel system that sits at 14 psi idle...and can pull down to 11psi WOT...and the truck jsut recently ran a 15.5 1/4 mile and it pulled hard the whole way down the track...

its never a feeling of little power...its just the throttle sticking at a perticular RPM...is this the same problem you had?

besides i have no warranty, the previous owner tapped the wire, and I didn't know what to check for when I bought it. I must pay for my repairs now...so it looks like no clutch and MAD ECM this summer as I will be pinching pennies to buy a new pump and install it myself

 

I had a dead pedal for the first minute or so of operation, then boom, it would be there. There are a few that have died even with a working lift pump if I am not mistaken...

 

Check your apps sensor before you get the new pump. The description of your poblem sounded more like the APPS to me. Find someone to trade the apps for a test drive, its a quick swap with just the 3 bolts and the plug. Then you can feel confident about swapping the VP.

 

Got a check engine light on? Just had a friend in Nebraska with an 02 get the dead pedal syndrome along with a check engine light. He never checked for codes cause I talked him thru the apps reset procdeure. He did check with you know who on a new one- $1,400.

 

I just replaced my vp44 tonight, it was smoking blue and white whenever I got the dead throttle. If you're not seeing white smoke or having issues with stumbling or popping, I'd point fingers at the APPS.

brandon.

 

no stumble, no pop, no white smoke (only black thanks to DD3's) no check engine light...

thru some fuel treatment in her for extra lube...drove the ***** off it on the highway for an hour...had the pedal stick once...gonna reset the apps tomorrow and see if that stops it.

by the way the "dead" pedal i get is not exactly DEAD...it will accelerate as if the pedal is stuck at maybe 1/4 thorttle...but it will not fuel any higher...like i said i drove 2 blocks with it to the floor, and picked up a few mph and slowly built boost, as if i were just barely touching the pedal.

 

does anyone know where to buy the VP-44 tester that plugs in and gives the signal to check the pump with the idle and high idle buttons.

is this a dealer item I can buy to test my pump?