Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) My VP44 shut down the 91 fwy tonight...I think

[Devil Black Diesel]

My 2001 quit tonight while I was in bumper to bumper traffic on the 91 fwy. I happened to be in the fastlane going about 5 mph and it just shut off. I was pretty much idling so I couldn't coast to the shoulder. I sat there with hundreds of cars trying to get around me. The CHP came and shut down the whole freeway for few minutes until we figured out how we were going to push the beast to the shoulder (it was loaded with crap). Not a good place for the truck to die...



Anyway, Is there anything else that might cause the truck to die other than the VP44? I'm pretty sure I don't have any NEW codes. When I checked codes on the side of the fwy I saw the same three codes I've had for about a year which are NOT VP codes. From memory I think they are 0622, 1764, and 1693 but they've been present for a long time.



I confirmed I do have fuel pressure from the LP. It will crank, it just won't start. I have not had any signs of a dying VP. No dead pedal, no hard starts, nothing. It's been running fine.



So, either the VP44 just quit with no warning and no codes or I have something else wrong. I have 130k on my truck



What's the easiest way to troubleshoot? Do I just crack a line open and crank the motor? If no fuel squirts out then VP44 is dead?



Could anything else have caused it to die like this? I was about 1. 5hrs into a 2hr trip.



Thanks

 

[BTowler]

What did your fuel gauge read at the time? Mine did the same thing, dealer said it was the VP and lift pump, wanted almost $4000. 00 to fix it, I picked it up and had a friend change it. Turned out my gauge was sticking, it showed a little over 1/8 tank and it was bone dry! Now I have to fill up just below 1/2 a tank. Expensive mistake!!!

 

[Devil Black Diesel]

I definitely have fuel in the tank. I have about 1/2 tank.



Should any decent auto mechanic who's not familiar with the VP44 be able to put one in? How difficult is it? Are there any directions for the installatoin procedure?

 

[BTowler]

You have to index it just right or you can do major damage, but other than that it is fairly straight forward r&r.



As far as your fuel level, mine now runs out somewhere just below (one time at) 1/2 a tank. There are threads on here about the fuel floats deteriorating and/or the potentiometer on the sending unit going bad. Just suggesting you double check that before putting out that much money, I could've saved a lot if I had known.

 

[Bob4x4]

It is fairly common for them to fail that way. I do quite a few still even though the common rails are growing in numbers,the old vp trucks are still the ones I see most.



Bob

 

[Moose Truck]

Siezed Rotor?

When Mine died in my '00, it just died pulling away fom a stop sign. It was the Rotor Shaft siezing in the VP. The only code I was able to read was "P-1863", which means that there is something wroeng on the (Cummins) ECU side of the house. You would need either a good code scaner, Smarty or the Dealer's Star Scan to see anyother codes.



Acroding to the Bluechip site, "If this happens to your truck and you want to diagnose it simply, positively and accurately, do the following. Loosen three injector lines at the valve cover. Crank the engine a few times for 30 seconds and if fuel only comes out one line or none of the lines, this indicates a seized rotor. I know this because we proved you can not put this pump in a hydraulic lock, so therefore fuel has to come out of an injection line even if the rotor is not turning. If you have fuel coming from one line only that is where the rotor is stuck. " http://www.bluechipdiesel.com/VP44INFO.html



Not sure if this a help or not, But Good Luck!!!

 

[johncameron]

P0622 (G) Generator Field Not Switching Properly, An open or shorted condition detected in the generator field control circuit.



Have you checked to see if you have dead batteries? If not, VP4#@$%!



John

 

[Devil Black Diesel]

P0622 (G) Generator Field Not Switching Properly, An open or shorted condition detected in the generator field control circuit.



Have you checked to see if you have dead batteries? If not, VP4#@$%!



John

John,



I have had this 0622 code for over a year now, not sure why. My batteries are fully charged and my motor will turn over without problems. I'm going to try the troubleshooting technique that Moose suggested above - thank you.



Here's a photo of it after we got it to the shoulder. I wish I had a photo when the CHP had all seven lanes of traffic shut down... . yes, all SEVEN lanes of rush hour traffic were at a dead stop. You can still see the congestion back there. I'm sure I made plenty of friends!

 

[RJWEST]

any Fords or Gm's see ya... . may be able to read about it in there forums...

 

[Devil Black Diesel]

Yes, plenty of Fords and Chevy's went by when I was sitting there and most of them made sure I could hear their exhaust when they drove by...

 

[Nate]

Are you BBQing on the side of the road? :-laf

 

[johncameron]

Are you BBQing on the side of the road? :-laf

Thats what I was thinking I just didn't want to say it

 

[Devil Black Diesel]

Are you BBQing on the side of the road? :-laf

Yeah, I was cooking up some burgers while waiting for a tow truck Actually, that's not a BBQ. It's a go kart stand with an EZ-up strapped to the top of it. It rides out the back on my trailer hitch and I had to remove it so the CHP could push me with his patrol car.

 

[johncameron]

This may seem like a stupid question but what does CHP stand for?

 

[BILLVO]

This may seem like a stupid question but what does CHP stand for?

Haven't you ever seen the old tv series "CHIPS"



California Highway patrol

 

[qkoop]

Had the same thing happen to me last week, had a 1/4 tank and it died. The only reason i knew it ran out of fuel is because my fp gauge started bouncing, or i would have thought it was the vp also. What a beech to get it bled out and started again. Pulled the tank yesterday and the pickup screen was full of black crap. Sanded the fuel gauge contacts with 400 grit paper and it works perfect now.

 

[Ragain]

So your the one that had traffic backed up all the way to Compton! (heh-heh)... I made the mistake of running the 605 to 10 east on friday afternoon rush hour. 4½ hours to get past Redlands area. $#!* L. A. traffic!

I'm not sure what you've checked so far..... but have you checked all fuses & relays?

 

[MMeier]

At least when my LP took a crap I was able to get to the side of the 210 above LaVerne, had a 48' High cube tied on at the time!

 

[Devil Black Diesel]

Well today I found out it was indeed my VP44 that stranded me on the freeway. My truck did not show any VP codes on my dash when I cycled the key but I found out today I did have 0216 when the codes were pulled from a scanner. My truck has 130K and the wire has been tapped since 90K.



I was wondering if it really was my VP44 that caused the problem because after I got the truck towed home last week I cracked lines 1, 3, & 5 and cranked the starter. Fuel came out of all three lines. I was defnitely not expecting to see that so I primed the LP's a couple times and the engine fired up! I was like WTH? How did it start? It was idling a little rough at first like it had been starved of fuel but then it idled fine and I could rev it with no problems. This had me totally stumped and I was wondering what had caused it to die on me. Then I tried to put it into gear and it died again. I was able to restart again several times but it would eventually die one me everytime it fired. I changed the fuel filter and the same thing happened. I had 22psi of FP at the VP before and after the fuel filter swap.



I thought once a VP44 died it was dead for good but that wasn't the case with mine. I was also not aware that codes can be present that do not appear on the odometer when you cycle the key. Will a Smarty pull all codes present on the truck? I'm thinking of getting one now that I've been stranded. If it happens again atleast I'll be able to view all codes present and identify the problem.

 

[Moose Truck]

Smarty will definitely down load all the ECU codes, also it will allow you to clear the codes (If the problem is not fixed they will come right back )



The 0216 is the code for the timing advance, it's a common VP44 failure mode. I am guessing that the timing mechanism is linked to the fueling so that you were unable to add power (fuel). Glad to hear that you are back on the road, Moose