Archived low fuel, a clunk and misfiring of engine, dead in the water

[ebezdek]

Hey everybody, best place I know to find answers.

Scenario: driving home, fuel gauge almost to E. Going up a mild incline to enter expressway locally. A sound: a clunk, a dropping of something, a feeling of the bottom dropping out. Then loss of power, into the safety lane. Cranking the motor and a run of complete misfiring and the motor is coming oput of the hood. Stop. Add 41/2 gallons of fuel and complete misfiring of engine, starving for a smooth fuel flow. Kill batteries. Towed home (additional charge of $87. 00 to include tool trailer). AAA has a RV package for this problem. Late to the gate. . I am at home, battery charger bringing back life to batteries. Now truck is level in driveway with satisfactory, minimum fuel and tries to run like it is again misfiring. Can't run but a few seconds. Have bleed fuel filter, have opended fuel filter drain while cranking and have only made a mess. Bucket underneath caputured overflow.

Feel that I have comprimised positive fuel pressure (17,000 psi) at cylinder or the fuel pump has went to heck in a hand basket.

Some sound let itself be known. I am getting nothing but erractic running and I am stuck with a truck that was working perfectly earlier today.

The incline, very low fuel status and pulling a 5K tool trailer did me in. I am stuck.

Stats: 2001 with factory replacement fuel injector pump (2001), new in tank fuel pump (2007), new damper (2013) and proper fuel filter changes.

There is nothing smooth about my engine running now.

Do I have an airlock, a vapor lock or a dummy lock. 13 years and here I am.

 

[JLandry]

First thing is to check for trouble codes stored in the ECM and PCM by cycling the ignition key ON, OFF, ON, OFF, ON (leave ON) and watch the odometer window. Any trouble codes present will be displayed followed by the word "Pdone". Write down any codes you see and report back here.

Second, get a mechanical fuel pressure gauge hooked up the the Bosch VP44 fuel injection pump fuel inlet then bump the starter (but do not crank or start the engine) to activate the lift pump for 25 seconds. Read the fuel pressure from the gauge and let us know what you have.

Without more info it sounds like you could either have air in the high pressure injection lines or a fuel injection pump failure due to fuel starvation.

John L.

 

[ebezdek]

John L. ,

Codes as presented: P-PCU
P1693
P-done
PECU
0232
1689
1688
P-done
No access to mechanical fuel pressure gauge.
Tried starting truck this am. Still trying to run and banging around.
Pump failure is not something I am happy about.
I appreciate your help John
Ed Bezdek

 

[Alan Reagan]

Assuming this is a stock truck with no fueling box... ..... If you are putting fuel in the bucket from overflow, then your lift pump is apparently working. If you think it is air locked in the lines, crack the fitting on the #6 injector and crank it over and see if you are getting fuel to it. Keep your hands away from thay fitting when cranking it. The pumps in the 01 are pretty sensitive. If it was starved from lack of fuel or fuel delivery, it may very well be toast. A bad Crank Position Sensor can also cause the symptoms you are having. That would just be too uch of a coincidence, but something to consider.



DTC1688 - Internal Fuel Injection Pump Failure

1. This code can be caused by a bad crank sensor (DTC336)

2. If no other DTC, most likely injection pump needs to be replaced due to an electronic failure.

DTC1689 - No Communication Between ECM and Injection Pump Module

1. Can be caused due to excessive cranking - See hard start & no start diagnostics.

2. Wires chaffed at pump connection.

3. Performance box problem, remove box and retest.

4. Fuel pump relay bad (swap with horn relay and retest).

5. Possible defective pump.

DTC1693 - DTC Detected in PCM

The JTEC controller is reporting that there is a DTC stored in the PCM.

 

[ebezdek]

Hi Alan;
Appreciate your feedback.
No fuel box or other enhancements.
Straight 2001 truck with new 4" exhaust and S&B air filter.
Under your DTC 1689 all is good. Fuel pump relay bad didn't work. Horn relay prevented engine from even firing.
Cracked #5 injector line into injector and fuel came out, but not much.
I never imagined that low fuel and on an incline could destroy my injector pump.
Tried starting again and still the same; very bad firing( wrong terminology I'm sure, that what it sounds like).
Unless someone has another idea, I am resigned to sending my beautiful truck to the dealer and paying thru the ... , you get my point.
The rules of a diesel engine can be unforgiving and when you break them, you are kaput!
Thanks for your help Alan Reagan
Ed

 

[JLandry]

Codes as presented: P-PCU

P1693

P-done

PECU

0232

1689

1688

P-done

Ed,



I pretty much concur with Alan that those trouble codes alone (without more troubleshooting) point to something seriously wrong with the VP44 fuel injection pump. However, that P0232 trouble code is very rare and could suggest an electrical problem. It indicates the ECM has received excessive voltage on the VP44's pump shutdown circuit.



Before I replaced the VP44, I'd do the following:

• Disconnect the batteries.
  
• Disconnect the ECM and VP44 electrical connectors.
  
• Carefully check the wiring and electrical connectors for any sign of corrosion, worn insulation, or chaffing.
  
• Spray the electrical connectors with aerosol contact cleaner (available from any good auto parts store).
  
• Clean and tighten all grounding points you can find in and around the driver's side of the engine compartment to include the battery.
  
• Clean the battery terminals and make sure the cables are corrosion free and tight.
  

If you've had the same VP44 since 2001, you've done good!



Best regards,



John L.

 

[JLandry]

Unless someone has another idea, I am resigned to sending my beautiful truck to the dealer and paying thru the ... , you get my point.

Ed,



Fuel is used to cool the VP44's electronics and lubricate the pump, so low fuel is a big no-no. Also, not supplying positive fuel pressure to the VP44 at all times can damage it internally. The fact that your lift pump is working doesn't mean it's supplying adequate fuel pressure to the VP44 to properly cool it and prevent damage. You can't know for sure unless you have a fuel pressure gauge to verify the pressure at idle and under load. This is the reason many of us have a fuel pressure gauge permanently installed in the cab so we can monitor the pressure at all times.



If you're mechanically inclined and handy with tools there's no reason why you can't replace the VP44 yourself. Just go to YouTube.com and do a search for some excellent how-to videos.



Good luck,



John L.

 

[ebezdek]

John,

Again, thank you for all your help.

I cleaned all the electrical connections and still no luck.

I have been reading Factory manual and tomorrow I will try (raining now) to bleed the fuel system. If that doesn't work, its off to the dealer.
I am surprised that this one event has caused total failure of the pump.
This is the second pump. Original failed soon after I bought the truck new in 2000.
I wonder if DTC 1688 can be caused by air in the system. According to Factory Manual running dry is not the end of the world ??
That said, I am learning a very valuable and expensive lesson here.

Again, thanks to you and Alan for your help.
A big Thank You to TDR for having this site.

Regards,
Ed Bezdek

 

[JLandry]

According to Factory Manual running dry is not the end of the world ??

Ed,



I don't think it was well understood how vulnerable the Bosch VP44 is to low inlet fuel pressure back when the factory service manual was written. Also, one single low fuel pressure event won't necessarily kill a VP44, but they become more vulnerable with age and repeated low pressure and/or heat will eventually do them in.



Best regards,



John L.

 

[Alan Reagan]

The VP44 is also very susceptible to failure if it gets any water at all to it. My favorite truck was my 01 6 Speed. The local Bosch repair shop told me to use Stanadyne at every fill up to protect the pump. Usually, the controller on the pump goes out due to overheating. Sorry for your problems. Get the pump gear puller and you can swap it yourself.

Wish I could help more.

 

[Sticks]

Agreed - do the job yourself.

Go to post 3 in the link below for a tool list and procedure to R&R the VP44.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?228089-Injector-pump-replacement