Another Dead Turbo Actuator

[TimothyLong]

I'm pretty sure that my turbo actuator gave up the ghost today. This morning I remote started my truck, but it shut off rather quickly, which meant that a CEL was most probably present. It was, a P003A. Figures! The one morning when I REALLY needed it to run and warm up to help melt the ice/snow from the winter storm we got pelted with yesterday and this happens. In addition to the code, as I was driving into work this morning and even though I was going slower than usual due to the road conditions, I noticed that I was getting little to no turbo boost pressure (way less than what I normally see) and ZERO exhaust brake assistance. Same on the way home. For a while now, I had ben getting a U010C, but it was intermittent and would clear itself (if I didn't clear it), and the truck ran fine. Turbo boost and exhaust brake were working fine as well. I had my truck at the dealer about 6 weeks ago for an unrelated issued and I told the about them U010C issue. When I got it back, they told me that they saw that code as pending, but cleared it and it ran fine (which it had been doing since this started). They told me to bring it back if it became persistent.

Well, it did this past week up until today when I got the P003A code. Now, I do realize that continuously clearing the U010C code was not optimal and was not even close to a fix. I was trying to buy some time until after Christmas when I have some time off and could take it back to the dealer to look at as long as it kept running well. Obviously, I didn't make it. So now I have to replace the turbo actuator and I'd like to replace it with a City Diesel actuator. The only problem is that that they are on back order, both on City Diesel's website and Geno's. According to Geno's they won't be available until January 15th. My question is will it be okay to run for that long with a faulty turbo actuator? I already know that I will be sacrificing some power and some fuel efficiency, but would just like to know that it's okay to run on a failed actuator until the City Diesel part become available? My truck is my daily driver/utility/get me out of trouble just as quick as I got into it truck. I don't usually haul or tow heavy and won't need to in the interim. Thanks in advance for any advice!

2013 Ram 2500 Laramie QC LB 4x4, Thuren Fabrication adjustable track bar, sway bar kit, and 2" leveling kit, Bilstein 5100 shocks, Westin Chrome Ultimate Bull Bar, Weatherguard Saddle Box, Line-X Bed Liner, Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT's LT315/70/R17

P.S. For those of you that commented on/followed my tire thread, the Cooper AT3 XLT's did really well in the snow we got here (about 6" before the ice and rain) in north/central Maryland yesterday and last night. It started out as a wet, heavy snow, which combined with the tons of road salt per square inch they put down on the roads made a slushy, greasy mess on my commute home yesterday afternoon. Then after it warmed up and rained a while, it got colder (in the mid-20's) and snowed a bit more late last night. This was a drier snow that we didn't get much of. Despite the road conditions being so-so this morning on my way into work, I had no problems. Didn't even have to think about reaching for the 4x4 control.

 

[Ltngdrvr]

You can still drive it with a malfunctioning actuator, but as you already found out it won't be any fun, performance will suck. I would recommend alternate transportation if at all possible.
Is the truck deleted?
I could see the bad actuator causing excess fuel use, which might cause other issues in other systems.

 

[TimothyLong]

You can still drive it with a malfunctioning actuator, but as you already found out it won't be any fun, performance will suck. I would recommend alternate transportation if at all possible.
Is the truck deleted?
I could see the bad actuator causing excess fuel use, which might cause other issues in other systems.

My truck is not deleted, running 100% stock.

 

[Ltngdrvr]

My truck is not deleted, running 100% stock.

Yeah, I'd find another ride to use until you can get the actuator replaced.
Might do a google search and see if you can find a city diesel actuator at one of their dealers somewhere.
And, at the very least, call city diesel and get on their waiting list for when they have them back in stock.

 

[cerberusiam]

May not be the actuator. Almost have to pull the turbo apart and see if the collar and vanes are jammed causing the actuator problem.

 

[RammerJam]

Miles??

 

[TimothyLong]

Miles??

113K

 

[Cummins12V98]

Funny how they seem to go bad over 100k.

 

[RammerJam]

Does an EGR delete send less garbage to the Actuator? If so, does it even matter?

I've noticed on mine that there is much, much more carbon inside the tailpipe that ever. In fact, before, there was actually no soot inside the tail pipe. At all.

Does that mean the carbon nastiness is going out the tailpipe now (like God intended) or..... What? And does that affect the life of an actuator or are their failures mostly electronic?

enquiring minds........

We need a 'Dumb Question' forum. I'd be a superstar
jk

 

[Ltngdrvr]

May not be the actuator. Almost have to pull the turbo apart and see if the collar and vanes are jammed causing the actuator problem.

When it jambs, it burns out the actuator, because it keeps trying to move the VGT vanes until it burns out.
When you pull the old actuator off, then you check for free full travel of the mechanism, if it doesn't move freely, then it is turbo time.

 

[Ltngdrvr]

Does an EGR delete send less garbage to the Actuator? If so, does it even matter?

I've noticed on mine that there is much, much more carbon inside the tailpipe that ever. In fact, before, there was actually no soot inside the tail pipe. At all.

Does that mean the carbon nastiness is going out the tailpipe now (like God intended) or..... What? And does that affect the life of an actuator or are their failures mostly electronic?

enquiring minds........

We need a 'Dumb Question' forum. I'd be a superstar
jk

EGR delete only means that there is no exhaust gasses recirculated back to the intake manifold, wouldn't have any affect on the turbo soot buildup.
And, the clean tailpipe you used to have was because the DPF was catching the soot and regeneration was burning it up, now that you deleted there is nothing to catch the soot, hence the dirty tailpipe and polluted air you add to.
And, all of that soot travels through the turbo anyway, deleted or not.

 

[Ltngdrvr]

Funny how they seem to go bad over 100k.

They do???
Don't tell that to my 570K mile truck!!!

 

[cerberusiam]

I have yet to see an actual burned out controller, they rarely do that. When the range of motion is not what the ECM expects it sets a DTC and goes to a default position instead of trying to set itself. Have seen several failures where the turbo was the problem, once the mechanical issue was fixed and the actuator reset done they worked fine.

EGR circulated back thru the intake can and will cause build up in the turbo because it makes the combustion event stoich richer on top of the stoich rich programming. Raise the cylinder temps by removing the EGR and that propagates to the turbo and DP leaving more soot to collect in the rest of the exhaust system as the exhaust cools.

 

[Cummins12V98]

They do???
Don't tell that to my 570K mile truck!!!

“Seem to”

That’s great yours is holding on.

 

[TimothyLong]

Before I left work this afternoon, I decided to clear the codes to see if this was going to be consistent or if I get more/different codes. Surprise! No CEL. Drove the whole 28 miles home and had good boost pressures. This doesn't convince me that I don't have a failing/failed actuator, but it makes me wonder if there isn't something else going on as well. I'm starting to think it's possessed...

 

[cerberusiam]

Hook it up to something heavy and drive it hard, see if that will maybe clear the soot from th eturbo. Sounds like it may just be getting a little sticky on the sliding collar inside the turbine housing.

 

[TimothyLong]

Hook it up to something heavy and drive it hard, see if that will maybe clear the soot from th eturbo. Sounds like it may just be getting a little sticky on the sliding collar inside the turbine housing.

I will give that a try during my holiday vacation.

 

[TMyers]

They rewrote the VGT program around 2017 or so to include a cycle of the actuator at startup. When the exhaust brake or boost wasn't being used, the soot in the gate would stress the actuator causing them to fail. The computer flash was part of a recall if I remember correctly.

My 2013's actuator failed around 90K or so. I replaced it with one from M&D Distributors. I got a Cummins Reman. from them for $300 plus the core. I haven't had any issues.

Helpful tip: Rather than draining the coolant, clamp the hoses.

 

[TimothyLong]

They rewrote the VGT program around 2017 or so to include a cycle of the actuator at startup. When the exhaust brake or boost wasn't being used, the soot in the gate would stress the actuator causing them to fail. The computer flash was part of a recall if I remember correctly.

My 2013's actuator failed around 90K or so. I replaced it with one from M&D Distributors. I got a Cummins Reman. from them for $300 plus the core. I haven't had any issues.

Helpful tip: Rather than draining the coolant, clamp the hoses.

I've had all of the recalls performed on my truck required by FCA that I am aware of. I don't remember if this was included in one of them or not, but when I do get the CEL's it's either right after I start the engine at the end end of all of the power on self tests or shortly there after. Sometimes the CEL doesn't show up until after I've put my truck in gear and driven it maybe 100 feet or so. It's just weird.

 

[EDankievitch]

The actuator motor is not your issue. A cracked Pc board is. That is why you only get the Code sometimes. It starts to show up when you get temp fluctuations. Very cold as it has been in the morning. That is the number 1 failure of these units. City Diesel solved the issue with a better Pc board and how it’s mounted and cooled.
that said I have an actuator but it needs a gearbox adapter. Call City and see which part is back ordered. If they have the 2013 and up gear box adapter we can work something out for the actuator I have. My unit is used. The early adapter had a clearance issue (See my other thread ) City sent me a complete kit. My actuator is still good.