10 days-still no truck(fuel pump)

[bschmidt]

Truck is still at DC with fuel system related problems. Up to 2000 miles ago I thought I had bought the best truck yet. I am starting to doubt that. With only 8400 miles on the truck, it sits at DC with mechanics scratching their heads. At 6000 miles first fuel pump died!! I replaced it myself with one I purchased through Cummins. Fuel pressure was great 16# at idle and 11# at WOT. Then one day after about 2000 miles no fuel pressure, gauge dropped to ZERO while driving down the highway. I pulled over as the truck began to die. Bumped the starter and regained fuel pressure once again to make it home. About one week later truck did it again and this time the pump was dead!! Or so I thought. After going to Cummins and returning the fuel pump for another one, which I installed I still had a dead pump. I used a volt meter to discover... no power to pump! After checking relays and fuses I ran a power and a ground to the pump right off the battery. Fuel pump was running,so I drove the truck to DC and that is were it still sits. First thing DC says is this may not be under warranty,you have to many accessories. BANKS BRAKE was there main concern. I had to go there and show them everything I did to the truck. Diesel training 101 anyone. Now with all that cleared DC tells me your correct no power to pump.

As of today here is were I stand(10 days later)

DC installed another transfer pump

Did something to ECM

They are waiting to here from star on a possible wire missing in the harness. This wire shows in the book to be a second power source for the transfer pump. DC says not enough power and ECM shuts down.

I think I am getting no where fast.

One thing I found weird is that my fuel pressure gauge was always jumping. For example at idle it would bounce between 15#to16#it never ran smooth. I just said it works live with it,after running my own power and ground to the pump, the gauge ran smoother then ever. Weird

I just hope that sometime soon someone figures this whole revalation out.

I'll keep you all posted with the end result



Thanks for all the help

Brandon

 

[Bigsaint]

Brandon, I followed your other thread but unfortunately had no sound advice, sorry to hear that you are now in the hands of the dealership. The little that I do know is that the transfer pump gets it's power from the ECM. If they already replaced the ECM and still no power to the pump, guess that the next logical step would be the wiring harness ???



Hope you get it back soon, best of luck



Scott W.

 

[mikeg135]

Tell the Stealer to take it to the Cummins dealership. I was at Cummins South yesterday getting a 180* thermastat. The mechanic there told me they work on as many dodges as they do tractor trailers. He went on to say that the stealer has no idea how to work on those motors. The only they can do is replace parts, since they do not have the correct tools to read what the motor is doing there can not effectively troubleshoot problems.





Mike

 

[dewdo]

Brandon:



I too am having and had problems with a D/C stealership. On a recent cross country trip I suddenly began losing power, low boost, high EGT (no fuel presseure gauge yet) anf heavy black smoke.



I pulled into a stealership in central Oregon thinking I had a loose turbo boost hose. I have had a hose come loose a couple of other times and got the same symptoms.



I told the service manager what I thought it was. He agreed to have someone check it for me.



A few minutes laster he came back and said I was only getting 9 psi at idle on the fuel pump and suggested I have them change it. Since the truck was already in their shop and I had not removed my VA Box I admitted I had some minor modifications. He replied that he could work around that, so I told them to go ahead and replace the pump.



A few minutes later he came back out and said I would have to pay for the pump since D/C would not cover it due to my "EXTENSIVE MODIFICATIONS. " I asked him how D/C knew about my modifications and he said he had to tell them!



Since this was the start of a cross country RV trip I had no choice but to have them replace it. In the meantime I called Matt at BD Power to check on what effect a VA Box could have on a fuel pump. He replied emphatically it had nothing to do with the pump and he also fax'd me a copy of service bulletin 878 telling the dealers certain models (of which mine was) was subject to pump failure and it should be replaced under warranty.



I gave the service manager a copy of the bulletin as well as asked him if he was aware of the Magnuson/Moss Act, which he wasn't. He said it didn't make any difference since D/C had voided my warranty I would still have to pay. I told him I would be back in contact with them as soon as I returned from my trip.



As I left and went to pull onto the freeway I noticed I still had the same problem, so I returned to the stealership to tell them my $600. 00 ($355. 00 for the pump) didn't solve the problem.



It was getting late so I was told to return the following morning (Friday) which I did



They had it in their shop for about 30 minutes and came back and said that due to the "EXTENSIVE MODIFICATIONS" they were unable to troubleshoot the problem and had contacted Cummin's NW in Eugene who agreed to take a look at it.



I drove back up to Eugene and a young mechanic had it for an hour or so and said he felt it was the turbo gone bad. They didn't have any in stock and would have one shipped in from their rebuild plant in Mexico and it would be there the following Monday.



After spending a miserable rainy weekend in Eugene I returned to Cummin's the following Monday. A different mechanic took a look at it and said he didn't think it was the turbo and was going to check a few other things.



A few minutes later he came back in to show me the filter box. A packrat had built a nest in it and had drug numerous shop towels insulation etc and had it packed full. He also said my Exhaus brake was sticking partially closed and he had taken it loose and the truck was performing properly. For this I was charged $335. 00 which was a lot less than the $1,500. 00 for a turbo.



I am currently awaiting a date for the small claims court where I am taaking the stealership to try and recover the nearly $1,000. 00 I ended up spending because of the stealerships inability to troubleshoot a simple thing and replacing a pump I didn't feel I needed at the time.



Sorry for the long post, but I need to get this off my chest. I also plan to report the voided Warranty by D/C to the Federal Trades Commission for any action they might want to persue.



Any comments of any kind. Do I stand a chance in court? Should I just forget it?



Dewdo in the other Washington

 

[Jeff H]

These stories get my blood boiling. Imagine the stealer telling you your injection pump is not covered under warrenty. You may be wondering why. They say its an external part of the engine. I made a phone call to a Cummins shop. The supervisor over the shop says I garentee that the injection pump is covered under warentee. The shop supervisor new this since he worked at a Chrystler dealer ship for several years himself.

It took about about 3 more calls. Then he finally says can I have your engine serial#. Now he says its covered.

You can find these idiots at the dodge dealer in Hopkins MN.

All I can say is thanks to the Cummins shop for saving me $3000. oo

 

[Hammer]

Dewdo,,I can certainly understand your frustration on the stealers inability for correctly diagnosing your trucks problems,but,with that said you need to step up to the plate and accept responsibitity for your actions,,I know this is not what you want to hear in this case,but,facts are facts,,There is a service bulletin that was sent out to all dealerships about ANY modifications to the trucks motor and warranty claims,,I myself was in a simular deal when mine broke a second time after the stealer vioded my warranty,,My complaint was that I knew the actions of my work and did not argue the fact of the warranty being voided,but,rather if I was paying for the repair I wanted it done my way,,I was told factory specs PERIOD which led me to have it pushed outside and find a reputable shop for the repair work,which was done the way I wanted it done,,Those may argue this but any modification to the engine or airflows(exhaust or intake)can and will in some cases void the warranties,although some dealerships will look the other way they do not have too,,Bottom line is this,once the B. O. M. B. ing mission begins the only thing you can remember is..... "I am my own warranty station"...

Brandon-A simple call to the Chyrsler Customer Care Center may help you if you've already tried talking to the dealership management,,Number is in the back of the warranty booklet you got with the truck new,,It may not help but its a start,looked in my booklet,its old(98 version) and the number listed is (800)992-1997,,Try it may help... ... . Andy

 

[Archive]

I am my own warranty station....

Hammer makes an excellent point. Its fun & easy to BOMB a truck when it's new and runs like nothing could possibly EVER go wrong with it. Just be prepared if the situation should arise where you have to find out the hard way,... . "No Warranty" means "No Warranty". Trust me.



(Proud owner of a brand new 2002 Flame Red 4x4 Dually with a fully valid legally binding 7/100 super deluxe factory warranty. )

 

[dewdo]

The thing that really frosted me was their opening statement: "we can work around the mods. " Then getting on the phone to D/C to tell them in order that they could put in a new pump at the highest price they could charge. That way they could charge the gentile price rather than accept the pittance D/C pays for warranty work.



I think this stealership in Cottage Grove, OR is really a religious oriented facility. There is a Bilical verse that says: "I was a stranger and you took me in" They sure abide by that! $355. 00 for a lift pump! $175. 00 labor! Never will go to a stealer again for anything.



Then since they couldn't troubleshoot the problem, they send me to Cummin's so they too can get a piece of me!



Dewdo in the other Washington

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by dewdo

The thing that really frosted me was their opening statement: "we can work around the mods. " Then getting on the phone to D/C to tell them in order that they could put in a new pump at the highest price they could charge. That way they could charge the gentile price rather than accept the pittance D/C pays for warranty work.

dewdo, I see your point. You got the old bait and switch routine. What you should of done (hind sight is 20/20), was to tell them that work around it ment covered under warranty. If it was not covered then they need to put your old lift pump back on and you would owe them nothing. The deal up front was warranty coverage and work around the modes!!! I alway "know" what will be covered under warranty before they touch my vehicle, I also learned this the hardway If I were you I would call and talk with the owner of the Dealership. If they don't take care of you I would write a letter to the better business bureau.