Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) 3 PSI Fuel Pressure?

[RSchwarzli]

Hey guys, I installed a Autometer Phantom Fuel Pressure gauge in the banjo bolt as recommended. Everthing seemed to work fine for a 2 week period and now the fuel pressure says 3 PSI all the time. It does not seem to matter if the truck is on or off. Any thought what could be wrong? The gauge? The fuel system?



If it helps, the needle on the gauge does not even move on vehicle startup.



Thanks so much!



Robert

 

[Bobalos]

Robert,



did you install a snubber between the fuel filter & the sending unit?



the only real way to tell is to put a mechanical gauge on it & see if the fuel pressure or the gauge is to blame. I drove around with a gauge taped to my windshield for about 2 weeks while I played with mine. LOL. If you dont have a snubber, I would say its the gauge, if you have a snubber, its your lift pump.



my2c

Bob

 

[GHerrmann]

Glad I am not the only one who runs around with a gauge taped to their windshield sometimes.



Robert, I would agree word for word with what Bobalos says. I had an elec. sending unit and did not bother to put a snubber on it. After a while it trashed the sending unit. I made a manifold that comes off of the Fass unit that contains a sending unit with snubber and two other ports with shrader valves for use with other gauges, just to double check pressure gauges.

 

[RSchwarzli]

Duh? Snubber? What snubber?



VP44 - Tapped Banjo Bolt - Sending Unit - Wire to gauge in cab.



This is what I have.



As for the lift pump or not, when I first installed it, I was sitting around 7-9 psi idle, and was even able to peg the gauge on zero on WOT. It did seem to work OK for the 2 weeks until the gauge stopped working. As for the lift pump, it was one of those Mopar in tank warranty replacements.



Robert

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

BSchwarzli,

Do us a favor and update you signature with the new truck.

Get rid of the in tank pump IMMEDIATELY!!! They are junk and will only cause you VP44 problems in the long run. I highly recommend AirDog and you will have to remove the intank pump and install a Vulcan Draw Straw II.

Secondly, you either have a bad/loose wire connection somewhere or the sending unit is bad. Check all wire connections, including the one that goes to ground on the sending unit. Find a buddy with a known good sending unit (same pressure unit) and try it on yours. If it reads good then order a new sending unit.

I have never used a snubber on my Westach electric fuel pressure sending unit. It now has over 150,000 miles on it still works fine.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[Bobalos]

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/search.php?searchid=2025287



Here is a search on the snubber, in shorts its a way to slow down the pulsations going to the sending unit. I used the one that Autometer suggested & it still blew up the sending unit, so I made my own, by pushing a number of sintered filters into a fitting.



Bob

 

[RSchwarzli]

Thanks for the update. I will check the wires and all tommorow.



As for the truck, 2002 2500 quad cab, short box 2wd, 6 spd, 120,000 miles. 100% stock, minus fuel pressure gauge!



Bob - can you repost that link? Somethin's not working there.



Robert

 

[Bobalos]

Shoot, I cant make it work either. when your in the 24v section hit the "search" button & type in snubber & hit go. it will find all those links.



Bob

 

[Highfinance97]

BSchwarzli,



Do us a favor and update you signature with the new truck.



Trent

I Agree,

I started reading this thread and i didnt know what to think:-laf





Michael

 

[RSchwarzli]

QUOTE "

Do us a favor and update you signature with the new truck. "





OK, OK! I get it! I will work on that!!:-laf



Part of the issue is I do not want to delete anything off my sig, but I am out of characters that I am alowd to use!:{ :{ #@$%!



Robert

 

[Highfinance97]

Part of the issue is I do not want to delete anything off my sig, but I am out of characters that I am alowd to use!:{ :{ #@$%!



Robert

Get rid of that big space and you should be good





Michael

 

[RSchwarzli]

OK guys. The sig is updated.



As for the gauge, it appears that the sender is gone. Do I need to worry about about anything in the guage being fried now that the truck has been used for a couple of weeks with a bad sender sending signals to the gauge?



Also, having now done a search on a snubber, where do you buy these things, and what is the actual purpose of the snubber? Thanks!



Robert