Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) CEL and codes, including 0216-- Could my VP be dying at 40K??

[Hohn]

OK, this is about enough to get a guy worried.



Last couple days, the truck has been acting a little weird. It began with a mysterious disappearance of diesel sound over 2100 rpm. Not quite surging, just more like someone turns the clatter off and on at that RPM point. Weird, I thought.



CEL comes on. Codes are 0500, 0121, 0216, 1693 (as expected), and maybe a 1690, too.



I see the 0216 and I think-- "this is ridiculous, truck is running fine and I KNOW the pump can't be going at 40K with upgraded fuel delivery and an untapped wire. "



So I ignored the codes and the CEL went out a couple days later.



It came on again today. I had a VERY brief dead pedal issue, too, but only for a split second. Short enough to make you doubt it ever happened.



So, how could I be losing my VP @ 40K when I've always had good FP and haven't tapped the wire? I'm wondering if my tinkering with the fuel delivery didn't cause the pump to ingest some little particle it shouldn't have. But I haven't TOUCHED the fuel system in months. Why do it now?



The other wrinkle is this: I bought fuel from a local station that I have NEVER used before. I always used the truck stop, but when I read on here that an inspector cited Texaco fuels as the cleanest and best, I decided to try the local Texaco diesel.



Will bad fuel trip a 0216 code? If it could be fuel, why wouldn't it do it within the first few miles of starting the new tank? This didn't start until I already had like 75 miles on the tankful.



Aside from the momentary singular dead pedal occurence and the weird occasional lack of diesel clatter, nothing seems wrong at all. It always starts just fine, seems to have normal power, no extra smoke or anything.



Am I worrying about nothing?



Since I didn't tap the wire, can I fully expect warranty coverage??



Justin

 

[jwilliams3]

216. Fuel injection pump timing error is a dead give away for a pump that is failing.



One way to check that is to just stab the throttle to the floor. (and I mean stab!).

If you get white smoke and a stumble then your pump is definitely bad.



A new pump is up to your dealer. I would remove the modified injectors comp box etc. If you think you have a chance of getting it warrantied.

 

[mhenon]

Hohn, my pick-up definitely has the "0216 bug". The first indications sounded similar to yours. Strangely though it starts and runs perfect in between bouts of dead pedal conditions. Even my highway mileage is right up there. You would never know anything is wrong... ... until the dead pedal hits again. Weird!

Anyway, mine is livable for now. Work is almost walking distance and if the damn thing dies on the way... . DC can pay for a 75 mile towing fee to the nearest dealer.

If you have the code... you probably have a bad VP44!!

Mike

 

[jwilliams3]

So are you gonna ask for warranty?

 

[Todd T]

"does this dead pedal make my VP look like its going out?"



"YOU Betcha!"

 

[RJPotts]

I had the same symptoms before my VP killed over too. I thought it was fine, but it WILL get worse. Mine started fine the whole time my VP was dieing, I had the dead pedal, white smoke, stumbling, etc.....

I'd say pull the injectors and all that off and let DC worry about it.

With an untapped wire, you're safe.

-R. J.

 

[wtfd6]

vp is most likely going bad. i had the same symptoms. mine took a year before it really started acting up. bad white smoke on start up. i also had the loss of engine noise on the highway. it would come and go. take the edge off. i wouldnt worry about the injectors. i doubt they would go to that hassle to see if they arent stock. the valve cover doesnt even have to be removed to do the vp44. just my . 02.



mark

 

[Hohn]

I think I will try to get warranty coverage, but I can't prove that anything is wrong with the truck. Aside from that ONE case, there are no symptoms.



I doubt a dealer wouled be willing to replace a VP that appears to be fine based solely on a 0216 code.



Of course, with my luck, it won't start acting up until I've moved to an area with a dealer that isn't as friendly as my local one.

 

[Turboman]

Yeap 0216 means pump time!!! When mine did this, I called and talked to a service tech and he agreed 0216 would be a pump change. I too would leave the injectors, they'll never know. If you change 'em out, you risk leaving tell tale signs of work being done. If it's throwing the code you can be sure it ain't gonna stop, only get worse. Nuther thing I was told by a pump technician was that during the 01 and 02 years there was a bunch of bad pumps. Mine went at about 45k so sound like we drew the short straw. Good luck.

 

[monkeyman]

216 is the slow death code for VP44, I replaced mine with a "Hot Rod" VP44 two weeks after code came up.

 

[Hohn]

Aren't there other things that can cause a 216 code? Certainly it's not as simple as 216-means-bad-pump, is it??

 

[jwilliams3]

Yeah the toothfairy and the boogeyman.

 

[BarryG]

Hohn:

I have read that low fuel pressure can cause the code as well. However I am sure you are monitoring your pressure.



The first thing the dealer is going to do is the volume test for the fuel. If it doesnt pass they will replace the lp and call it good. If it does pass they wont do anything under warranty unless they can duplicate the problem or you bring the truck in several times with the 216 code. My CEL never did come on. The dealer said the code had been set hundreds of times in my truck. And that now it was a hard code whatever that meant. I had my truck in 3 times before they would replace the vp. The lift pump was good and they could not duplicate the problem even though I told them exactly how to get it to do it. The SR said the pump was bad, the mechanic said the pump was bad but STAR would not authorize warranty replacement as they could not duplicate the problem. After the third time in with the code they said if it did it again they would replace the pump. I was on my way out of town that same day and it happened 50 miles out going down the backside of Eisenhower. Returned on monday to the shop and they said ok we need to order it. After a couple days the pump came in they replaced it and no more problem. At least until now.



I think my second pump is going bye bye. This time no warranty so I will wait until it starts acting up more. The code is showing now but have only noticed very infrequent and very minimal dead pedal. The first time it got worse and worse as time went by. It never did leave me stranded or not start. Just dead pedal more and more often and for longer periods of time. Probably put 5-6k on it from the time it first did it until it got replaced over about a month and a half.



The above was my personal experience with my pump and dealer and I am sure others have had different symptoms and dealer experiences. So in the end just take it in every time it sets the code. Sooner or later they will give in or STAR will. The SR who I had become a sort of friend with through my Presidency of the RMTDR said he would write in the service order bucking and surging as those were key words for STAR. So when you take it in you might tell them that it has a dead pedal, bucking and surging when it acts up.

 

[Hohn]

Thanks, Barry. I was just passing though your part of CO yesterday, headed on a day trip to C. Springs for work.



Your post was helpful, and I'll keep that in mind when I need VP replacement.



My truck doesn't buck or surge or anything yet. It just loses the diesel clatter at 2100 rpm, and even then only when it's good and warmed up. It always starts instantly, and MPG is normal.



This is weird! But I take it that my case is not that unusual, based on what others who have lost VPs are telling me.



Justin

 

[BarryG]

My truck didnt buck or surge either just the dead pedal with resulting smoke. He said he wrote it down that way as they were key words for STAR.



My truck always ran fine except for the dead pedal issue.



You mention losing the clatter. I remember several months before I got the dead pedal I would be driving down to Cortez and would take 285 down through South Park and the San Luis Valley to Wolf Creek. One time as I entered the top of the San Luis Valley you have about 100 miles or so of relatively flat terrain at about 8-9k elevation. It was very cold that day like zero. I was driving 65-70mph. I noticed a surging sound. It was like in one second intervals on off on off. The RPMS were not bouncing at all. You could not feel it at all. You could definitely hear it though. Weird as heck. I tried it with cruise on or off no matter. I tried in OD and out of OD no matter. EZ plugged in not plugged in no matter. Stop and restart the truck no matter. It just kept doing it for miles and miles at a time. It did stop once for about 20 minutes and then started back up. About the time I pulled off 285 to Del Norte it stopped and never did it like that again. It did however do it again just not as long. Usually only in the morning while it was warming up on my way to the freeway at 30-40mph. And it had to be under 45 degrees outside. Didnt do it all the time under that temp just never over that temp. Once the VP got replaced I have not heard it do it since then until the other day (about 70k). A couple weeks after I noticed I had the 216 code back.



If your ever down this way again let me know in advance we could hook up for lunch or dinner or just BS. Cheyenne to CO Springs is one heck of a commute.

 

[mgoncalves]

That's not good. Sounds pretty close to what happened to mine at almost identical mileage. Mine also set an APPS code the first time I noticed anything, combined with a different tone at idle. I was able to get by for a few thousand miles without anything real bad happening, the dead pedal just got a little more frequent.



I ended up needing a new APPS as well, hope you don't also .





Matt

 

[Jed]

bad pump

If you have a friendly dealer get it changed now it will only get worse, mine out @ 80,000 dead pedal very briefly twice in a week took to the dealer he said no problem and replaced vp but not the lift pump. I had not had good experience with this dealer before but this time I did. By the way it had red B20 in it when I took it in.

 

[jwilliams3]

You might just tell the truth to the dealer. You modified your truck. See what happens. They might just cover it under warranty.



Tell him the EZ box doesnt pierce the wire, and the DD2 injectors don't either.



Its all up to you in the end.

 

[Hohn]

Well, I certainly won't deny power enhancement if they ask. Besides, any lot monkey could feel just DD2s with no box if they have driven any CTDs at all. Never mind Mach 4s, lol.



There's no EZ on it now, and hasn't been for 2 months or so. There's no reason they need to know it was on there, as it does NOT affect the pump negatively because it stays completely within stock fueling limitations. I don't think this is the same as trying to hide a tapped wire and expect warrantee coverage. I mean, they warrant the pump to perform within certain limits coded in the ECM, and I have stayed within those limits, so I feel that the warrantee should still be valid.



The ironic thing is that I have chatted with the main diesel tech at the local dealer before, and we discussed how pump failure may be related to the small OEM fuel delivery lines. I took him out and showed him my Max-flow setup and he agreed it should be factory!



The local dealer seems pretty cool on mods that don't tap the wire. They HAVE to look for a wire tap because of the TSB.



Larger injectors should actually REDUCE the duty cycle of the pump, because the solenoid has to be closed for less time to deliver X amount of fuel. While this isn't necessarily "easier" on the pump, one would think it would make it run cooler at least?? Specifically, the electronics part.



It seems like every VP failure that isn't a seized rotor is a fried FPCM on the pump itself.



Making that PC board (the FPCM) integrated with the pump seems like a GFCE to me. What were they thinking? Making you change a $1300 pump when a $50 PC board fries is a little rediculous to me.



Justin

 

[jwilliams3]

You are your own warranty station when you start modifying things.