Contaminated Fuel

[RBellah]

My question is: How can contaminated fuel get past the fuel filter and into injectors? And if so do the injectors have to be replaced?

Friend of mine has a 06 2500 and the dealer is telling him that the lift pump, injectors, fuel rails will need to be replaced. The injectors from DODGE rebuilt are $596. 00 ea and new OEM are 730. 00... . Ouch!

 

[steved]

Contaminated fuel doesn't mean it is dirt/particulate contamination... fuel could have had water, gasoline, or some other fluid contaminant in it that caused the issue.



However, this is a classic Dodge excuse to deny warranty (this is the same excuse verbatim). Personally, if it is not going to be warrantied, I'd take it to Cummins and have them work it over. And another thing I don't understand is how the lift pump (tank mounted) is affected... might be more to the story than you are being told.



Good luck... been down that road.

 

[sag2]

As steved stated the contamination does not have to be large chunks of stuff. Most times it is water, algae, dirt, and other fuels like bio or gasoline.

And it is not a method to deny warranty. The warranty covers defects and contamination is not a defect. The way it can get past the filter is if the filter gets saturated with contamination or water it can be forced past the filter media. Once past the filter it starts destroying the pump, lines, rail and injectors. Fuel return flow from the high pressure side returns to the tank and flows directly into the small reservoir at the base of the lift pump. The debris from the parts upstream starts to destroy the lift pump and the process starts over.

Also remember that water that gets pushed past the filter is corrosive to the parts and that corrosion builds up and breaks up past the filter. The edge filter on the connector tube only stops large debris.

Failure to replace or properly clean the entire system can result in doing the whole process again.

 

[steved]

I should specify...



They use the contaminated fuel as a reason to deny warranty, even though they acknowledge open vents in the top of the fuel tank that can lead to water contamination... that may not be related to actual purchase of contaminated fuel.

 

[RBellah]

Appreciate the feedback.



Doesn't Bosch make injectors as an aftermarket for the replacment of the OEM's? He was told they were more expensive than OE rebuilds.

I thought I saw a post somehwere like DDP for about 2K a set.



And you are probably right about more to the story than what I am being told.

 

[steved]

You can buy new injectors for around $2500 for the set (new, not reman'd)... you can also buy injectors from Cummins for around $400/each.

The OE injectors are Bosch, they are the ONLY manufacturer for these injectors... the only difference is that the later ones are "upgraded", and thought to better... if you buy injectors, they will be Bosch.

 

[Superdawg]

If the dealer is refusing to cover the repair, try going to your vehicle insurance company to see if it is covered under the comprehensive policy(damage to vehicle). He may pay a deductible but that is cheaper than the entire repair. I know a person that did that when the dealer refused to warranty the repair. Good luck, that's big money you are talking about.