Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Cutting out and loss of power

[Gordon Maney]

Regarding my 2001 Cummins powered truck. Over the last three days, and during a snow storm, what I first thought was intermitten wheel spin on ice patches, and then catching again, turned out to be the engine cutting out just briefly each time. Then just tonight on the way home from out of town, it was cutting out again and then losing power and speed. The heat gauge was waving back and forth, though visual and touch inspection told me that it was not hot.

I sat along the road [after midnight] considering what to do, started it again, drove it quite a ways more, then it did it again. After the third such incident, i drove home with no further event. Although the engine or controls light [can't recall the owner manual's exact name for that light... . ] remained on the entire time.

I guess I am off to the dealer. Thoughts on this? I am at about 105,000 miles; the lift and injection pumps are the originals. Have never had any previous problem.

 

[OL RATLR]

Pull up the engine codes and least you will have some where to start.

 

[AndyMan]

Do you have a Fuel Pressure gauge in the truck?



I SUSPECT that your lift pump is dying. Althogh it could be several other things... APPS dying, VP44 dying, etc.



Regardless, if you've got a MIL (malfuction indicator lamp - i. e. check engine light) on the dash, then pull the codes and we can go from there. HOPEFULLY it's not the injection pump.





Fuel Pressure gauges are a couple hundread bucks by the time you get the gauge, isolater, and mount. But they WILL save you money in the long run on a VP44'd truck.

 

[Gordon Maney]

The Cummins dealer said it was not the injection pump. They said that the truck has two ECM's, a Cummins one and a Dodge one. They had been in communication with Dodge, due to some variations in fault codes, and believed it was the Cummins unit.

They offered to try theirs, which they were going to have to order, and if that was not it, they said I would have to go to the Dodge dealer.

I said to try it, and in the morning they are to have their part to try. If that does not fix it, then off to the Dodge dealer.

Also, I apologize, I do not have the fault codes.

 

[Gordon Maney]

The Cummins dealer determined that it was not the ECM that they tried, concluding that it was first a particular sensor, and then seemingly an intermittent problem effecting two sensors.

The most recent decision was to replace the engine wiring harness, and that is on order.

That is my update.

 

[Gordon Maney]

I need to correct my last post. I was in the dealership at 10 PM to get something out of my truck. I was misinformed with regard to the idea of an engine wiring harness being ordered. What I learned the next day was that they had made up a wiring harness allowing them to run the engine separately from the truck's wiring.

As for codes, I raised that question. They have gotten a variety of codes, in alternating and intermitten fashion. It was not consistent. It offered no codes indicating that it was the injection pump.

Codes that he mentioned that were displayed were 123, 443, 193, and 211. In reading other threads here, it seems that codes mentioned are four digits. Would these be Cummins codes?

Other threads have also mentioned Dodge dealers trying parts and then once they are on the truck, you own them. [That is very wrong. ] This dealer has tried a number of parts, including an ECM, and when it was determined that the part did not fix it, the part was taken off. Their idea is that you should not buy a part that you do not need.

Their current belief is that they are going to try an injection pump, even though it offers no codes indicating that it is the pump. This would seem to fit with the thread here about bad injection pumps offering no codes.

They believe at this point it is the pump, and the man also verified that if that did not fix it, I did not have to buy it. They are frustrated and say they have not seen a situation like this; it has become a project, so to speak for their shop, and they have taken it on with a good attitude and have been good to talk with about it.

I have worked as a dealership mechanic in automobile and truck dealerships and have an appreciation for vexing, intermitten problems.

 

[Gordon Maney]

Do you have a Fuel Pressure gauge in the truck?

I SUSPECT that your lift pump is dying. Althogh it could be several other things... APPS dying, VP44 dying, etc.

Regardless, if you've got a MIL (malfuction indicator lamp - i. e. check engine light) on the dash, then pull the codes and we can go from there. HOPEFULLY it's not the injection pump.


Fuel Pressure gauges are a couple hundread bucks by the time you get the gauge, isolater, and mount. But they WILL save you money in the long run on a VP44'd truck.

I want to install a pressure gauge. Do you have a recommendation that you feel is particularly good?

 

[AndyMan]

A mechanical gauge with an isolater is your best bet.



Contact Geno's Garage. They're the same people that run this site. Great folks. They will get you EXACTLY what you need.



Personally, I like Di-Pricol gauges. I have had two sets and loved them both.



AutoMeter, ISSPro, and Westtach also make great gauges.



Geno's sells them all, and they are very knowledgeable and helpful.