Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) dead pedal

[JeffWhite]

I have had an ongoing problem with intermittent dead pedal -

I assume since I have 0216 code showing, the vp is on it's way out.

(52,000 miles) I decided to keep driving it for awhile till it got worse,

since I still have quite a bit of warranty left - well, yesterday it did

something new. For the first time, it showed up while I was on cruise

control. In the past, it only showed up after several miles of interstate,

then accelerating after an off-ramp. Yesterday though, I was on the

Natchez Trace, 50 mph limit, so had cruise set on 58 mph - felt truck

slowing down on a tiny upslope (I'm running empty) looked down and

I was only going about 49. I played with the accelerator pedal to the

floor and back several times, with no change in engine sound or rpm.

14 psi fp, 700 deg egt (pre) 180 deg water, 14 volts showing.

Finally, I disengaged the cruise, let completely off the pedal, and when

I went back on the throttle, the problem went away. The rest of the

way home, I could recreate the condition by holding about 1500 rpm

and easing into the throttle - dead pedal - the only thing that would

make it go away was to let completely off and reapply throttle.

When the power comes back, it is with a bang - just like flipping a switch.

I have found that the only time this happens though, is in hot weather

with the A/C on - I can let it idle awhile with the A/C on, or I occasionly

use the truck like a tractor - 30 minutes to an hour at 1500-2000 rpm

in 1st or 2cd gear - if I do this, the problem is there, normal day to day

it never shows up. It feels to me that some electrical component

(vp, apps?) is getting heat soaked enough under these conditions

to cause the dead pedal. It always happens 1400-1700 rpm.

I have also noticed warmer water temps than normal lately, I think

I have oil/dust crud in front of my radiator to be cleaned out.

Does this underhood temp/dead pedal thing ring a bell with anybody else?

If it is something that could be re-located in cooler place, like inside the

cab (with longer wires) I would like to try it. One thing that really puzzles

me, is that when this happened on cruise, and my speed got well below

the set point, why did the cruise not try to pull the pedal to the floor

to gain speed? It did not - I had my foot lightly resting on the pedal,

and it was making no effort I could feel to correct - Ideas?

 

[nps]

Cruise doesn't work the pedal on newer models. The pedal stays all the way up regardless of cruise setting.



One of the VP killers is heat - frys the electronics inside. So time to go get a new one from the dealer so you can 'break it in' before your warranty goes out. With an 02, if the miles aren't creeping up on ya, I'd predict you got 12-15 months left on the 5 years.



It has been suggested to run a ram air duct from the grille to the VP. Also suggested to put cooling fins (like a PC CPU heat sink) on the pump cover. Some have done it, but no conclusive results.

 

[RJPotts]

I'd say its heat related too. Especially if you still have good FP and have not had low FP or a dead LP replaced recently. When its hot and I turn the A/C on I don't get a dead pedal, but I do get weak performance, like its stock with a load. It happens on the interstate, in traffic, pretty much any time I have the A/C on more than about 1/4. Maybe I'll fab up a little electric fan and some heat sinks for it.

Freakin Dodges, can't even turn on the A/C without messing something up.

Oh well, rather be hot than be driving a P-joke or D-trash.

-R. J.

 

[EKoster]

same exact thing has been happening to me recently. Weather has been 100 plus, drive home on freeway for an hour, get off, go to accelerate at different times and there is nothing.

 

[Niccum]

I have the same problem with mine. Any time I decellerate with the truck in gear and reapply throttle the dead pedal is there. I can get it to stop by doing some different things.



Letting the rpm drop down to 1100 in gear or out of gear

Getting the rpm up to 2200 in gear

pushing the pedal down letting up pushing down again



maybe you can try some of these things so your not getting that sudden jolt of power



Also I do beleve that is has to do with heat because I recently installed injectors and the pump runs cooler and now the symptoms are only half as bad. It has to be an electrical problem because truck is a horse any other time.





So why cant I order the computer that sits on top of the vp instead of the whole d*** thing?

 

[JeffWhite]

Thanks for the replys - I did not mention, but to clarify, I have never to my knowledge

had low fuel pressure. I did not put gauges on till 40 something, but when I did,

I had what I've got now - 15psi to pegged at idle, always above 10 WOT. Original

LP, everything. Once during one of these latest episodes of dead pedal, I was

losing speed in 6th going up the tiniest of hills, so I crammed it down in 5th pretty

hard and floored it - it came on and pulled past 80 as hard as it ever has.

After I clean my radiator out and relocate that stupid puke bottle, I'm gonna look

into some type of ram air duct or something - maybe even a electrical cabinet fan

to cool when I'm sitting still.

 

[rweis]

I kind of agree with the heat thing. I finally got a dealer to change the VP. Now how to keep the VP running?



Bob Weis