Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Dead VP

[LarryM]

I was running along at 65 mph when the engine just DIED!:{ It coded P1688 and P1689. The tow home was sorrowful seeing my truck on a rollback. I ordered a new pump from Thoroughbred Diesel and a FASS DRP also. They had a very resonable price and no charge for shipping the new pumps and the return of the VP core. I pulled the pump today, the new one is to arrive tomorrow. The removal was straight forward, no issues except trying to find the 8mm x 124 bolts for the puller to gear. I hope the new one goes in as easily. 179,000 miles on the original. This is still the best truck I ever owned, I'll replace the cam sensor while the vp is out, cheap insurance as it will never be easier to replace. It didn't give me any warning at all, just died and that was it.

 

[THoltz]

Sorry to hear you were stranded. Sounds like you got a good handle on repairs.

 

[JLandry]

Larry,

You're living through one of my nightmares (the engine unexpectedly dying while driving), except in my nightmare scenario, the VP44 dies when I'm pulling my travel trailer on some lonely two-lane highway out in the middle of nowhere with no cell coverage. The VP44 on my truck hasn't failed yet (knock on sheet metal) with 109,000 miles on the odometer. But interestingly enough, today I was doing some maintenance on the truck and just happened to check for stored trouble codes. I found a dreaded P0216 "Injection Pump Timing Failure" trouble code. From the freeze-frame data it appears to have happened sometime when the engine was at full operating temp, partial throttle, and 1700 rpm. As fas as I can tell the engine has been running great so I'm a bit surprised by this. But with over 100,000 miles on the odometer, the VP44 is probably living on borrowed time. I already have a spare sitting on my shelf waiting to get installed just as soon as the original starts acting up... or dies completely.

Best of luck with your replacement.

John L.

 

[LarryM]

John, that's exactly the scenario. I had absolutely no indication that the VP was going south. No skips, hesitation, powerloss, nothing. It just died immediately and logged the dreaded codes. At least I had cell coverage and was only 30 miles from home so the tow wasn't that bad. Generally you and I share the same nightmares. The pumps are here now, I'll get to them this weekend. Thanks for the sentiment... .



Larry

 

[SSolderitch]

Mine died while ideling at a friends house. lucky for me, he drove me home 1 mile. NO warning also. Everything is all good again.

 

[JLandry]

Mine died while ideling at a friends house.

I hope when mine quits I'm that lucky!



If I see that P0216 DTC one more time, I think I'll swap out the pump proactively and not wait for it to die completely.



Call me paranoid...



John L.

 

[3grumpy]

LarryM did you have the stock lift pump? Do you have a fuel pressure gauge?