Engine cuts out at 2600 RPM

[jwdeeming]

My truck is cutting out on WOT uphill pulls when the RPMs get into the 2600-2700 RPM range. This just started about a week ago and I can't figure it out. It feels about like I'm towing somebody who keeps tapping on their brakes. I think the engine is getting starved for fuel because my max EGTs now are about 950, and there is definitely less power. Prior to this, I never felt the cutting out, and EGTs could get to 1350 or 1400. The engine runs strong and normal at all loads and RPM ranges below 2600.



I changed my fuel filter just to make sure, but it didn't help. I've also duplicated the problem on a different tank of fuel, from a different gas station just to eliminate the possiblity of bad fuel. Anybody have any ideas before I turn the dealership loose on the problem? Thanks in advance,

JimD

 

[Un-Hemi]

Lift pump, anyone?



Jim, do a search on lift pumps. You'll find many posts about this.

 

[Texas Diesel]

Please post the problem / solution when you get it straightened out. Thanks

 

[JerryWallace]

jw,

When you say 2600 rpm, is that in any gear or are you talking high gear only? I 've run into the same problem in high gear because of speed limiter. I can go to red line in any other gear without a problem. If you could only get 2600 rpm in any gear, whether it be standard or automatic, then yes, you may have a starvation problem.

 

[jwdeeming]

Tommy,

I'll do that - I thought lift pump problems were reserved for those guys who'd already bombed. I'm not there yet, but was hoping to soon. I was saving up for the autotranny upgrades first.



NXS,

I haven't tried to duplicate the problem in overdrive, which would probably put me up near 100mph - not a good idea with a 4-horse trailer. Maybe I should try it empty. It definitely happens in 3rd gear and if I'm on a steep enough hill where it will stay in 2nd at that RPM without shifting, the problem also occurs there.



Guess I'll go do a search on lift pums...



Thanks.

JimD

 

[JerryWallace]

Jim



If this will happen in the lower gears, it is not the speed limiter. It must be the laque of fuel , (liftpump) or the ECM is telling it to defuel for some reason



jerry

 

[Un-Hemi]

Jim, lift pump problems aren't restricted to bombed trucks. The same thing happened to me with my unmodified truck this summer while towing back from Alberta. When I did a pressure test after I got back, the lift pump pressures even with a new fuel filter were way low. The truck has about 50,000 miles on it; I don't know if the lift pump was changed before I bought it. Others have had lift pump failures with far fewer miles on their trucks. Your truck is quite new; the lift pump may still be under warranty.



My first gauge is a fuel pressure gauge. Boost, Pyro and trans temp will follow.



Another item you might do a search on is "Banjo Bolts". There's some good reading there too!



Good luck!



Tom

 

[GTX]

Does it puff out white smoke when it stumbles?

Aim the right mirror down so you can see what the exhaust looks like. May be hard to tell at that speed but if it does it enough you should see something.



When my first injection pump died it stumbled at hi-way speeds while towing and got worse until it barely ran. At 52k it is on it's third injection pump and third lift pump.



You should get the lift pump pressure checked, idling and running down the hi-way.

 

[B. Gill]

i agree with Tom

you should check the fuel pressure that will tell you if it is the lift pump

my truck is stock and i have gone thru 2 lift pumps.

 

[jwdeeming]

I'm thinking you guys are right. I've looked at the other lift pump threads and there's another common denominator that I neglected to mention in my first post.



When the problem first occured, I was anxious to solve it because there was a guy in an Expedition that was being a turkey on some of the mountain passes and, even with my problem, I was able to pass him uphill. Seemed to be affecting his attitude. Anyway...



At a town along the way I stopped and bought a new fuel filter and changed it right there in the parking lot. This is the second time I've changed the fuel filter. The first time I was able to fire the engine right up with what fuel was still in the filter housing. This time, I had to crank several different sessions before it fired. I am finding from other threads that some guys think these pumps may fail "gradually" and that in a degraded state, the engine will still run but may have a hard time priming the filter housing after a change.



Bingo.



I think that's pretty close hits on the lift pump symptoms. My appointment with Dodge isn't until next Wednesday. And, wouldn't you know it, my baby one year old truck already has 36,500 miles on it. If this is a 3yr36kmile item, I'm already screwed.



GTX - Haven't observed the white smoke you mentioned. I'll watch for that.



Tom - I'll go read the banjo bolt threads now too. I've been skipping over those. Sheesh. This is becoming more of a hobby than I imagined...



I'll be sure and repost here with the solution. In the mean time, I hope my Powerchoke buddy doesn't hear about this! Between the lift pump problems and weak auto trannys on our Dodges, I'll never hear the end of this!



Thanks for the suggestions.

JimD

 

[MikeR]

Jim,

The lift pump is covered under the Emissions Warranty wich is 70k miles. You may want to take your warranty booklet with you when you go to the dealer.



-Mike

 

[Cobra]

Lift pump

Jim

I may be wrong but I think that the lift pump is covered under the engine warranty. If so, then it is covered for 100,000 miles

 

[Cobra]

Jim

I check my warranty booklet and on page 13 under parts covered for 5 years or 100,000 miles it lists fuel injection pump and injectors.

Smile, your ship just came in.

 

[jwdeeming]

Truck is back from Doctor Dodge and, as requested, here's the result.



Not only was the problem fixed by replacing the pump, it was a "recall" so there was no charge - not even a warrantee issue. I didn't get to talk to the tech so don't know details other than that, but boy does my truck run better now!



Thanks to all who replied.

JimD

 

[overfueled]

To Lift or not to Lift

I just sent to Jannetty Racing for a Fuel up grade. A set of 100GPH Lift Fuel Pumps, new lines and fittings to the injector pump. My present problem is at full throtle I get 1 pound of fuel pressure and the truck engine bucks like someone shut the fuel off and on 3 times fast between the rpm range of 2600 - 2800 after that things are fine but I still get a low fuel pressure warning on my FMS from Blue Chip. I have an 01 with HX35,14cfm turbo, DDII, A Blue Chip FMS, Puck Timing Box, Trans shift Kit



After 3 Months and three new fuel lift pumps, no one knows what to do. The latest "fix" was a new ECM from dodge all this did was put the truck in "limp mode" I went back to the old one. And back to the same problem. The next trick is a new converter, the thought is that the tuck is spooling up to fast and sending a code to the ecm to shut down the fuel to the VP-44 until after the curve is over. Will see.

Thanks Steven TDR Member