engine stumbles, blows smoke, no codes?

[SRadke]

I decided to take advantage of a warm spring thunder shower and slick roads to have a little fun. I was in the middle of a third gear power brake (5-speed) when I had the brain flash to grab fourth. The TST was on 5:5 so 3rd was no problem but 4th was asking too much. I pulled the motor down and clutched before it died only to find it stumbling, coughing, and blowing smoke.



The stumble was a rough idle that degraded down to about 500 rpm before the computer fueled and it reved up to about 1500 before stumbling down and reving again. I tried turning the TST down to 0 and it made no diffrence. In the mirror (it was dark) I could make out a large quantity of smoke that smelled like when you start a worn out 3406 on a cold morning. Unsure of the color.



I decided to shut it down and look for codes and got none. After that I started it back up and everything was fine. I drove home and all systems normal. Any ideas as to WTF happened here? I feel like such a stupid kid.



-Scott

 

[ThomasLawrence]

Scott,



I can't do much to explain what exactly happened, only that I had a similar experience shortly after installing my TST. I was coming off an off-ramp, in OD, probably around 1100RPM. Upon giving it throttle, the engine stumbled, had no power, and was belching LOTS of white smoke. The more pedal I gave it, the more smoke it produced.



I nursed the truck into my office parking lot, shut it down, crawled all around and under the truck, started it back up, and it was fine. It's never happened again, even with me trying to induce the problem several times.



The best that Rod (from Wildcat) and I could come up with was that maybe there was a loose connection that, because of the engine vibrations at high load/low RPM, shook loose, made and broke contact several times, and just put the box into a tizzy. I wound up re-seating all the connections again (they all seemed tight to begin with), and like I said, never had the problem come back.



These electrons can sure do some funny things now and then...



-Tom

 

[SRadke]

That's a possibility. The best I came up with was an event of extremely retarded timeing induced by my pulling the engine rpm down so fast. I don't know if it's possible to throw of the syncronization of the electronic timing and engine while it's running but it's the only idea I've got. The TST obviously fools the ECM with reguard to timing so it would explain having no codes.



I don't know, just glad it's working fine now.



-Scott

 

[TheWolf]

This is the closest thread to the one I was searching for. I thought I seen a thread a while ago that someone said they had experienced a mis fire with their tst box. I was wondering if that person had every figured anything out.



Anyone know which thread that was? I have just experienced the 'stumble' , 'mis fire', whatever you want to call it. It first happened about 1 days ago while on driving at constant speed. didn't quite know what it was because I was towing a 20 ft trailer. Thought it was just the trailer and hitch. But, today it happened again. I was not towing and setting was on 2x2 once again at a constant rate of speed... ... Just a single "pop"(miss,stumble) whatever you want to call it. WHY?? anyone know

Thanks

 

[SRadke]

For the record what I described earlier in this thread was much more than a stumble. It lasted close to a minute before I shut her down.



I have on two occasions had a very slight, quick stumble that felt like the fuel was just shut off for a 1/4 second. Both times were at low speed, on a cold engine with very little load. Also has not happened since I got ther new program 3 weeks ago. I just threw it up to a poor wire connection.



-Scott

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

change your fuel filter. I had the same thing happen to me when I first installed the DDIII's. Changed filter and it never happened again. Greg

Originally posted by TheWolf

This is the closest thread to the one I was searching for. I thought I seen a thread a while ago that someone said they had experienced a mis fire with their tst box. I was wondering if that person had every figured anything out.



Anyone know which thread that was? I have just experienced the 'stumble' , 'mis fire', whatever you want to call it. It first happened about 1 days ago while on driving at constant speed. didn't quite know what it was because I was towing a 20 ft trailer. Thought it was just the trailer and hitch. But, today it happened again. I was not towing and setting was on 2x2 once again at a constant rate of speed... ... Just a single "pop"(miss,stumble) whatever you want to call it. WHY?? anyone know

Thanks

 

[JStieger]

me too!!

What a relief to find this post! What SRadke described above just happened to me too, but I got codes. Here's some history:



1) 2 weeks ago I start my basically cold truck with the TST is on 5x3. It starts and runs for 5 seconds and then dies. I restart it normally and the MIL comes on and I get the codes P0602 (control module programming error) and P0341 (camshaft position sensor/rationality). I get back home with no loss in truck performance and erase the codes with a scan tool. Connections checked out good. too Truck runs fines until...

2) ... tonight. I again started up my truck with the TST on 5x3. Truck is halfway warm (temp needle in between cold and middle). It starts and runs for a few seconds and then dies. I restart it normally and the MIL comes on. I didn't check for any codes at that time and drive off for the mile drive home. After I turn off the "straightaway" I decide to pull over and shut down the truck to check for codes. I coast to a stop with the truck in 3rd and it starts idling really rough with the rpms cycling down to 250 and coming up to 1000. Smoke is pouring out the pipe and smelled like raw diesel. I turned the TST down to 0/0 and no change so I then quickly shut down after what seemed like the longest minute in my life. I then get the codes P0602 (control module programming error), P0341 (camshaft position sensor/rationality), and P0604 (Internal control module RAM integrity failure). I then restarted the truck and it started up normally - little rough at first 5 seconds and then smoothed right out. I then went for a short drive with the TST back on 5x3 and tried to repeat the situation and couldn't.



So now I type this kind of freaking out! Here are my thoughts/conclusions. Please let me know if they have any merit:



1) I should not run TST on high settings until truck is warmed up.

2) camshaft sensor going bad? How easy is it to replace? I know it would be a PITA to access...

3) coasting to a stop with the truck in too high of gear caused the motor to lug down a bit causing the timing sensor readings to go wonky thereby causing the raw fuel out the pipe?



Another thing I should add is that I only started using the higher settings of the TST about 2 weeks ago when I got my clutch upgraded. In the month prior I ran on the lower TST settings. So is this coincidence as to why I'm seeing these issues starting 2 weeks ago? Hmmmmm.....



I'm going to call TST in the morning and see what they have to say.

 

[SRadke]

Hmm... . diffrent situation, same symtoms. Interesting. I was surprised to see this old post show up and to be honest I haven't seen anything like it since. I do have a P0606 code that has been with me ever since I installed the TST and has never caused a problem.



For you I would try having TST reflash your box. This sounds electrical. If that doesn't do it the cam sensor may be your trouble but I've head of several connection problems and no sensor problems.



-Scott

 

[JStieger]

I called TST this morning and they said they never seen P0602 and P0604. They said that the P0341 is pretty rare now too. My box number is 2400 so it has the latest and greatest program according to TST. They suggested sending my box and harness in to get checked out, but now the MIL light cleared and everything runs fine after the episode last night. I'm only on 3x3 now though. I told TST I will run like this for a few days and see if it does it again on the higher settings. If it doesn't I'll still send it in to get checked.



Just in case I ordered a spare camshaft sensor - $28 from Cummins Rocky Mountain.



The other thing I'm thinking is that my truck in both instances was cold or semi-warm. So maybe the grid heaters were going on/off and taking away some juice from the sensors causing them to go fubar??

 

[SRadke]

The grid heaters stop cycling after you surpass 20 mph, you did in at least one of those cases. Let us know what you find out.



-Scott

 

[sick_ram]

I have had some problems to with cam sensors and TST. But my sysmtoms were a little different. The problems were that the head light out light kept on comeing on and off really fast so I thought that I had a shot in the head lights or a bad bulb, so I changed the bulbs and still nothing. The light was still flashing. So I traced wires all around checked fuses and nothing. Then all of a sudden my voltage gauge went to zero intermitently. this was freaking me out. So I went to lift up the hood and put a meter on the batteries and when I opened it There was batterie acid every where, the pass side batterie had exploded. I was freaking out. I did not know what to do. I had also got a MIL light so I put my scanner on it and it was a crankshaft code I don't remember exactly what it was. So I put a new sensor on it and it has not done it sence. It has been about 1 month sence. thats weired.

 

[Big_H316]

Although my truck is stock, except for intake and exhaust, I frequently experience this problem, however, mine whites-smokes anytime the engine is running. The first thing I hear before the engine rpms die down is severe valve clatter and then the engine races up pouring white smoke from it. Dealership can never "duplicate the friggin problem" either. I've almost all but narrowed it down to an injector problem. Never sets any codes either. I'm stumped. Oil, oil filter, and fuel filter get changed every week too. I DUNNO!!

 

[JStieger]

The grid heaters stop cycling after you surpass 20 mph, you did in at least one of those cases. Let us know what you find out.



-Scott

Well after I posted the message I went out and cleared the codes. Then I went on a 70 mile drive to a friend's place. I had the TST on 3x6 and no problems whatsoever. Anyhow 4 hours later, I started the truck up again to head back home and the MIL light comes on. I check the codes and get P0602 and P0341 again. The 70 mile drive back had no issues. I then stop into Sears, come back out 5 minutes later, and start the truck and then it dies. I restart it and it's idling rough with raw fuel smoke and then dies again. I turn the TST down just in case and then the truck started up fine! at idle the tach is at steady, normal rpm. Now I'm going to go pull it off my truck and send it back to TST. If the truck does this crap again without the TST, I think the sensor is toast. At least it didn't do this in traffic yet.

 

[JStieger]

Cleared all the codes and then took the the entire TST off and ran my VA3. 1 only on a 30 minute hard run. High speed; low speed; lugging a bit; low rpms; high rpms; slight lugging; shut and restart about 10 times - none of these produced any codes, white smoke, weird idling, missing or engine quitting.



I had all the TST crank and cam sensor connections zip tied and used dielectric grease so I know it's not the connections. I did notice that right before removing the TST the idle speed had a slight stutter observed on the tach - maybe 25-50 rpm. Without the TST the tach needle is rock steady.



I'm tempted to hook up my Power Pup again in the meantime because the TST power is addictive and I already miss it, but I think I want to make sure over the next day or so that there's nothing wrong with the stock sensors first.



Also, just in case I checked my oil and there is no visual or smell indication of fuel in it.

 

[JStieger]

update...

Well I got my TST back and reinstalled and boy do I feel stupid! There was a note with my TST that said,



"Tested everything on bench and on a truck. Checked out OK. Can't use so much grease on the connectors, only low voltage signals on harness, so need to keep clean. "



Truck runs fine (I mean blankety, blankety awesome!) now after I cleaned all the connectors with electrical contact cleaner and then reapplied dielectric grease a lot more sparingly. One thing I remember now was when I was having these problems the weather was getting a lot warmer - probably warm enough to get the grease flowing into places it wasn't supposed to.



One thing for certain is that the TST is sure finicky with connections! Just doing a search shows guys resolving problems by using grease when they previously didn't, guys resolving problems by relocating ground connections, etc.

 

[SRadke]

It's not just the TST that is finniky, the whole engine control system, ECM and all the gadges we use to moduify those signals are touchy. Good to hear you found your problem. I'm happy to report mine has never repeated an event like the one that started this thread



-Scott

 

[JStieger]

Did It Again!!

Well after 2 days of carefree, enjoyable driving it happened again! The engine killing, rpm cycling, raw smoke spewing, and code generating thing returned with a vengeance in the Wal-Mart parking lot this evening. This TST is coming off for good and going up for sale when it gets light out. Maybe someone else will have better luck with it. When it works, it works great - power, torque, 1-2 mpg increase. When it doesn't, you're at the mercy of the electronic gods...

 

[TCluff]

get rid of the van junken box and keep the tst, have you tried without the pressure box, had an ez go bad with these same symptoms, i know of 3 people in your town with 3 different tst programs, no problems, just power, one with the old program, one with the new, and one with the twins program, the old program and twins program throw 0606 codes, the new doesnt throw any

 

[Gypsyman]

I've got a list of people with various TST codes and issues and a list without. My VA is the only box I've tried so far that HASN'T caused some type of issues and yes I have tried it with and without a pressure box including a brand new EZ that's back on the bench.



I spent a full day at TST a couple of weeks ago and they couldn't explain it either. It either works on your truck or it doesn't and it seems to be related to what version of software you have in your truck's ECM. That's the only variable that we can find.



Richard

 

[JStieger]

get rid of the van junken box and keep the tst, have you tried without the pressure box, had an ez go bad with these same symptoms, i know of 3 people in your town with 3 different tst programs, no problems, just power, one with the old program, one with the new, and one with the twins program, the old program and twins program throw 0606 codes, the new doesnt throw any

Yep - I tried the TST without the pressure box connected and still get problems. I only met one of those 3 people (Bear), and he is stumped too as to why I have the codes and problems. He asked the other 2 for me a few weeks ago and confirmed the 0606 code common between 2 of them. Both Bear and another guy are stacking pressure boxes too (Quad and EZ). I wouldn't mind meeting up with the other 2 guys, but we all work the different mine schedules. One of them got the PDR twins installed recently so that would be cool to see!



As far as the VA goes, it is awesome for the low end especially towing or in town, but I admit it does suck donkey on the top end. However, like Richard experienced it has also been the most trouble free box for me.



Don't get me wrong, when the TST worked for me it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Power, 1-2 mpg consistent mileage increase, multi-level adjustment, timely and responsive customer service, etc. - I couldn't ask for more. It just boggles my mind why some people have no problems, while others do.