High elevation issues

[TMutziger]

This might get a little long, but I want to give the full background. Last november while on a hunting trip in the mountains (6000 feet elevation) my truck would puff blue smoke and run terribly rough for a few minutes when I would start it in the morning. After idling for a while or driving it, it would smooth out and run great. After 3 or 4 mornings of this the check engine light came on. Code was PO336. I replaced the crank sensor when I got home and its been fine ever since. Two weeks ago I returned to the same location as the hunting trip for a summer camping trip and as soon as I got there, the truck started doing the exact same thing again. Blue smoke and rough idle for a few minutes. CEL came on and code was PO336 again. The same time this started to happen, I noticed that I had a leaking power steering hose. The fluid was dripping down on the wires going to the crank sensor. The mechanic that scanned for the code thought that maybe the oil was getting to the sensor and messing it up. I haven't done anything to the truck since I have gotten home and it starts and runs fine now. I live in eastern South Dakota at around 2000 ft. elevation. Is it something to do with the elevation or is the mechanic right about the power steering fluid? I'll probably replace the crank sensor again just to be safe but is seems weird that it happens every time I go to that location/elevation.

 

[BarryG]

I live at just over 6k elevation and routinely drive up to 11k elevation and while the turbo tends to be a bit slow to respond at those elevations the truck runs fine with no codes.

 

[CDonaldson]

I live at 7K ft elevation, drive up to 12K and down to 2500 ft on a regular basis without any problems or codes. My truck runs great no matter where I take it.





CD

 

[Prairie Dog]

Did you use a metal feeler gage to install the new sensor? I've heard that can cause problems.

 

[TMutziger]

Not sure what you mean about the feeler guage. If I remember right, it took an allen wrench to loosen a single bolt. I pulled out the old one, put in the new one and tightened the bolt. Am I missing something? The truck continues to start and run smoothly since I've been home.

 

[AH64ID]

Is there more dirt/rough roads getting to that location than your normal drive?

I spend lots of time above 6K feet and never had an issue. My dads 06 does smoke a little more at elevation than mine, but he still has his cat?

 

[GHarman]

Is there more dirt/rough roads getting to that location than your normal drive?



I spend lots of time above 6K feet and never had an issue. My dads 06 does smoke a little more at elevation than mine, but he still has his cat?

Just a question, as I live at 9000' elevation. However, I dont have a newer truck. The fix may be simple? Ignore me if you tried this. How is your timing set? Can you advance the timing a little? It works wonders on the 1st gen 12 valves. O. K. I'll hide and be quiet! GregH

 

[AH64ID]

The timing it dynamic, and other than a programmer can't be adjusted.

 

[GHarman]

The timing it dynamic, and other than a programmer can't be adjusted.

One more question and I'll be quiet (your way out of my league!)Is there any way the timing can be verified? It may be a very simple issue complicated by the electronics and computer programming? Hope you find the problem! The reason I responded is I had a similar blue smoke issue for a long time after my truck was repaired , at the dealership. Come to find out they improperly set the timing, which is a mechanical adjustment on the old trucks. If the Computer flash is not working correctly on this truck? It may be the issue. Just the meanderings of an old man! GregH

 

[cerberusiam]

Is there any way the timing can be verified?

You have no idea how many times that question has been asked. :-laf



Reliable data loggers for these HPCR's are almost non-existent, expensive, and closely guarded secrets. There are MANY things a LOT of us would like verified to answer some disputed questions.

 

[pullya]

I hate to be a smart a** about this but I think if it was me, I'd quit going hunting in that same place!!!!

Jay

 

[TMutziger]

I'm waiting for a new crank sensor from Geno's, but I won't really know if that fixes it until I return to the mountains again. I live about 350 miles from there, so I can't just run up there to see if anything changed. The first couple times I went there after I got this truck, it was fine. Just acted up last Nov. and then again now. Just another thought, I see that a lot of the newer tuners with digital displays have an option to display the barometer. Is this something that could be not working properly on mine? I tried a Bullydog GT for a little while before I sent it back and got the Banks tuner that I run now because it wouldn't work right for me. They blamed it on software issues, but it would not increase my horsepower at all. Anyway, I tried to display the barometer on the screen, and it always showed 0. The Bullydog tech guys suggested that the sensor was bad. When I called the dodge dealer and asked their diesel mech. about it, he acted like I was speaking greek. He said he had no idea what I was talking about and that there was no such thing on these trucks. I never did get to the bottom of it, but it makes sense to me that if the truck couldn't sense a change in elevation, that if might not run right if the elevation changed. Anyone have any thoughts or ideas on that?

 

[TMutziger]

Also, the Banks tuner that I'm using tunes timing, but I don't know how much. I thought about switching to a Rokktech sensor with adjustable timing, but didn't know if that would be overkill.

 

[cerberusiam]

Also, the Banks tuner that I'm using tunes timing, but I don't know how much. I thought about switching to a Rokktech sensor with adjustable timing, but didn't know if that would be overkill.

If the Banks does timing the RokTech might be too much, best not to mess with it. Most of us pulled them when we went to a timing box.



The Barometric sensor is in combination with the air intake temp sensor. Its the one in outlet of the air box. Some of these would be better served learning Greek cuz they evidently can't read their manuals written in English.



Given your sensor is hooked up its possible its bad, and, that sensor comes into play on cold start. Until the engine gets some heat into it the ECU adjust fueling\timing\etc based on the inputs from the AIT instead of the IAT. The rest of the time it uses the barometric to derive boost by comparing ambient baro to MAP readings.



Just because a the BullyDog could not read it doesn't mean its bad though. The ECU may be reading it fine and just not outputting the correct signal, or, the sensor could be corrupting the signal and under certain conditions forcing the ECU into a default setting. Those tuners have a rep for being flaky on some of the data port readings so don't judge by just one tuners failings.