Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) How many lift pumps have to die before Dodge will do something

[Peter Dunn]

How many lift pumps have to die before Dodge will do something about it. When I emailed Cummins they told me that I should get one and carry it with me. Northeast Cummins said it is like having a spare tire for my truck. I thought they were joking untill they gave me a local shops address. So when I ordered my spare lift pump I asked to speak to there head mechanic. Anthony said it's simple the pump is just not capable of pulling the fuel from that far away from the tank. He also works on other vehicles with the ISB and he has the same problem. So I just keep my spare under the seat. I just don't have much confidence when I go camping.

 

[CFAR]

I just bought and installed one from cummins NE, I'm still in warranty but I wanted my old one for a spare.

The old one is kind of a low pressure dog but will work as a spare.

 

[dsvarczkopf]

where to order new lift pump

where can I call to order a new lift pump in the North East? THanks

David

 

[CFAR]

try this link

http://www.cummins.com/service_locator/index.cfm



OR



Contact Information

Dealer: CUMMINS NORTHEAST, INC.

Channel of Distribution: Distributor

Address: 100 ALLIED DRIVE

City State, Zip : DEDHAM MA, 02026

Phone: (781) 329-1750

Fax Number: (781) 329-4428



$155. ?? with pigtail

 

[Sticks]

The answer is "A sufficient number of pumps to go down the tubes at the same time... thus force a recall.



I am just nervous enough to get one myself, and install it in line somehow with a switch for emergencies.



I WANT TOYS... not emergency backup plans. Gauges, Lift Pump, Filters, short jumper wires, manuals. At least it's not a ford 6. 0 then I would need a bag 'o voodoo charms

 

[willyslover]

until "we" all get Pi$$ed enough to do a class action

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

C'mon guys, time to get real, wake up - and smell the coffee!



Bottom line is, these pumps - virtually ALL such pumps WILL fail - it's not a question of IF, but WHEN! The failures are NOT limited to just these pumps - virtually ALL types will eventually need replacement! In the overall scheme of things, it's not really that big a deal!



Fellas here have tried a wide variety of different pumps and installation locations - there have been improvements - but they ALL will eventually fail, PERIOD! Should they fail as SOON as some do? Of course not - but seems to me that if I can get a good 60,000 miles or so outta one, I'll be happy - after all, that's about how often we hafta swap out the overhead cam belt in my wife's Mazda - and owners don't gripe or whine because of that - and it's about the same expense as our pumps, and a KNOWN maintenance issue - might as well consider our LP's a similar known maintenance issue, and get on with our lives...



Get a grip, put things in perspective - carry a spare pump, get guages and monitor fuel pressure - and then DRIVE the dern truck!

 

[illflem]

Originally posted by sticks

The answer is "A sufficient number of pumps to go down the tubes at the same time... thus force a recall.

No such luck. For a recall to be initiated the problem has to cause a safety concern. Until a bunch of lift pumps start exploding there will be no recall.

 

[99guy]

hmmm... Think I hear mine ticking now ...

 

[jponder]

we could just put a fuel pump on top of the cab and let gravity do all the work

 

[daveshoe]

Are we part of the problem?

The thing is that DC will not keep an adequate supply of pumps at the dealers to do a quick change as the need arises. They play the waiting game with us and take their time fixing the problem. We contribute to the problem by getting frustrated and buying our own pumps because we need/want our trucks back in service immediately. It is sort of like not suing a deadbeat for a hundred bucks-- not worth the time or trouble. It does not help when the dealer attitude is ''It runs OK so why do you think the pump is bad?''

Not faulting people who repair their own, but DC does not even know how bad the problem is so long as we buy them from cummins.

I recently replaced an in tank filter on a chevy gasser just because the bed was off. the old one worked fine, but at $35. 00 it was just a PM item. BTW miles on the original --120K. Kind of makes you want to buy a low pressure aftermarket lift pump for a gasser and throw it in the tank-- after all ,the $35. 00 job came with a lifetime warranty

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

It's an inconvenience for sure - like a blown tire - and about as expensive in time and money to replace/repair. Every generation truck of ANY make seems to have its own particular weaknesses and failure items - some expensive and difficult - like transmission failures - some just a minor nuisance. The real trick is in doing research to discover what these weaknesses are - avoid new generation vehicles if unknowns cause you lost sleep - and accept and be prepared for the weaknesses you are fully aware of... Meanwhile, keep your perspective, and don't get this stuff blown all outta proportion - you're FAR more likely to be one of the vast majority who gets a totally acceptable, normal lifespan outta the many thousands of individual pieces that make up your truck...



I really hated to part with my old '91 - the relatively pure, mechanical design, free of most of the complex electronics in the newer stuff was very reasuring in its own way - but finally, the lure and improvements of the later model stuff, plus my '02 being the last of its kind in many ways, led me to upgrade. I have come to grips with, and ACCEPTED that there's FAR more complexity to the new truck - more things to fail, and that WILL fail. If I'm NOT prepared for that FACT, and feel I must now live in fear every time I get into the truck for a trip - short or long, I'd be better off to simply get rid of it, and buy a team of mules instead... But THEY can be pretty arbitrary too...

 

[rweis]

And you have to carry a short stick of 2x4 to get the mules attention, lol.



LP or 2x4,



either way you have to carry something.



Bob Weis

 

[rweis]

What I got from all the LP threads was it doesn't suck well, but pushes just fine. Then move the LP to the frame by the tank so it doesn't have to suck and it can do its push thing.



Do you carry a spare tire because you might need it?, or only because DC gave you one. If DC did not give you a spare tire would you add one on your own?



If you have an RV, the spare often doesn't come with the RV.



Maybe DC should put in a spare LP instead of the pos jack!



Know the weakness and adjust for it, or beat yourself up trying to out think it.



ATBGO,



Bob Weis

 

[Turbo Trucker]

I never worry about mine. I'm on the second one because the pressure was a little low, this one has been doing fine for 30k miles.

 

[jkern]

ponder this...

not meaning to flame anyone here, but i do agree that these lift pumps are junk no matter where they are placed. i have had three of them go bad in 6k miles, two in the stock location and one as a pusher. so here is the point to ponder... why have i driven other multiple vehicles of different manufactures for over 300,000 miles and never had a fuel pump problem, never!!! the point is a fuel pump doesn't have to be a maintaince part. a company that i worked for has a fleet of PSD 7. 3's and routinely puts 250,000 miles on them before getting rid of them, and not one fuel pump issue on 10 trucks in about 8 years... figure it out that is a lot of miles. the problem is two fold... cheap carter pumps and worng location. we paid big extra $$$ for a good diesel engine, would another few $$$ hurt to put a good pump on in the factory??? don't flame cummins... dodge orders those engines as a "ready to run unit" to simply drop in the their trucks... fuel system included, and guess what... carter was probably the cheapest bidder. sorry for my frustration that i share with a lot of others... bottom line is i have never seen another gasser or diesel that a fuel pump was considered a maintaince item like a filter, brakes, or belt... and i think we should not be an exception because we drive a cummins/dodge.



Nomex flame suit on!!!



jeremy

 

[Ramafid]

It is a known fact that electric fuel pumps like to push fuel instead of pulling. Why Dodge would put the lift pump in the engine compartment defies logic. I moved a stock lift pump to the framerail next to the fuel tank and have had no problems. ( Knock on wood ). This setup has performed great for approx. 45K miles and hopefully will go many more miles. With that said I do carry a spare lift pump just in case. Cheap insurance.

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Easy answer... ... ... ... .



When they no longer use them!



Long live 4200 pump!

 

[Gordon Maney]

lift pump failure

Where is the lift pump located?



Do you need much in the way of tools to replace it?



What symptoms are present if the pump fails or is failing?



I suspect the engine could stop, and there could be a number of possible causes. So... . I would be interested to know how you decide if it is the pump.

 

[One Old Dog]

pusher pump

I put a pusher pump on my truck just in case the left pump would fail. The D@##@$ lift pump went out just over a year. I call Carter and Ask them about it and they said some are like that and some are not. So the bottom line is they all go out. So I carry a spare