Injection pump problems

[Goodwin]

Ok check this out, I put about 24000 miles on my 2001 ext cab 3500 dodge, the lift pump crapped out, Dealer says that nothing is wrong, so eventually the injection pump takes a dump leaving me calling road side assistance, the dealer says that the failure is due to me tampering w/ the injection pump (Banks power Pack) so I gotta pay to get the Injection pump replaced. I have the defective injection pump and want to send it out to be tested/examined just to see what really went wrong. Could it have been the lack of fuel that ruined the Injection pump. Any ideas guys?

 

[Joe Mc]

Find a Cummins Shop

Sounds like BS to me. My $. 02 I'd contact your local Cummins shop & plead your case, provide them with any documentation you have, hopefully you have kept all the service slips & receipts from the dealer. They may (?) help you get reimbursed, at least for the cost of the injection pump. They may not be able to help at all (?) It won't hurt to try and shouldn't cost you anything more than fuel to get to their shop a few phone calls.



How much are you out so far?

 

[Snow man]

Call Banks,they should get involved at this point. Were you monitoring FP all along?I wouldnt have driven it with an inop transfer pump,it's not worth the aggravation now.

 

[Bigsaint]

Goodwin, welcome and sorry to hear about the pump. No doubt that the lower pressure could have taken out the VP44. All the more reason to add a inexpensive fuel pressure gauge, especially if you are BOMBed.



I hope that you had Cummins replace the pump, or for that matter a after market diesel shop as I heard that DC wants ridiculous $$$$ for a $1300. 00 pump.



Scott W.

 

[RedRam1]

Guess I need to break down and install a fuel pressue guage... just finished putting in my Westach (sp?) boost/egt combo, wish I had picked up a fuel pressure guage and knocked 'em all out at one time.

Goodwin, I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune, and hope Cummins will come to the rescue with a replacement injection pump.

My lift pump scares me too, in order to protect my injection pump, I would like to bomb my fuel delivery system with a pusher pump, aftermarket pump, or relocated stocker... haven't figured out which setup to go with yet. It's kind of a catch 22 type situation though. I GUARANTEE you that if someone took a truck with a fried injection pump and non-stock lift pump into the typical DC dealership, they would insist that the failure was due to the bombed fuel delivery system and deny the claim, even if the rest of the truck was bone stock. In a scenario such as this, any litigation to get DC to cover the repair would be more expensive than just buying and installing the pump yourself.

I believe the safest approach would be to install a fuel pressure guage, and carry a spare lift pump untill you are beyond the 100K engine warranty. I think that's what I will do. At least by the time I reach 100K, you guys will have figured out the best, most reliable lift pump setup.

 

[McDowra]

Welcome Goodwin, my suggestion would be to find another dealer the next time your truck needs to be worked on. I would also tell the sales manager you are going to tell everyone who will listen how their service department wouldn't warranty your truck. If this ever happens again DO NOT let the dealer charge you. There are many dealerships out there who would warranty it without a second thought.

 

[RedRam1]

Goodwin, I hope McDowra is right about another dealer warrantying your pump, but, given that you have a Banks Powerpack, I'm skeptical about your chances. Good luck.

 

[KatDiesel]

A)You have to find a dealer you trust

B)You have to find a dealer that is BOMB friendly

C)You have to convince yourself they are comptent to work on it

D)You have the choice of handling it yourself



I chose to buy my own injection pump and not even let the dealer see the truck, I know I will feel better about it Since you have the PowerPack that pierces the pump wire, you don't have much of "case" as far as warrenty goes.

 

[RedRam1]

Good advise, Kat. Like you, and many other TDR members, I perfer to do my own work, but dam, I would sure take my chances with the dealer techs before coughing up $1300 of my own dough for a new injection pump on a truck still under warranty.



We probably need to compile a list of "bomb friendly" dealers; I know there are some out there, but one willing to warranty a pump on a truck with a major fueling box (pierced wire)certianly would be a rare find. Personally, I'd never take my truck in without removing my puny little EZ for fear of getting a hassle from the dealer.

 

[Snow man]

If you are worried about your warranty,I wouldnt post anything you have done on the TDR,same for bomb friendly dealers,dont post them here,E-mail them privaltely off the TDR,if they were made public here those dealers would be set straight fast. I beleive DC is lurking here,and all you read in the TDR magazine is preaching about being your own warranty station,its obvoius that the TDR will rat on you if no one else does first. I personally wouldnt try to get a warranty repair unless it was defective,if i broke,i buy it,but if it wasnt related to my bombing,Id rather not pay for the defects of DC. I though Banks claimed that if your dealer deined your warrany they would pay for it,it used to be that way.

 

[JR2]

I am my own warranty station... ... .



I chose to modify my truck, I knew all the risks, I know that my warrant will be voided if I ever take my truck in to the dealer... I know I have to buy my own parts.



It comes down to this... If you bomb your truck, a dealer can void your warranty. He does not have to, but he could.



I still expect that DC will replace my speakers, drink holder or any other non engine/drivetrain problem.



Repeat after me... If I bomb my truck, I will have to fix it. .

 

[HeberRam]

Sorry?

Goodwin... Your injection pump failed, because of lack of fuel from your failed lift pump... Why did the Dealer say your lift pump was "ok"? Did he check the pressure at WOT? Do you have any reciept saying what the test "if any was"? If you replace your injection pump, DON"T FORGET TO CHANGE THE LIFT PUMP ALSO" been there done that! Get some fuel pressure gauges as soon as you can after you replaced everything else... . Good luck.

 

[JWhitcomb]

Goodwin, are you saying you continued to drive the truck when you felt the lift pump was bad and the dealer was saying it was not. How many miles elasped from the time you decided the lift pump was bad till the injection pump went out?

 

[Goodwin]

just a little note, I had checked the fuel pressure my self when I had started to notice a definate miss at WOT, at idle I had nothing..... so I take it to the dealer, he says that he cannnot duplicate the problem. so about another week of that same ole story, the truck is still missing, so I take it back again and tell the service tech to change the lift pump because it ain't working anymore, but they cannot find the problem, the repair order says that the lift pump is fine. . I tell the service manager, that I will have to have the truck towed in the next time it comes back to his dealship, well guess what about a week or so later I gotta call road side assistance and have the truck towed in..... then they finally changed the lift pump... but by now the computer says that it has lost communication with the VP44 pump... . But I did find out the hard way that you can drive the truck with a broken lift pump about 3500 + miles before something bad happens... ... .

 

[JR2]

I think I would call Banks and tell them your dealer denied your warranty because of the Power Pack. If you are replacing the pump yourself, don't buy one from Dodge, try cummins or get one from Piers.