Injector Rattle???

[JHardwick]

What causes this?? It's not a knock, it's a rattle. Under load and at idle it sounds fine, but in a no load condition right before a shift it rattles like my '99 did all the time. It also seems to be temperature related. Ohio weather is crazy this time of year, 60* one day and 30* the next. The warmer it is the less I notice it. It almost sounds like a small block Chevy with all of the rod bearings or wrist pins getting ready to go out with the way it quiets under load, but rattles at low fuel.



The only other problem I've had, is recently when starting cold in the morning, it'll go to around 400RPM, labor to stay running for a second and then riiiiiiiip, up to 1200/1300 before settling back to 750. I thought I got some bad fuel, changed the filter and ran a full bottle of PS through it. It quit doing it for awhile, but it's back again.



Junk at 67,000 miles?

 

[Lorenz]

same thing.

 

[rbattelle]

Bad lift pump?



-Ryan

 

[CBradford]

i'm having the same kind of problems with about 55k on the clock... ... i've also had a stumbling problem when the weather is warm and i've run the truck for a while..... i've never had a problem before just letting out on the clutch in first and letting the truck pull off at idle..... but now once in a while it stumbles and almost chokes then takes off all of a sudden... ... i've changed the fuel filter every 15-20k... ... i also have a fluttering noise when i'm cruising down the road under no load with light throttle..... sounds like the 7. 3 powerstrokes do but i don't remember having this noise when the truck was new... ... like everyone else i suspect injectors or lift pump..... but i'm not really sure how to properly diagnose it

 

[Big_H316]

I'll assure you, the dealership doesn't know how to diagnose it either. Mines been doing this for about 80,000 miles now. 2 weeks ago the lift pump went south on me, thankfully it died in the driveway (the lift pump). A week and $400 later and I had my lift pump. Replacement is very easy... 4 (5mm) allen head bolts and it's in your hand for replacement. Just make sure you don't have a full tank of fuel... . trust me on this!!!!! Other than the lift pump all I can figure is that I have a severe injector problem. It's quite embarrassing to try and take off and the dadgum thing stumbles and then lurches forward all of a sudden. Do you have a BAD white-smoke problem? Mine does. I have a gut feeling that at least one injector is way overfueling. Only funny thing is... . it only does all of this at idle and then when you go to take off Other than that I still get excellent mileage even with 170,000 now on the ticker.



Keep us posted if you find anything out.

 

[rbattelle]

Here's something simple to try: unplug all the fuel-system related electrical connectors one at a time, clean them up with your favorite solvent (I like acetone), then reconnect them.



It could be something as simple as a dirty connection. I'd do the same to the ECM connectors.



Hey, it's simple... what have you got to lose?



Also, I know JHardwick's truck was an earlier build than mine. Did you guys ever have that TSB done for the faulty ECM connector? My build date (28 Feb 03) was late enough not to need it, but if you've got a build date earlier than that you might check it out!



-Ryan

 

[Rosco]

My truck makes the same noise. In addition, I replaced an injector about 500 miles ago to cure a severe knock I had. Unfortunately, it already sounds like I have another injector heading south. Sadly, it appears that Dodge is in the same boat as GM and Ford when it comes to injector durability with the HPCR engine.

 

[JHardwick]

I don't have the smoke, knock or even rough idle. It's just a rattle at no load before a shift point or coast at speed, and only in colder weather. The only other thing is the 400 PRM labored idle before it braaaaaps up to speed and settles on a normal idle. This only happens for a few seconds and only when cold start.



Ryan, my build date is Jan/03, I don't seen any actual build dates listed here , but I will check the connections.



I'm thinking that a bad connection wouldn't be so tempurature specific though and wouldn't show up under certain conditions and those conditions only. There is a pattern here.



I know, I know, the simple and most obvious is usually the answer, and I'll check those connections

 

[Lightman]

Just from personal experience and trying different things at cold temps the timing is advanced to help stop cold smoking it is a combination of out side air temp and engine water temp, their for when it warms up it goes away.

 

[JHardwick]

Just from personal experience and trying different things at cold temps the timing is advanced to help stop cold smoking it is a combination of out side air temp and engine water temp, their for when it warms up it goes away.

I'd buy that except I don't remember this rattle through the remaining '03 winter after I took delivery. I don't remember it through the '03/'04 winter and has gotten progressively worse through the '04/'05 winter.



Note, this is not the "pilot injection bypass when cold" I'm talking about.

 

[Ftuttle]

JHardwick -



you going to make it to the Lancaster meet in a couple weeks? I hope so - then you can listen to mine and tell me if we hear the same thing. Again, cold, no load, knocking (and I've got less than 1000 miles until 36K! Paranoia is setting in) - The TSB doesn't apply to me as I've got 6 speed - 11/02 build date on mine.



rbattelle -

any chance you're going to make it to Lancaster?



-frank

 

[Lorenz]

injectors are covered under 50,000 mile warranty per my dealer. I still think its under the 100k warranty though haven't done my homework. Either way you good to go warranty wise.

 

[Ftuttle]

Duh. Sorry - not running on all 6 cyls... thanks for reminding me (in a very nice way! ) I guess in thinking about it, the injectors are part of the engine, so shouldn't they be under the same 100k warranty as the rest of the engine? Wonder why the dealer said 50k for injectors?



-frank

 

[BillGotthelf]

I had the same problem with my 04. 5. It did the same thing after some lowlife put a gallon of h2o in my tank. Ever see a water jet cut steel. It does not take much water in your fuel at 23,000 psi to enlarge the injector nozzle holes. :--)

 

[JHardwick]

I had the same problem with my 04. 5. It did the same thing after some lowlife put a gallon of h2o in my tank. Ever see a water jet cut steel. It does not take much water in your fuel at 23,000 psi to enlarge the injector nozzle holes. :--)

Water jets also use a fine abrasive, almost like a slurry. Besides, what would be the difference between water and diesel as far as etching goes?



Frank, I'm gonna try

 

[rbattelle]

rbattelle -

any chance you're going to make it to Lancaster?

Well, I'd like to, but I've got a prior engagement that day (the 16th, right?).



I never knew water jets used an abrasive! Man, you learn something good on this site every day.



I was going to suggest dismissing your noise, Jeff, as a clutch spring or something. But there's that 400 rpm struggle on startup that's not so good. That makes it sound like something is sticking when it's cold. And you know how fickle electrical parts can be. It doesn't make sense for an electrical problem to present itself only when it's cold, but it also doesn't make sense that Windows randomly crashes for absolutely no apparent reason.



-Ryan

 

[Ftuttle]

great, now computers....

Hi Ryan -



Great, now you're telling me my power windows are going crash for no reason! Geez - what next!



Sorry to hear you won't make it - I want to meet up w/ you at some point to see your truck and the mods you've done (photos on the reader's rigs I think probably only start to show what you've done).



-frank