Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Lost Power while pulling a hill

[C.MILLER]

While pulling a 16' travel trailer up a 6% grade the truck lost about half its power. I was running the truck prettyhard up to that point to get around slower traffic, and suddenly it felt like the go-pedal was just barely working. Thankfully I was only a couple of miles from the campsite, so I made it there and parked it. The next day while taking off for home, it barely accelerated, and left a huge plume of black smoke @ initial take-off. After that, for the next 2 hours home it ran flawlessly. What Gives? Before I left the campsite I checked all the boot clamps, fuel pressure @ VP44, Edge & Ottomind connections, recalibrated the TPS. Couldn't find anything wrong. Any suggestions out there.



Thanks,

Chris

 

[lmills]

How is it running now? Do you have a boost gauge? If si did the boost drop off?

 

[C.MILLER]

When this happened the boost went from 35 - 40 lbs to about 10. I thought I just blew a innercooler boot off, but that wasn't the case. Same thing when I tried taking off in the truck the next day, boost wouldn't go past 10 lbs, and the truck barely wanted to get moving. It felt like the accelerater pedal would only work as if I were just barely pressing down on it. When I looked back the person waiting for me to go was engulfed in a huge cloud of black smoke. Immediately after, that the truck ran great all the way back home. Boost & everything went back to normal. Now the truck runs the same as it did before this ever happened (great). The ottomind has a wire tapped to the inj. pump, could this be making a poor connection?



Thanks Again,

Chris

 

[McDowra]

check your codes,lets us know





Tim

 

[lmills]

I doubt it is a loose wire tap. If it were a loose wire tap on the vp44 it wouldn't have been making that much smoke.

 

[C.MILLER]

Checked for codes the day it happened... . None came up on the odometer, accept for the normal ones from the transmission upgrade. Thanks for the thoughts so far, keep them coming.



Chris

 

[McDowra]

what codes do you get from your trans upgrade?

 

[C.MILLER]

PO743, PO753, P1765. All were said to be normal with this trany upgrade.

 

[CFAR]

Do you have an exhaust brake?

 

[plongson]

What if the wast gate were to stick in the open position???

 

[C.MILLER]

I don't have an exhaust brake. If the waste gate stuck open, would this have caused the problem? I don't know how to check if this was the problem, as the truck is running great again. I was @ a steady 3/4 throttle between 35-40 lbs boost when it just all the sudden lost power. Felt like I backed off to 1/4 throttle when this happened. My first thought was innercooler boot blew off, but I usually can hear that if it happens, or the Ottomind defueling the truck because EGT's got to hot.

 

[lmills]

Since you were blowing black smoke, it definitely sounds like you lost boost somewhere. Could have been the wastegate.