New Engine on the way

[DIESELMAN]

I bragged and bragged, and my uncle bought a MegaCab 2500, now he's driving a 1500 -



While driving home he lost power, restarted and had a rough running runaway. Seems a valve keeper broke or 'fell' out dropping a valve, holed the piston and destroyed the injector tip. He had 5500 miles on it so this is teenage mortality. (Dealer description, sounds to me like a failed injector may have caused it)



Anyone see this before??



Dealer pulled and is replacing the engine without discussion, ***** happens I guess.

 

[rjohnson916]

Yeah, I wouldnt sweat it stuff happens. I'm just glad D/C is standing behind this product and taking care of him.





-Ryan

 

[DPKetchum]

I'd be REAL concerned about what caused a RUNAWAY condition. Real RARE. If not corrected it can do it again.

 

[HBarlow]

Even the mighty Cummins engine and all of it's component parts are manufactured and assembled by imperfect humans like us. I can understand why you are a little embarrassed after your uncle bought a Cummins-powered Dodge on your recommendation but catastrophic failure of Cummins engines seems to be very rare. It is an unfortunate occurrence but the important thing is that the dealer, DC, and Cummins are making it right without finger-pointing or hedging.



Harvey

 

[DPKetchum]

Well'll its no big deal to Cummins. They sell the engines to D. C. with NO warranty. Its D. C. all the way.

 

[tractorseller]

(Dealer description, sounds to me like a failed injector may have caused it)

That part worries me. Mine rattles like a freight train when I start it in the morning and smokes out everything within 50 yards with the old white smoke (smells terrific :-laf ). It gets worse every week.



Took it in to the non-service pinheads and they aren't interested in fixing the problem, they're interested in making excuses and telling me that "bad fuel" is probably causing it. Flying J fuel bought at the RV pumps? Yeah right . The service manager (who came out like there was a 911 call when I was screaming at the "advisor") told me that the injector problem is bad. He said even some of the replacement injectors they've installed at his dealership are failing almost immediately. All of them "remanufactured". I can't afford the downtime to leave my truck at his dealership for days on end while they run "tests" and do nothing, so I've decided to run the crud out of it until it blows. Sounds bad I know, but I'm tired of listening to their excuses. He did admit that STAR is very resistant to replacing injectors because they're $600 to $800 apiece. I guess it's cheaper for STAR to pay a big tow bill, give me a 1500 1/2 ton rental that I can't get any work done with, and replace the entire engine . I ran the crap out of two Duramax engines and never had any problems with them. Just hated the Allison transmission and had a lemon transfer case on one of them causing a GM buyback .



I suspect I have one or more bad injectors and I'll be in the same boat as your uncle soon. Mine has 15,500 so maybe I should count my blessings. Started this rough idle and white smoke at about 13,000 miles. I've noticed when I'm pulling heavy loads now that my palms have started sweating more :-laf .

 

[DPKetchum]

Any reports of a bad injector(injector's) causing a RPM runaway??

 

[Grizzly]

You can expect this happening to a powerjoke, but a Cummins?

 

[ACerf]

I would rather have the Cummins, with problems than the Powerjoke or the Duramax. I hear they have have some serious injector problems! I you use your truck for hauling cars or RV trailers the Cummins is the best! Around here no one uses anything else but the Dodge/Cummins!

Anything man made can have problems, but compared to the Powerjoke or Duramax the Cummins has got to be having fewer of them. And I would take that to the bank!

Take the truck to a different dealer!!

 

[JensenC]

Come on, guys. Its Diapermax, not Duramax. Get it right!

 

[DIESELMAN]

An Afternote - The point here being that Ron (my uncle) didn't get any guff, he got, or will get, a new engine next week.



As for the runaway, it wasn't a screamer like a blown turbo bearing, it just ran on after turning off the key, and rough, which would happen with oil leaking into the cylinder(s), however, there is a hole in the piston which should have stopped the runaway, at least from or driven by that cylinder, that is why it is strange.



While the whole event sucks, so far the service response is good, no attempts at weaseling out.

 

[macdaddy]

Tractor



EPA diesel, cold weather, and white smoke go together upon start ups especially cold ones. Mine does it all the time when I am in Wa st during winter months (which is also the EPA blend).



Mac

 

[MGarland]

I called my 02 the Duramelt, lots of bad injectors and headgaskets.

MGarland

 

[DBond]

EPA diesel...

What is this "EPA diesel" you refer to?

 

[cerberusiam]

 however, there is a hole in the piston which should have stopped the runaway

It is stilling injecting atomized diesel into the cylinder then pressurizing the crank case with a combustible mixture. Aside from what will get by the rings the crankcase is vented to the intake manifold so it is feedning itself until the injection event is shut off.



Sorry about the engine problem, but, as was previously noted they are still assembled by mistake prone humans. It is good to hear about a dealer that is doing the right thing with no questions and didling around. The other stories are way too frequent.

 

[ButchJ]

Lost my engine with 380 miles on a 2004. 5, no runaway RPM lotd of noise and smoke, #6 injector failed to close and I had a dime size hole in piston and both intakes valves damaged. Dealer replaced engine and have 5500 miles on truck with no problems on new engine.

 

[tractorseller]

Tractor



EPA diesel, cold weather, and white smoke go together upon start ups especially cold ones. Mine does it all the time when I am in Wa st during winter months (which is also the EPA blend).



Mac

The only thing is that it didn't do this last winter. Maybe they changed the fuel . I run 90% Flying J fuel from Arizona, always get it at the RV pumps. Man, I hope fuel hasn't gotten that bad.

 

[cerberusiam]

Mine rattles like a freight train when I start it in the morning and smokes out everything within 50 yards with the old white smoke

Not normal here in the Northwest or any where else it is cold. More than 30 seconds of white smoke and it is a fuel or injector problem.

I run 90% Flying J fuel from Arizona, always get it at the RV pumps.

I refuse to buy fuel at Flying J, Pilot, or TA unless I am on empty and they are the last stop for 100 miles. I am pretty sure they cut it with kerosene to reduce the pour point and gelling. Neither my 92 or 05 like the fuel, down on power, rough idle, lower mileage. The last PS I fueled at Flying J thought it was unleaded, rattled way worse than normal. Worse in the winter months. Even stiff doses of PS and MMO can't compensate.



Best fuel so far is the premium diesel from Shell/Big D. Will use the Chevron if other not available.



The HPCR injectors do not like dry or dirty fuel. Erodes the seats causing leaking, carboning tips, and lousy performance. You don't want to know what it does to the CP3 pump and they are $2250 out of your pocket if DC decides you have bad fuel.



The 92 has 284k and POD's with minimal white smoke on startup. Stock injectors were clean when I swapped and getting 18 to 20 mpg. A shade over 21k on the 05. Little or no white smoke on startup, no injector rattle, 17 to 19 average mpg. There may be pro's to high volume stations but there are some con's also.

 

[tractorseller]

Flying J or Love's?

I always heard "high volume" is the best. I guess I should try some fuel from another place, but I'll tell you straight up that the price increase is hard to swallow when you're filling up with over 100 gallons of fuel. I can get it at the Flying J for about $2. 19 and everywhere else it's $2. 47 or better, at least around Tucson and Phoenix. That's an extra $28 on one fill-up. I may give it a try after I burn up all this Flying J fuel I have in the tank right now.



How about Love's (Texaco I think)??? Any opinions?



Anybody else care to weigh in on this?

 

[nickleinonen]

What is this "EPA diesel" you refer to?

EPA (emissions certified) diesel (engine)