Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) New family member to the LP club!

[elamb]

I checked the fuel pressure this weekend and when you first cycle the lift pump. It will jump up to about 16psi and run from 2-6 seconds and drop to zero. Start it up and it will not come off of 0psi. Rev up to 2000 rpms, still nothing. I have an appt. for the dealer tomorrow. Hopefully all will go well. Is this common symptoms? Mileage really hadn't changed. The only thing that I have noticed is that it might not have been as strong as normal, but other than that its been running fine. Truck only has 31,000 miles on it.



Thanks

Eric

 

[Oil Burner]

Normal. You probably won't experience many, if any, symptoms when the LP fails. If you would have changed the fuel filter and had to prime it, you may have had trouble starting but many times you don't know if the LP is bad. Fuel pressure gauges are a must on 98. 5-02 trucks. Do you have a permanent gauge or did you hook up a gauge under the hood? Just wondering how long it has been like this. I would be worried about the VP44 if you don't know how long it has been this way.



-Jason

 

[elamb]

I do not have a permanent gauge, was checking it under the hood. We had a local chapter meet on Feb 28th and I checked it then. I believe it was 18psi idle and like 12 or 13 psi at 2000 rpm's. We had another local meet this weekend and I checked it then, thats how I found out it had went south. I have bought a gauge to check it under the hood for now. Later I plan to put permanent gauges on the a pillar.



Thanks

Eric

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

(sigh) Eric - don't take this as a personal attack - but you're not exactly new here, and have apparantly done a few other mods to your truck... You couldn't HELP but be fully aware of the potential LP problems - and the absolute NEED of full-time fuel pressure monitoring - maybe it woulda been smarter to let some of those other mods wait - and get guages instead?

 

[elamb]

Gary - I realize now that the full time gauge is a must. I will get a permanent gauge when I get the money to do it, but for right now checking under the hood, periodicaly, should keep me fairly safe. Correct? I guess I always had the mentality that, "Its not going to happen to me. " WRONG!



Thanks

Eric

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Hey Eric, you got it now!



Only monitoring "occasionally" can be pretty much like playing Russian Roulette - probably gonna cost ya sooner or later!



You sorta need monitor fuel PSI as you do the engines oil pressure - not necessarily keep yer eye glued to the guage - but sorta glance at it occasionally...



Good luck, and hope no other peripheral damage or problems crop up.

 

[csaba]

For what it worth ....

Before the mods to my truck, I lost an LP at around 86,000 or 90,000 miles. The symptom was, that I periodically lost any ability to accelerate when traveling at highway speeds. Going along 65 - 70 mph and want to pass a big rig ... punch the go pedal and nothing! :{ Take my foot off the go pedal, let it slow down to 55 - 60mph and then when I step on it again ... . good to go.

Not exactly the safest way to travel on Interstate 80!

It took 3 Dodge dealers (the last guy called Cummings) to figure out what is wrong and fix it under warranty.



But this was all before my TDR membership, that led me to the fuel pressure gage ... the F. A. S. S ... and ... all other mods.



Csaba



I do have a barely used LP that is looking for a good home; I don't think I am going back to that set up.

 

[elamb]

Re: For what it worth ....

Originally posted by csaba



I do have a barely used LP that is looking for a good home; I don't think I am going back to that set up.

I have an appt. with the dealer in the morning. I hope they don't give me any problems.



Thanks

Eric

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Re: For what it worth ....

Originally posted by csaba

(the last guy called Cummings)

Awk NEVER let lim call Cummings again! Those guys give all the wrong info!!



Instead have them call Cummins They will get things rollin again



elamb, Granted you have a couple mods but are you still under warrantee? If not and you want to save cash grab an LP and do it yourself. It's a 1/2 hour job (Being Very generous here on time) until you look into a viable solution that suits your needs (I. E Fass , PE , Aeromotive , carter at the tank etc)

 

[JStephens]

Just became a member myself. I had problems last week with mine. Changed fuel fiter which fixed it for a few days but last night cranked her up and 5psi idle. Restarted and went to 16psi for about 15 seconds then back to 5. I took it to the dealer and they gave me all the BS about no longer using the pressure test and that it was fine with the flow test. when it was all said and done I got ripped off for $320 on a lift pump that I installed myself. I wasn't about to get myself stranded in the middle of no where when it took out my VP.

 

[csaba]

Re: Re: For what it worth ....

Originally posted by ToolManTimTaylor

Awk NEVER let lim call Cummings again! Those guys give all the wrong info!!

Please forgive me ... I am just a poor newbie forign guy ... . not too well equiped to hadel da inglish languge



Csaba (NOT the CAR & Driver guy)

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Just needlin ya

NOT the Car & Driver Editor-in-Chief Csaba Csere I hope not as he prolly wouldn't drive a clunky ol diesel to work now would he

 

[elamb]

TMTT - I should still be under warrenty. The only things that I've done that they could possibly could give me grief about is the muffler missing or the AFE drop in filter. Surely they want give me a hard time over these changes.



JStephens - I hate you had trouble with your dealer. I hope I don't run into a similiar situation tomorrow.



Thanks guys

Eric

 

[elamb]

Went to the dealer today. The mech. come out to the truck with the same gauge that I am using to check fuel pressure. I showed the gauge I was using and he said he didn't see any need in checking it. He went ahead and put a new LP on. Part # for the LP was 5080885-AA. New pressure is 18psi at idle and 12psi at WOT.



Eric

 

[TPlasek]

FYI...



I don't think all VP's are created equal. I have a cowoker that has a 1999 3500 with currently 112,000 miles. At 88k, I offered to check his fuel pressure. It was 5 psi idle and 0 during any load. Being the "practical" guy that he is, he saw no need in fixing a perfectly good running truck. He still today has not changed that pump and that VP is still ticking at 112k.



I just don't get it.

 

[JStephens]

By the way. Although most of you already know this lift pumps are $150 from cummins. I got raped by my ******* with $320!!. So if you've got a 24V with a weak lift pump don't get to far from a cummins distributor without a spare!!

 

[elamb]

Originally posted by JStephens

By the way. Although most of you already know this lift pumps are $150 from cummins. I got raped by my ******* with $320!!. So if you've got a 24V with a weak lift pump don't get to far from a cummins distributor without a spare!!

Wouldn't the dealer do under warranty?



Eric

 

[rwitt]

Add me to the lift pump replacement club. I noticed a few days ago my fuel pressure was dropping from 15-16 at cruise to about 10 and then it would drop to about 5psi. I changed the fuel filter just to be sure and the electrical connection but no difference. Took it to the dealer today and sure enough they called and said the lift pump was dead. They replaced under warranty. Good thing for the fuel pressure gauge, I wouldn't have known otherwise. 38,900 miles.

Rich

 

[MRoberts]

I just had a new LP installed under warranty today. I went to a BOMB Party and had gauges installed ( FP,EGT,Boost), my first BOMB. We checked the FP under the hood before hooking up the FP gauge, 13 psi, the guys warned me to keep an eye on it. The very next morning I drove out my driveway, looked at my FP gauge and it had dropped to 5psi. Thought the gauge was bad, took it back, put the new one in, same thing. Changed the isolator, same thing. Checked the FP under the hood, bad LP. Went to the dealer that I purchased the truck from, they did the "flow test", the LP flowed 2 liters per minute, they stopped the test and called the LP good and would not replace it.



Thanks to some friends on NWBombers.com, I called Dwayne Lane Dodge, they said bring it in and replaced it under warranty! I will be looking into a new system to avoid further headaches. BTW my truck had 37K on it.