Newbie with boost problems...

[Duffer59]

First time poster here. I've done some lurking and searches for a while but can't seem to diagnose my problem. I have an 05 2500 4X4, 5.9, automatic, with 277K miles. The truck began to lose power a year or so ago and has gradually gotten worse and in the past month, has reached a point where I need to resolve.
I live in Phoenix, AZ and make frequent trips to Flagstaff, which is about 7000ft elevation.
The symptoms I'm having is a loss of power under load as boost comes on. As long as I'm cruising at minimum load, the truck runs fine, but when I press on the accelerator, the engine begins to pull then just goes flat, as though I'm out of fuel. I can back off the pedal, and it settles back out, but any attempt to accelerate causes it to stall like it runs out of fuel.
It seems to be temperature dependent as well, since I can leave Phoenix at around 70 degrees outside temperature, and head to Flagstaff where it's maybe 10 degrees, and the cooler the air gets, the less power the truck will make. Once the temperature gets around 30 or less, the truck will barely maintain 45 mph on mild hills. But when I come back to Phoenix and the air warms up, the truck returns to a more drivable state.
The turbo sounds like it always has, regardless of the temperature, but I don't have any instrumentation to know what the boost pressure really is.
I rolled the dice and replaced the MAP sensor but it made no difference.
The feeling I get when I'm trying to accelerate is that as boost begins to build, it hits a threshold and just stops. If I keep my foot on the gas, it smokes black smoke and feels like it's missing. This gets worse as the temperature drops as the threshold where boost stops drops to the point where I can't give it any fuel at all without it stalling. And when really cold, I have to feather the gas as the truck loses speed on hills to keep it from stalling and smoking badly.
Sorry for the long ramble, but if anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I'm appreciative. Any clarification I need to provide, just let me know. Thanks for reading and any help you can provide.

 

[Killer223]

you likely have a boost leak.
i believe the 05's had plastic end caps on the charge air cooler or intercooler, they are known to bust. also the boots can burst as well.
youtube is your new friend.

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

Sounds more like a wastegate solenoid issue to me.

 

[lpennock]

I would agree with boost leak over solenoid as it falls on face right off idle. Solenoid would stop it from making more than 24psi but it would still spool up to there.

 

[amsoilman]

First time poster here. I've done some lurking and searches for a while but can't seem to diagnose my problem. I have an 05 2500 4X4, 5.9, automatic, with 277K miles. The truck began to lose power a year or so ago and has gradually gotten worse and in the past month, has reached a point where I need to resolve.
I live in Phoenix, AZ and make frequent trips to Flagstaff, which is about 7000ft elevation.
The symptoms I'm having is a loss of power under load as boost comes on. As long as I'm cruising at minimum load, the truck runs fine, but when I press on the accelerator, the engine begins to pull then just goes flat, as though I'm out of fuel. I can back off the pedal, and it settles back out, but any attempt to accelerate causes it to stall like it runs out of fuel.
It seems to be temperature dependent as well, since I can leave Phoenix at around 70 degrees outside temperature, and head to Flagstaff where it's maybe 10 degrees, and the cooler the air gets, the less power the truck will make. Once the temperature gets around 30 or less, the truck will barely maintain 45 mph on mild hills. But when I come back to Phoenix and the air warms up, the truck returns to a more drivable state.
The turbo sounds like it always has, regardless of the temperature, but I don't have any instrumentation to know what the boost pressure really is.
I rolled the dice and replaced the MAP sensor but it made no difference.
The feeling I get when I'm trying to accelerate is that as boost begins to build, it hits a threshold and just stops. If I keep my foot on the gas, it smokes black smoke and feels like it's missing. This gets worse as the temperature drops as the threshold where boost stops drops to the point where I can't give it any fuel at all without it stalling. And when really cold, I have to feather the gas as the truck loses speed on hills to keep it from stalling and smoking badly.
Sorry for the long ramble, but if anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I'm appreciative. Any clarification I need to provide, just let me know. Thanks for reading and any help you can provide.

You should definitely look at all your connections on the air tubes from the turbo to the inlet at the intake. There are rubber boots that have clamps at the ends of the boots, so check all of them to see if they are tight, and not loose. Also check the boots for any cracks. It doesn't take much of a leak to affect the performance of your engine.
I would also change the fuel filter, as that could also affect the engine, therefore affecting the boost.

 

[cerberusiam]

Sounds a lot more like a fuel problem than a boost problem. If no gauges are present then no way to tell if it is boost or fuel.
You need gauges or just guessing.

If you don't hear a load hiss or squeal under throttle likely is not a boost issues. Only the early 05's had plastic end tanks so one needs to know build date to know for sure or look at the CAC.

 

[Ozymandias]

I would agree with boost leak over solenoid as it falls on face right off idle. Solenoid would stop it from making more than 24psi but it would still spool up to there.

Mine had only 15psi with broken solenoid.

 

[Ozymandias]

I would agree with boost leak over solenoid as it falls on face right off idle. Solenoid would stop it from making more than 24psi but it would still spool up to there.

Mine had only 15psi with broken solenoid.

 

[Duffer59]

Thanks for all the ideas and advice.
Killer223 and amsoilman, I'm going to disassemble everything today and check all the boots for tears and poor connections. Fortunately, I don't have plastic endcaps on my intercooler but that doesn't necessarily mean I still don't have a leak there. While I have everything apart, I'll right up some kind of pressure test to make sure it isn't leaking. I want to definitely eliminate the possibility of it being a leak on the intake side. Until I do, there's always the doubt in the back of my mind.

Mikey-KE7LBB, Ipennock, Ozymandias, I suspected the boost solenoid as well, but the possibility of a boost leak has prevented me from just replacing it so far. I already spent money on a MAP sensor I didn't need. But once I verify I don't have a leak somewhere, that will be my next focus.
Is there a definitive test to determine if it is bad?

Cerberusiam, yes, I know I'm at a disadvantage by not having gauges. I've thought about installing them but just never have since I don't really do anything stressful with the truck other than pulling a 20 ft enclosed car trailer around occasionally. I'd hate to spend the money at this point to install them just for troubleshooting. But on the other hand, you're absolutely correct, they would certainly provide another layer of facts to help figure this one out.

I guess what clouded this whole thing up for me is how the truck responds at lower temperatures. I drove it around the house here in Phoenix yesterday, mid 80's, and it drives almost normally, with the exception of the boost flattening out towards the top, but I can take it to Flagstaff where it's mid-teens and it's a constant degradation of power and boost as the temperature drops until it will barely pull itself. Come back down to Phoenix, and it's back to normal.
Now, this is all without a trailer behind it. If I put my trailer behind it in Phoenix, it definitely has trouble pulling it. Like there's no torque.

I'm anxious to eliminate the boost leak possibility today but I really don't think that's the problem. Regardless, I'm going to mark that off the list before I move on to the next thing. I'll post what I find.

I appreciate the support and help. I really want my truck back to normal!

 

[Ozymandias]

I dont think you have a leak that bad to loose so much power.
Within my drivers career i had that more then once and always ever there was a loud hissing sound present that wasn't possible to not hear.

 

[AH64ID]

That sounds very similar to how mine acted when the OEM 05 plastic end-tanked intercooler started to fail.

In a matter of a week I went from Idaho to Tuscon to Idaho and had similar experiences with boost and temperatures. At low temps the metal portion of the intercooler is smaller and the failing plastic clamps can't hold the pressure as well so the leak is bigger, and the opposite happens when warm.

I never heard the leak but I could see it on my boost gauge and pyro at high loads, and low loads it wasn't as hot. The way the plastic/metal splits it's a large area that's not prone to a lot of noise based on how it leaks and it leaks enough that the pressure behind the leak is low.

I don't recommend towing with a potential boost leak and no gauges, the pistons in the 04.5-07 like to melt too easily anyhow.

If it was a boost solenoid you should get 24 psi, which will let you have full power, and a code if you were below 24.. thou that's not common with a solenoid failure.

The way the ECM fuels you need to see 24 psi to get full fuel and if you're below that you will be severely limited. The 04.5-07 fuel/boost map is quite restrictive on fuel. It doesn't take much of a leak to limit boost and thus fuel.


The first thing I would do is go out and pop your hood. Look at you intercooler and see if it has plastic end-caps or metal ones, but I'm willing to bet that they are plastic.

 

[sag2]

You can build test caps for a few dollars from PVC pipe fittings. I'm sure I have seen a post or two here with the size of the fittings. Only works if you have a compressor at home though.

 

[Ozymandias]

He mentioned he has an All-Aluminium Intercooler.

Fortunately, I don't have plastic endcaps on my intercooler but that doesn't necessarily mean I still don't have a leak there.

 

[Ozymandias]

*double post again, something seems wrong with the forums software*

 

[AH64ID]

He mentioned he has an All-Aluminium Intercooler.

Bummer... I missed that. His report sure seems like a failed intercooler joint.

Yes the forum software is doing the double-post screw-up again.

 

[CToney]

An old Windex bottle filled with soapy water sprayed on anything with compressed air will produce bubbles with the engine idling.

A Bluetooth OBDII reader and an app on your phone (Fusion or Torque Pro) and you can monitor a lot of things. Ultra Guage 2 works well too.

Diesel engines are simple(in theory) you need fuel and air. Without air you won't get more fuel and without fuel you won't get more air. Double check that all air system and fuel system are up to snuff.

 

[cerberusiam]

The problem the OP has is no gauges or scan results. Without SOMETHIING to monitor boost, RP, LP pressure, and EGT there is literally no way to tell what the problem is. This could simply be a load of bad fuel that will not flow and burn right in cold ambient temps, or, even and ECM problem that ONLY shows up with cold ambient temps. If it still iffy in Phoenix time for a test drive with a scan tool to see what is coming up on the operational parameters.

 

[Hefslooking]

There’s one method to check for boost leaks. If water temp spikes suddenly during the drop off it shows a lack of air. Also check your TPS to see if there’s a power drop. Most of the time it shows up with heat.