NOT loving my 6.7

[CMgoFast]

Hi everyone. Not new here, but it's been while. I bought a 2016 2500 brand new and haven't had any problems, until now. Until about 45,000 miles, it was great. Then the dreaded "turbo actuator" codes started. What a PITA. I took it to the local crooks, Clovis Dodge, Jeep, RAM. They told me it needed an actuator, not covered under warranty. They wanted $3000 for it. I told them, no thanks. How they determined this, I don't know. The service writer, told me they pulled the actuator and tested the turbo, and it was fine.... which was a lie. The inner fender wasn't removed and the actuator wasn't touched.

So I bought an actuator online and installed it myself. I also bought the Alfa OBD to calibrate it. It worked fine for about 1500 miles. From Fresno, CA to Billings MT, it ran great. Then it didn't and it derated me to 2nd gear, in Billings in 12 degree weather. Until I shut the truck off and cleared the codes with the Alfa OBD, then it ran fine for about 10 miles. I was on the I90 outside Billings and the check eng light came on again. Lost boost and the ex brake stopped working, again. No derate this time. I drove out to south east MT to do some hunting, came home through WY. When the truck is cold, first started, it runs fine. Warms up to normal temp, the ck eng light comes on. I pull over, clear the codes and it runs fine the rest of the day. Next day, same thing. Cold, it works, warmed up it doesn't.

I don't daily drive the truck, I have a work truck I drive 5 days a week. My truck gets driven 100 miles on the weekend, maybe. Some in town driving, here and there. I ALWAYS used the ex brake, I like the sound.

Yesterday, took it to homedepot, tried to get on the freeway, it stuck me in 2nd gear on the on ramp. Shut it off, restarted it, worked fine. Full boost, for about 5 miles. WTF? Went back to home depot 4 hours later, same exact thing. Now, the codes won't stay cleared.

Did I get a bad "new" actuator? When I removed the old actuator, I moved the vanes of the turbo, they moved pretty easy for me. Maybe there is a test for them? So many inch pounds maybe?

If anyone has the cummins info for diagnostics on this, let me know. Otherwise it's back to a different set of crooks, ie dealer ship.
( you can't say steeeeler$hip?)

Is this what I have to look forward too? I had an '01 that in 15 years and 150,000 miles never gave me a check eng light. All it did was WORK. It wasn't a dolled up trophy wife like this new truck, it was a mule. It went to work everyday and never quit. The Ex wife got it in the divorce.....

I can't believe I am saying this, but I am thinking of trading this in for a 6.4 HEMI. I don't want to deal with the smog crap of this engine. I live in communist CA, deleting this crap isn't an option and neither is moving right now. So either I put a band aid on this cancer, get another '01 CTD, or get a new 8spd HEMI.

yeah, it's long winded, but I'm pissed off. $55,000 for a truck that needs the shop after 45,000 miles will piss you off.

 

[Cummins12V98]

From what I have recently read it's covered for 50k.

 

[AH64ID]

Do you do much towing?

From what I have recently read it's covered for 50k.

Yeah, kinda BS that it's only covered under the emissions warranty and not the powertrain.

 

[CMgoFast]

Not a lot. When I do, it's my jeep and it and the trailer are around 7000#. I go from 300' to 8000' elevation in 10 miles, to go wheeling, maybe 10 times a year. Or I tow firewood around. I don't have big 12,000# travel trailer.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

If emissions related, doesn't it have the 8 year, 80,000 mile warranty?

 

[AH64ID]

If emissions related, doesn't it have the 8 year, 80,000 mile warranty?

No, emissions is now a 5/50K. Not sure when it dropped.

 

[Ozymandias]

No, emissions is now a 5/50K. Not sure when it dropped.

Means his is covered and the dealer just denied warranty on him.

 

[AH64ID]

Means his is covered and the dealer just denied warranty on him.

Looking into it a little more the emissions warranty is different for California, and the turbo is covered for 8/80K... so why did they deny it?

Thou the standard Cummins warranty only states turbocharger housing and internal parts. The actuator is neither.

The turbo is also listed under the standard 5/50K (non-commifornia) emissions warranty, so FCA must not consider the actuator as part of the turbo? Seems like serious BS.

 

[TMyers]

I just replaced my turbo actuator, it's not a hard job. I have less than $450 in the entire job and I changed all of my antifreeze. $3K from the dealership is nothing short of theft.

The actuator is a simple motor moving a gate vane inside the turbo. Maybe you got a bad actuator. Another member here put one on his truck and it only lasted a little while. He replaced it a second time and all is well.

Just curious, what CEL codes is your truck throwing?

 

[Cummins12V98]

Means his is covered and the dealer just denied warranty on him.

I would be contacting Chrysler!!!

 

[sag2]

What codes are being set? Are they the same codes every time?
The dealer isn't trying to rip you off. A complete turbo MSRP is $5060, just the actuator is $2995. So they are charging a little less than MSRP for the actuator and the labor to install and calibrate.
Yes the dealer can charge less, but he still has to pay FCA to purchase the part and make some money. If they don't they don't stay in business.

 

[CMgoFast]

the codes is sets

U010C
P00AF
P003A
Do these codes point only to the actuator?
and a new one

P2BAC

The dealer is trying to rip me off. They already lied to me once. They performed the tailgate latch recall, well they said they did. Even charged out the parts to FCA. Only one problem. My camper shell was on the truck and locked when they had it, making it impossible to open the tailgate. I already filed a complaint with FCA over that. They also did the water pump recall and before I got home they low coolant light was on. When I replaced the actuator and drained the coolant, THE NEXT DAY, I didn't get 3 gallons out of it. So, yeah, they're trying to rip me off.

I have been a diesel/heavy equipment mechanic for 18 years. I've worked on Detroits and Cummins before and CASE equipment too. I have seen brand new parts fail and rebuilt parts fail. I haven't worked much on these 6.7 cummins though. Is this common for the actuator to be crap? I make good money, I just hate paying and paying and paying for something that should work. My old '01 had and edge EZ and some rv275 injectors and it did everything I needed, engine wise. I only bought this truck because of my kids getting too big for the back seat of the old truck. I love my MEGACAB, the 6.7 Cummins, seems like it will be a money pit.

Save money on gas, spend it on parts.....

 

[TMyers]

U010C - Lost communication with turbocharger control module A

P003A - Turbocharger boost control A position exceeded learning limit

P00AF - Turbocharger boost control A module performance

Yep, that's them.

 

[Ozymandias]

Yes the Actuator fails more often then what would be ok.
But Cummins seems to upgrade it, so if you change it - take care to get the latest revision.

Bought somewhere on the internet could be cheap Chinese crap.

 

[Timd32]

Depending on where you got it from could be a bad part for sure. This seems to be a pretty common issue lately been a few threads here on it.

Genos carries an aftermarket, but as TMeyers says his was only $450, Genos is $895 and back ordered till 12/6/19, so there seems to be demand and various pricing out there for these, if they are similar years. The early ones are cheaper as expected, Genos has them as well also show back order.

https://www.genosgarage.com/product...uator-gear-housing-cm-actkit2013/engine-turbo

 

[TMyers]

Mine was remanufactured. Came in a Cummins box with a complete Cummins install kit for $304.00

 

[firemansdiesel]

To confirm if purchased an extended Maxcare warranty that it will be covered even if emission warranty is up? I’ve read on various threads on bad actuators covered under extended warranty even with emission warranty period is up.

 

[Wayne M.]

The U code bothers me. Just because all the codes involve a particular part, if you have a harness problem, for example, the part may not be to blame. On my 04, the fan circuit and APPS are perfect examples of harness issues making the part connected to it look bad.

 

[CMgoFast]

All of this bothers me. If it would be consistent I wouldn't hesitate to change the actuator. It's not though. IT works fine when it is first started, for maybe 5 - 10 miles, then it quits working. MOST of the time if i stop, clear the codes and restart it, it will work fine the rest of the day. If I just putt around the ranch, and never get up to speed, it resets itself after so many starts and stops, about 6. Parts usually fail, and stay failed. A bad wire will act like this, works then doesn't.

Maybe I am wrong about how much force it takes to move the turbo vanes? The lever seemed easy for me to operate, maybe it's not easy enough for a stupid piece of poorly designed plastic garbage.

 

[TMyers]

All of this bothers me. If it would be consistent I wouldn't hesitate to change the actuator. It's not though. IT works fine when it is first started, for maybe 5 - 10 miles, then it quits working. MOST of the time if i stop, clear the codes and restart it, it will work fine the rest of the day. If I just putt around the ranch, and never get up to speed, it resets itself after so many starts and stops, about 6. Parts usually fail, and stay failed. A bad wire will act like this, works then doesn't.

Maybe I am wrong about how much force it takes to move the turbo vanes? The lever seemed easy for me to operate, maybe it's not easy enough for a stupid piece of poorly designed plastic garbage.

I know this is a reach. How aggravating would it be for you to pull the actuator off and redo the calibration, then reinstall? Here's why I'm suggesting that... If the turbo's gate is off by just one tooth, it could be bottoming or topping out inside the turbo causing the CEL. When you're stopping then restarting, the actuator is returning to the neutral position.