Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Yep, I admit it. I was trying to be cheap and have my lift pump replaced under warrantee. I only have 31,000 miles on a 2001 Dodge and I am seeing pressure readings down to 1-psi. I have kept the engine completely stock (but why?) so that I would have such a warrantee. Sure glad I didn’t pay for an extended one. Here’s my experience:
First, I arrived at Regal Dodge at precisely 7:00am even though they don't open until 7:30. This gives me the pole position in the line-up of cars to be worked on for the day. If you have been following my posts, Regal Dodge had informed me that I needed to first schedule an appointment so that they could confirm my low fuel pressure complaint before they would even order the replacement pump. O. k, fair enough. So, I figure that I can wait a few minutes while they plug in a pressure gauge to my test port. After two hours in the waiting room, the service manager says that the super technician has to talk with me. So I go out to see him and this {censored} has Led Zeppelin blaring in one ear and the noise is flowing directly out of the other ear (nothing in between!). He said that my vacuum gauge is bad. I said, "what on earth are you talking about, I'm here for a lift pump evaluation". He said that I should be concerned with the vacuum. I said that 25 in. of Hg is perfect and what was he talking about. He said that every time he races the engine, the needle doesn't fall. I informed him that this wasn't a carburated engine and showed him where he could stick his own vacuum gauge. His gauge must have been broken also because it got the same reading as mine!
Next, he tried to tell me that my fuel pressure gauge was bad. He said that my pressure gauge only goes up to 15-psi and it needs to go up to at least 250-psi. Once again, I had to inform him that this was a diesel engine that he was looking at! I nicely tried to explain to him the fuel delivery system. He said that they can't rely on the accuracy of my gauge. I told him to use his own, just like the shop manual suggests, and I even showed him the pressure port to hook it up to. He scratched his head and unscrewed the cap off of the Schrader valve. He disappeared for 10 minutes and told me that he didn't have a pressure gauge. What was this {censored} person doing for 2 hours!!!!???? So next he comes back with a data-link and plugs it under my dash. I told him that there was no way in <censored> heck that thing was going to tell him the fuel pressure of the injection pump. He pulled up a menu that says that there was "perfect voltage" going to the pump so it must be good! I just wanted to say that he had perfect blood going to his brain and it wasn't working either! I told him to put the dust cap back on the truck and that I was leaving. Somehow, he managed to loose the dust cap within the brief amount of time that it was off. We looked everywhere but it still couldn’t be found. He disappeared and the service manager returned. Within 20 seconds, the service manager claimed to have found it down inside the engine. I think that they actually pulled it off the diesel that just arrive 10 minutes earlier but at least I got a dust cap back. So, I jumped in the truck, didn't bother to check out at the counter, and I'm never going back!!
When I got back to work I called Cummins, San Leandro. They have the newest revision of the lift pump in stock for $145. With my Midranger’s Club membership I’ll get another 10% off. Then I can install it and sleep at night knowing that it was done right. Whew! Thanks for letting me vent! Ya know, if these DC mechanics would pick up a shop manual from time to time, there might not be all of these complaints!
:-{}
First, I arrived at Regal Dodge at precisely 7:00am even though they don't open until 7:30. This gives me the pole position in the line-up of cars to be worked on for the day. If you have been following my posts, Regal Dodge had informed me that I needed to first schedule an appointment so that they could confirm my low fuel pressure complaint before they would even order the replacement pump. O. k, fair enough. So, I figure that I can wait a few minutes while they plug in a pressure gauge to my test port. After two hours in the waiting room, the service manager says that the super technician has to talk with me. So I go out to see him and this {censored} has Led Zeppelin blaring in one ear and the noise is flowing directly out of the other ear (nothing in between!). He said that my vacuum gauge is bad. I said, "what on earth are you talking about, I'm here for a lift pump evaluation". He said that I should be concerned with the vacuum. I said that 25 in. of Hg is perfect and what was he talking about. He said that every time he races the engine, the needle doesn't fall. I informed him that this wasn't a carburated engine and showed him where he could stick his own vacuum gauge. His gauge must have been broken also because it got the same reading as mine!
Next, he tried to tell me that my fuel pressure gauge was bad. He said that my pressure gauge only goes up to 15-psi and it needs to go up to at least 250-psi. Once again, I had to inform him that this was a diesel engine that he was looking at! I nicely tried to explain to him the fuel delivery system. He said that they can't rely on the accuracy of my gauge. I told him to use his own, just like the shop manual suggests, and I even showed him the pressure port to hook it up to. He scratched his head and unscrewed the cap off of the Schrader valve. He disappeared for 10 minutes and told me that he didn't have a pressure gauge. What was this {censored} person doing for 2 hours!!!!???? So next he comes back with a data-link and plugs it under my dash. I told him that there was no way in <censored> heck that thing was going to tell him the fuel pressure of the injection pump. He pulled up a menu that says that there was "perfect voltage" going to the pump so it must be good! I just wanted to say that he had perfect blood going to his brain and it wasn't working either! I told him to put the dust cap back on the truck and that I was leaving. Somehow, he managed to loose the dust cap within the brief amount of time that it was off. We looked everywhere but it still couldn’t be found. He disappeared and the service manager returned. Within 20 seconds, the service manager claimed to have found it down inside the engine. I think that they actually pulled it off the diesel that just arrive 10 minutes earlier but at least I got a dust cap back. So, I jumped in the truck, didn't bother to check out at the counter, and I'm never going back!!
When I got back to work I called Cummins, San Leandro. They have the newest revision of the lift pump in stock for $145. With my Midranger’s Club membership I’ll get another 10% off. Then I can install it and sleep at night knowing that it was done right. Whew! Thanks for letting me vent! Ya know, if these DC mechanics would pick up a shop manual from time to time, there might not be all of these complaints!
:-{}
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I could do all the racin' while he did all the wrenchin' . 
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