Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) should I take my weak lift pump to the stealer?

[AC]

Hi all,



Just checked my fuel pressure. 7 at idle, 3 at WOT It's a 98. 5 with 87k. I have an appointment at the dealer tomorrow and was told that if the LP is bad they'll replace it under warranty. If they find the fuel pressure OK, they'll charge me $78 service charge. Would you cross your fingers and take it in or just do it yourself? AC

 

[Bob Wagner]

are you going to enumclaw chrysler? I just had a blow up over there regarding this issue

 

[BillGotthelf]

I had 6 at idle. Dodge's own specs for pump show minimum of 10 psi at idle. They should repair it for free as long as you have not had it more than 5 years.

 

[Whitmore]

TRY THIS, take the truck in and tell them that it is sometimes hard to start and then tell them that when you change the fuel filter that you have to pressurize the tank in order to prime the system. They will automatically think its a weak L/P and since they are so smart maybe they will fixer with a new one, I have found out in the past that they don't like a customer that knows more about the truck than their top mechanic.



cheers, Kevin

 

[Smokin Joes 2500]

pressure

Originally posted by Whitmore

TRY THIS, take the truck in and tell them that it is sometimes hard to start and then tell them that when you change the fuel filter that you have to pressurize the tank in order to prime the system. They will automatically think its a weak L/P and since they are so smart maybe they will fixer with a new one, I have found out in the past that they don't like a customer that knows more about the truck than their top mechanic.



cheers, Kevin

How do you pressurize the tank????

 

[Whitmore]

With air and a rag to help seal around the fill neck, I have had to do this before and I read here that it has been done at the stealer before too. They sure know how to fix things eh

 

[JCyrbok]

pressure

Was at the stealer a couple of months ago picking up a part. While I was waiting I was talking to one of the service writers at the desk and told him that my LP was on the way out and that I was getting down to 5psi at WOT (no bombs)with no recovery until I let off the throttle. He told me that they had just replace a LP on a 2001 the day before and that their tech spoke with a cummins tech at CUmmins and was told that as long as there is positive pressure that the pump is considered fine and would not be replaced. I tried to explain how fast these pumps can go sometimes and the consequences for the VP to be starved of fuel pressure but got a blank stare. Needless to say that stealer will never touch my truck.



Since then I have been attempting to locate the current LP numbers but seem to get something different every where I try. ANyone know them?



also what is DC using for the critical number Idle or WOT, thats varied too.



thanks in advance

J-

 

[Whitmore]

Cummins L/P # latest and greatest is



CUM-3990082



cheers, Kevin

 

[Fireman Dave]

Re: pressure

Originally posted by JCyrbok

their tech spoke with a cummins tech at CUmmins and was told that as long as there is positive pressure that the pump is considered fine

J-

The Bosch engineer at the TDR Nats in Columbus last year said pretty much the same thing. Go figure.

 

[AC]

I'm confused. I read the manual for the truck and it says that the LP should have a " MINIMUM 10 PSI at idle" . So what's this about " positive pressure"? So if I take it in and it's showing 5 at idle that would be good enough?



Bob, I am taking it to Enumclaw Chrysler. What happened when you took yours in there? AC

 

[Bob Wagner]

AC, per Josh @ enumclaw chrysler the lift pumps are under restriction from chrysler. When you take your truck in be ready for the biggest runaround. I took my truck in there with the same symtoms as yours and they wanted to drop the tank and check for a restriction in the line.



Well I said the hell withe that and told them to give me my truck back.





Try not to laugh when the tech comes out with a POS pressure gauge with a broken case with the glass lens missing



And he had the gall to say my gauge was in accurate





Live and learn

 

[AC]

crossing my fingers

I went in to the dealer to drop my truck off. Before I let them check it I asked what they would do if in fact the fuel pressure was low but not completely dead. They told me that they would " try to get it fixed under waranty". At that point I figured I would just let them see what they could do for me. If it's low ( and I know it is) why wouldn't they replace the pump and bill Dodge? Their happy, I'm happy, end of story... ... . stay tunedOo.



AC

 

[Wolfgang]

I just called my local Cummins dealer and he said the latest part# for a 2001 is 3990105

 

[Bob Wagner]

AC please post your results

 

[AC]

Bob,

They called last night before closing up for the night. They said my LP was not producing enough pressure and that they believed it to be the source of my problems. However, Dodge requires them to put the LP through a " series of tests" before they will agree to " release a new pump". They also said that they were going to check my VP44 to make sure that it had not been damaged.

So far, the dealership seems to be acting in my best intrest but they haven't fixed anything yet either. I'm supposed to know the results by this afternoon and will post when I get back home with my truck.

AC

 

[AC]

Fixed

I'm back from the dealer with a new lift pump. On the invoice it said "8 idle, 3 running, not to spec. called star and they authorized transfer pump. " It also says "Customer states engine hard to start and lacks power. " I also asked them to put in some pop rivets in the bumper and they did that for free! last time I was in there they wouldn't even let me borrow the tool so that I could do it myself. I'm not sure why the sudden change of heart but I like it. Maybe Bob softened them up for me!



Now it's your turn Bob, Good Luck,



AC

 

[Bob Wagner]

AC, Did you mention my name?

 

[AC]

Bob,

No I didn't mention your name. I just listed some symptoms that they would need to hear to be suspicious of the lift pump. I also told them that I had checked the pressure myself and found it low and asked what they would do if they found the same. It was a bit of a gamble. I've had such bad luck there in the past it kind of surprised me how good they were to me. I dealt with a guy at the counter named Terry.

Is your LP reading low all the time or just sporadically? Because if it's low all the time I don't understand why you would have been treated different. But as I said before, if its out of spec, why not replace it? You're happy, their happy, and Cummins picks up the bill.

Good Luck,

AC