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Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) The Ultimate VP44 Q&A Thread

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Diesel Freak,

Looks like your dealing with somebody who knows.

All that sounds great but Cummins was thinking way ahead of the rest of us. The ECM/VP44 in our trucks do not us the standard SAE J1939 protocol. There is a section in the standards book that was left open for manufactures to use their own proprietary PGN/PDUs



Remember your post from 3/19/02





I have been trying to read the messages

being transmitted out of the CANBus plug on a 2000 Dodge. I have a

prototype board consisting of a Microchip PIC, a MCP2510, and a PCA

82C251. I believe that I have set all of the parameters correctly

for the 2510, but when I set it to listen for all messages I receive

only one message repeatedly with an ID that is NOT defined in the

1939 standard (HS-1939). Is this port really using 1939? Has anyone

successfully received valid J1939 messages from this port? I only

want to read some basic parameters that should be broadcast

periodically from the ECM (throttle position, engine RPM, etc. ) so I

do not believe that I need to transmit to the bus (but I could be

wrong). Any help would be greatly appreciated.



This was the message you copied from the CAN users group board. It was written by my co conspirator. We have come along way since then. The only J1939 standards broadcast from the ECM are total milage and total fuel used.

 
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I was hoping that there was someone else on here that subscribed to the CANlist... . I get updated daily, but I usually delete them unless the title grabs my attention. The individual that sent me that last message works at Texas Instruments... that is all I know about him/her.



My dealings at work include mostly LONworks, and a little Devicenet..... so all I know about CAN and some of the SAE protocols are what I have dug up off the net.



WeirCummin, I am sure that your "co conspirator" saw the message I posted that prompted that reply.



:D



there is a lot of info in this thread..... but we have only scratched the surface..... Does anyone else have anything to contribute?
 
Help me out here... am I correct in assuming that while the SAE left a section of the protocol open to the OEM's they still have to follow the same basic J1939 Format?
 
just dug this up

VP44 Injector Pump System





The VP44 injection pump was introduced on the Cummins ISB as a stop gap

measure to meet 1998 emissions standards before a common rail fuel system was

ready for production. For Dodge Ram pickups, the ISB engine was used in all

trucks built after January 1, 1998. A common rail system is being road tested

now, and reliable rumors say the the VP44 will be replaced by a common rail in

2003 models. For those with 1998-2002 Rams, here are some details about the VP44

pump.

To meet environmental regulations for a variety of engine applications,

Cummins designed an ECU to which they could download different engine control

programs without making any physical changes to the engine. This electronic

engine control unit (ECU) is installed in a sealed box that is mounted directly

to the cylinder block of the engine. The ECU communicates with the VP44 fuel

injection pump through a high-speed 2-way CAN-BUS data-link.

There is no direct connection from the throttle to the injector pump. Inputs

from engine sensors and the throttle position are used by the ECU to determine

how much fuel is injected, and when. The ECU uses sensor and throttle position

inputs to compute the appropriate "load", then the controller obtains the

fueling rate information from look-up tables, sometimes called maps, stored in

ROM. From these a value is determined that represents the desired amount of fuel

to be delivered to the engine. This value is then communicated to the injector

pump.

The VP44 injection pump uses a set of mechanical plungers to pressurize the

fuel, and a mechanical distributor to route the fuel to the correct injector. An

electronic controller converts the fuel information sent from the ECU into

mechanical control of the fuel delivery by opening and closing fuel spill ports

inside the pump mechanism. The pump returns information to the ECU regarding its

current operating state.



Bosch VP44 Injector PumpCummins ECU

General Information from the ZEXEL site:

The VP44 systemwas developed to meet emission standards and reduce

fuel consumption. VP44 is a direct-injection type fuel-injection system

for small- to medium-size diesel engines. To generate the high injection

pressures needed for direct-injection, The VP44 uses an internal cam disk

and radially opposed plungers to pressurize the fuel from two directions.

The VP44 controls the injection rate and injection timing using two

electromagnetic valves. Also, the electronic control unit is divided into

two, with a compact control unit mounted directly on the pump and a larger

Engine Control Module mounted on the engine block.

Fuel System - General Information from Cummins

The VP44 is an electronic fuel injection pump manufactured by Bosch®,

that can vary fueling and injection timing based on input from the

electronic control module (ECM). This pump has its own electronic control

unit, the fuel pump control module (FPCM), which contains fueling, timing,

and diagnostic data. The fuel pump control module (FPCM) communicates with

the engine controller (ECM) to obtain information on desired fueling and

timing. The fuel pump control module (FPCM) responds to the ECM's commands

by consulting the fueling data and timing in its memory and actuating the

fueling and timing solenoids.

A fuel temperature sensor is located inside the VP44 pump to

compensate for changes in the temperature of the fuel. The pump also

contains a speed sensor (IAT) that gives the fuel pump control module

(FPCM) data on the position and speed of the pump shaft. A reference pulse

that marks top dead center (TDC) of cylinder No. 1 is sent from the ECM

once every pump revolution. By comparing this reference pulse from the ECM

to the position signal from the speed sensor (IAT), the fuel pump control

module (FPCM) can reference the pump's position in relation to the

engine's position. This allows the fuel pump control module (FPCM) to

adjust the pump timing to compensate for minor position differences

between the fuel pump shaft and the engine camshaft. If the difference

between the pump position and engine position becomes too great, then a

fault will be logged in the fuel pump control module (FPCM).



In addition to the engine position reference pulse, the fuel pump

control module (FPCM) also receives timing and fueling commands from the

ECM. The fuel pump control module (FPCM) controls the timing and fueling

through two solenoids located in the pump. The timing solenoid controls

the position of a cam ring inside the pump by varying internal transfer

pump pressure. The cam ring has evenly spaced lobes around its inner

diameter. The pumping plungers ride on rollers that rotate inside this cam

ring. The rollers follow the inner diameter of the cam ring and push the

pumping plungers inward whenever a cam lobe is encountered, thus building

injection pressure. By rotating the cam ring with the timing solenoid, the

fuel pump control module (FPCM) is able to advance and retard the

injection timing by making the rollers contact the cam lobes either

earlier or later.

The second solenoid in the pump is used to meter fuel to the

injectors. The solenoid opens the fuel metering valve to allow fuel from

the supply pump to flow into the pumping chamber. Once the pumping chamber

is charged with fuel, the solenoid valve closes. This traps the fuel in

the chamber and allows injection pressure to build. The fuel is routed to

the correct injector by the pump distributor. The distribution port on the

distributor aligns with one of the six outlet ports to distribute fuel to

a given injector. Once the desired amount of fuel has been injected, the

solenoid valve opens, causing the pressure in the pumping chamber to bleed

down, which ends injection. The cycle then begins again for the next

cylinder.

The fuel injection pump (VP44) is an electronic rotary distributor pump.

The pump performs four basic functions:

Producing the high fuel pressure required for injection

Metering the exact amount of fuel for each injection cycle

Distributing the high-pressure, metered fuel to each cylinder at the

precise time

Varying the timing relative to engine speed.

A cam ring with three plungers, a rotor, and an electronically

controlled fueling solenoid valve is used to develop and distribute the

high pressure required for injection.

A worn or damaged internal transfer pump, plunger, or fueling valve

can affect the pressure and the amount of fuel injected, thus reducing the

power from the engine. Generally, if the fuel-injection pump is injecting

fuel from one outlet, it will deliver from all outlets.

VP44 Timing Principles

Timing in the VP44 is controlled by an internal timing piston coupled

to a cam ring inside the pump. The timing piston is moved by fuel

pressure. The amount of fuel pressure in the timing piston assembly

housing is controlled by an internal transfer pump and a pulsating timing

solenoid valve. As the pump speed increases, the fuel pressure to the

timing piston assembly also increases.

Based on the inputs from the fuel pump control module (FPCM), the

timing solenoid valve pulses to vary the pressure to move the timing

piston, which results in the cam ring moving to the desired position to

achieve the commanded timing. The more pressure created by the internal

transfer pump and timing solenoid valve, the more the timing will advance;

therefore, timing range capability is increased at higher rpms.

The ISB engine is equipped with an electric-powered lift pump. Fuel

flow begins as the fuel lift pump pulls fuel from the supply tank. This

electric lift pump supplies low-pressure fuel (10 to 12 psi) to the filter

head, through the filter, and then to the electronic distributor injection

pump.

The electronic distributor pump builds the high injection pressures

required for combustion and routes the fuel through individual

high-pressure fuel lines to each injector.

When the high-pressure fuel reaches the injector, the pressure lifts

the needle valve against the spring tension to let the fuel enter the

combustion chamber.

Any leakage past the needle valve enters the fuel drain manifold in

the cylinder head. The fuel in the manifold exits at the rear of the

cylinder head and is routed to the fuel tank. The fuel that is returned

from the fuel injection pump is also routed back to the fuel tank.



What other engines use the VP44 Injection Pump?

BMW 320d

Ford Focus td

Opel dti

Saab

VAG V6 tdi

John Deere 6. 8L diesel

Case tractors and construction equipment
 
Wouldn't you figure that there shouldn't be a need for a Cam position sensor being the Vp44 Has an integral "Timing" unit within it's own unit. Piont is this ... . The Cummins relys on the cam position sensor to control various aspects of the combustion process as well as giving the PCM a few juicy tidbits to look at for the trans to look at. (Am I waaay off base here?) the reason I am going this direction is of what had just happened to me ... .....



As fast as the truck died is as fast as she is up and running again ... ... ... WITH THE SENSOR STILL IN THE CUMMINS BOX >>>>>> AT CUMMINS METROPOWER IN STOCK ... ... on the shelf even! :rolleyes:





no MIL light no check guages ... ... . nothing but July 4th fun with people in the back and traffic at a stanstill ... . running perfectly. Anyways why would the pcm & ECM rely on a frail sensor such as this when the readings can simply be taken from the inj. pump? It seems that my Blue Chip FMC is dead on accurate with engine rpm's and the tach is delayed ... ... so beit.





When the truck was in limp mode the factory tach was dead but the blue chip was very much alive and reading fine (Thank gawd cause I had to go into nutral at stoplights at arround 1000 rpm's and that's how I relyed on doing so)



Now For the 10$ Q:



How much of a PITA am I looking at to get this Cam Positioning sensor out from behind underneath the Vp44? And do I have to do anything special to it after?
 
Tim,

I dunno how hard it will be to get to but it is as behind the pump as you could possibly get. I Don't remember if it just threads in or what.



good luck!



Later,

Mark
 
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