Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) VP44 and warranty

[Tractorat]

I just looked at the TSB's for my 2 quad cab. (been a while since I have) I see they now say they can tell if an easy box had been installed because of codes that were set, and will not honor warranty. Has anyone had any experience with that or problems ? (I know, "I am my own warranty station")



Thanks

 

[jponder]

I didnt think they could tell if you didnt pierce the pump wire. thye did put a void sticker starting with 2001. 5 that you would have to have broken to put a VA box on. I lost my pump and actually brought it in with a VA hooked up to it and it was fixed under warranty

 

[Bob Wagner]

Don't worry about it most dealers will fine

 

[dresslered]

I know that Cummins can tell, so I'm sure that a very 'up to date' dealer could. Thing is, most dealers aren't.

1974 MGB (early 74, last of the chrome bumpers - doesnt even leak oil)

P. S. 1967 MGB (last of the metal dashboards - leaks oil! ) )

 

[jerrethomas]

Originally posted by jponder

I didnt think they could tell if you didnt pierce the pump wire. thye did put a void sticker starting with 2001. 5 that you would have to have broken to put a VA box on. I lost my pump and actually brought it in with a VA hooked up to it and it was fixed under warranty

you must have been blessed by the dealer god or are really really good friends with the service manager or mechanic that did the replacement.

 

[kshimizu]

My pump started to die the other day just after passing 60k miles on the clicker. Before dropping it off at the dealer I pulled out my DDTTPM just so I would not have to hassle with them about the warranty. I've also heard that an "up to date dealer" can find traces of any kind of fueling box, but they gave me no problems and are fixing it under warranty. There was another guy dropping off his truck at the same time, pump went out as well. I don't believe he had a box in his. I think the dealers know by now what the common problems are with these trucks and warrant most of the parts that fail. I have a friend that had a Hypermax box in his truck when his pump died just outside of Vegas last year. He had it towed into Desert Dodge in Las Vegas and they fixed it under warranty.



Who has had their warranty denied because of a plug in box without piercing the pump wire? Anyone? Do we have a list of dealers to stay away from that hassle you over warranty work? I haven't checked but maybe we can start a thread about what dealers are good or bad as far as warranty work goes.

 

[OPoole]

what are some signs of a dying VP44? just want to know thanks

 

[TMWeber]

Originally posted by OPoole

what are some signs of a dying VP44? just want to know thanks

Me too. I just got an 02 CTD with 50k on it and while it's running great, I'm not too familliar with the 'electronic' engine. I have a 93 CTD that I've had since new, but I would like to get to know more about the ISB. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Big_Daddy_T]

Originally posted by OPoole

what are some signs of a dying VP44? just want to know thanks

Most of the time its just kapoot. Some have reported a loss of fuel mileage and lackluster performance shortly beforehand but that sounds like the lift pump going out and taking its big brother with it. I think mine is on its way out. Im at 90k so I hope it hurrys.



If you pierce your pump wire I would not expect a free replacement. It puts additional stress on the injection pump. Your on your own on that one. You play you pay.

 

[mrander]

These are the symptoms I had when mine went out.



1) first thing that happened was while driving in the rain it felt like I lost traction for a split second. The engine seemed to rev up but I didn't go any faster. I think that what really occurred is the engine got louder for a split second. It only did this twice in about two hours.



2) the main symptom I had was the engine would surge going down the highway. It sounded like I was rhythmically giving it a small amount of fuel. I had to turn the radio down and listen carefully. I could hear it but not feel anything. Again, no change in rpms or acceleration, just seemed like the engine was getting louder and softer. I drove with this for several hundred miles.



Because of the surging I decided to check for codes. I found 0216.

No check engine light.



The truck never died and started same as always.



Dealer tried to charge me $70 for diagnostics and 160 for fuel filter change before they would do anything. They said Starr would not approve of anything until it had a new filter installed even though the filter was only about 5000mi old.

Ended up, I told them for my 70 dollars I wanted them to test the lift pump. To do this they checked the fuel pressure after filter. When it checked out within specs. they realized the filter must be good and then decided it was the injector pump.



One last thing, dealer told me the trouble codes on the '02 were obsolete and didn't mean anything.



My truck is a '02 3500 6sp. had 65000mi at the time.

 

[kshimizu]

Originally posted by mrander

These are the symptoms I had when mine went out.



2) the main symptom I had was the engine would surge going down the highway. It sounded like I was rhythmically giving it a small amount of fuel. I had to turn the radio down and listen carefully. I could hear it but not feel anything. Again, no change in rpms or acceleration, just seemed like the engine was getting louder and softer. I drove with this for several hundred miles.

This is exactly how mine started sounding. Drive down the highway and put your truck on cruise control. It sounds like the engine is reving up and down, or loud to soft as said above. The other big problem was the surging while going down the road, it only did this a few times over a month. It never lost power from a full stop. Only when I was cruising along at a certain speed and I went to go faster would I notice it sometimes. I would floor it and it would just keep going along at the same speed. I could still get on it from a stop and it would run like nothing was wrong. Finally I got it to the dealer because it started idling really rough and blowing white/grey smoke with low power. A few days before it went into the dealer, I changed my fuel filter, oil filter, and air filter just so they didn't try to get me to change them while it was being worked on or as an excuse not to do the work. Mine is a 2002 with 60,000 miles on it and in the shop as we speak.



mrander - So your lift pump checked out fine? Have you had any problems since? Or did it just recently happen? Send me a PM and let me know.

 

[JAS]

Lift Pump died here too!

85K on my 2001. Wouldn't start last weekend. Got down to -10 and I wasn't plugged in and NO anti-gel. Long story short... new batteries and PS911 in the filter housing for a few hours, she started right up and ran for about 5 seconds then died.



Started the bleeding process from the banjo bolt behind the filter but noticed that when I bumped the starter NO DIESEL fuel was rushing out like normal, even though I could HEAR the lift pump running. I was concerned at this point about the lift pump but rationalized that maybe the fuel was too cold to flow well.



Had it hauled into an (apparently unqualified repair shop). They said that I had air in the lines and that they started it right up. When I picked it up I asked if they checked the lift pump. Their response... The what?



Next day I was leaving work around noon. Started right up and died. Started on the next try. Ran it fairly hard home to get everything warmed up. Threw on my coveralls and opened the banjo bolt, bumped the started, again no diesel mess.



Drive it to a dealer just down the road. They called me the next day and told it was the lift pump that was dead and that the fuel pump looked OK.



Time for guages!

 

[kstehnacs]

vp44

I have seen trucks with what are referred to as tamper codes stored that I know were bone stock since day one. There is a tsb on pump tampering that gives the p-codes. Blue chip diesel has an interesting page on the causes of vp44 failures.

 

[mike.b]

Not much info, but my check engine light came on. buddy pulled code and it said vp 44 bad. I'm going to try the lp first, I heard that could be bad, causing the vp 44 error code, actually going to install the FASS and go from there.

I would install a fuel pressure gauge asap, cheap insurance. I may have to get a NEW vp 44, and thats going to cost 1200 thru a buddy of mine. Was considering the Hot Rod version, but at 1500 and issues I've read about, I'm going to pass on that one. Get the stock vp 44 and get more HP thru other means.

Love this site!!



98 3500 quad 4x4 lb SLT Laramie Dually Black ext. Tan Int. deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeshole.

 

[mike.b]

Sorry- i did have one symptom, started 2 months after initial check eng light came on. Light reset itself until this month. Now it stays on. 215 starts since initial light. When I gas it, truck goes *sigh*, rpms stay the same, then it rpm's up and goes like normal. No smoke, no hesitation at speeds, no rough idle. Just a check eng light that may equal 1200 bucks.



oh, truck is a 98. 5 24v btw

thanks

 

[Michael Hughes]

When mine went with 95,xxx miles on it, I noticed one day it was taking just a little longer to start. The next day I got up to go to town to get a new fuel filter to see if that was the problem. It started right up (I should have know something was wrong). Drove about 5 miles and pushed the clutch in to stop at a stop sign. The engine died and that was it.



I had replced my lift pump about 24,000 miles before and I think that is what took the injector pump.



I never saw any preformace or fuel milage change with the bad lift pump or before the injector pump died.



I had gotten 22. 5 MPG the tank before I had to replace the lift pump.



When I called the dealer they did ask me if I had done anything to the truck, I told them that I hadn't pierce the pump wire. They told me to bring it in and they had it done the next day. I took it to Lucas-Smith Dodge in Festus, MO.