Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
BK
TDR MEMBER
Boy do I have a story... .
I have a 99 , on the 3rd LP.
The 1st LP went at ~20K, didn't have a fp gauge. (about 44K miles ago)
After a hard run to catch a ferry pulling the camping trailer, when we got on the ferry, some thing smelt like electrical burning. Went thru the truck and couldn't find anything, but from the best I could tell the smell came from near / around the vp44. Got home and borrowed a gauge, and found zero FP.
Under warranty, dodge replaced the LP (took 2hrs of arguing with them that the LP was bad), I tried to argue the VP44 as well. They called the cummins hotline and confirmed my suspicion and my explanation of the bad LP (which I learned from the very earlier LP postings here). Cummins told them to look for a lean code, if none set, VP44 is ok. No codes were set, so dodge wouldn't change the VP44.
So got my new LP, but I felt I walked out with a wounded VP44 back them.
After that I installed a FP gauge. LP #3 went in about 10K miles ago. It was down to 3psi WOT. Along with the new LP went in a Geno's small line relocation kit. The pump is one of the latest Cummins LPs. And has been holding strong at 15-16psi idle and 14psi WOT.
Fast forward to this past Saturday... . 66K miles or so on the truck.
On the way to Omaha from Long Island.
Running straight for about 7 hrs from LI to about 100 miles into Ohio, on Rt 80. All things seemed well, getting about 20mpg, great passing power. But things went bad when we decided to get off at McD's in Youngstown OH for lunch. Saw a sign for the golden arches.
Got off at the exit, took my foot off the go pedal, starting making a right, and lost all power. While fighting no power steering (as not to go into on coming traffic), and trying to refire the engine, took a bit, refired, got a push of power, made it thru traffic and stalled again, and coasted into McD's parking lot.
Tried to refire, but it wouldn't. Lots of good RPM during cranking, strong, 16psi fuel pressure into the filter.
Couldn't find any leaks.
Finally got it refired, but wouldn't idle, stalled.
Took a few more tries, refired, stalled.
Went in to get lunch and a phone book to find a dealer.
Let her cool down, same results when trying to start.
I felt the VP44 finally gave up the ghost.
Folks at the McD's were real nice, with their help, we found a local dealer about 10 mins away (that I never would have found without them) that was open till 4pm Saturday.
That dealer rushed a tow truck down to get me at McD's and get me in asap to see if it was something easy and get me going again.
While waiting for the tow, the nice folks at McD's gave us a free lunch.
Dealer got someone on it, but after partially opening each feed line at the ejectors and getting very different results on the different cylinders (some missed a bit and had lots of fuel coming out, others nearly stalled and the fuel spray wasnt as strong) , he felt the VP44 was bad. No codes were set. He put his FP gauge in the outlet of the filter, and was seeing the same 16psi my gauge showed into the filter (just changed it a couple of months ago).
Interesting, when he pulled the power from the LP (cause the 16psi bothered him), the results of cracking each line at the head were more consistent, it missed but idled thru the leaks and spray about the same. But still no power.
He was a bit worried about the 16psi, when he 1st saw it and even more when he 1st didnt see a LP on the side of the block.
That tech said he's never seen a stock pump that high.
I told him all my LPs started there! He grinned. But still seem concerned.
So the shop was closing, the dealer got me to a hotel with some rental car shop numbers for the morning. Monday they went through some more diagnostics and reconfirmed VP44. And got off of the LP 16psi.
VP44 is on it's way in. On the way back through OH, I should be picking up my truck. They said no codes were set. The tech said he's replaced a few and none he's done have set codes. But all were bad, replacing fixed the problems. He says he's been to the cummins' training sessions.
They quoted me 2. 2K for the VP44 and about 500 labor. From what I remember in past postings, it's inline , and maybe a fair to good price?
I thought I remember VP44's going for ~1. 9K aftermarket?
I swear I've read some postings on here where the dealers quoted over 3K for the VP44 ??? Please say yes, so I can fell good about the price!!
I was looking forward to maybe getting some warning in the VP44 going and doing it over a weekend... but NOPE! NADA, ZERO. ZIP. Seems it just decide it had enough?
Does it sound like the VP44 is bad?
They should have the VP44 in today, and replace it either Wed or Thur and let me know how things turned out.
Considering I thought I was in the middle of no where, every one was real nice, and I felt I was very lucky to even find a dealer willing to rush out and get me in 3pm Sat afternoon. Seems they called the diesel tech back in for me, seemed he had just left. About 15mins after getting my truck off the flatbed, he showed up and started under the hood.
I have a 99 , on the 3rd LP.
The 1st LP went at ~20K, didn't have a fp gauge. (about 44K miles ago)
After a hard run to catch a ferry pulling the camping trailer, when we got on the ferry, some thing smelt like electrical burning. Went thru the truck and couldn't find anything, but from the best I could tell the smell came from near / around the vp44. Got home and borrowed a gauge, and found zero FP.
Under warranty, dodge replaced the LP (took 2hrs of arguing with them that the LP was bad), I tried to argue the VP44 as well. They called the cummins hotline and confirmed my suspicion and my explanation of the bad LP (which I learned from the very earlier LP postings here). Cummins told them to look for a lean code, if none set, VP44 is ok. No codes were set, so dodge wouldn't change the VP44.
So got my new LP, but I felt I walked out with a wounded VP44 back them.
After that I installed a FP gauge. LP #3 went in about 10K miles ago. It was down to 3psi WOT. Along with the new LP went in a Geno's small line relocation kit. The pump is one of the latest Cummins LPs. And has been holding strong at 15-16psi idle and 14psi WOT.
Fast forward to this past Saturday... . 66K miles or so on the truck.
On the way to Omaha from Long Island.
Running straight for about 7 hrs from LI to about 100 miles into Ohio, on Rt 80. All things seemed well, getting about 20mpg, great passing power. But things went bad when we decided to get off at McD's in Youngstown OH for lunch. Saw a sign for the golden arches.
Got off at the exit, took my foot off the go pedal, starting making a right, and lost all power. While fighting no power steering (as not to go into on coming traffic), and trying to refire the engine, took a bit, refired, got a push of power, made it thru traffic and stalled again, and coasted into McD's parking lot.
Tried to refire, but it wouldn't. Lots of good RPM during cranking, strong, 16psi fuel pressure into the filter.
Couldn't find any leaks.
Finally got it refired, but wouldn't idle, stalled.
Took a few more tries, refired, stalled.
Went in to get lunch and a phone book to find a dealer.
Let her cool down, same results when trying to start.
I felt the VP44 finally gave up the ghost.
Folks at the McD's were real nice, with their help, we found a local dealer about 10 mins away (that I never would have found without them) that was open till 4pm Saturday.
That dealer rushed a tow truck down to get me at McD's and get me in asap to see if it was something easy and get me going again.
While waiting for the tow, the nice folks at McD's gave us a free lunch.
Dealer got someone on it, but after partially opening each feed line at the ejectors and getting very different results on the different cylinders (some missed a bit and had lots of fuel coming out, others nearly stalled and the fuel spray wasnt as strong) , he felt the VP44 was bad. No codes were set. He put his FP gauge in the outlet of the filter, and was seeing the same 16psi my gauge showed into the filter (just changed it a couple of months ago).
Interesting, when he pulled the power from the LP (cause the 16psi bothered him), the results of cracking each line at the head were more consistent, it missed but idled thru the leaks and spray about the same. But still no power.
He was a bit worried about the 16psi, when he 1st saw it and even more when he 1st didnt see a LP on the side of the block.
That tech said he's never seen a stock pump that high.
I told him all my LPs started there! He grinned. But still seem concerned.
So the shop was closing, the dealer got me to a hotel with some rental car shop numbers for the morning. Monday they went through some more diagnostics and reconfirmed VP44. And got off of the LP 16psi.
VP44 is on it's way in. On the way back through OH, I should be picking up my truck. They said no codes were set. The tech said he's replaced a few and none he's done have set codes. But all were bad, replacing fixed the problems. He says he's been to the cummins' training sessions.
They quoted me 2. 2K for the VP44 and about 500 labor. From what I remember in past postings, it's inline , and maybe a fair to good price?
I thought I remember VP44's going for ~1. 9K aftermarket?
I swear I've read some postings on here where the dealers quoted over 3K for the VP44 ??? Please say yes, so I can fell good about the price!!
I was looking forward to maybe getting some warning in the VP44 going and doing it over a weekend... but NOPE! NADA, ZERO. ZIP. Seems it just decide it had enough?
Does it sound like the VP44 is bad?
They should have the VP44 in today, and replace it either Wed or Thur and let me know how things turned out.
Considering I thought I was in the middle of no where, every one was real nice, and I felt I was very lucky to even find a dealer willing to rush out and get me in 3pm Sat afternoon. Seems they called the diesel tech back in for me, seemed he had just left. About 15mins after getting my truck off the flatbed, he showed up and started under the hood.
