Yikes! 0 psi fuel pressure

[Cryppie]

On my way to pick up the kids from daycare yesterday, I glanced down at my fuel pressure gauge and was astounded to see it pegged at 0. As I came up to a stop light, I got on the brakes pretty good (as good as you can with a Ram) and bingo, back up to 11psi. I drove on for a bit, and fuel pressure was still a little erratic, then stopped in the local AutoZone parking lot. Shut the engine down, turned the ignition back to "on", bumped to start to get the lift pump to kick in, and still very erratic fuel pressure. I did this a couple more times and then like magic, it went back to steady readings. Sooo, my question is, lift pump or sending unit, which is going out? Any replies would be greatly appreciated, especially from those who have lost lift pumps while they had a fuel pressure gauge installed.



BTW, my truck has 47k miles, so it might be "that time".

 

[Briar Hopper]

It's the lift pump, definitely. When they go, they'll give okay pressure readings, for a few miles or minutes, drop to zero, then come back up, then go out again. Or it'll stay at low pressures, or zero at WOT, until you shut the engine off, then when you restart it, the pressure appears fine, then it'll go out again a few miles down the road.

BTW, The first pump I replaced, I did it from below, by removing the starter. The second time, I went in from above. It's definitely much faster to do it from above, if you use a fender cover, and sturdy step stool that won't slip out from under you.

 

[BIG BOB]

Mine was doing the same thing. I installed a Mallory and Racor filter. It now works great. See thread:



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20450&highlight=Mallory+140

 

[Steve Campbell]

I am assuming you have already ruled out an almost plugged/water logged fuel filter?!!!

 

[Cryppie]

Yep, it was dying (RIP)

Well, thanks for the advise that my lift pump was on its way out. It went yesterday morning. For those of you trying to find a replacement lift pump on a Sunday afternoon because you need your truck up an running on Monday, TransWest is the way to go. BUT, be prepared to stand in line a LONG time. I waited nearly an hour, and I had the pump in will-call. They're not what I would call an efficiently run organization. But they had it, I installed it, and was back on the road in a couple hours. One more point of interest, make sure you tighten BOTH fuel banjo bolts, it does tend to make a bit of a mess if you forget about the one on the pressure side; don't ask.



BTW, I went with the remove the starter and take it out the bottom option, not too hard.



Now the trick is trying to get one of the local Five @%#$ dealers to get me a new one under warranty! Yeah right!

 

[Bigsaint]

Glad you got it repaired !!!! At least most of us are now catching the failing unit with the FP gauges and not finding out the hard way with both a failed Carter and a failed VP44. LOL @ the banjo bolts. If it makes you feel any better, when I was swapping out my failed Mallory for a new one, I forgot that there might be some diesel left in the pump, loosened the last bolt to the frame, the pump tilted and I was baptised (sp) in diesel. Man is that stuff hard to get out of clothes .



Scott W.

 

[Cryppie]

Let's see just how good DC customer service is...

OK guys, talked with my local five STAR (yes, STAR) dealer (BTW, Johnson Dodge in Brighton, CO is great!) and he gave me an address to send my receipt in to and try to get reimbursed. I'll be putting it in the mail tomorrow and will keep all members informed on what they say. Should be interesting, esp. for those having a lift pump failure when no dealers are open, i. e. Sunday or holidays. Stay tuned sports fans...

 

[HVAC]

Another Lift Pump DOA

I had been bugging fellow brother Ram Runner club member "Cliffman" to be thinking about the short lifespan of the OEM lift pump. And what are you going to do about a replacement pump ("01 ETH).



Well being a Performance Diesel customer emeritus we made sure he had a SPA digital fuel pressure gauge on the pillar. So when he was/is on vaca in Colorado he spotted his fuel pressure crash to zip. No problem, with all the badgering about the potential problem he had acquired a oem replacement pump just in case. He's lookin' pretty smart about now cause he swapped the pumps on the road and no harm no foul



Oh, did I mention that he was towing the Taj Mahal behind his dually 4x? Well he has the biggest fifth wheel in our club as far as I know. It's so long and heavy that it articulates in the center, and there is a second steering person in a tower at the back of the danged thing! It's huge!



Well just think about the requirement for fuel with such a mastadon en tow. Now factor in a bum lift pump. Now factor in foreign land. Blah, blah, blah.