Left last Friday early in the AM heading to SEMO to try and shoot some snow geese.  There were others going, so we caravanned in two vehicles…………..one was mine.

 

About 1/3 of the way down, it starts snowing.  Fifteen minutes later, it's really snowing.  Another fifteen minutes later, and the interstate is essentially one lane.  The snow started North of Bloomington, IL and finally petered out about halfway between Springfield, IL and St. Louis, MO.  Between Bloomington and Springfield was a nightmare. Must have seen 30 cars drive off the road!!!

 

But that's not the "ordeal"!!!

 

Just North of Springfield, my truck starts getting a real touchy throttle. I'm running 45-50mph in the snow, and I touch the throttle and it was like I really mashed it. Pulled over into a rest area to let the dogs out.  Left my truck running…………idles normal with normal rail pressure.  Going out of the rest area, the throttle ramps up slow, and then fuels hard at about my normal shift points. Not enough for my two passengers to notice, but for me to notice.

 

Further down the road, the snow lets up, so we can drive a bit faster.  However, the rail pressure isn't going to where it should and the truck starts a "detonation" sound.  Normally at 65mph rail pressure is 16-17,000psi on my truck.  During this stretch it wouldn't go above 13,500psi.  After a while of milking it up to speed the rail pressure came up, but if I gave some throttle, all I got was the detonation sound.

 

Get into MO and stop to eat lunch and chill after driving thru the snow storm. Should've been there in about 4.5 hours, but it took 7.  After lunch, go to start the truck, and it sounds like my '99.  Rail pressure is low and CEL is on.  Shut truck off and pull out my Smarty to check the code……………P0192………….Fuel Pressure Sensor Reading Low.  Clear the code, and start her again, and she's back to normal idle.  Pulling out of the lot to get back on the Interstate………………she's slow to ramp up and then seems to fuel all at once but level off quickly.  In MO, she's running  65mph but if I try to go faster the detonation sound starts.

 

We pull over to let the dogs out again, and I open the hood for a look.  I decided to open the air filter housing……………….full of snow, and the pleats of the filter were ice coated.  OK, that's my problem I think to myself.  Clean the box out and as much of the snow, ice etc. off the filter.  It's in the teen's temperature wise also. I forgot to tell that earlier.  Button her back up for the last 80 miles of the trip;  but it's the same as before.  Get to Sikeston, MO;  check into hotel, unload and I fart around with the truck, trying to figure out what's up.  Get some dinner………………….to and back for the restaurant it's still the same.

 

Next morning, start her up to head to the hunting spot……………starts up fine.  Get on the road, and once she warms up the throttle thing starts again.  Hunt all day……….lousy day hunting…………….late afternoon start her up to head back to the motel.  Starts normally and actually drives good.  Thought that it just might be moisture somewhere and the 40* temps got it out.  My truck hadn't seen 40* for probably 2 months prior to that.  But once up to normal operating temp, it starts again.

 

Sunday morning go to start her up.  Normally when I turn the key to let the grid heater cycle, the lift pump comes on (Walbro approx. 25psi) and my Quad rail pressure gauge will read 2-3x10 which makes sense.  However, it read a big fat 0.  Started her up and it sounded just like after the restaurant stop, only worse!!!  No way I was gonna move it as we were going hunting, so we stuffed everything into the guides truck.  The hunting was no better than the day before, so we called it early.

 

Get back to the motel.  Truck starts fine, but there's no way I'm gonna attempt to drive home with it acting like it is. I'm not gonna have it puke out on me in the middle of BuFu nowhere!!!!!  So we load all non-essential gear in my truck that they don't need and add one person and 2 dogs to my Buds truck!!!

 

 

 

 

The new tunes are much smoother and more linear.

Couldn't take it any longer………………..I just had to re-install SW5!!!!  

 

After just 4 days of towing my work trailer this week on the stock tune, and watching my fuel gauge move faster than my speedometer…………………I had to do it!!!  Truly amazing!!!

Edited February 27, 201411 yr by dorkweed

If you want to mail me your Smarty I could update it for you.

If you want to mail me your Smarty I could update it for you.

 

Would that mean going back to "stock" while my Smarty was in the mail to and fro????

Normally it would not, but since you don't have PoD I would recommend it. It's a much bigger upgrade.

Normally it would not, but since you don't have PoD I would recommend it. It's a much bigger upgrade.

 

 

I'm heading back to Missouri tomorrow AM.  I'll let you know when I get back.  Driving on SW5 was not hard to go back to.  In fact;  the reason why it was so hard to go back, was because it was so easy to go back to.  That "soft" pedal with OOMFFFFF is really easy to get used to…………………………and I have it dialed in for best mileage on my truck.

 

I can't help but wondering once I update the Smarty……………if'n I'll need new injectors!!!!!

 

203,000+ as of today on the OEM's!!

I would be more worried about the possible effect of 26K psi on your injectors over the smarty.

I would be more worried about the possible effect of 26K psi on your injectors over the smarty.

 

 

In all honesty, according to my Quad RP gauge, I almost never see 21,000psi.  I don't hammer on the throttle often either.  That's been since the RP gauge…………6 years or so.  

In all honesty, according to my Quad RP gauge, I almost never see 21,000psi.  I don't hammer on the throttle often either.  That's been since the RP gauge…………6 years or so.  

 

I was referring to the road trip where your rail pressure sensor failed, you were probably holding 26K psi against the HPRV at times.

 

If you run RP1 then the most your should see is 23,206 give or take a little. On the stock, RP1, table you won't get above 21K until your above 2200 rpms.