Mopar1973Man

@Marcus2000monster you might want to follow this.

Alternator and PCM protection What I'm going to describe is a rare event. This is possible with any alternator stock ND or Bosch or even the aftermarket alternators that are bigger amperage output. In a nutshell, at any point, the blue field lead happens to short to ground the entire short is routed back through the PCM. Since the PCM is protected by a shared fuse of 20 amps this means the circuit board fails during these events. There have been two cases of this which is @pepsi71ocean and myself with the same failure. The only difference is mine failed so badly that it burned a hole through the PCM circuit board making the PCM unrepairable. I was forced to replace the PCM completely. Diagnostics You want to start the engine and check the blue for +12V. This +12V power should be present with the engine running. It's tested by using a DVM or test light. If power is not present then the PCM is damaged. The green wire will show a good ground more than likely but this will not work is there is no +12V to the field. This is where you make use of the article for ECM /PCM rebuilders. Make sure to test the alternator and replace it as well. The Modification This is based on the W-T ground wire mod. Being the field lead is powered from the PCM and the PCM, ECM and VP44 all share the same 20 amp fuse in slot G of the PDC. This fuse is too large to protect the PCM from a field wire short. This means you would have to purchase a fuse holder and solder in a fuse holder on the blue wire. With the PCM connectors removed from the PCM look at the connector towards the fender, this is connector C3. Pin 25 is the blue wire you can ohm test from end to end to be sure the wire is not broken. Then ohm between the blue wire and ground to verify its not shorted to ground still. Now take the tape near the loom and unwind it. This will give you about another 1 inch of wire. About 2 inches from the loom cut the blue wire. This should give you like 6 inches from the plug end and then a kind of stubby 2-inch wire on the loom end. Now solder in the fuse holder and use shrink tubing over your solder joints. With a bit of neat folding of the wire you should be able to loom the fuse holder into the loom again. I know that @IBMobile did the load testing of the field lead and suggests a 7.5 amp fuse. I'm going to do the testing with a 5 amp fuse. As for protection of the alternator on the charge lead, I opted to purchase a resetable 150 amp breaker. I know the factory alternator fuse was 140 amps. I know that the alternator will not produce more than 135 amps of charging current. I know the breaker is not there for protection the alternator for excessive charge current. The breaker is there just in case there is a dead short on the diode pack. If the short was good enough it could light that 6 gauge cable on fire. So having an exact 140 amp breaker is not required. The other thing I was reading up on was the breakers tend to trip prematurely because of underhood temperatures. I wanted to be just that little bit bigger that it does not trip the breaker because the alternator is already at full current charging on a hot day like jump starting another vehicle. Fallout, External Regulator users As for all you as fallout from this problem you typically were doing the external voltage regulator because of the PCM failure. I'm going to suggest that you consider doing the PCM repair and doing this mod and getting away from the external voltage regulator. View full Cummins article

Auto Computer Specialist took care of me properly. They opened the PCM and looked it over and supplied me photos of the damage. They condemned my PCM and had a new PCM ready to go shortly afterwards. These people are wonderful to work with and well worth the phone call to have them take care of your ECM or PCM repairs. https://autocomputerspecialist.com/

But take notice of the amount of water it took to grow the algae. Another reason it best to either fill the tank and store it long term because it hard to stuff water in with a full tank of fuel. Or to completely drain it of fuel completely. Hard to grow the algae without diesel fuel present. If I was concern of a algae problem I would drain and drop the tank and clean it out. I would not use a fuel additive because you'll kill the algae but where is it going to go? Right to the fuel filter. This mean you better just buy a box of filters and keep changing every time the pressure start to drop. Simply be easier to drain and wash the tank out. Then fill with fresh fuel. Problem gone...

First I would see if there are any problems with algae before adding something you don't need. I would run the truck for good 20 to 50 miles and pull the fuel filter and replace. If its a spin-on filter cut the can and examine the filter media. If it the stock drop in then just look at the media for algae. As long as the fuel cap was on the filler neck I really doubt there is an issue. Unless you adding water to the fuel to grow algae. Algae only grows if there is water in the fuel tank.

Merry Chrismas to you all. I had to edit @dripley post to get that video in the post that's funny fowl play right there. It looks my Christmas present showed up. My New PCM. Cummins rolls again.

Remember you have to change the front axle too. Other than that the 4WD with blow that transfer case up.

I wish. I would be pop testing my own injectors. Head gasket and this PCM project have wiped me out. The best place I know of is in Lewiston, Idaho they do pop testing for free. Then if you next to actual pop to set then its $9 an injector.

Since the Quadzilla shows the fuel temperature inside the VP44. I've never been over 140*F even after heat soak. The whole heat thing for the VP44 is nothing but scare tactics. Heat failures are extremely rare at best. You would have to have a lift pump producing less than 10 PSI all the time. Have an engine that is overheating. To get a VP44 to fail from heat. As long as the fuel is moving out the overflow the heat is traveling to the fuel tank. The problem is after long hauls like Dripley and myself can do the fuel tank becomes heat soaked as well. Your heat exchanger will only cool to the temperature outside anyways. If its 110*F outside that will be the best the fuel temperature will drop too. Kind of like the intercooler and radiator. They can only cool as low as the outside temperature.

Let's say there is has only been one P0168 code ever that I know here on this site. Fuel temperature isn't the problem. 1. Fuel lubricity 2. Excessive AC noise 3. Filtration 4. Fuel Pressure

Stock and RV275 are not popped or matched. All other injectors are popped and flow matched. You can even specify pop pressure if you understand what you doing.

Actually, the fuel leaving the back of the head with 190*F thermostat will heat the fuel to near coolant temperatures. Like most will tell you and me. Keep your fuel tank above 1/2 tank and temperatures stay down. Like this last summer with temps as high as 100 to 110*F for the summer, I never got past the 127 to 132*F in fuel temperature. Even after sitting in a parking lot, asleep in the cab for 2.5 hours with the A/C going woke up to fuel temperature still hanging at 125*F. As long as the fuel tank is kept 1/2 tank or better the temperature isn't a problem.

If popped at 300 bar sure will. 310 bar or slightly high will clean them right up. After talking to @pepsi71ocean about his being just re-popped to 325 bar it cleaned them right up. What I'm finding out is all injectors settle shortly after being built. Yeah, you can have RV275 injectors that are not flow matched or pop matched. Basically, 6 random injectors shipped to you. Then have them in about 10k to 20k miles drop about 10 bar as everything wears in. Be a different story if the RV275's were flow matched within % volume and pop matched within % of bar for the set of 6 sent to you. That is what I'm fighting now is my current (7 x 0.0085) were popped to 305 bar now are below the 293 bar bottom limit. I'm sure they're more in the 260 to 270 bar range now with the amount of white smoke and lower MPG numbers. Only got about 75k miles on them. The stock injector is like a 7 x 0.0061 vs 7 x 0.0065 RV275 (IIRC). The +90 HP is 7 x 0.0085

Closing in on 400k miles... I don't think it's a serious issue.

Maybe down in New Mexico. Sure don't want to have cooler up here I've already seen -20*F this winter. The other part is if you running Quadzilla you want about 80 to 140*F fuel temperature which is fine. Above the 140*F is getting too warm. Typically the fuel temperature and the IAT run side by side for temperature.

SET OF 6 BRAND NEW GENUINE BOSCH OE INJECTORS RV275 - $379.00 Or Cheaper yet. DAP 90HP PERFORMANCE INJECTORS 7X0.0085 VCO - $349.00 Doesn't make any sense to buy RV275 injectors which are higher priced. RV275's are not pop tested or flow matched.

Heck of lot easier to set up that heavy piece of cast iron.

They sell the collars for pop testing.

Won't work for guys in California or smog control states. @IBMobile will have a grid heater control without error codes very soon.

Do the pull cable if you are going to keep the CAD...

CAD axles I really don't like them at all. On1996 Dodge Ram 1500 with the CAD axle all I've got to do is have it locked in 4WD and start pulling a bit more throttle on a grade and the axle will UNLOCK. Sucks. When you need the axle to hold locked the vacuum in the manifold drops and the CAD unlocks and now your 2WD. Then when you let up off the throttle again the CAD locks again. Now on the 2002 Cummins solid axles never have that problem. Had this on an 80's Chevy S10 pickup too. That sucked. Every time you pulling a grade the axle would unlock and go back to 2WD because vacuum would drop away. Vacuum controlled axles are a bad idea period.

Don't turn tight! It puts a huge amount of stress on the 4WD and breaks stuff. 4WD is meant to be used while traveling straight mostly or slick conditions where the tires can slip. When locked in 4WD and on hard pack is really rough on the transfer case.

Check that fuse again with ohm meter. If the fuse is cracked the load will make it open up. Then flicker begins. I've seen the same thing with the starter solenoid fuse. Better yet just swap the fuse just to for the test.

LS differential is not needed. Both of my truck is standard open differential and run awesome in the snow and ice.