VP44 P0253 Code

[Justin Spring]

Good evening guys! 

I went to go start my truck this morning it was about -4*C and it just cranked and cranked and cranked. Plugged in a code reader and got the code P0253 and the tpyical overboost code from the edge comp. Once the codes cleared, i turned the key back off, waited a couple few minutes, then attempted to start the truck again, started right away like nothing happened. let it idle for a couple minutes then hit the exhaust brake and let it idle for about 10 minutes, then shut it off and carried on my day driving my other truck as i had to be at the airport to leave for work. Side note, it would have very seldomly like once a month if that for the past 3 or 4 months of random 5 second crank times when cold before it would start when it normally would fire within the first crank or two. 

Now a little back ground on the truck. It has just shy of 426000km on it, i do not know the last time or if the vp has ever been replaced. 
Has what i was told were 75hp DDP injectors, edge comp w/wire tap, Fass 150, Hx35/40. It has had these for the last 125000km that i have owned the truck, and the wire taped edge comp and the fass 150 even longer, id do a rough guess of at least an extra 80000 to 100000km ontop of the 125000 i have put on it. 

And from what i have searched so far and continue to search, but i have found either useless threads, or mixed opinions/facts that contradict other threads that i have read and that have more than one code pertaining to the VP.

 I guess what i am asking is, has my VP finally crapped the bed, or very early signs of it going on its way out?

Thanks in advance for any opinions/advice. 

Edit: Fuel pressure is a steady 15 to16 psi idle/light cruise, with the comp off, it is 13-14 WOT and with the comp on it ranges from 11 to 13 psi WOT depending on what setting it is on. It has never bucked or surged with it either on or off. I also run about 1oz/gal 2 stroke/diesel mix for the last 23000km steady and before that it was every other tank because i would forget to add and be already down 1/3 tank by time i remembered haha. 

Edited February 6, 2016 by Justin Spring

[Mopar1973Man]

Ok. First off welcome to the family here...

Next off...

10 minutes ago, Justin Spring said:

Plugged in a code reader and got the code P0253 and the tpyical overboost code from the edge comp.

P0253 code is a VP44 failure. Yeah it's dying. As for P0234 is not typical of a Edge Product tuner. That means that either the boost fooler failed internally. Thing I'm concerned about is the P0253 code is a sign of alternator problem possibly.

 

14 minutes ago, Justin Spring said:

Side note, i would have very seldomly like once a month if that of random 5 second crank times when cold before it would start when it normally would fire within the first crank or two. 

By chance is the WAIT TO START light coming on instantly or is it delayed? Just looking if there is any ECM damage possibly causing long cranking sessions.

 

[Justin Spring]

1 minute ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Ok. First off welcome to the family here...

Next off...

P0253 code is a VP44 failure. Yeah it's dying. As for P0234 is not typical of a Edge Product tuner. That means that either the boost fooler failed internally. Thing I'm concerned about is the P0253 code is a sign of alternator problem possibly.

I get the P0234 code stored occasionally, sometimes its there, sometimes its note. I make a easy 32/33 psi with the edge off and high 30's with the edge on 5x5. Alternator was changed about 2.5-3 yrs ago, just before i bought it, so say 140000km ago.  

 

By chance is the WAIT TO START light coming on instantly or is it delayed? Just looking if there is any ECM damage possibly causing long cranking sessions.
 

Wait to start light did its normal every day cold morning routine, 

 

 

[Mopar1973Man]

If the WTS light is delayed there is internal memory issues in the ECM and the ECM is NOT booted up and functional. The first instruction is to fire grid heaters. So that's why I asked.

Still in all the boost fooler inn the Edge should keep the MAPP sensor voltage low enough not to trip no matter how high the boost goes even to 100 PSI. Like my truck I touch 37-38 PSI and never trip a single P234 code.

Just because you changed the alternator doesn't mean its good. We've seen brand new alternators spitting out over 0.1 AC volts and cooking ECMs, PCMs, and VP44 and create all the other weird issues too. Still charge fine but way too much AC noise. Normal is 0.01 to 0.03 AC volts. Marginal is 0.05 Ac Volts A fail is 0.1 volts and above.

[Justin Spring]

29 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

If the WTS light is delayed there is internal memory issues in the ECM and the ECM is NOT booted up and functional. The first instruction is to fire grid heaters. So that's why I asked.

Still in all the boost fooler inn the Edge should keep the MAPP sensor voltage low enough not to trip no matter how high the boost goes even to 100 PSI. Like my truck I touch 37-38 PSI and never trip a single P234 code.

Just because you changed the alternator doesn't mean its good. We've seen brand new alternators spitting out over 0.1 AC volts and cooking ECMs, PCMs, and VP44 and create all the other weird issues too. Still charge fine but way too much AC noise. Normal is 0.01 to 0.03 AC volts. Marginal is 0.05 Ac Volts A fail is 0.1 volts and above.

I just called my dad to go run out to the truck and double check for me, the WTS light was not delayed, it came on and stayed on until the heaters shut off, then he said the truck started like normal with no hesitation and idled fine with no surging or anything, also said the CEL did not come on and no codes were stored. 

The boost fooler for the edge makes sense. Kinda wondered why i was tripping that code randomly. What would i do about that, give edge a call and send it in or have to buy a new unit?

mhmm. What do you suggest then about the VP code, Pucker up the 2K for a VP/labor and attempt to find a VP that doesnt void warranty with a wire tap? Is there anything else like the crank sensor or vacuum pump that i should rebuild/replace with the VP?
I'd really hate to go down on a trip to the states or across canada or up north to work and the VP craps the bed and leaves me stranded in the middle of nowhere on the highway. a couple grand now is alot cheaper than a $800 tow plus now the VP and labor. I'd really love to do it myself and save the cost of the labor but space and time is limited and would be easier to drop it off at a shop and have it fixed while i am away at work.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Justin Spring

[Mopar1973Man]

1 minute ago, Justin Spring said:

What do you suggest then about the VP code, Pucker up the 2K for a VP/labor

What? Most VP44 are fairly good price. $1,100 or so. I know there is a few good vendors in Canada. Labor should only be only tops of 4 hours by the book I normally charge for 2 hours @ $60 USD. My fastest change out is 1.5 hours in a ranchers field in a rain storm.

[Justin Spring]

1 minute ago, Mopar1973Man said:

What? Most VP44 are fairly good price. $1,100 or so. I know there is a few good vendors in Canada. Labor should only be only tops of 4 hours by the book I normally charge for 2 hours @ $60 USD. My fastest change out is 1.5 hours in a ranchers field in a rain storm.

Haha sorry i kinda wrote that not how i was thinking it.  
Labor is less than i thought. Jesus, if you were closer to me i'd trailer the truck down to you, even with the stupid exchange rate. shop labor up here ranges from 95 to 130/hr.

Another SO pump should be fine then eh. I don't plan on going crazy with HP. I'd be happy with high 300's low 400's whp and be fairly towable. Truck mostly hauls around 8-13k lbs car trailer/camper trailer every weekend in the summer through the mountains.

[Mopar1973Man]

Stock SO pump is fine. The only special tool you need to do the job is the puller for the gear. The rest of it is straight forward hand tools and removal.

I've had guys limp from Boise, ID or Portland, OR for VP44 swap outs.

I'm right around that range now with my own setup. (+50HP injectors and Edge Comp). Do the same thing hauling trailers most of the summer time either heavy loads of firewood or my RV through the mountains of Idaho.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Mopar1973Man

[Justin Spring]

mhmm, maybe ill attempt it myself then. i thought it was more complex/time consuming than that. 

the 75hp injectors and the mild upgrade of the 35/40 plus the comp i find is quite fine. i love the exhaust brake. best thing ever.  It just sucks its a turbo mount and not an inline or id definitely have a slightly bigger turbo or a mild set of comounds in a heartbeat. 

[Mopar1973Man]

 

Secret is to only remove the 1,2,4 injection line pack. Leave 3,5,6 attached to the head. There is enough room to slip the pump past the 3,5,6 injector lines. 2 bolt puller is what you want but a steering wheel puller will work too. Just need a TQ wrench to tighten the gear nut back on to 125 ft/lbs.

[Justin Spring]

2 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Secret is to only remove the 1,2,4 injection line pack. Leave 3,5,6 attached to the head. There is enough room to slip the pump past the 3,5,6 injector lines. 2 bolt puller is what you want but a steering wheel puller will work too. Just need a TQ wrench to tighten the gear nut back on to 125 ft/lbs.

Awesome thanks! 
a 2 bolt puller like a pitman arm puller or is that to big?

[Mopar1973Man]

Modify it by using a shorter bolt and nut in the center as a fixed pin to push against the shaft. Then just tighten the 2 bolts into the gear to press the shaft out.

Here is what I got. Just the bolts go the other way around...

[catnhat]

I changed one about 4 years ago in my first deisel.i am by no means a great mechanic but it isn't to hard took me about a half a day.with just basic tools you will be good to go I used what was posted above and a 4 part video on YouTube 

[Mopar1973Man]

Just don't let the puller crush against the gear case cover.

[dripley]

The last time I removed mine I used a steering wheel puller. It was a little big for the space but did work. 

i had never done anything like this before and it was not difficult. I used the instructions from Blue Chip Diesel. Thats who I bought the pump from. This was in my pre M1973M days. I used Mikes instructions the second time I took mine off. Either will get you thu it. It is mostly just turning wrenches.

[klcammie]

Did mine last year, had a mech. lined up and the shop at work. Mech. got called out of town so did it myself, to change tappet cover gasket. I had more trouble with the fuel lines then the pump. Just make sure key is at 12 o'clock.

[Cowboy]

On 2/6/2016 at 10:57 PM, Justin Spring said:

It just sucks its a turbo mount and not an inline or id definitely have a slightly bigger turbo or a mild set of comounds in a heartbeat. 

You could run a HE351 with a HY35 exhaust housing...  It will take you to 400hp with easy.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Cowboy

[Mopar1973Man]

Now if I had the extra cash to buy a HE351 and HY35 and Frankenstein them together. 

[dripley]

Mines a hybrid just not sure what. The banks system I put on mine came with a new exhaust housing supposedly to spool quicker and had the big head waste gate. I did not know squat about this stuff when I bought it and have not had much luck finding out any technical info on it.

[CTcummins24V]

Now you've got to try gated vs non-gated housings. I think my 14cm non gated pulled harder than my hy35 or wh1c gated 12cm.