Our Friends at The Dealer!

[gassernomore]

The guy who does the horseback rides from our vineyard has a Dodge 99 3500 dualie. His truck quit running the other day. The dealer said he had a 251 and 253 code. They replaced the VP ($1453), the intank module ($695), labor ($795), and misc. items for a total 0f $2995. He doesn't know anything about his truck. He pulls a 5 horse trailer all the time to our place. We have a very steep hill to get here. Anyways, I was telling him the importance of 14 psi minimum, and an after market fuel pump. He went back to the dealer and they told him that this was a new and improved pump! It only needed to put out 10 psi! They told him everything would be fine with this setup. Now he is kicking him self in the rear because of what I told him the minimums were and how much he got nailed for!

[dobienut]

I guess it's no good for him to cry over spilt milk now, nothing he can do to get his money back. Only thing he can do if he wants more peace of mind is put a different pump on it to give him the fuel pressure he feels he wants

[Mopar1973Man]

I see this all the time where a "ASE Trained Dodge Dealer Tech" tells tales of the new and improved lift pump in the tank meets the requirements. It does explain how the Factory service manual requires 70% of return fuel. How can this happen when the overflow valve closes at 10 PSI. So if the new improved lift pump is 10 PSI or less spell out failure for you new VP44 injection pump. You might want to send him over to the fuel pressure page here. http://mopar.mopar1973man.com/cummins/2ndgen24v/fuel-pressure/fuel-pressure.htm

[dually]

Thats sad.However i ran 50 miles with no power to a lift pump.Yes no power at all.70 mph on the freeway. :stuned:I did have a sump mounted under my tank and that may have helped.The truck ran bad but still ran.It is a long story on how it was disconnected and i have another pump so i have no hard feelings.

[flagmanruss]

I think I ran about 40 miles of easy driving with no lift pump... before the truck shut off. The dealer diagnosed it as a failed lift pump. I refused their intank fix... had the truck moved to a Diesel shop. The diesel shop corrected the wiring fault, bled the system & got the truck running on the original lift pump. I had the diesel shop install my AD 150, big line kit, new pickup & return. It cost me plenty but at least I have an AD & not some POS in tank pump.

[gassernomore]

You might want to send him over to the fuel pressure page here. http://mopar.mopar1973man.com/cummins/2ndgen24v/fuel-pressure/fuel-pressure.htm

I wish it would do some good, he has that "deer in the headlights look" when I tell him all these things about his truck. " dobienut, I guess it's no good for him to cry over spilt milk now, nothing he can do to get his money back." He wouldn't go back and say anything more, he is too calm and fun loving, not a mean bone in his body.

[dually]

I wish it would do some good, he has that "deer in the headlights look" when I tell him all these things about his truck. " dobienut, I guess it's no good for him to cry over spilt milk now, nothing he can do to get his money back." He wouldn't go back and say anything more, he is too calm and fun loving, not a mean bone in his body.

Tell him to join here.

[Mopar1973Man]

Tell him to join here.

+1 No kidding...

[flagmanruss]

I only knew about the lift pump issues because of my reading here & on CF. I am so much better educated about my truck NOW than when I bought it. I should have gotten educated FIRST . Honestly, I'd have not bought a 4.10 geared truck!

[JOHNFAK]

Yeah I wish I did just some basic cummins searching and spoke with some people before I bought my truck. Nothing like driving 400 miles with a truck that jerks above 65 to find out the vp44 and fuel pump and lines are shot. Still remember that first phone call to mike .... "what's a vp44 and why did it broke?" ... At least 2 years later and a help from a bunch if guys here I feel like I know enough not to get raped at the stealer .... In fact .... I only send my truck to mechanics from personal reference and only when I can't do the work myself .... Like caj said " don't let anyone touch my truck even for oil unless I am there watching " .... Sucks for your mate though ....

[dripley]

in tank pump cost me 1k about 5 years ago. this also before i learned about fuel pressure. i installed a booster pump about a year later when i started having problems. it started again and now i am instlling a ADII 165. i always thought the fass and ad were pricey, but 1,500 bucks will buy you alot better fuel system than that pos in tank. learned and still learning alot here.

[Mopar1973Man]

Yeah I wish I did just some basic cummins searching and spoke with some people before I bought my truck. Nothing like driving 400 miles with a truck that jerks above 65 to find out the vp44 and fuel pump and lines are shot.

Still remember that first phone call to mike .... "what's a vp44 and why did it broke?" ...

At least 2 years later and a help from a bunch if guys here I feel like I know enough not to get raped at the stealer .... In fact .... I only send my truck to mechanics from personal reference and only when I can't do the work myself ....

Like caj said " don't let anyone touch my truck even for oil unless I am there watching " ....

Sucks for your mate though ....

To me anymore its like a blur from one day to the next I get so many people listen to the hype in the performance site(s) that they finely get screw once and lose a pump then look for help. As for the fuel pressure page I'm constantly updating that page with every tidbit I can find trying to get the most from a injection pump. Between that and the 2 cycle oil pages too.

As for me I'm the same way like Caj like just getting tire I stand in the door frame watching. Then sneak in check my brakes and rotors and then back to the door frame. I'm on top of them like a hawk the whole time.