HELP, truck needs ICU! hard starts/ AT issues/ power & dead pedal issues...

[BluePine]

Well, joined the forum back in Nov... had been working on plotting out our tune up/ preventative & maintenance plans and before we got anywhere within driving the truck an additional 500 miles at most we have MAJOR ISSUES... needless to say we have have the truck parked in the driveway since we put new tires on it at the end of November, we have had to start it a few times to move it for snow removal and driveway access issues...

So here goes the saga of problems... this fall we noticed that we were having issues with the truck shifting around 45 mph... after much reading on this forum, I do believe that it probably is the same torque lock/ converter issue that many have been having. So, I had been calling around to different auto part stores to research alternators as a place to start... My husband also informed me that I was not the only one who had replaced the batteries in the truck in the last year or so (It would have been nice if he would have told me that a little sooner, since I am the more mechanical of us)... We had also been fighting with the 4wd for about a year... The mechanic that we were using supposedly replaced some of the parts but I do not know which ones bc he did not record it in the system and we had issues with the other work that he said he had done at the time but upon closer inspection did not do. My brother and I traced all the vacuum lines and made sure none of them were dirty/clogged/ disconnected etc.. one or two of them were dislodged/ loose so we cleaned them made sure they weren't clogged and reattached them . We also checked the diaphragm and it seemed to move in/ out easily as well... but we did not have time to get any further in diagnosing, before many more issues started to arise...

My husband had a training seminar in Denver and we knew we needed new tires so we were able to combine the trip, I didn't have time before he left to change the oil so he insisted on going to a grease monkey as well while he was down there... then literally as my husband was driving home from Denver which is about an 1 hr 30 min drive up a mountain pass; a slue of other issues started... Unfortunately I wasn't in the truck at the time and my husband is not the best at paying attention to subtle vehicle noise/ performance differences. TO all the guys out there, I love my husband very much and in no way am I trying to "dis" him, we have just been together long enough that we both recognize each others strengths and weaknesses... so back to the drive back home per my husband's account; he called me and says "Sarah I think something is wrong with the truck, if I accelerate past about 60 the vehicle will not shift, just revs highier and higher and I have never seen the rpm gauge go so high..." My reaction was, well SLOW DOWN, if it;'s not shifting it's not going to just because u give it more fuel and rev the engine. Secondly, I asked him to check the temp gauge (unfortunately, we have not installed additional gauges that I had already ordered.. so we still just have stock) and make sure that he didn't need to pull over... he responded with well I am not sure what it's normally at but it doesn't seem unusually high. Well, how about the other gears? It was sluggish to get started, even when it was warmed up... So, when he got home we parked the truck and the next day I took it out to drive it to see if I could get a better feel for what was going on. First off, the truck wouldn't start... it had been cold that night probably around -10, but the truck block heater was plugged in and when I went to drive it the temp had already warmed up to around 30... when it gets that cold I have found that the truck will usually start easier if I turn the key and wait for the "wait to start" light to turn off two or three times before actually cranking the engine. However, even with this technique (which I realize is a red flag in itself) the truck would click click click try to turn over and just wouldn't go... so I got out the trust battery charger and usually if I just put it on high for less than 5 mins the truck will start right away... no such luck... so I left the charger on for about 30 mins before it would start (when it did there was quite a bit of smoke, although I don;t remember if it was black or white). Once started, the truck idle was very slow (even more than usual) so instead of going inside, I sat in the cab and rev'ed the engine for the concern of gumming etc. It took about 5 mins before I felt comfortable to let the truck sit and run while I wasn't watching it... I let it run for about 10-15 mins before I got in for the test drive. I immediately noticed that when backing up that the truck was acting very sluggish...we live right on main st in our town which is actually a HWY, so we have quite a bit of traffic and pulling out you have to be careful and quick... Which is why I panicked when I shifted into D, hit the accelerator and the truck acted like I merely let off the brake and barely pressed the accelerator, when in reality I nearly floored it. luckily we have a second lane & parking shoulder that starts at our driveway and goes through town, so I was able to creep into it... about 2 blocks of creeping with medium pressure on the accelerator the truck seemed to kick into gear and started to accelerate more normally between about 20-55mph then I did notice that once I reached 60mph I could understand what my husband was experiencing the day prior. After driving just to the next lil town which is 1.5 miles away and back I parked the truck... called our friend that is a mechanic and just started working at the garage literally across the street from our house and started reading...

Our mechanic friend said he would help us out after work at the garage (so awesome to have access to the lifts & tools)... but before we could look at the truck our other vehicle decided to have a few issues that we needed to address first (so we would have a vehicle to use), we were able to plug in the code reader and at first no codes were coming up... then we had one or two codes pop up but when he looked them up there were a slue of possibilities and I lost my notebook where I wrote them down, ugg... i blame the chaos on the holidays... We decided that a good place to start would be to change the trans solenoids, replace trans filter w/ seal kit, flush trans and new fluid. Which we were planning on doing tomorrow... in preparation for finally tackling this truck I have been reading, researching and pricing a plan of action this week. Yesterday I did order a TIMBO apps, since it was something that I was thinking about anyway... but I am just getting a little overwhelmed with what parts to address especially with the current issues that I think are somewhat inner related and I fear we will have more issues as I have read through the forum bc we have had above average luck with not needing many of the issues that people have had with this truck at much lower mileages we are at about 203k...

So, I need some advice...

Gauges- I want basic mechanical gauges in a pillar (EGT, fuel pressure w/ low pressure light, trans temp)... I tried to order some in NOV but had problems finding a matching set, that was reasonably priced but had good reviews (quality). It shouldn't be that difficult... so if anyone has bought them recently and has a source suggestion, please let me know!

AirDog II- What do I need to order in addition to the Airdog II to install on truck? Our truck specs are on signature..

Fuel Pump- Raptor: Which model? the factory replacement (FRRP)? RP-100 or RP-150? From what I have been reading and knowing that we use the truck to tow our tool trailer & our flat bed trailer, as well as hauling all sorts of other stuff up and down mountain dirt roads, I was thinking that it would be a better idea to install the RP-100 and take the time to mount it rather than just doing the factory replacement. Any Thoughts?

Automatic Transmission: What do you recommend to do while we are in there replacing the solenoids, flushing, replacing filter & kit, new fluid... adjusting bands... WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF THE TRANS/ fix issues? Or should I be considering a total rebuild or new one? (I am hoping that I can prolong the current one so I can budget some other stuff first)- If we do replace, I think we may convert to a manual trans set up....

Sorry this is SUCH A NOVEL, I just thought I would give as much detail as possible since I am out of my comfort zone... THANK you in advance for any help/ suggestions you can provide! At this point we need 2wd to work before 4wd!!

[MnTom]

Sounds like it is in limp mode. First thing is to scan the truck for DTCs. That may point you in the right direction. Something to try on your truck is the quick disconnects on the battery on the passenger side. There are two of them one goes back to the engine and one goes to the computer. Take the two grey disconnects and clean them. While in there clean the post. Another thing to do is check the pressure transducer and the temperature sensor. If that doesn't help here is a place you can call that is not that terrible far from you: http://www.maxtorqdiesel.com/

[diesel4life]

Do you think your engine is lacking power as well as trans shifting issue? If youve got any codes from a scanner post them up here and we should be able to give some more insight. As far as the gauges go, one place I recommend is Genos.com. theyve got some pretty good prices on gauge packages and will throw in a pod to install the gauges for half price (last time I checked anyway). I bought the Isspro Ev series theyre a nice set of gauges I reall like them.On the questions on the Airdog II or the Raptor, not sure if your comparing the 2 and wondering which one to get? You will only need one or the other the Raptor FRRP is a very simple straight forward replacement it goes in place of the oem block mounted lift pump. The AirDog II is a step up in quality pumps more volume and has extra filtration which will prolong your injectors. For a relatively stock truck you could also consider the Air Dog 100 with the dual filter setup that mounts on the frame rail back near the fuel tank. Fass also sells comparable units, whichever you choose the units with the dual filter setup would be the best choice. Vulcan Performance sells either pump you mentioned along with any fuel lines or fittings you may need.On the 4wheel drive, did you pull the vacuum lines at the actuator at the front axle to verify vaccuum? If youve got vacuum there, I would un bolt the housing from the axle and with the truck running and vacuum lines still connected, see if the fork will slide back and forth when engaging/disengaging 4wheel drive. If the fork doesnt move, you should be able to get an actuator from your local autoparts for around 80 bucks. Genos carries them as well.Vehicles can certainly be overwhelming especially when dealing with multiple issues. Just take them one at a time, and dont be shy about asking questions. Good luck!