Need help with an 03 3500 dodgewith cumins

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    • #30723
      rmon905
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        Hey guys one of my truck is having a small issues I have had this truck for years and never broke down on us the guy driving the truck says when at idle it will sound like its about to shut down and the. Will idel back up but today he told me it shut down twice on him now he’s my issue my mech is on vac for 2 weeks and when he gets back would like to not have this waiting
        So I did see the truck a few mins ago and at idle its ruff just not holding moving up and Down 100 rpms then after about 10mins of idling it started going below 500 then jumped back to 1100 then stayed at 750-800 area then would drop back down to below 500 and shut down just as if the key were turned off but just motor would be off
        Any clue what I can check for
        No Idea when the fule filter was done trying to get to the office to look at mech comp for logs thank you for any ideas and help
        Sorry for the spelling and lack of gramer thank you

      • #35683
        DavidPrivett
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          It could be a filter,fuel more than air,but I assume you would have seen if the water in fuel light is on, I have a 96 and it was acting as you describe there was a small  leak on the suction side of the lift pump hose to the tank .the hose was only about 3 inches long.I found it by trying to pump up fuel to the filter and heard a slight hisss of it sucking air.I know your 2003 is different some but how much I do not know.

        • #35684
          Bob Rooks
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            No need to apologize, you are probably suffering from strokes or other serious health impairments

            I suggest you change the fuel filters, check for diesel bugs and water, and check the air cleaner. These are the simplest tasks you can perform.

            For more concise Dodge/Cummins help I suggest you go here.

            For an excellent free spellcheck app. go here.

            Grammar and sentence structure is a product of education. Sorry, can't help there.

            Account deleted.

          • #35686
            rmon905
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              Thanks guys got into my mech computer he changed it little over 1000 miles ago no check eng light and no water light had drained the water filter out just in case all other filters are good and yea school was not my friend I’m dyslexic but I do run a very good business lol so who cares about that my cust love us and that’s all I care about also spelling my guys names right when I cut them there checks lol did that once felt bad bank wouldn’t cash it for the guy damn payroll people lol but anyway

              Ill check the links out thank guys ill update this when prob is fixed just incase someone else has this happen to them

            • #35689
              chichi
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                Is the idle issue the only problem or do you have other problems as well such as low power under acceleration or at top end while cruising down the highway even a slight loss in power that might not be as noticeable.

                I would still replace the fuel filter sounds like its not that old and probably not the problem but a new fuel filter is a bench mark in starting the trouble shooting process. Next I would hook a scan tool up to the OBD 2 port and record any DTC's (diagnostic trouble codes) that might be logged in the engine computer's memory a lot of times there's possible clues there, maybe you have an engine position sensor going bad or a throttle position sensor starting to fail on the idle side.then I would check my fuel delivery pressure make sure its within specs I'd have to check the spec but I think its between 50 to 60 PSI there is a test port up at the injection pump to hook a manuel fuel gauge and test the pressure this tests the electric fuel pump in the fuel tank making sure it pumping ample fuel to the high pressure pump at the engine. If all that looks good and there are no DTC,s maybe somethings going hay wire in the high pressure pump affecting your idle but I would have somebody that specialize's in this type of engine as you can make a wrong diagnosis real quick and spend a lot of money replacing the wrong parts.     

              • #35690
                SpringValley
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                  I am not sure exactly when those engines changed to common rail but it is around when your truck was built.  Also around that same time the lift pump furnished by Cummins was a real hunk of junk.  It was an electric pump mounted near the left rear of the engine.  The dealers had a conversion kit to fit them with an in-tank pump. The fuel tank was actually designed for an in-tank pump as it was.  The first year they came from the factory with an in-tank pump was 2005.  If you have an in-tank pump it has been converted.  I have seen the conversion cause problems.  There is a bulkhead electrical connection to the rear of the front tire on the drivers side.  Since it is a plastic pump inside a plastic tank it needs both power and ground via the electrical connector.  I have seen this connector cause problems on a few of those pickups and it actually fails to ground. The pump may run some but not to capacity starving the engine for fuel.  Good luck   

                • #35697
                  mariner
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                    As previously stated, check for codes on your truck. Not sure for your year, but on my 02 you turn the ignition key on and off three times  quickly and any codes will show up on the speedo gauge. At least that will be a starting point. Since you have the common rail system, there are a number of electronic “gizmo's” (sensors)  involved and the first thing to check and do would be change the fuel filter. That way you know your filter is good and clean and that there would be no water in the housing. Maybe try some fuel treatment too, that might be all that is needed. It is too easy to get a batch of bad fuel. Keeping to the KISS principle first – fuel pumps, qualified mechanics, injection pumps and injectors cost big money. It might be something as a batch of bad diesel causing the problems, along with a dirty filter – they can get real dirty in just a few minutes with contaminated fuel.

                    Good luck and let us know how you made out.

                    Cheers

                    mariner

                  • #35699
                    Bob Rooks
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                      Diesel bugs will clog filter after filter after filter and drive you nuts. If that is the problem, and if you have a lot of fuel, then you will have to treat it with a biocide and polish it, or toss it.

                      Account deleted.

                    • #35702
                      rmon905
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                        Thanks guys read a lot of other sites and found this to be a common problem so I took the part off the truck the Fca could be dirty it’s on the back of the injection pump took it out cleaned it up some kind of brownish crap came out of it also cleaned the plug and jack just to be safe and knock on wood it fixed it
                        I called up a cummins dealer got the part it was 160 if you know someone lol250 if you done before I install the new one I’m going to throw all kinds of cleaners in the tank this has been one truck with 0 problems and has just. 176k on her so she will be kept running I thank you all for you help and will pass all the Info you gave me on to my mech when he back from his vac and give it one hell of a look over thnk you guys for all ur help and input
                        One more question what brand cleaners and additives do u all recommend

                      • #35704
                        mariner
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                          It sounds like you have some bacteria in your diesel fuel tank and the diesel is moving it around your system.

                          Best to do what Bob Rooks said – pump out the contaminated fuel into another container. Change your fuel filters again and then put some biocide in the empty fuel tank – a very big dose, possibly twice the recommended treatment. Add known clean fuel and then run the engine to get the clean and treated fuel through the system. You will probably find that you will need to change the fuel filter (s) two or three times before it all cleans up properly.

                          It is common to find bacteria at the fuel/water interface, so draining water off the fuel filter regularly is a must. Once the little buggers get going it is a lot of work to get rid of them sometimes. If you have the truck back up and running, you are halfway there already.

                          Cheers

                          mariner

                        • #35709
                          rmon905
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                            What brand treatments do you recommend I have 33 trucks on the road new and older this is one of the oldest trucks in the fleet so I’m going to need a lot
                            I use AMsoil supplement stuff for the lower surfer at the pumps got that stuff my the case but that’s all and the mech orders diesel Kleen and adds that when I don’t know but he does
                            So what else and what brand do you find works the best
                            Thank you
                            Rich

                          • #35710
                            DavidPrivett
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                              I use the diesel clean never had a problem,but maybe never needed a treatment ,it is one of those things if you never had a issue with something how do you know.But as far as I know diesel bugs must have water or moisture to live so pure diesel they can not live and reproduce in.So if you never had a water in the fuel light on,or if you inspected the fuel that you drained off  and it was free of water.maybe you just picked up trash in the fuel.

                            • #35711
                              rmon905
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                                I can’t recall if any of the trucks every had the water light on so can’t say anything to that one
                                But dirty fule I’d lean to that a little more the guys have gas cards and can get fule anywhere and that truck has been working down in south jersey a lot after the storm so even water too if I think about it well not goin to hurt to dump in a bunch of treatments to all the trucks just a big pain in the butt
                                Once more guys thank you just orded a bunch and I mean a bunch of the bio kleen and biokleen on top of the cases of diesel Kleen read into it a little that’s some cleaning but mostly a boost
                                Clean diesel Is just for cleaning so got a ton of that stuff too
                                Good night guys
                                Thank you all for your help and time

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