Diesel Questions and Problems in General (non specific makes)

Mr_Shiftright

Well you might have suffered some damage to injectors and fuel pump, since gasoline has none of the lubrication properties of diesel; on the other hand, the ratio of gas to diesel might have saved your butt. All you can do is flush the system, put in diesel and fire it up and see what happens. Sounds like you didn't drive far enough or hard enough to damage the engine. Let's hope not.

I'm surprised he even got the nozzle to fit the diesel filler neck.

bansheecook

Thank you for your response. Im hoping the ratio thing you suggested works in my favor. Anyway,he used a 5 gal can we had at home which is where the mistake came from. We have off-road for our tractor and I thought that specific can also had diesel in it. He used a funnel. But a good point is that not alot of diesel stations have a regular sized nozzle. Most have the large ones for trucks. The jetta's have a regular sized nozzle so I have found , in my travels, which stations I can go to and which I cant. Will let you know how we make out later today. Cross your fingers.

Mr_Shiftright

Diesel gas cans should be painted green--that way you'll know.

bansheecook

Well, good news!!! They drained the fuel,(had access to the tank through the trunk) replaced the filter,filled it up, and bam!! All is good. He took it for a ride and he said everything is fine. Thank you for your help. It made me feel better. The diesel can we have is yellow but someone this summer decided to put regualr gas in it. I have 4 boys and between all their comings and goings, quads, trucks, etc, my head spins somedays trying to keep track. However, lesson learned and thank god not an expensive one.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, good for you. I think the proportions of the mix and the short drive saved your butt THIS time

wjkrostek

I have this trans in my 2004 GMC med. duty flatbed comercial truck. will these directions still work or have they changed something. When I asked at the dealers shop before I read this, they said there was nothing I could do. I had a problem with a long hard pull towing about 10,000lbs going over the rocky mountains and had the hot tranny light come on. I stopped and slept over night and never had it come on again, but I have noticed that when I pull a grain trailer the temp claims to 200 degrees fast but I only have about 4 miles to go so it doesn't over heat. I think I can feel it slipping when I drive less than 45 to 50 miles an hour under normal driving and it just will not lock up unless I go faster. Sounds like your fix will fix a lot of this problem. if it will still work? Thanks for the info.

wjkrostek

Can you do harm to the fuel pump or anything else if you crank on a diesel that has a gelled fuel in the system? I know a lady who hasn't used her truck since it been cold (-20F) but she said she has been trying to start it but it wont start. Whiile talking to her I found out that she hasn't fueled it up since summer so I know the fuel is gelled. I told her to stop trying to start it and wait for a warm up. Then drive it to town put in some anti gel and fill up the tank before it gets cold. It's got a 1/4 tank now so it should be empty by the time she gets to town. The only thing I don't know is if harm can be done by just cranking alone? It's startig to warm up to +20 so it should start now but has there been damage done already?

skeeterbud

I have a '96 Ram 2500 that will not stop leaking coolant. I have gone over every inch of the cooling system and found nothing. Replaced the seals and hoses, pretty much anything that has to do with the cooling system. I even called Cummins directly, they basically said to take it to a diesel repair shop...so I did. They found nothing wrong, well nothing that would be causing it to leak the way it is. I've basically done it all except pull the massive radiator, which I really don't want to do. So I am at a loss.

Anyone out there that has any advice it would be much appreciated. I have been working on cars and trucks for a while so I know what to look for, but I have never seen anything like this.

Thanks much, take care.

Mr_Shiftright

No leaks at all? Then you are burning it.

There's really no other possibility.

Has anyone tested for combustion gases in your coolant?

Have you done a pressure test on the cooling system and looked for coolant on the glow plugs?

Is it an automatic? Have you checked the fluid for coolant intrusion?

skeeterbud

I don't think I'm burning it. All the fluids are clear, tranny is bright red, no bubbles or oder. The mechanic did the pressure test and it was normal and he didn't find anything wrong with the core either. He also said that Cummins has a habit of leaking in colder temps, but it's not a constant thing. Only after short rides or when it's below 25 degrees, which we haven't had many of in Connecticut this winter. I have a block heater, had the filaments were replaced in January, guy said they really didn't even need to be done. Actually had an end to end tune up done around the same time, they didn't find much wrong except the usual for a truck with 150k on it. Like I said, I really can't find anything that would be causing this thing to leak like it is. When it does, its on the opposite side of the bleeder valve so I really have no idea what else to do except for pulling the radiator.

Thanks for the help.

- Mark

cayadopi

Thought I had the same problem last year, and radiator and hoses were not leaking. Was told to look for evidence of a coolant leak from the engine block or wherever in the oil in the form of a slight streak of grey or other lighter color than the black oil color streaked thru the oil? And that the other evidence disappears thru the tailpipe.

(My problem turned out to be that cooling system had some air or something in it after I had done a routine coolant change. Added a half gallon and haven't lost a drop since.)

fphilli1

:confuse: The only thing I can think of is a trans cooler. I do not know Dodge trucks but my wifes VW bug had an internal trans cooler that burst and leaked all over. Hope this helps.

Mr_Shiftright

Have you ever parked the truck, then spread newspaper under the engine, and then started it up and let it idle for a while? Does anything show on the paper?

if not, drive it around until it' hot and then re-park it under the paper and shut it down and see what drips.

If you get no visible leak hot or cold, overnight or after a hard run, then you are burning it. There's no place for it to spill out in the radiator---the reservoir tank captures it, or should.

KCRam

I had my 96 3500 Cummins for almost 9 years. One thing Dodge did that wasn't the greatest thing for a diesel was use a ridiculously oversized radiator for the Cummins - same one they used with the 8-liter V10. I couldn't get that truck to overhear even in stop-and-go traffic in July summer heat with the AC at full "meat locker" mode. And even after a good long highway drive in winter, the temp never made it to 180°.

Most likely, you have a spot leak that may only be found during actual operation. I had one engine seal go that my master tech found only because he saw oil spots where they shouldn't have been on a crossmember... it never actually dripped on the ground.

In addition to Shifty's suggestions, you may need to get the truck in the air and "drive" it while someone observes.

kcram - Pickups Host

djhockey6

I'm looking to upgrade to larger injectors in my cummins, Do I need to do anything to the computer after the higher hp injectors are installed? I have no chip or other engine mods.

cayadopi

not recently, but.....

I am original owner '92 F350 7.3L diesel dually crew.... and never got a recall notice on the tranny many years ago.

Kept taking to dealer with complaints during warranty (they kept telling my no problem), until after out of warranty. Then said a computer chip needed to be replaced. A number of years later tranny problems continued, when to a private guy 3 different times. The last time was 11k miles ago, for an rebuild.

Over last 5 months have been redoing as much as possible, getting my old Black Beauty ready to haul a 13k trailer (@142k miles),,,, re-did just about everying except the tranny, thinking I had just had it done. The tranny blew the first day. I was very very fortunate that I broke down in Spanish Fork, AL near an incredible tranny shop. (The tranmission was smoking and probably close to catching on fire; the metal was "blued" it was so hot.) I found out that many many moons ago Ford put out a notice to fix/update a bunch of stuff on that transmission, and NONE of it had been done by either the dealer or the other tranny shop. (I had given copies of all the tranny work I had had done to the vehicle the the AL shop.)

Fortunately, the rest of my trip was uneventful, albeit a bit slow going up some of the steeper small mountains. Passed the tranny inspaction for the warranty on arrival at my destination.

I even blew the outside cover, basically everything between the drive shaft & the crank shaft. (The rangers who helped rescue me basically gave me a heads up on how bad it was before I was towed to the tranny shop.)

Anyone with a '92 7.3L really needs to find out if their updates were made on the tranny if you're going to do any towing, before a super expensive repair and getting stranded.

I can't believe Ford didn't send out a recall on this one - the tranny shop didn't have anything nice to say about the Ford dealer (based on the receipts) or the other tranny shop.

jim314

Take a look at the site below. No irrational touting, just the facts. We simply do not produce enough plant and animal fats to produce enough biodiesel to replace a significant portion of the petroleum diesel we use.

Here is the one possibly real benefit of biodiesel: "Biodiesel has excellent lubricating properties. Even when added to regular diesel fuel in an amount equal to 1-2%, it can convert fuel with poor lubricating properties, such as modern ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, into an acceptable fuel."

http://www3.me.iastate.edu/biodiesel/Pages/biodiesel1.html

jim314

See post 118. Biodiesel is a good fuel, but we cannot produce enough of it from soybeans and other high value food crops to satisfy our needs. The only hope is that new technologies will provide a new route to biodiesel which will allow currently unuseable starting materials to be used. Still the problem remains that we don't have enough bio-fats.

See
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2231

muncy

have a 1991 7.3 ford diesel, so hard to start and when it dose it smokes white stuff smells like diesel and at tail pipe sounds like missing or poping, smoke settlels down after worms up, have changed all hoses and o-rings,and fuel filter, can any one help.
thanks jerry

orchiddj

My 1990, 7.3 had problem starting. (Ran great after it got started) it would smoke (white) when it finally started. Had strong diesel smell. Filter change made no difference. Finally I found a very very small fuel leak in a return hose near back of engine. Replaced hose and it has started great for over a year now. Another possibility is bad glow plug/s. 1 or 2 bad glow plugs can cause hard starting also. (I am no expert. Just sharing my experiences)

Jim

muncy

how can you tell which glow plugs are bad with out changung all of them

Mr_Shiftright

It's best to change them all, like spark plugs. They wear out.

orchiddj

On my 1990 the glow plugs are easily removed like a spark plug. (My book says on some models you have to remove valve covers to get at them) it probably would be best to replace them all. You can test by pulling the glow plugs and connecting to a battery. The end will “glow” also it will get very hot. It only takes a few seconds for them to heat up. If any do not heat up they are bad.

I would test before replacing. I almost just replaced mine. After testing found all were good and that was over a year ago.

Jim

Mr_Shiftright

I've read that they should be replaced somewhere around 100,000 miles, give or take.

wisdodge

I have a 2004 Dodge Diesel. I bought it for towing a 35-foot travel trailer. I talked to several Dodge owners before I bought mine that were towing travel trailers and they always said they get 18 MPG towing. Mine only gets 10-11 MPG. After two years I decided to put in the Bully Dog chip and I didn’t see a difference. Last year I added the K&N filter and I still didn’t see a difference. This year I had them change the muffler and I still don’t see a difference. I also went by the onboard MPG calculator and I now realize that with the chip it’s no longer accurate. I will re-check my MPG again but calculating it by hand.
The big question is why am I not getting 18 MPG? Is there something I am missing?
Is there that much of a difference between engines? It does have a lot of power to tow the trailer. This last week towing the trailer I hand calculated the MPG and it was 10.2 MPG. The onboard computer showed 13.

Mr_Shiftright

Probably you are relying on anecdotal information from other owners, and anecdotal information can be very tricky to confirm. For instance, maybe one day one time in ideal conditions someone got 18 mpg, and then they presume to declare this the standard for the truck. Also if you have a different rear end ratio, or dual tires, this can have a big effect. And then there is the matter of what type of terrain you drive in, vs. the report from the other owners. So a guy in Kansas with a 3:55 ratio rear end is going to perform a lot better than someone in Colorado with a 4:10 rear end.

Your reports on chips and K&N and fancy mufflers only confirms my skepticism that while these things might make the car run better they are not likely to increase fuel mileage.

KCRam

In additio to Shifty's reply, it's also important to ask what year those other Rams are. The old mechanical 12-valve engine (used until December 1997) was phenomenal on fuel... my 1996 3500 extended cab dually 4x4 had no problem getting 24 mpg empty with the 3.54 axle. My 2005 3500 Quad Cab 4x4 dually requires a lot of effort to get 20 mpg with 3.73s under the same conditions.

kcram - Pickups Host

cayadopi

4:10 ratio here, '92 Ford F350 dually, Int'l 7.3 diesel.

When I do mileage checks, I fill the tanks to the very top, so I have a consistent starting point.

I was wondering also if there was a difference in mpg in various states based on their fuel mixture or something. I pulled my 37' RV from FL to NM recently. In the hilly area of FL I was getting 11mpg when towing a lot of weight - which was pretty much consistent in the flat and hilly areas in FL over many years. The further west I went the worse the mpg got, with a low of 7.3mpg in western TX and across NM (I-10). I didn't think the short times I had to downshift for hill climbing would have affected the mpg. The hill country N of San Antonio and then west for a while required more downshifting (9mpg area), compared to W. Tx and NM, which seemed flatter with fewer steep hills/mountains.

I used to get 18mpg consistently in combined traffic (city/highway) until a few years back (16mpg). It's hard for me to imagine any p/u truck getting 18mpg towing a big rig.

Mr_Shiftright

Well it's no accident that places like Texas are good for wind generators. Headwinds can really knock down mileage on a towing rig.

I kind of agree with the other posters---in the final analysis, fuel mileage on this or that diesel truck is kind of "genetic"--it's going to get what it was built to get and driving habits are probably the best way to get any improvements.

wisdodge

Thank you everyone for your input. I drive on fairly level roads. I hand calculated my mileage to and from work the past two weeks, not towing and empty, and with the outlook computer set to stock I get 18.4 MPG and with it set to towing I get 18.39 MPG. Not much difference. Now this is in heavy traffic with a lot of stop and go, some times at speeds of 62 MPH. I wanted to check this quick before I tow my trailer out to Colorado for a week leaving July 26. I was hoping to see an increase in the MPG in the tow mode compared to the stock. I Believe I have the 3.73 gears. I was wondering if the others had the 4:10 gears that were getting the better mileage. I used to have an F150 with the 3.02 gears and it didn't have the power to tow a small popup camper. I changed them to the 3.73 gears and my MPG jumped from 12 to 18 and I had no problems towing anything. I was told that the 3.02 gears kept the engine at a bad power range. I wonder if the same is true here with the 3.73 vs 4.10 gears. From now on when I ask about their gas mileage I will have to ask which gears they have.

Mr_Shiftright

It is my understanding that when you have engines of considerable horsepower and torque, that ONCE they get moving and develop some forward momentum, from that point on, you wouldn't see that much difference in fuel economy if you just added another few thousand pounds to an already moving truck. Does an 18 wheeler empty vs. one with a few thousand pounds in the back on a flat highway really change its MPG? I doubt it.

Sure, if it were fully loaded with 10 tons and churning up a hill---yeah, that would eat up fuel, but for a pickup truck towing a trailer, once it got moving, I'm not surprised your MPG is close with or w/o the trailer. I'm sure that in traffic and stop and go, your MPG difference would be much more noticeable.

wisdodge

Normally I would agree, that is why I don't understand why the mileage drops so much. Most of the time I tow the highway is fairly flat, a few small hills. That is why I wonder if the gear ratio is the big difference. I would assume the 4:10 gears would hurt the gas mileage not help.
Thanks for all your input.

Mr_Shiftright

Yes lower gearing would eat up more gas (but give more low end pulling power); also there might be an aerodynamic factor at play, depending on whether you are pulling a Bullet or a Cinder Block. :P

wisdodge

Yes, my trailer is a big box, which doesn't help. Last year I towed my brothers 12' V nose trailer with a couple of 4 wheelers and It didn't seem to get any better mileage. I didn't hand calculate the mileage but the onboard computer still had the same reading as my big trailer. I was surprised because I couldn't even tell his trailer was back there. I thought for sure I would get 20 MPG on that trip. He has a gas truck and he gets 18 pulling it.

galena50

We are looking at a RV that uses the International VT360 diesel engine. I cannot find any HP versus torque curves for the 300HP engine. Anyone know where I can locate the curves for the 300HP engine?
Thanks

wisdodge

I towed the trailer from Wisconsin to Colorado and back a few weeks ago. I figure I averaged about 10 MPG and I kept my speed about 68 to 70 MPH instead of 75. My brother in-law then towed it out to South Dakota using a Ford F250 diesel that he borrowed. It was a stock truck, no chip or K&N air fileter. He said he only got about 6 MPG and he said he was going about 65 MPH to try and get the best MPG that he could to try and beat my milage.

fphilli1

2001 7.3 Excursion no start. It started this morning, hooked up my trailer harness and started fine. After we did some rewireing on the trailer harness it did not start. I unplugged the trailer harness from the truck and it did not start. It cranks good but will not light. I have replaced the CPS last year due to recall. It has never done this before.
What fuse or relay should I check. It have fuel and when I turn the key on I can hear the fuel pump/relay run.
I have disconnected the battery terminals twice to try and reset the moduel. Help!!!! :sick: :sick:

Mr_Shiftright

Glow plug relay would be a good start and the CPS is troublesome on these, as you know.

fphilli1

Thanks for the reply. It was a 20amp fuse. The fuse circuit was for the cigar lighter and data. The data communication fuse blown will cause a no start.

Mr_Shiftright

One wonders why a 20 amp fuse would blow, so this may not be the end of the story but I hope it is for you.

szewski

Where is the primer pump located on a 2003 chevy duramax diesel ??

Mr_Shiftright

1. Looks like it's on top of the fuel filter

2. Open the vent valve (small screw) by turning the screw counterclockwise several full turns.

3. Operate the priming pump (pump it up and down with your palm) "> until a small amount of fuel seeps from the vent valve. allow the pump to return upwards between pumps. When fuel is present, the filter is full of fuel and the system should be primed.
4. Close the vent valve.
5. Clean any fuel which accumulated on the fuel filter.
6. Start the engine and allow it to idle for a few minutes.
7. Check the filter for leaks.

helpmeporfavor

OK i have knowlage of diesel engines but i am stumped on this one i got a 2.0 diesel and where the injectors go into the engine the inlets on two cylnders melted and fell into the cylynders and ruined two of the pistons i cant understand this how could it happen any ideas please i am going crazy

Mr_Shiftright

Sounds like detonation damage perhaps, or a massive overheat? Were the glow plugs damaged as well? Did the pistons chunk out (pieces broken off the piston tops).

hi7echredneck

So I've always had old trucks and its finally going to be time for me to buy a new truck this summer (2010) I am currently a college student and I also work for a construction company in the summer and on holidays. When I'm out at school the majority of my driving is in town. About twice a month I make the trip back home about 150 miles and hauling stuff in my 1/4 ton truck over the pass is killing it! The contractor that I work for has a 2002 Chevy 2500HD (gas) and a debris trailer that when loaded up is usually around 10,000lbs. The truck there is beat to hell and I hate driving it. I currently have to switch trucks all the time which is very irritating. After school I intend on getting into the trades and I need a good truck. Being that I'm in school I really don't have a ton of $ for repairs so i need something reliable! I need your guys help deciding. I've read a lot of bad things about the 6.0L in the Fords. But I'm not opposed to a Ford. WHAT BRAND AND ENGINE SIZE WILL BE BEST? I don't want a crew cab or a long bed. Just simple extended cab and short bed. I've been stressing over the differences and I need some opinions from guys that have owned these trucks. THANK YOU ALL!!!

fphilli1

I worked for Ford for over 30 years and have driven all the compitition over the years and my vote is for a Ford. the new 6.0 diesel did have problems when they first brought it out but those days are over. I drive a 7.3 Excursion with over 150k. Keep in mind with a Ford you get more truck and when loaded a better ride with a F-350 vs a 250. The front suspension is different. See if you can get a family and friends discount with someone you know at Ford. If you don't I would be glad to sponser you for an X Plan. Good luck..

Mr_Shiftright

So are you going to do heavy hauling in your work or just a metal toolbox and a shop-vac and some buckets? Sometimes I think contractors get into "overkill" when they buy a diesel truck. Diesels are great for heavy work but they aren't necessarily "less" maintenance---they are more like "different" maintenance.

hi7echredneck

Well its a family business and I stand to take over it in the future. As i said we do have the debris trailer that, when loaded, exceeds 10,000 lbs. I'm also an equipment operator and so from time to time I'll be moving machinery. I just can see that the gas engine in out 2500HD is strained with the load. So to answer your question, yes, there is some heavy hauling to do even though it isn't every day. The problems that I personally face are not the payments for the truck but the insurance, registration, and the maintenance. I have no idea what some of those things relatively cost. That's part of the research I'm doing. So I'm realistically looking at getting something a few years old, maybe 05' or 06'.

hi7echredneck

That's wonderful! I may need to take you up on the discount offer, although I don't know if that factors in for a used truck. I do have one question though, What is going to be the relative millage difference between a 7.3L and a 6.0L. I just don't want to get myself in a hole with fuel prices! Thank You again!

charlie6869

Just got a 97 F250 with about 260k miles. Want to try and get another 260 but also want better mileage. In Fl. so cold is not problem what kind of oil should I use? Just a newbie to forum and diesels. Help