06 Dodge Diesel Engine Shutdown Adventure-UPDATE
I thought I would pass along my latest adventure with my now 10 year old dually with 250K miles. I have been fixing issues over the last year to keep her running strong and reliable.
On my last trip south about 3 weeks ago 25 miles south of Columbus, Ga the engine surged, then ran about another mile and shut down. I was in the middle of nowhere so I removed the fuel filter and after some fumbling around got it started and limped to next town about 10 miles down the road and bought the only two fuel filters they had at the only auto parts store in the small town. I put in a new one and thought I was fine. We made it about 20 miles to Dawson, Ga and it shut down again. This time I filled it with fresh fuel and a diesel fuel additive. I figured I was ok, but I only made it about another 30 miles and it shut down again. I had bought a couple more fuel filters so I replaced it again and eventually got it started and again ran fine.. until it didn't..
Anyway after one more event I got it to a diesel shop in Tifton, GA where they said I had trash in the fuel pickup assembly resulting in a drop in fuel pressure. The computer on the truck shuts down the engine when pressure gets to low. They said the removal of the filter released suction pressure on the intake debris and enabled fuel pressure to normalize , thus it would start and run.. until it happened again.
Anyway I finally dropped the camper, left it and the truck there at the Tifton shop and rented a car to finish my trip and decided to pick it up on the return trip. They replaced the fuel pickup assembly and apparently only screened the fuel and added fuel stabilizer, but when I picked it up it ran fine (perhaps a total of 800 miles) until...this last Friday afternoon when I was back home (this time without the camper running an errand). Truck shut down again and this time I had no luck getting it started. Had it towed to a shop to late in the afternoon for them to do a diagnosis.
I called the shop (while waiting on the tow truck) in Tifton and they still think it is probably trash in the tank and recommended steam cleaning the tank. I have located an aftermarket 60 gallon replacement tank that I am considering, bigger and more range than OEM .. but , could it be something else ? The truck was running GREAT.. smooth good power and then WHAM.. shut down.
Momma will not ever want to take the camper out if I have another outting like the one in South Georgia. Our final breakdown on the Georgia trip was in the pre-dawn dark while it was raining on I-75 and I was fortunate to get it to the Tifton shop without a tow.
I need confidence in the solution before the next long trip. The new tank will eliminate the trash variable, but are there any thoughts/advice you all out in Diesel Truck/TC land can offer ?? ( Oh, Please be constructive in your thoughts.. please don't advise me to get another truck, a different brand (Ford or Chevy or whatever. ) I am curious if any of you have had a similar issue.. and if it could be more than the trash in the tank. I meet with the mechanic where it was towed tomorrow..
Thanks
On my last trip south about 3 weeks ago 25 miles south of Columbus, Ga the engine surged, then ran about another mile and shut down. I was in the middle of nowhere so I removed the fuel filter and after some fumbling around got it started and limped to next town about 10 miles down the road and bought the only two fuel filters they had at the only auto parts store in the small town. I put in a new one and thought I was fine. We made it about 20 miles to Dawson, Ga and it shut down again. This time I filled it with fresh fuel and a diesel fuel additive. I figured I was ok, but I only made it about another 30 miles and it shut down again. I had bought a couple more fuel filters so I replaced it again and eventually got it started and again ran fine.. until it didn't..
Anyway after one more event I got it to a diesel shop in Tifton, GA where they said I had trash in the fuel pickup assembly resulting in a drop in fuel pressure. The computer on the truck shuts down the engine when pressure gets to low. They said the removal of the filter released suction pressure on the intake debris and enabled fuel pressure to normalize , thus it would start and run.. until it happened again.
Anyway I finally dropped the camper, left it and the truck there at the Tifton shop and rented a car to finish my trip and decided to pick it up on the return trip. They replaced the fuel pickup assembly and apparently only screened the fuel and added fuel stabilizer, but when I picked it up it ran fine (perhaps a total of 800 miles) until...this last Friday afternoon when I was back home (this time without the camper running an errand). Truck shut down again and this time I had no luck getting it started. Had it towed to a shop to late in the afternoon for them to do a diagnosis.
I called the shop (while waiting on the tow truck) in Tifton and they still think it is probably trash in the tank and recommended steam cleaning the tank. I have located an aftermarket 60 gallon replacement tank that I am considering, bigger and more range than OEM .. but , could it be something else ? The truck was running GREAT.. smooth good power and then WHAM.. shut down.
Momma will not ever want to take the camper out if I have another outting like the one in South Georgia. Our final breakdown on the Georgia trip was in the pre-dawn dark while it was raining on I-75 and I was fortunate to get it to the Tifton shop without a tow.
I need confidence in the solution before the next long trip. The new tank will eliminate the trash variable, but are there any thoughts/advice you all out in Diesel Truck/TC land can offer ?? ( Oh, Please be constructive in your thoughts.. please don't advise me to get another truck, a different brand (Ford or Chevy or whatever. ) I am curious if any of you have had a similar issue.. and if it could be more than the trash in the tank. I meet with the mechanic where it was towed tomorrow..
Thanks
