RnR-Tejas
TEXAS
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Joined: 12/07/2006
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This is a post I made about a year ago. I am following up in hopes that my experience just may keep someone else from having to go through the same, not so great, experience.
It’s kinda long but here’s the problem we had:
Posted on RV.net: 08/08/07 12:24pm
I am still having a problem with my 2002 Beaver Santiam. On a long trip back in May the ATC and Warning lights started to come on especially as I went up inclines/hills. I got some advice on this site that it may be water in sensors that was causing the problem.
After sitting in the storage area for the last two months any water should have evaporated so I was looking forward to no problems last weekend on our trip. The trip was about 400 miles and I had the same problem the entire trip. The only common denominators when the ATC and Warning lights came on were
-I was either getting up to speed or going up a hill
-as the boost rose above 15-20 psi
As I would start up a hill the ATC light would come on for a few seconds, then go off and the Warning light would come on for a few seconds causing the engine to hesitate for maybe 2 or 3 seconds.
Could this be a problem with the turbocharger?
Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
RD
The Long Journey: May 29, 2008
We were called to go to work, so we left Las Vegas and headed toward Kansas City, traveling through Utah and Colorado. About 3 hours out of Vegas we started to have the problem again so we limped along the rest of the day. The next day we made it to within 1 ½ miles of going through the Eisenhower Tunnel, the peak of the Continental Divide I think, and the rig finally came to a complete stop. We stopped there at 5 pm and spent the rest of the night on top of the mountain. By the way there’s not a lot of air at the top of that mountain.
The next morning, a Saturday, the rig started great just like it always has, (the problem begins a few hours into the drive) we made it thru the tunnel, and we limped into Denver. After trips to Camping World (they don’t work on engines), a TA truck stop (they don’t work on RV’s), a man overheard my conversation and suggested the Cummins location in Denver. I described the problem to the “on call” mechanic and he immediately told me that it had to be one of the fuel filters. I asked him what he meant by, “One of the fuel filters”. He said that there are usually two, one on the right rear frame and one on the left rear frame. I had changed out the main fuel filter at least 4 times on the right rear just behind the tires.
The Solution: After about thirty minutes of crawling around under the RV I found the second fuel filter. An hour later I found a Freightliner dealer who had fuel filters in stock. About an hour, and $13 later, the problem was solved. It was the second fuel filter that was “gummed” up.
Thanks to that “on call” mechanic at the Cummins Rocky Mountain in Denver who freely gave advice and ended an ongoing problem for $13 Bucks. Wish I could remember his name but I wasn’t having one of my better days at that point. I did push redial on the phone the next day and left a “Thank You a Whole Lot” message. Hope he got it.
Sometimes we’re tested in the valley and, apparently, sometimes on top of the mountain.
I tell this story in hopes that it may save someone else a few gray hairs. Good luck and happy travels………….
1995 - 17' Mity Lite Travel Trailer- Had a lot of fun in it
2000 - 31' Fleetwood Tioga- made a lot of money in it
2002 - 40' Beaver Santiam (triple slides)- something bigger to work & travel in
1994-Ford Ranger tow/work vehicle-214,882 miles
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TEXAS
Centerville Tx
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Joined: 08/17/2003
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Glad you got the problem solved. Almost all diesels have two fuel filters primary, secondary. The first filter gets most of the crud out of the fuel. The second one cleans up what got by the first one. So you should change both at the same time. Also glad to see you found an honest mechanic to help you. They are getting hard to find.
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pritch272
Martinez, GA
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Joined: 03/18/2006
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Is that true for the 7.3 PSD's ?
Retired US Army
2000 Ford F250 SD 7.3 PSD, Firestone Ride-Rite™ air springs
2007 Keystone Laredo 29RL, Doran Pressure Pro and Metal Tire Valves, 16" Michelin XPS Ribs, Dirt Devil CV950 Central Vacuum, 2000W AllPower (Honda Clone), 4000/3500W Champion C46540
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klutchdust
Orange, California
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Joined: 06/09/2004
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pritch272 wrote:Is that true for the 7.3 PSD's ?
Don't think so. My duramax has one.
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Kodiak5er
Alex Bay NY Summer; Sanford FL Winter
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Joined: 07/11/2004
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klutchdust wrote:pritch272 wrote:Is that true for the 7.3 PSD's ?
Don't think so. My duramax has one.
Because I don't own either of your TVs I can't say for sure but the best way to tell if you have one or two filters is to follow the fuel line from the tank all the way to the injectors on the engine.
Another way would be to check the operators manual. Usually one filter is mounted on the engine and the other is mounted on the frame of the vehicle.
Most diesel engines will have a primary and secondary fuel filter on them somewhere.
1990 6500 Chevy Kodiak, 8.3L Cummins 450 HP
6sp Allison 3060, 3.70 R/A Home Made Air Ride
2006 Newmar Cypress
Picture of '93 Mountain Aire Story of it's death by fire and explosion
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Electronpusher
Southern Oregon
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Joined: 10/01/2006
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RnR-Tejas wrote:
After sitting in the storage area for the last two months any water should have evaporated so I was looking forward to no problems last weekend on our trip.
Water is never going to evaporate from your fuel system--
It will remain under the fuel and be picked up and drawn through the filter system where, depending on the filters and the amount of water, it may or may not travel to the injection system and cause damage.
ReM
Dick & Bette
and
Jedediah the Cat
2004 Journey 36G
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TEXAS
Centerville Tx
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Joined: 08/17/2003
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Water does not evaporate from diesel. Diesel will float on top of water. The only way to get rid of water is drain it off are have water seperators on your rig. Water in the injection pump will cause rust and can damage the pump.Water in the injectors can blow the tips off,have seen it before.Depending on the injector it can blow enough off to cause piston damage.If your RV is stored for along time you sould have diesel treament in your tanks. This will help to keep alge from growing in your tanks. Alge into the fuel system and you will have to clean the whole system, not cheap. Not sure about the smaller trucks but I think most of them only have one fuel filter.
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Dave H M
IL
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well I do happen to have an ole 99 psd 7.3.
Sure it has two filters. one on the motor that is sposed to be changed and some kind of fliteror whatever in the tank.
The only one the BOOK referrs to is changing the one under the hood.
I will stick to the book and not urban legend about generic diesel issues.
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TEXAS
Centerville Tx
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Joined: 08/17/2003
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Dave The one in the tank is only a screen that does not need to be changed unless things get real bad.I agree you should go by the book in order to take care of your unit.Not sure what you mean by urban legands.
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mapguy
Puget Sound
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Joined: 09/02/2007
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klutchdust wrote:pritch272 wrote:Is that true for the 7.3 PSD's ?
Don't think so. My duramax has one.
My 2006 Duramax has two because the factory single filter system leaves to much chance of debris passing through. This is one of the reasons for so much injector problems with the duramax......
Map Guy
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