New to group and powerstroke

[remspeed]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and new to working on my own powerstroke. I have a 1997 dually with steel flatbed automatic with 200 thousand miles that I just bought. PROBLEM: Start truck cold or hot and it idles fine for mabey 10-30 seconds and then idle changes and becomes rough at the exact same time the cel comes on. Rough idle comes and goes but not very often - usally smooth. Twice in a week truck does not want to pull and acceleration is very slow. Hardly any smoke ever out exhaust. Just changed oil and filter and fuel filter. Auto Zone reader came up with nothing. I will take to a mechanic friend with a full service shop and computer this week. OH one last thing. When driving there seems to be a dead zone between idle 600 rpm and about 1500 rpm. I depress pedal and nothing happens then jumps up to 1500. Most apparent at slow speeds in parking lots etc. Any ideas would be greatly. appreciated

[westcoaststrokin]

to the ORG!!

[jackpine savages]

Others with more knowledge of earlier 7.3s will be along but in the meantime I'll just give a couple suggestions with some bump energy for a fellow oilburner...

fuel lines;check your fuel pressure and your fuel pump.

injectors; got any paperwork history on maintenance?

[rankroddin250]

to the org. the auto zone code readers suck on our trucks. get the codes pulled at your buddies shop and see what he comes up with.

[alabamafrog]

Yea, most cheap readers will not work on a PSD, check codes first before throwing parts at it, but my first guess would be the IPR (injector pressure regulator) either loose, dirty or bad o-rings. Also may want to remove the fuel pedal and WD-40 the switches on it.

[SCUFFY828]

get the codes pulled first , let us know what they are , that will help alot

[remspeed]

Well I took it to my friend and he says he can check gas trucks but the powerstrokes require a chip he does not have for his machine. He said I will have to take to dealer in Brunswick where I live. I'll post the codes when I get it there next week.

[ViCatz]

I read elsewhere on this site that the CPS if bad or going ( a known fault) the tach will be erratic.
Site info suggests one is ~$50 from eBay.

[stump0331]

welcome aboard glad to have ya

[remspeed]

I appreciate all the adivice. My local dealer was almost snobbish and was a week out just to check the engine codes. I cleaned the foot pedal assembly, changed the fuel filter, and tightened a loose sensor top right of the fuel filter and the light quit coming on. Pulled about 16,000lbs last week and it felt strong and solid. Trying to get a drivers side vent window that I broke today if anyone happens to have one they don't need. The vent windows are one of my favorite things about the older f=series that newer models of any flavor lack.