[Brob1]

I recently posted about an issue I'm having with my '06 F250. The original post was a little long in the tooth as I wanted to outline the entire scenario. http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/6-...490-06-running-rough-after-dying-highway.html

The truck sat for a few months while I was out of town on a job and when I went to tow some equipment, it died on the highway. I got it started after replacing the fuel filters, but it's been running REALLY rough since.

I had a code p0275 #5 cylinder contribution/balance so I was assuming the fuel starvation took out the injector. I did an oil change with T6 5W40 and added some Diesel Kleen. It ran some better, but still pretty rough at idle and not full power on the highway.

Yesterday I drove the truck (not towing) and it was markedly worse. It was a bit colder, but we're talking mid-60s as I'm in Florida. After clearing the codes I still had the p0275 on the way out. On the way home I cleared the codes again and ended up with p0263 #1 cylinder contribution/balance and the #5 was gone! Saturday, the PID showed 18 misfires on #5 , 0 on all the others; yesterday there were none logged.

My FICM is 48.5-49. My oil and fuel filters are all Motorcraft (learned that one the hard way). Fresh filters and synthetic oil.

I really need to tow my skid-steer about 150 miles to a jobsite. I'm really not in a position to start randomly throwing parts at this thing right now. I'll have a little more wiggle-room once I get the equipment moved; kind of a cart and horse situation...

 

[Brob1]

BTW: I am expecting a bottle of Archoil 9100 today or tomorrow.

 

[Brob1]

The Archoil 9100 came today; earlier than expected. I poured it in and let it idle in the driveway for about 20 minutes. It was REALLY rough when I first started it up (it was about 65* outside). Within a few minutes it was markedly better, still not 100% by any means, but much smoother. I checked the codes again and both p0275 and p0263 were showing up...
I haven't had the opportunity to drive it yet as I've been catching up on paperwork today.

 

[SoBStevens]

the archoil might take a week or so to clear things up, but sounds like an injector issue with number 5

 

[Brob1]

So I headed out today to see how it was running. Started out running pretty rough but smooth out considerably as it warmed up in the driveway. As I was going down the road I could feel it surging as if it were coming in and out one of the injectors. After a little bit it threw another code, a new one this time p0 478 exhaust back pressure. And interestingly enough it had neither of the cylinder contribution balance codes. Taking off from a stop was very slow. But running on the highway, I wasn't really experiencing the shutter that I've had the last couple times its been out. Also I noticed when I first started driving my FICM voltage was dropping down to as low as 44.5. Once I was about 2 miles from my home the voltage went back up to 49.

I am really not in a good position to start randomly throwing parts at this thing. Has anyone experienced anything at all like this?

 

[Qholic]

I'm leaning towards the FICM going south on you and may be the cause of the injector codes. You can get a FICM half shell pretty cheap or even less for just the power board.

 

[Brob1]

Made the decision...

I went to go trailer my equipment today which ended up requiring me to chase down some electrical issues with my skid-steer...:doh:

While I was into that I let the truck idle to continue circulating the Archoil. After a good 45 minutes of running it was sounding almost normal and idling fairly smoothly. I had gotten my equipment up and running so I loaded it on to the trailer and chained it up for the haul that is coming (hopefully soon).

Since the truck was sounding so good I decided to hook it to the loaded trailer and give it a pull to see how it was doing. It was really slow taking off, but once up to 1800 or so RPM it felt okay. Getting up to about 60 though I realized the engine was struggling to pull. I could feel it surging as if perhaps the failing injectors were coming in and out.

I made the decision to go ahead and open the passenger side valve covers and pull the injectors. After reading several posts here that referenced a place called Holder's that remanufactures your injectors I realized they are only 45 minutes or so south of me. I'm going to pull them tomorrow and drop them off in hopes of a quick turn around. I really need my rig up and running.

I plan on taking the FICM off and have them look at it at the same time...

 

[Qholic]

I just put in a set of Holders injectors, so far 2K miles later they seem to be doing great.

 

[Brob1]

Good to hear. I just got off the phone with Ryken at Holder's. Really nice on the phone; told me the procedure and said he would let me know anything that is out of spec. Standard rebuild is $100 per injector and of course no shipping if I'm dropping them off. Huge relief as I can pull together the $$$ to do the 4 right now.

I'm about to get some food in me, psyche myself up, and go pull some injectors!

 

[toren302]

Interesting.....

Normally one of the first thing people preach to check is fuel pressure. That's where I would head to first. Most likely you will still need some sticks, and Holders seems to be great so far, so good choice there.

 

[Brob1]

My fuel pressure is where it should be according to spec. The issue occurred after the truck had not been run in a couple months over a very wet season (there was literally green mold growing all over the interior). It had been about 15K+ miles prior to that the fuel filters were changed. I towed a trailer with a small tractor on it about 60 miles and the truck started losing power. It cleared up, on the way back with an empty trailer it started acting up on the highway and slowed to a stop. I managed to limp home. Pulled the fuel filters and there was gunk on the primary filter. I replaced the filters but ended up running rough and continually giving codes for #5 and#1 contribution/balance.

They're out of the truck now and I'm going to take them in to Holders in the AM. I hope it was the problem. I am going to be working in the area through Saturday, so I plan to pick them up on the way home and replace the 4 I removed from the passenger side. It was a job getting them out, mainly because of how tight the space is. I had to get a couple tools to be able to remove some of the bolts adjacent to the evaporator.

Though my fuel pressure tested okay, I do plan to do the blue spring upgrade. Just in case.

Thank you again.

 

[Qholic]

They're out of the truck now and I'm going to take them in to Holders in the AM. I hope it was the problem. I am going to be working in the area through Saturday, so I plan to pick them up on the way home and replace the 4 I removed from the passenger side. It was a job getting them out, mainly because of how tight the space is. I had to get a couple tools to be able to remove some of the bolts adjacent to the evaporator.

Thank you again.

One of the best tools that I bought when I did my injectors is a GearWrench MicroDrive kit it was like 16 bucks off of Amazon, that along with my stubby GearWrenchs saved a lot of frustration as far as the oil rail hold downs and the valve cover bolts.:twocents:

 

[G8orFord]

^^Agreed. Seems odd that such a small tool set comes in so handy on such a large diesel truck, but I've used it for numerous things and keep it in the center console. I picked mine up at Sears the first time I did an oil cooler backflush. It was worth the purchase, for that job alone.

GearWrench - Sears

 

[Brob1]

Funny story yesterday. I had a meeting in the middle of the day. I started pulling everything off right after breakfast and had it down to the last bolt on the valve cover (which I could not physically see without a little mirror) when I had to call it to get cleaned up for the meeting. I had already removed several of the 12mm bolts close to the evaporator slowly with a wrench. I knew the last one wasn't going to be easy and I figured a wrench with a ratcheting end would be easier on the re-install so I decided to pick one up on the way home from the meeting. I stopped in NAPA which was near where I had the meeting; they didn't have one. As I was leaving I was wondering where I'd get the tool I needed and right then a Matco truck drove by. I followed the guy to his next stop and he asked me if I was the guy who was following him. When I said I was he says "Whew, I thought it was someone I cut off who was pissed at me".

I got the ratchet I needed, got the valve cover off (tight squeeze between the oil rail and the evaporator) and that's when I realized I was going to need another tool for the t30 screws on the oil rail. I got a set of torx bits that had longer ones and shorter ones all out of 5/16" hex stock. The t40 bit was a little too long taking out the injectors next to the evaporator; I cut off the last inch of the stock and made the tool I needed. I'm hoping reassembly will go much quicker without having to drive all over town...

 

[Brob1]

Dropped my injectors off at Holder's on Thursday and they were ready on Friday afternoon. Really great service and the injectors look great. We had some serious weather this weekend (tornadoes all around us) so I will be installing them tomorrow.

Ryken told me that I had 2 of the 4 injectors with a broken plunger yoke. They rebuilt them all and verified factory specifications on the tester. They look great and I'm really excited to get them back in and see how it's running.