The
most common mechanical problem with the 98.5-2002 Dodge Cummins
was failure of the Bosch Vp44 injection pump and lift pump.
Over the years these have been notorious for going out and costing
consumers a lot of money, especially if you take your truck
back to the dealer, repair cost usually average about $3000.
There are three common mechanical failures of the VP44 injection
pump:
The most
common mechanical failure of the VP44 pump is rupturing of
the diaphragm in the front of the injection pump. The diaphragm
ruptures allowing the timing piston to vibrate and damage
the front cover until fuel bypasses. This will cause the dreaded
check engine trouble code P0216. When this occurs your Bosch
VP44 Injection Pump must be replaced. The rupturing of the
diaphragm is caused by a poorly designed lift pump. When the
lift pump does not supply the Injection pump with the correct
amount of Fuel Pressure (a minimum of 5psi under load at wide
open throttle) the diaphragm then doesn’t have enough
positive pressure and ruptures. Dodge has recognized this
problem as they will no longer even sell the lift pump that
goes on the side of the block, they replace it with a unit
that is now mounted in the tank. The average cost of having
the lift pump put in the tank is about $800.
The next
most common mechanical failure of the VP44 is that the rotor
seizes in the head of the pump. This again can be contributed
to the lift pump not providing enough fuel to the injection
pump. Diesel Fuel is used as a lubricant , so when there is
a insufficient amount of fuel the rotor does not get lubricated
properly. If the rotor seizes the truck wont start and the
VP44 Injection Pump must be replaced.
The last
reason for the failure of the VP44 pump is electrical problems
with the computer on top of the pump. Heat is the main reason
associated with this problem, causing the soldered components
to become crystallized over time and make bad connections.
Lack of fuel is again part of the problem, because the VP44
is cooled with fuel instead of oil (as the old P7100 12valve
pumps). When this problem occurs you will usually experience
intermittent hard starts, white smoke and what's usually referred
to as “The Dead Pedal”.
With
any questions concerning the VP 44 injection pump
for the Dodge Cummins stop clicking and call us toll
free at 866-737-4966.
