WAITER - ANOTHER INJECTOR PLEASE!

[Captain Mal]

Took my little boat to Erie this weekend. Good fishing. Now I need to fish for somplace that will change ALL my remaining old injectors. I could clearly see the truck smoking at idle while I put the boat on the trailer. From my three-time experience with this mess I'm on borrowed time.

Unlike some, I don't really think saving another $3,000 in repairs is worth replacing the truck.

Anyone know of an independant shop that can install injectors at a reasonable price? I do know a fellow in Florida who has done it for me, but I'm in Pennsylvania now. Aside from paying a dealer full retail for the injectors and $800 for labor, what's a body to do?

When this is done my total injector repair bills will total upwards of $6,000 plus all the 'down time'. Those of you that damm the old 6.5 engine think - I put over 150,000 miles on mine with one warranteed injection pump the only repair. Damm the Duramax.

[jcummins]

Are you running any power enchancments? Are you using fuel additives?

[afp]

Sorry I don't have a solution to your current dilemma, but I am in the mood to editorialize a bit. Of course, my "editorializing" is worth almost as much as it costs to read it.....

Any first year truck/engine/tranny is bound to have a higher percentage of problems than succeeding years, especially those built early in the production run. The 6.0 PSD is having the same type of problems the 01 Dmax did, and like the '02 DMax, I expect the '04 PSD to be pretty much sorted out.

I just don't think it is a good plan to buy a firt year anything. In most cases, it will be fine, but more than with suceeding years there will be issues. On top of that, it takes service departmets a while before they figure out how to quickly diagnose problems with a new product. After it has been around a while, they know what to look for and how to best fix it.

I think a big issue with all three trucks is the relaitive newness of common rail fuel injection. It was designed an run in Europe where--as much as it galls me to have to admit this--thay have better fuel than we do. Our poor quality fuel has less lubricity, which causes more pump wear, which put more particles throughh the injectors. maybe we should all run dual fuel filters............

Blaine

[ 07-27-2003, 05:05 PM: Message edited by: afp ]

[JMJORDAN]

Hey Captain
You are in Erie, Pa? I cant help with the injector issue as nobody I know has had any replaced. Are you certian you do not a have something else wrong causing your injectors to fail? My old neighbor had had 95 6.5TD that ate pumps like the where candy till about 50,000 miles. He broke down out in Montana and It was repaired by someone knew what the where doing. They replaced something in the wiring harness. Not sure what. He told my neighbor that was causing the pumps to fail. He just traded that truck in a couple months ago with a little over 200,000 on the truck and no problems sense. Sounds to me like you need to find someone that is a independant that has experience with Bosch commonrail. I have had no problems with mine but I buy fuel from a known good source and change my filter often.
Only thing Damned about my Dmax is how Damn hard it Runs! :D

[Captain Mal]

JCUMMINS,

The truck is stock except for the air filter and extra fuel tanks.

AFP,

I agree. Nothing I can do now except wait for the '04 head/injector design and that will be almost a year from now.

JMJORDAN,

My summer house is outside Apollo, near Pittsburgh. I just fish Erie all the time. Tech 2 has shown defective injectors in the past and the replacements cured the problem. It's just that I only have hindsight to tell me I should have changed them all and added extra filtration to guard the new filters.

A fellow just left here and gave me the information on Diesel Injection Service of Pittsburgh. I am calling them in the morning.

The power of the engine is nice if the truck is a play toy. I have many two-wheeled play toys that are way faster and more fun than any four wheeled thing. For me the truck is a tool and there is little love for it. I just want something to run and tow reliably. Far less power and going is far better than lots of power stuck along the road or in a garage.

Thanks for the opinions and ideas. They are all appreciated and DO have value.

[dmaxalliTech]

I know its a few hours from PA to MI, but if your willing to swing this way....Make you a hellava deal. Injectors for 265.00 ea and labor rate of 60.00 per hour instead of normal 80.00 per hour to install them...

[Captain Mal]

DMAXILLATECH,

Unreal. Next Monday I am scheduled to haul a fire safety trailer to Michigan. Delivery and the class I teach for it is Tuesday. I do not know the exact location but will call the shop tomorrow. I'm stuck on Federal jury duty all this week. I was told I'll be off it by Friday.

This injector failure seems like one other I had where I was able to run a few thousand miles before it got awful. I will e-mail you.

[JMJORDAN]

Captain Mal
Talked to one of my buddies today that Hotshots Dodge CTD he had a lot good to say about Pitt Deisel Injection sevice. He broke down near them a year or so ago they fixed him right up. He said he has been going their ever sense. Sorry if I frustrated you. I am so happy with my Dmax it hard to beleive their some with problems. But I know their are. I to use my truck I recently hauled a tractor to Kanas and brought back a 66 Chevelle. Averaged 15.5 for the trip. I hope you can get it straightened out. :D

[Captain Mal]

JMJORDAN,

Diesel Injection Service of Pgh. does NOT work on Duramax. They just sell some kind of power chip. They work on Cummins and 'big diesels' only. I called.

Interesting how so many of these advertised diesel garages basically sell chips for the Duramax but don't work on them.

I contacted DMAXALLITECH and plan on taking the truck to Michigan next week.

[zip]

Too bad about DIS, Capt. Mal. Sure hope the new injectors fix you up. Man, you must have a ton of miles on your truck by now- (we met last yr in Ohio as you were on your way to Utah or somewhere)
Good luck with it. Sounds like the 'tech' is the real deal too. He travels with high company around here. :D
Zip

[Captain Mal]

Zip,

Flying J ? That's where I usually stop for fuel. Do seem to remember talking about this site with someone at the 'J' near Columbus.

Thanks for the reminder. I do not have a lot of miles (140K) because I tow very little in the winter. My towing is just 'part time'. The full time guy tows over 150,000 miles a year with Cummins. I do 1/2 that. Haven't gone anywhere for a couple of weeks as jury duty has kept me here doing nothing.

[zip]

Yes- Flyin J near Columbus. I'm headed up that way tomorrow night again, to Akron.
Reading your posts about the injectors makes me wonder- do you think the fuel is screwin up your injectors?
zip