No heated fuel filters on '01 Dmax?

[chessy56]

Recently had a loss of power on my '01 Dmax, K2500HD. No power above 2K rpm. Temps outside were ~8 degrees in Wisconsin. SES light came on and DTC said "massive fuel leak". Made it back home, siphoned out the fuel and got a fresh batch- shortly thereafter, full power was back. No fuel leaks are detected. SES cleared itself after about 3-5 engine starts. No water-in-fuel indicator. Bogus fuel? Waxing/gelling?

Am I to understand that the Dmax does not have a heated filter assembly like my old 6.5 did? Without installing a new filter/heater assm'y, is there an add-on unit that will heat my fuel during below freezing temps? Or, do I need to dump more JD Power Service (anti-gel) into the tank?

Thanks-
"chessy56"
('01 K2500HD, 114K miles, original injectors)

[DmaxMaverick]

All Duramax fuel filter assy's are heated. Unless someone has removed yours, or it's failed, you have one working. At 8°F, the filter isn't the only problem with gelling. Either you have the wrong fuel (not enough winter blend), or you've exceeded the fuel's ability to resist gelling and it's gelled somewhere in the system (not necessarily just the filter). Not all additives are formulated for resistance to gelling, so you should ensure yours is and confirm you are using enough to accomodate the temps you will see. If the problem continues, try another brand.

[More Power]

SES light came on and DTC said "massive fuel leak".

This can mean that one or more injectors are producing a fuel return flow that is way too high. Or, it can mean that the fuel filter is plugged. Or, it can mean the hi-pressure common-rail system can't develop the pressure it should, so it reports a "massive fuel leak" - for whatever reason. :)

Jim

[chessy56]

Thanks for the reply posts-
I checked with my local Chevy dealership and they are stating that I do not have a heated fuel filter assembly. And, the only electrical harness I see leading to the filter assembly is the water-in-fuel float at the bottom of the filter itself. I must therefore have to assume I had an inadequate amount of anti-gel in the tank and/or, bogus fuel.

The engine still has full power and no further SES indications have arisen. Thanks again guys!

Chessy56

[DmaxMaverick]

I think you need to check again. You should have a small harness leading to the top/rear of the filter assy. The stud for the heater is behind the primer pump, with a ground wire right next to it. If you have an empty stud, someone removed it. Or your filter assy isn't OEM. If you still don't find it, snap a pic of the top of your filter assy for us to see. I'm not aware of any of these coming w/o a heater.

[chessy56]

DmaxMaverick is correct. A closer inspection reveals a hot & ground just to the left of the primer at the top of the filter. Sadly, the local Chevy dealership did not give me the correct information. But then again, I was talking to a parts guy, who probably only saw the top level drawing of the filter assembly, without any electrical connections. I guess it would pay to ask to speak to a tech who actually has some exposure to the maintenance of the engine rather than a parts junky.

My earlier problem now appears to involve the additive for anti-gel; perhaps not enough???

Thanks again guys!
"Chessy56"

[Kennedy]

I find it gives great peace of mind taking a proactive approach tio fuel quality. I always use FPPF Total Power in my fuel and haven't had any real issues.

All Dmax filter housings are the same and all had heaters, but they are litle dinky devices in the housing. It's pretty tough to heat a moving liquid...