I have looked through like 3000 post to try to find my exact problem and haven't found it so here we go. 2003 Excursion, 7.3, 225,000 miles......got bad fuel with water and bacteria back in July. Started running rough before I even left the parking lot and almost wouldn't stay running by the time I got home. Fast forward....Took it to Ford who said several injectors and fuel pump was shot....dropped and cleaned tank and lines, replaced all 8 injectors with rebuilts, new glow plugs,AirDog 150, and grabbed a TS 6 position while I was at it, cleaned the fuel bowl and replaced the filter. Truck ran great but when I first would start driving it would cut out like an old carb truck where you would have to punch it to get it to blow the crap out of it in order for it to run right. After that it ran and idled normal. Drove it like that for about 3 weeks thinking it was just air in the lines. Driving home and it started cutting out (running the TS on 50 hp setting) so I turned the chip to stock and it ran worse. Turned it back to 50 and it ran better so I drove home. Got home and it was idling rough, gassed on it and it would rev fine and blow black smoke as usual, turned the chip to stock and it would cut out REAL bad and blow white smoke when you gassed on it.....did that several times to see. Codes P0381, p1211, and p1316 popped up. Let it sit for about a week and decided to try it. Started harder than normal but idled fine. 50 degrees out so I went inside to change cloths and let it warm up....10 minutes later came out and it was dead. Tried to start it again and it would turn over and act like it was going to start but would not. Block heater is also plugged in.Thought the chip might be the issue so I pulled the computer and removed the chip completely. Tried again and still wont start. Unhooking the computer cleared the codes so I pulled them again (truck still hasn't started) and they are now p1280, p1000, and p0603. Read on here that if you unplug the ICP it will set a default of 700psi and start.....didn't work. Read again that if your tach doesn't move when you crank it than the CPS is bad.....replaced it.....didn't work. Batteries and good, started is good, has plenty of clean fuel, new filters, ect......so all that is ruled out. Back out a year and a half ago it through the HPOP code while I was pulling my RV and went back off after I unhooked and drove a little bit. I'm wondering also if maybe the bad fuel and trashing several injectors and installing 8 new injectors might have push the HPOP over the little razors edge it might have been on. I also plan to get a HPOP gauge to see what psi I have. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

1. With all respect and kindness - please use the "Enter" key once in a while, it's a little difficult for this old fart to read a mass of text.

2. Rather than getting an HPOP gauge, I would strongly urge you to get something that can read sensors the OBDII port... many very expensive sensors are just sitting there, waiting for you to read them - including Injector Control Pressure and the Injector Pressure Regulator.

3. Fuel pressure is not on the OBDII port, and that's a very good gauge to have on our trucks as they age. Air in fuel has been a real issue, and this is one of the possible causes... as well as a possible plugged fuel intake screen or a dropped foot on a tank below 1/2 tank (sloshing can introduce air).

 

On your #1......no offense taken
On your #2......I assume that you are talking about something more than a scanner.
On your #3......Are we looking for fuel presure from the pump? I will look up the fuel intake screen because this is the first time I have ever heard of it.

I would assume as well that my fuel from the tank to the engine without air is taken care of due to the AirDog 150 which is designed to remove like 99.7 % of the air from the line as it passes the pump and runs it and the access fuel back to the tank.

And thank you for you input and any further......

 

Assuming again.....intake screen as in the tank on the fuel line?

If so that is none existent due to my AirDog coming with its own fuel inlet that had to be drilled and ported into the top of my tank. The new line is about twice the size of the factory and is need to feed the larger flow of fuel to the pump.

The factory pick up is bypassed and plugged off completely.

 

Yes, that it was he is referring to. Since you had bacteria in there, the screen is likely clogged up, even though you killed it with the proper stuff. It makes me laugh to think of a boat-load of little dead bacteria skeletons mashed against a screen. If you have an air hose, do this:

1. Open fuel door and remove fuel cap
2. Under driver's side door, remove fuel line going IN to your fuel pump from the tank
3. Use air hose to blow a few quick short blasts of air back through the fuel line to the tank. (this is why fuel cap must be OFF)
4. Reattach fuel line
5. Reinstall fuel cap

Another thing Rich was mentioning...what is your fuel tank level at? If it is at or below 1/4 tank, you need to fill it up with several gallons of diesel. Cycle your fuel pump a few times and see if it will start. If it starts and runs great, then the fuel pickup foot is likely broken as he mentioned.

Also, is your fuel pump working? It may have bit the bullet, plain and simple.

With all that bacteria, you may also have a clogged FPR (fuel pressure regulator) which is not much more than a spring and plug. That's why Rich was saying you need to check your fuel pressure pre-filter. If it's extremely low or erratic, then it's either your FPR ($30 in parts?), clogged fuel line, or your fuel pump.

 

I apologize for my potential ignorance, but I just want to straighten something out-
You have bypassed (essentially deleted) the factory fuel pick-up assembly in the tank, correct? Your AirDog system replaces which factory components? (Pick-up assembly, fuel pump, etc.)
I just don't know enough about the AirDog/FASS systems, or even what an AirDog 150 includes.

Have you been using the TS chip ever since all the work was done? Have you tried removing the chip and seeing how it acts?

I would also like to second what Tugly said... By the time you go in on an HPOP gauge, pillar/pod, time, etc, you should really consider a good scan gauge. Something like AutoEnginuity, Scan Gauge II, Torque Pro (Tugly?), or the one I highly recommend: Infinity. It enables you to read all the parameters the PCM sees, as well as DataLog, Injector Buzz Test, KOEO, KOER, Cylinder Contribution Test, and even Glow Plug test since you have an Excursion.

 

I had some trouble like that after getting my truck out of the shop a couple years ago. turned out the mech didn't plug in the driverside injector harness in all the way and it popped out.

 

Your AirDog pump has a screen in the inlet. You might pull the inlet fitting and check it. Carefull use of a pick will remove the screen without damage if it needs cleaning.