Hey guys. I'm new to the forum. About 6 weeks ago, I bought my first vehicle, a 2000 7.3 diesel. Here’s some of the specs:

• Baby Swamps injector kit (160cc injectors and a TS 6 Position chip)
• Airbox delete and Spectra air filter
• Non-EBPV turbo pedestal
• Daemon oil pan kit
• MBRP 4” turbo back with 4” downpipe to dual 7” stacks

A few weeks ago, my PCM got fried (made a stupid mistake with the TS 6 Position, chip fried too). I bought a remanufactured PCM off eBay, installed it, and all was well. No SES or CEL lights, started, drove, and ran perfect. That was 2 weeks ago. I don’t have my license yet, so the truck hardly gets driven, just around my development once or twice a week. So new PCM is installed and everything was perfect on Saturday 2 weeks ago. I let the truck sit for a week, didn’t start it at all. It rained all week, for like 5 days. Note for below—I’m in New York, and it’s summer—so it’s warm out.
I went to go start it Friday night after the rain stopped, and it just kept cranking, then started to fire off like it wanted to start. I am getting smoke out of the exhaust. While this was happening, the SES light was on, and the WTS light and fuel pump were both working.

Saturday after work, I tried to start it again. Cranking, firing off, smoking out of exhaust. It did start for about a second, but ran super rough and died again. I was able to replicate this many times. After it died, you had to re cycle the glow plugs then it would start. If you didn’t cycle them, it would crank and not even fire off. Frustrated, I left it for the night.
Sunday morning, I tried again and was able to keep it running for a few seconds then it would die. I went into the shower, and my dad tried to start it. He was able to start it and keep it running for like 3 minutes, then he shut it off. After I got out of the shower, I was able to do this too. When you start it, you have to keep the gas pedal about halfway down and when the truck starts keep the RPMs at about 2000. It will run rough for 10 seconds, then be fine. You can let the RPMs down slowly and it will idle fine where it normally does, around 700 I believe. After a few minutes, the idle would drop to about 500 and run real rough, barely stay running, then it would die. It almost sounds like it’s dropping cylinders, but I’m not sure.

Now I started troubleshooting. First, I went out and bought a new fuel filter. That didn’t help, but it was good that I changed it. Next, I took off the air filter as it was filthy, with dirt caked into it. BTW, it isn’t a K&N, it’s a Spectra. Once I get it running right, I’ll be putting a NAPA 6637 on. When I took off the air filter, it still ran the same (great for 10 minutes then sputters and dies), but you could hear that the engine was running better. Possibly contributing to the problem. Next, I unplugged the ICP sensor, and no change. Next I put in a new CPS, still no change.

The truck seems to run good longer when it’s warmed up. I hooked up a code reader, and here are the codes: P1393, P0112, P0472, P0107, P1391, P1119, P0238. I cleared them, and the SES light went away. This morning, I was able to start the truck and let it run for about 15 minutes then I shut it off. I started it back up, and all seemed to be good. The only times I got an SES light was if I revved it up to about 2000, and when coming back down to idle. If I revved it around 2000, the SES light would come on and the truck would sputter then clear itsself up. I turn off the truck, turn it back on, no SES light, no codes. Other times if I revved it up to 2000, when RPMs were falling back to idle the tach would drop normally then drop from like 1400 to 900 all in one shot. This is just the tach, the motor RPMs fall smoothly. Once it dropped to idle, it sputtered and stalled.

Just now, I went out and tried to start it. Took some cranking, but it started and ran rough. SES light came on almost immediately, started sputtering and died. Cycle glow plugs again, no SES light and same problems.

I’m not worried about the white smoke on startup, it has always done that. The code reader that I’m using is a $50 one from Auto Zone. I have a strong feeling that it has something to do with all the rain we had that week. I’m not sure where to go. I just bought this truck and I love it, but I don’t know where to turn to.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Below is a video of the truck sputtering and dying.

 

P0107 - Barometric pressure sensor, low input

P0112 - Intake Air Temperature Sensor, low input

P0472 - Exhaust backpressure sensor, low input

P1119 - Manifold air temperature sensor high input - Are you certain this code wasn't actually P1118?

P1391 - Glow plug circuit bank #1 (right), low input

P1393 - Glow plug circuit bank #2 (left), low input


These DTCs all point toward a wiring problem, in my opinion. At least that would be where I would start.

Is this truck a California emissions truck, or did the PCM you bought say it was for CA emissions, low emissions, or something like that?

 

Truck is not a Cali truck and PCM isn't low emissions as far as I know. I too think it is a wiring problem or a bad sensor. It can't be something major because it is tempermental. Sometimes it'll run for 20 minutes sometimes it'll run for 2 seconds. Any idea where to start on the wiring?

 

Also, the code is in fact P1119. Any of these codes throw a red flag at a particular sensor or wiring (ICP, IPR, IDM, UVCH, etc)

 

If you're getting the P1391 and P1393 codes, the PCM is for CA emissions package. Federal emissions PCMs will never throw that code. CA emissions trucks were sold in other states too, so the best way to check is to see if it has a glow plug relay, or a glow plug control module. Your 2000 should have come with 2 relays toward the front of the engine just inboard of the right (passenger) valve cover. If there's only one relay, look further back for a control module with a wiring harness going to it. If the module is there, you have a CA emissions package. If you don't have a module, it's time to send an email to the eBay seller and verify they sent you the right PCM.

Even if that's the case, it shouldn't cause all the other codes. Check to make sure you're getting VREF on one of the sensors. The exhaust backpressure sensor is probably the easiest to get to. It's on the front of the engine, mounted to a bracket that has 2 bolts on the high pressure oil reservoir. There's a metal tube under it that runs to the right exhaust manifold.

Key on, engine off. Remove the connector and check to make sure you have 5 volts on the pin that has the brown wire with a white tracer. Looking into the connector and holding so the slots look like this: _|_ it should be the bottom right pin. Check that out, and we can go from there.

 

Alright, I'll try that tomorrow. I've got work till late tonight

 

Now that I think of it, mine must be a CA truck. Because when I ordered the PCM they needed some info on the truck including the VIN. So the PCM is programmed for my truck, which I'm guessing is a CA truck

 

Hello Chris! Welcome to the 7.3 forum.I have to say for a person with a new truck and a deezel I must say I am quite impressed with your knowledge of the 7.3 . Most new 7.3 owners look under the hood of there trucks like a deer in the headlites. I am sure the guys here are going to fig out what the problem is for you. Also hang around I think you may have a future here.


Smokie

 

Thanks smokie! It's a pain being 16 and getting my first truck and having it crap out on me. I've been mechanical my whole life with dirt bikes and such, so hopefully with trial and error and help on the forum I'll be able to fix the problem

 

Like I said son hang in there we have a lot of smart folks here that will always lend a helping hand. You have truly fallen into a Band of Brothers 16 !! at 16 I was working on my Whizzer motorbike!! Your gonna do well!!

Smokie

 

Here's another thought, since you just had the PCM out of the truck. Make certain you got the connector fully seated and the connector bolt tightened down . . .

 

Pull your uvch connectors and check for burnt pins.
Pull your cps and look at the part that goes into the timing cover... anything that looks like heat discoloration or abrasion? Check the magnet inside the cps by runnung it across some ferrous metal. It should have a fair amount of pull.

Check for wires rubbed raw on the under side portion of the wiring bundle at the 42 pin connector over your ds valve cover.

You mentioned rain... so..
Pull the fuse panel cover under the dash.
There is a pretty big loom of wiring between the fuse box and the inside of the cab. Feel for any moisture or dampness. Usually, the water intrusion gremlins attack the peripheral sysems like door locks, cab interior lights... but it is certainly possible for voltage being sent to the pcm/idm to go haywire if the terminals are submerged in water.

The tach freaking out leads me to point at electrical system. If the issue clears up on its own in a few days... i would point harder at the possibility of water intrusion. As the water dries up... it(electricity) no longer has the option of following a water short, and systems start behaving themselves.

If not...
And i would try it anyway just to rule it out...
But try unplugging the icp sensor and start it.
If the issue clears up... replace icp sensor.

Welcome to The Brotherhood.
You already seem like you have a useful hunk of meat between your ears... so I hope you stick around. For a 16yr old to have the good sense to drive a 7.3, and have the gumption to work on it his self... puts you way ahead of the sad lot in your age group these days. You can tell a whole lot about a person by what they drive, and more importantly... what lengths they go to in taking care of their vehicle.

Issues like what your battling can take a little trial and error...
But at least there are quite a few free things to try before shelling out monopoly money.

 

If it's a California truck you should see the Glow Plug Contol Module (GPCM):



The non-California truck have two relays instead of 1 relay and the GPCM.(Black arrow & GPR)

 

Christop and White Buffalo, thanks for the help and support guys. I just had a buddy over and we were taking a look at some other sensors... The clutch position sensor is broken, the 2 halves separate. When my buddy holds the 2 halves together, it works fine. If he doesn't hold them together, it will die when I push in the clutch or when it starts to grab in gear. This is not the cause of the problem but it's contributing. We also pulled the connector on the ICP when it was running and it's soaked in oil. Since he's got a 1997 OBS and the sensor is for 95-03, next time he comes over we are going to pop his sensor in and see if it makes a difference. I'm also in the process of unplugging any connector I see and spraying it with CRC QB Electrical Cleaner. I'll keep you guys updated.

 

2 quick things I've had happen that had similar symptoms. Not trying to be a jerk here, but how's the oil level? Low oil level will have symptoms of poor fuel pressure. Don't ask me how I know. Also, it's not uncommon for the main wiring bundle to rub against the valve cover and chafe. A bump here or there will cause an intermittent poor running problem that's hard to find. Good luck!