I'm glad I got to help and learned something along the way. SemperFi

 

One way to solve the worn regulator spring.
6.0L Powerstroke Billet Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator Housing BLUE | eBay
But then you also now have a reason/excuse to install a pressure gauge.

 

Same to you. Have a good day.

 

Small world. Guy lives just south of me. In fact, I might be driving by on Monday.

 

how did you fix it?

 

Fuel pump replacement

 

Hey Will and others, I have been experiencing a similar issue that Will was with my turbo surging...I posted a lengthy thread today in the 6.0 forums with the title 'need help with turbo surging'...my turbo will spool to about 27psi but it still surges and I have the PO299 code where as you didnt...I do have Forscan on my iPhone and although I am not too savvy with it yet, I know there are ways to record the data...so I will post that thread here and we can fire away again! I cleaned and checked almost every sensor, cleaned and rebuilt the turbo, got all new cac tubes/intercooler pipes etc...im at wits end here, please help out a fellow marine!

Steve

 

Hey guys this is kinda long so thanks in advance..... I have a 2007 F350 CCSB Auto 4x4 with 113xxx miles....I recently got the PO299 Underboost code and this damn turbo is killing me so please help!!...my symptoms are minor:

turbo surges when cruising at a steady speed, whether its 25mph or 70mph...the boost guage (I know its not 100% dead on accurate) goes from about 7 to 10 psi on the highway and when i am driving down a side street at 25mph it will jump between 2-4psi...i should add the RPMs surge as well, but very little, maybe a hundred if that RPMs...it is so annoying to hear the engine and turbo surging as I am driving cause its obvious, and even more annoying to see that damn CEL on my dash! and I dont want to just tape over the light, I want to fix whatever the issue is! (my buddys advice)

Other than the surging and obvious engine tone changes when the turbo surges, nothing else is observed, turbo still spools to about 27 PSI and it runs fine otherwise....no smoke, no coolant puking, no turbo lag or farting, no long start, no leaks, no other CELs....

I researched on many forums and started out simple and changed both the hot side cac tubes/hoses as well as the cold side tube after inspecting them they looked pretty crappy...I then cleaned the MAP sensor/port as well as the EGR valve(was very dirty)inspected air filter which was fine, that didnt fix the issue...I then took the turbo off, inspected it and cleaned it up nice, rebuilt it with all new o rings, gaskets, 360* thrust bearing, bearings etc...I left the impeller, U ring and vanes on as they appeared to be fine and moved freely...one of the old bearings on the hot side was visibly worn a little but nothing crazy...also cleaned the EBP sensor which was actually pretty clean...none of this fixed the issue....

I went ahead and bought a wireless OBD scanner (great tool) and bought 'Forscan' app on my iPhone to monitor everything and read the engine codes more in depth...I noticed that when the turbo surges, whether it be on highway or side street, my EGR voltage, VGT solenoid % as well as my ICP is surging as well...not sure if this is simply a result of the turbo surge or the cause of the turbo surge...how can i test my VGT Solenoid?

Let me also add that at idle im at 85% VGT and at times it will jump down to 15% and then back to 85%, at which point u can hear the engine tone changing...I understand that happens so the turbo doesnt stick and it does that every once in a while at idle, but should the VGT % jump around like that? I am thinking of inspecting my ICP sensor as I read that a dirty or bad one can cause surging...not sure what else could be causing this issue, as I also put new fuel filters on last oil change...I thought for sure cleaning the turbo would fix it but apparently the turbo wasnt sticking from being dirty cause it was cleaned up...

What tests should I run or what should i pay attention to on my Forscan app?...my FICM power is right where it should be at 48-48.5, my EOT and ECT never go above the 15* difference...I can monitor all types of things on Forscan so please shine some light...if it is a bad VGT solenoid I was thinking of just waiting to buy a whole new turbo instead of spending 150$ for just the solenoid when 750$ gets me a new turbo with solenoid anyway...or maybe buy a reman one from ebay for 50$ and pray? (UPDATE I bought one for 50$ I will see if this works if not I will send it back)

what do u guys think? could it even be a bad EGR valve? no symptoms of EGR failure either...the Forscan app says it could be a bad EBP sensor (inspected and cleaned it already) or VGT controller...thinking of bringing it to a well known 6.0 diesel shop thats close by, but they charge 200$ just to diagnose it! may be worth it tho but I want to figure it out on my own...Thanks!!

Steve

UPDATE - A member on another forum suggesting unplugging the ICP sensor to see if the surging goes away, and I read on another thread to unplug the EGR valve while it is closed to see if the surging stops.....

 

So, how does inspecting and cleaning an EBP sensor fix a bad EBP sensor?

Also, be careful buying Ebay parts.

"Test 1 - Checking VGT operation
• Using WDS in datalogger mode, highlight the RPM PID and command the engine to approximately 1200 RPM and the EGRDC# PID to 0%.
• Then highlight the VGTDC# and increase it to 85% and record the EBP_G (Exhaust Pressure) & MGP (Manifold Gauge Pressure).
• Next command the VGT to 0% and record the EBP_G and MGP PIDs. At 85% the EBP_G should be below 7.3 PSI and MGP should be above 0.87 PSI. At 0% the EBP_G should be below 0.73 PSI and MGP should be below 0.45 PSI.
• If it is within this range and no compressor wheel to housing contact is present then do not replace turbocharger. If it does not move or is not within this range then proceed to Test 2."

"Test 2
• Raise engine speed to 3500RPM and hold it at that point while monitoring EBP_G and MGP.
• EBP_G should be between 5 and 13 psi and MGP should be between 2 and 6 psi.
• If MGP and EBP_G are both high, disconnect the VGT control valve electrically and rerun the
test.
• If MGP and EBP_G change inspect the wiring harness and connections.
• If MGP and EBP_G do not change (lower) when VGTCV is disconnected remove the valve
from the turbo, being careful to handle the valve by its solenoid body only, and plug it into the
engine harness.
• Then apply pressure to the cam follower (tip of the valve) with your thumb while actuating the
valve with the WDS and look for movement.
• If the valve moves then proceed with Test 3, If the valve does not move replace the valve.
• The VGTCV (base part # 6F089) can be tested electrically, measure the resistance of the
actuator coil using a DVOM, the resistance should be between 3.42 & 4.18 ohms @ 73°F
EOT. If the engine is hot the resistance should be between 4.4 to 5.3 ohms @ 200°F EOT."

"Test #3
No-Load Boost Pressure Test
RPM..........VGTDC#............EBP_G............MG P
Idle...........60-82%............0-6 psi..........0-1 psi
WOT..........30-45%...........4-18 psi........2-9 psi"

"VGT % duty cycle:
low idle......73%
high idle.....43%
cruise........55%
light accel ..67%
hard accel ..38%
coast.........57%"

Probably can't do test 1, but look into the other checks/tests.

IMO - best place to buy a VGT solenoid is RiffRaff (Garrett VGT solenoid).

 

Bismic thanks for your detailed instructions....I do not have WDS just Forscan Lite on my iPhone for my diagnotic software, but most of the tests I could run through Forscan....I can get part of test 1 done, should be able to do some of Test 2 unless I have a buddy in the truck while I press the follower, and 3 I should be able to do...is MGP that same as MAP sensor readings? I would imagine so...

As for the EBP sensor I never said it was bad, only I inspected it and cleaned it and it looked fine....I bought a used and tested OEM VGT solenoid off eBay for 50$ but if it doesnt help then I can return it...

Does anyone here use Forscan on their iPhone that can chime in?

I will try these tests today, what do you think about unplugging the ICP sensor and seeing if the surging goes away? Thanks for the help guys!

 

*Update* Fingers Crossed I found the issue....

On page 5 of this thread CopperFarm said at Key On Engine Off that MAP and EBP should read ambient pressure...well guess what, at KOEO my MAP reads 14.6 and my EBP reads 0.00! I guess its safe to say that my EBP sensor is bad right?

For the hell of it I turned the truck on and at idle/690 RPMs MAP went up to 14.8 and EBP went up to 0.3, and at 3,046 RPMs MAP was at 19.5 and EBP was at 10.8

Did I solve this damn issue?Better yet did you guys?! I should add that a little further down the thread on page 5 Will posted some screenshots and his EBP and MAP were both 13.9psi at KOEO, so if its not my EBP sensor than I dunno what the hell it is...

 

Depends if the ebp reading is relative or absolute...

 

good point Euroman...I am not 100% sure on that but I would hope it is absolute like the MAP sensor reads...I will double check that here shortly

for comparison on page 5 of this thread Will Bite posts his #s for EBP and MAP and although I am not sure if his EBP readings are absolute or relative, the differences in our #s are very different leading me to believe his was absolute and my Forscan uses absolute...Will can you confirm?

for instance, at KOEO his EBP reads 14.1 and jumps to 16.8 at idle, where mine is 0 at KOEO and goes to 0.3 at idle...so his increases 2.7psi between KOEO and idle, mine was only a 0.3 increase...
at 2,500RPMs his EBP goes to 17.1 where mine goes up to 7.3...I sure hope both our #s are absolute and its the EBP sensor!
Anyone else please chime in!!

 

Check the wires where they enter the plug for the EBP sensor.

 

Well damn I feel like an idiot...guess thats part of being a noob...I added in EBP Absolute, EBP Desired, MGP and BARO in PSI..sure enough at KOEO my EBP was close to the MAP absolute...damn!
the other issue I observed and will show below in some pics, is that when driving at a constant speed my EGR Valve Position will fluctuate between 0% and 121%...I wonder if my EGR valve is bad, altho I have no engine lights or codes for a bad EGR...here are some pics

the first pic is KOEO, under that is idling after driving a short distance (5 miles or so), under that is driving about 35mph IIRC..notice the EGR surges between 0 and 121 while RPMS and VGT stay about the same...ahhh now im back to square 1! maybe ill disconnect the egr valve while its close and drive it and see what happens, I did the same with the ICP and the turbo surge was still there....oh well, please chime in guys!

Steve