Had the old "low fuel pressure warning", was out of town and didnt want to fool with anything until I got back home, first mistake.
The warning came on again on the way home, truck was struggling to shift into gears, you know how it would feel when the engine is starved for fuel.
finally got to a flat spot in the road and it appeared to be acting a bit better if I let up on the accelerator a bit to kind of force it to shift, that is until I got a mile down the road, truck stalled and refused to start, cranked like it always did and seemed to have full power. $450 flat bed ride home, new filters waiting on me $70.
Change the filters and unable to prime, fuel pump showing what I though was full power, second mistake, should have had my readers on.
Assumed, third mistake, that the LPFP was dead, here goes another $400.
Fuel pump shows up, quick 10 minute install, still not priming. Dropped the tank by myself on the ground with 17 gallons +/- in the tank, cleanest tank I've seen in a 10 year old vehicle. no obstructions, no crap in the tank, reinstalled and backtracked my steps.
First thing I did was hook up the old LPFP to my mower battery, came on but seemed to not be 100% (at least thats the story I'm going with so I don't feel stupid, keep reading and you will know why).
Back under the truck, this time with my readers on, LPFP only getting 10.67 volts, kind of amazed that wasn't enough to at least make it kinda work, I assume the batteries are low from all my attempts at starting so battery charger comes out and I charge the left side battery for 2 hours. With the battery charger still attached to the left battery I go back under and re-check the LPFP voltage, nothing has changed. Frustrated and feeling that I cannot remember the last time I have paid anyone to fix any of the cars I have had in the past 20 years, probably close to 400, I called the flatbed and had it towed (another $125) to the local guy who is recognized as one of the best.
He calls me the next day and says hey can you come pick this truck up I need the space for real problems....
AS it appears, the RIGHT SIDE battery terminals had what he called a science project growing on the terminals, he removed and cleaned all terminals and used the good red spray, charged the batteries and got the LPFP to immediately turn on so he could bleed the system, only $100.
So $1140 later all is good, I do have a new LPFP and new filters though.
I guess I can say at least I am stimulating the local economy in my stupidity of not just going back to the basics. Lesson learned, as complicated as theses trucks can be, it seems that they are very voltage sensitive.
The last thing I learned was that one batter is basically the workhorse for starting and the other for accessories (such as a LPFP).
I hope my mistakes can possibly save someone else a bunch of money.

 

Thanks for sharing! Sorry you had to go through all that time and money for something so simple. Maybe it will help someone in the future, it might be hard to search for due to the title of the thread though.

 

I always say that not all higher education comes from collage. It is easy to overlook the simple things sometimes. That black corrosion that grows on the battery terminals can throw one for a loupe. Glad it wasn't something more expensive.

 

Thanks for the post. That sucks you went through all that but I'm glad it's solved for you.

Here's a product for you if you're interested to help with those terminals.



This stuff is tenacious as all hell. I get my truck oiled by Carwell each year here in the rust belt. They spray the oil under the hood and I've yet to see any corrosion on my batteries and terminals. But I also use the brush on NCP2 on the terminals.

The spray on stuff I've bought to use on the harness that goes along the engine cradle in front. I want to see if I can remove the harness out of the trough, spray it with NCP2, and put cable loom on it to prevent chafing of the smaller gauge wires in the harness as one thread here pointed out as a problem.