clogged fuel filters in 05 Duramax.

[dirtworksequip]

I don't think we ever did figure out what the real problem was. You didn't detect any water in the fuel in the filters you changed. Did you add any diesel fuel anti gel? So now we still don't know if it was water or gelling?

 

[MikeD74T]

I opened the drain this morning and pushed the primer, just diesel. I think I will be ok but won't ever put in isopropyl again. This is the firdt time I ever had bad fuel and wont ever buy from that station again.

Don't be too hard on the station, anybody can get a bad batch of fuel. If he only sold bad fuel he'd be out of business in short order. If in doubt about a stations fuel quality go where the local truckers go - they can't sacrifice reliability for a couple cents per gallon. MikeD74T
BTW if "firdt" is between first & third it would be second !! LOL

 

[ihookem]

OK, I'm back. I'm the original poster and the same problem has been happening for a few weeks but got so bad it couldn't be the fuel. I took it in and scanned the codes and found out it was a dirty massive airflow sensor and a pugged up egr valve. I ran it 200 mi. already and went back to see if it popped any more codes and nothing. The mechanic is top notch, he cleaned the sensor and egr valve and all was good. The bill was 62 bucks, plus 7 dollar tip and told him to go get a burger at the bar sometime. Just thought I'd let you all know if it happens to you.

 

[flyingcow]

OK, I'm back. I'm the original poster and the same problem has been happening for a few weeks but got so bad it couldn't be the fuel. I took it in and scanned the codes and found out it was a dirty massive airflow sensor and a pugged up egr valve. I ran it 200 mi. already and went back to see if it popped any more codes and nothing. The mechanic is top notch, he cleaned the sensor and egr valve and all was good. The bill was 62 bucks, plus 7 dollar tip and told him to go get a burger at the bar sometime. Just thought I'd let you all know if it happens to you.

Drive a big truck, this happens a lot. Let the guys do their computer work and diagnos.

 

[ihookem]

Actually I thought it was bad fuel last year cause it went away after a while. The truck acted the same both times but maybe it was fuel the first time and the sensor and egr this time, who knows.

 

[Reg]

For about $150 you can get something like a ScanGauge II that you can mount on the dash and scan codes as soon as they appear, reset them too once you've looked them up.
Probably MORE useful is the 4 gauges (selected from a dozen or more) that you can display at all times.
I'm guessing the air mass sensor problem would have shown itself very EARLY on my scangauge - can't be CERTAIN, but at least knowing what I can eliminate as probable suspects is useful.
Manifold absolute pressure is an interesting one to watch on grades, both up and down.

I just looked it up, they have gone up a bit in price since I got mine, now $170, although with coupons and deals you might be able to get it for less.
Still a good investment, IMO.

 

[RalphVa]

I had engine missing problems in my tractor. I even changed out the new fuel. Finally siphoned the tank and found a couple globs of wax near the tank outlet. Fished those out, refilled and no problem since.

On the VW TDI forum, someone published an article by a fuel research outfit who claim that ULSD will experience wax drop out at temperatures below 10 F. Fits my experience. I conclude from this that I need to use fuel additive that protects against gelling in my tractor with it in an unheated garage. My TDI is fine parked in an unheated, but attached to the house, garage.

I once had fuel gelling at -22 F in Vermont. Car started fine with an engine heater. Drove down the road a couple miles, and it quit. Let sit a couple minutes. Started fine. Quit after another couple miles. Let sit again a couple minutes. Started and was fine then. The fuel filter on that car is right next to the engine.

I've never ever had water problems in 32 years of driving a diesel car.

Ralph

 

[Perfect Fuel]

I just joined this forum because I was reading some misinformation about diesel fuel and filters.
I don't want this response to be conceived as a spam note.
My business is keeping diesel fuel clean. I do this for some of the largest corporations in the world, including one's that make yellow and green diesel engines and related generators.
Diesel fuel goes dark because of a process called re-polymerization. This happens because diesel fuel contains fuel that has been "cracked". Cracked fuel has carbon molecules that have a positive and negative charge. The molecules chain together over time. This chaining action slowly results in dark fuel. As the carbon chains become larger, they settle to the bottom of the tank as sludge. If water is introduced into the tank via condensation, moist air or simply a loose leaking fuel cap, microbe activity begins. Algae is not possible in a fuel tank because algae requires light to grow. However a microbe loves water and will flourish in a tank with moisture. Another issue with water is microbes give off a discharge that lowers the Ph of the water, thus turning the water to acid. Not good for tanks and lines.
If a tank gets sludge in it, a fuel additive will only help marginally. The tank needs to be properly cleaned; the fuels polished and then keep a good quality additive in the fuel (Nanolube or Algae-X AFC 705 work well)

 

[Reg]

Algae growth is unlikely in a truck that goes through say a tank full per week.
MUCH more likely in sail boats that go through 1/2 tank a season and are in a SALT water atmosphere.
ONE bad load of fuel can pollute 2 or 3 new filters before it clears out; unfortunate, inconvenient and expen$ive, but it DOES REMIND Ya to carry the tools to do it at roadside (-:

Not sure what size the '05 tank is, my '03 has the dual tanks, just about 50 gallons total and I can go through that in a day if I am towing on a multi-day distance trip.

BTW, I do run mine low quite frequently, so when I fill up any remaining "old" fuel gets very diluted - where "old" means a week at the most (-:

One thing I have learned to NOT do is to run up to New England on southern blend fuel in cold weather and park it overnight. I let it get down to maybe 5 gallons and put 40 of "local brew" in a couple of miles from home before parking it for the night.