99 E450 w/31,000km smokes badly cold, runs rough

[BrunoWilimek]

I am not too familiar with 7.3 dignostics as I only became a diesel tech after the 6.0 came along. I inherited this low mileage Fire rescue truck from an indy shop. The other diesel tech got it first. It had a right bank circuit code, so it went back to the indy shop and they put a UVC harness on that side(we recommended an inspection first, but they just put the harness on instead). Now it is back, he is pulling the cab on a 6.4, so unable to return to it and I got it, no more DTC's, but still running rough above idle, blue smoke when cold and the exhaust smell makes your eyes water, even in the cab(with doghouse off). I monitored PID's before getting into the complete diesel performance diagnostic checks and MFDES is 20.87. Baro is 4.36v, EBP is 13.9psi, FuelPW is 2.96ms, ICP is around 500psi, MAP is 0hz, 14.06psi and 1.40v. It stalls when attempting the cylinder contribution test. The oil level is good. I found a previous posting that said a perfect MFDES is 8-10mg and "allowable" is 6-12. 14-16 means it needs injectors. Before continuing the diagnostic checks on the chart, I thought I would run it by you guys to get your opinion. Could it just be bad injectors or should I be looking elsewhere?

[BrunoWilimek]

I may have found the problem. I started the inspection list with the visual inspection. There is no WIF drain on this truck. The drain line is there, but there is nothing hooking to the housing as well as no drain lever that I can find. It has a rear tank with a drain at the bottom of it. I took a sample of GASOLINE from it. Can I just drain all the gas out of it and fill it with diesel and hope it is OK, or what? I have never run into this on a 7.3 before.

[mchan68]

I took a sample of GASOLINE from it. Can I just drain all the gas out of it and fill it with diesel and hope it is OK, or what? I have never run into this on a 7.3 before.

Drain the tank. Refill FULL with fresh diesel along with additives (Cetane Booster and Anti-Gel). Change the fuel filter and take it for a few WOT blasts. EBP psi does look a little lowish in my opinion.

[BrunoWilimek]

Thanks, Mike. The indy shop took it back and they are going to take it from there. I am still learning all the time, since this was an entirely new problem never seen by me before.

[Bruce Amacker]

There is no WIF drain on this truck.

It should be a pull cable under the hood hooked to the water drain that commonly sticks or breaks. (7.3 E-van)

 

Ditto on what Mike said, even though it's gone. I use plenty of lubricity additive when this happens.

 

Good Luck!