Injector failures

[danmoncol]

I'm using a pt. no. ford7.3 predator flash tuner version v.7519b in my 99 ford f-250 4x4 crewcab pickup. I am running the 60hp economy mode with a hard shift added. I installed the program and I really like the difference it makes . I usually put 2000-4000 miles on the truck a year it is stored in my barn during winter. I mostly use it for hauling a 4 bike trailer and a tow behind 26 ft. camper and a golf cart in the bed when we go camping. During a trip to Sturgis S.dakota in 2007 no. 2 injector quit I replaced it myself drove the truck almost 2 yrs. no. 2 let go again July 4th 2009 with 5000 miles on it. Ford would not warranty it saying the warranty was 12months or 12,000 miles ok I replaced it myself again. Last Tues going camping developes a missfire on the freeway. code pulled cyl. 5 out babied it home did buzz test etc. now inj. 1 and 5 are out. The truck has 136,000 miles on it. Is it possible the chip it is causing the injector coils to overheat ? Any help would be appreciated.

[SCGt94]

There are many things that could be causing injectors to fail. The tune shouldn't cause a failure but if there is something wrong it will put some extra strain on whatever the problem may be and make it show itself fairly quickly. Since these diesels use a fairly complicated system of actuators, oil pressure and pcm control/feedback to deliver fuel, any malfunction in these systems could be hard on an injector. Why don't you shoot me your Cal ID so i can pull up the tune and take a look at it. Though 136K is nothing for a diesel, prolonged sitting can hurt these fuel systems b/c of moisture build up etc. Running a can of seafoam in the tank will work wonders for these guys, as with any diesel for that matter.

[danmoncol]

Don each time an injector failed it is the coil that stops working. A cylinder contribution and buzz test were perfomed. In sturgis no. 2 injector coil was so hot I could not hold my hand on it for more than 3 seconds while the others my hand was on them for 40 seconds without burning it. Is it a possible IDM ? seems like the injector coils can't handle heat,is it possible that the IDM is putting out more than 115 volts ? I havn't checked the wiring harnesses for poor connections rubb throughs etc. Were would I find the cal I.D.

[SCGt94]

just power up the tool on the truck and go to options show cal id. Yea its possible the IDM could be pumping too much voltage to them. It seems strange that the same injector would take a crap twice, especially if you got them directly from ford.

Usually though, the IDM either works or it doesn't. It does sound like an electrical issue though. Especially to just suddenly show up after 2 years of relatively problem free operation w/ a predator

[danmoncol]

When I went into options serial 2003d16 snapper 1064425532 ford 737r19bz showed up. I didn't see cal id. I agree with you I am a former mechanic and now an equipment super. I personally have not seen an injector go bad on one of our 7.3's a few on our 6.0 litre pickups and we have about ten 7.3's most are around 200,000 miles. We have about fifteen 6.0 trucks . The one idm that did go bad had stalling issues before it finally just quit. Don't forget I just lost no. 1 and no. 5 last week . So it's also affecting the passenger bank of the motor as well. In theory the chip changes the pusle width of the injectors ? Holding them open longer and probably more frequently resulting in more fuel ? Which may cause more heat ? Which would lead to earlier failure ?

[SCGt94]

Yea the tool would increase pulse width but on these applications it isn't a very large increase, for instance on the 110hp tune, its 10% increase in fueling. Its really injector timing on these tunes that is jacked up kinda high. Personally I haven't done these tunes, the guy before me did. I have no experinece with how they perform. I can see the timing causing an overheating issue possibly. However since the injectors are driven by oil pressure, i would assume that the engine oil would keep it at a fairly stable temp. With some many trucks on the road and you being the first ive seen with the issue, its hard to say. I know the 6.0s have nasty issues with icp's dying causing high pressures that fry injectors. Never heard many bad things about the 7.3s though. I would probe that harness and rule out an electrical issue for starters. I would try comparing the failing injectors to ones that are ok and see if there are any variances in the readings. I figure if the tunes were causing stress on the injectors that they would all fail relatively at the same time. Replacing one injector may just put stress on the rest causing the failure to seem like its following a pattern.(though why number 2 would fail again is beyond me) I assume all the the other 7.3Ls that don't have a tuner on them are fairing well?

[cole]

I'm using a pt. no. ford7.3 predator flash tuner version v.7519b in my 99 ford f-250 4x4 crewcab pickup. I am running the 60hp economy mode with a hard shift added. I installed the program and I really like the difference it makes . I usually put 2000-4000 miles on the truck a year it is stored in my barn during winter. I mostly use it for hauling a 4 bike trailer and a tow behind 26 ft. camper and a golf cart in the bed when we go camping. During a trip to Sturgis S.dakota in 2007 no. 2 injector quit I replaced it myself drove the truck almost 2 yrs. no. 2 let go again July 4th 2009 with 5000 miles on it. Ford would not warranty it saying the warranty was 12months or 12,000 miles ok I replaced it myself again. Last Tues going camping developes a missfire on the freeway. code pulled cyl. 5 out babied it home did buzz test etc. now inj. 1 and 5 are out. The truck has 136,000 miles on it. Is it possible the chip it is causing the injector coils to overheat ? Any help would be appreciated.

On the 7.3 there is a harness that is under the valve cover on both sides. This harness plugs into the injectors and over time they wear out from heat and rubbing inside in the head. This is a common problem for these trucks with mileage on them. So if your seeing a particular injector failure in the same cly.. its possible that it is the wiring inside the valve cover. Also did you get to see the injector after it was replaced?

[jimbob]

Just a suggestion,
Bert Riemchisel, A famous Factory Diesel Mecahnic/Engineer from Germany told me Mercedes Benz recommended the adding of ATF to the diesel fuel. He told me to run a 1/2 - 1 quart of Dextron/Mercron ATF to your diesel fuel. Cleans, lubricates pumps, injectors, piston ring groves etc, etc. Also will prevent corrosion and dissipate water in fuel if your truck is sitting allot. The diesel at the pumps is dry and lacks lubrication for crucial components such as injectors and pumps. My 2 PSD's run awesome and super smooth at idle which I attribute to the ATF.