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Topic: 99' U270 ISC Check Engine Light-VMSPC reports Lift Pump: Unknown Failure (Read 548 times) previous topic - next topic

99' U270 ISC Check Engine Light-VMSPC reports Lift Pump: Unknown Failure

We had just pulled into our home base Park after a flawless trip through the Laguna Mountains (god I love driving this rig!). We stopped along side a low split rail parking lot barrier to unhook the towed. I was a bit close to the barrier for the steps to fully deploy, so I tested its auto stop function :o . It worked perfectly and I didn't have to risk my shin :)) Flipped the switch and, much to my relief, it retracted normally. Anyway, on with the narrative... The engine had only been stopped for 30 to 45 seconds when I restarted it to move to where the steps could open fully. A check engine light came on :( . It seemed to be running normally, so I check the VMSPC diagnostics and it said there was a lift pump error, unknown failure. I turned the engine off and unhooked (there was a woman in a nearby sight who has expressed a sensitivity to the smell of diesel :o ). After unhooking, I started back up after maybe 5 minutes and the check engine light was still on with the enunciator sounding. We weren't in our spot and it seemed to be running fine, so I idled over to our spot (5 MPH park with numerous speed bumps) and made camp. By the time that was done, say 20 minutes or so, I started her up to see if there were any changes and the enunciator was silent and the check engine light was off. Whew! I had put a new lift pump in last year because the old one was leaking (not cheap or particularly easy), so I was very glad. I cleared the event list in the VMPC diagnostics window, and this time, the error did not reappear as had happened before. The only thing I can think of was that starting right after I had shut it down triggered something... just reaching here ::) I should add that the last 45 minutes or so of the trip was more downhill than up and we had been moving along sedately for at least ten minutes or more before shutdown. All temps were normal etc.

Thoughts, ideas?
Don

Re: 99' U270 ISC Check Engine Light-VMSPC reports Lift Pump: Unknown Failure

Reply #1 –
Don: this may not apply but I was told to idle the engine after a long drive for about 10 minutes before shutting it off to allow the turbo to cool and always to turn the AC off before turning off the key.
This allows the AC to close down before the engine is off.  I was told a short warm up is necessary and a cool down is best.  DAN

Re: 99' U270 ISC Check Engine Light-VMSPC reports Lift Pump: Unknown Failure

Reply #2 –
First thing I thought of too... but it had been idling for almost 10 minutes after a very leisurely 30 minute cruise through gently rolling terrain, mostly downhill. All temperatures were dead on normal by that time. Also, fuel tank was about 7/8ths full... still scratching my head about this one. New start battery (8D AGM), I guess time to start checking grounds and connections. good news is that it cleared itself after sitting off for about 20 minutes.
Don
Quote from: Dan J. Stansel –
Don: this may not apply but I was told to idle the engine after a long drive for about 10 minutes before shutting it off to allow the turbo to cool and always to turn the AC off before turning off the key.
This allows the AC to close down before the engine is off.  I was told a short warm up is necessary and a cool down is best.  DAN

Re: 99' U270 ISC Check Engine Light-VMSPC reports Lift Pump: Unknown Failure

Reply #3 –
 This lift pump thing is starting to bug me as on the way back from Mexico for hours at a time the "check engine" light comes on with the beeping of alarm. It did stop if I pulled back off throttle sometimes but never did I have a problem climbing or driving normally. For 1 day it did not come on but next day did. There have been a few comments about this same thing lately and yet I did not have any VMS notifications on computer. The lift pump was replaced by PO and it is not leaking, but I do have a spare gasket should it start.
Have not driven it for a while so cannot say if it is still a problem. Hope not as it is a SOB position to work on even with my pit.
JohnH

Re: 99' U270 ISC Check Engine Light-VMSPC reports Lift Pump: Unknown Failure

Reply #4 –
John, VMSPC didn't put up any alerts or notifications. I had to go to the diagnostics menu and bring up the list. I would appreciate any answers you come up with as you investigate, should the issue continue. I agree, the thing is in a pretty miserable place to work on... hope neither one of us has to change it! I was stiff for a few days after changing mine.
Don
Quote from: John Haygarth –
...I did not have any VMS notifications on computer. The lift pump was replaced by PO and it is not leaking, but I do have a spare gasket should it start.
Have not driven it for a while so cannot say if it is still a problem. Hope not as it is a SOB position to work on even with my pit.
JohnH

Re: 99' U270 ISC Check Engine Light-VMSPC reports Lift Pump: Unknown Failure

Reply #5 –
I recently had my lift pump replaced at Cummins Bridgeway in West Chester , Ohio.  They also found that the fuel line from the primary fuel /water separator was leaking air, replaced it.  Since then, I have driven just short trips, but so far ( knock on wood), no check engine lights or problems.  Be sure to check those old fuel lines on the suction side of the lift pump.  The techs at Cummins said that a very minor leak will cause all kinds of problems and very hard to detect ( after all, it is just sucking in air).

Good luck.
Ted
 

Re: 99' U270 ISC Check Engine Light-VMSPC reports Lift Pump: Unknown Failure

Reply #6 –
Thanks for the reply Ted... guess I should have mentioned that I had all fuel lines replaced in Nac this past winter, generator included. There was no problem with the main engine, but the generator wouldn't stay running. the bucket test showed fuel lines as the problem so I figured that the main engine lines wouldn't be far behind. So I had Foretravel replace them all. The techs tried to talk me out of replacing the fuel cooler portion of the lines, but I wanted to be able to know that they were all the same brand new stuff. 2K later, all new lines.
Don
Quote from: Ted & Karen –
I recently had my lift pump replaced at Cummins Bridgeway in West Chester , Ohio.  They also found that the fuel line from the primary fuel /water separator was leaking air, replaced it.  Since then, I have driven just short trips, but so far ( knock on wood), no check engine lights or problems.  Be sure to check those old fuel lines on the suction side of the lift pump.  The techs at Cummins said that a very minor leak will cause all kinds of problems and very hard to detect ( after all, it is just sucking in air).

Good luck.
Ted