My truck ran great for 11 years. I never even had to have it tuned until way past 100k miles. Then one day the check engine light (which had been always on for years) started to flash and the truck had 30% of its normal power. So I turned around and drove the half a block back home and called my mechanic.
He did a full tune up, checked his code reader and it was something with the #3 cylinder. The problem continued. I am a carpenter. tThis truck is my #1 tool. So I figured out a way to drive it. When the light flashes I push in the clutch, then I flip the ignition key off and back on let the clutch back out. The power is back. Might be for 100 feet, may go a quarter mile. Then the check engine light flashes and if I am accelerating I'm done. I have to employ the solution again, but if I'm on the highway, it is unnoticeable and I continue on. Then I noticed the strangest thing. If my gas gauge reads an 8th of a tank or less, no flashing check engine light, but if I put more than 2 gallons of gas in my truck, it will have this problem.
This is not a random intermittent event, this is how this truck runs. I have to work so I started carrying 2 gallons of gas with me, monitor my odometer, stop every 35 to 40 miles put in 2 gallons, drive another 35 to 40 miles 2 more gallons. This is crazy, but I have to work. Its 42 miles over Mt. St Helena every day from Hidden Valley Lake to Santa Rosa to work in the Coffey Park neighborhood, which was decimated in the historic "Tubbs fire" of 2017.
My truck which has over 225000 miles needed a new motor, so I bought one. Not rebuilt, not used. I bought a brand new engine had it installed with new injectors, new clutch, pressure plate, rebuilt hydraulics for the clutch. I drove it from my mechanics to the gas station put $20 in the tank, didn't get 200 yards from the gas station and the check engine light went on, then started to flash major loss of power. I pushed in the clutch, flipped the key off and on and drove maybe 1/2 a mile before it did the same thing. I drove it home and there it sits.
I don't want to drive it like this. The owners manual says do not drive with that light flashing. This will cause major engine damage. Is this fuel system related? Computer related? Bad karma? (bad truckma?)
I'm a carpenter, I work with a hammer, not a wrench. I can fix a lot of problems in my home, I can't find a fix for this.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
My truck ran great for 11 years. I never even had to have it tuned until way past 100k miles. Then one day the check engine light (which had been always on for years) started to flash and the truck had 30% of its normal power. So I turned around and drove the half a block back home and called my mechanic.
He did a full tune up, checked his code reader and it was something with the #3 cylinder. The problem continued. I am a carpenter. tThis truck is my #1 tool. So I figured out a way to drive it. When the light flashes I push in the clutch, then I flip the ignition key off and back on let the clutch back out. The power is back. Might be for 100 feet, may go a quarter mile. Then the check engine light flashes and if I am accelerating I'm done. I have to employ the solution again, but if I'm on the highway, it is unnoticeable and I continue on. Then I noticed the strangest thing. If my gas gauge reads an 8th of a tank or less, no flashing check engine light, but if I put more than 2 gallons of gas in my truck, it will have this problem.
This is not a random intermittent event, this is how this truck runs. I have to work so I started carrying 2 gallons of gas with me, monitor my odometer, stop every 35 to 40 miles put in 2 gallons, drive another 35 to 40 miles 2 more gallons. This is crazy, but I have to work. Its 42 miles over Mt. St Helena every day from Hidden Valley Lake to Santa Rosa to work in the Coffey Park neighborhood, which was decimated in the historic "Tubbs fire" of 2017.
My truck which has over 225000 miles needed a new motor, so I bought one. Not rebuilt, not used. I bought a brand new engine had it installed with new injectors, new clutch, pressure plate, rebuilt hydraulics for the clutch. I drove it from my mechanics to the gas station put $20 in the tank, didn't get 200 yards from the gas station and the check engine light went on, then started to flash major loss of power. I pushed in the clutch, flipped the key off and on and drove maybe 1/2 a mile before it did the same thing. I drove it home and there it sits.
I don't want to drive it like this. The owners manual says do not drive with that light flashing. This will cause major engine damage. Is this fuel system related? Computer related? Bad karma? (bad truckma?)
I'm a carpenter, I work with a hammer, not a wrench. I can fix a lot of problems in my home, I can't find a fix for this.
- dipstick, Hidden Valley Lake, US