Cylinder injector circuit low?

[Tantrum]

2005 6.0 liter diesel w/ 80k miles
Codes are..
P-0261
P-0264
P-0267
P-0270
P-0273
P-0276
P-0279
P-0282
Cylinders 1-8 Cylinder Injector Circuit Low. Truck was also filled with gasoline about 15k miles ago. Cleaned up before driven but motor was running when filled. Other than a couple of EGR valves the motor hasnt had any other history really.
What do I look at first...Injectors? Filters? Fuel pump?

[Chris]

Ford?

Theres a pump down on the frame rail. It's a pump, primary filter and water separator in one piece. It doesn't like gasoline.

Do you do fuel filters every 15K?

[Tantrum]

Ford Yes....Excursion...I here you have a few :driving:

When the gasoline incident occured the truck was idling,(stepped away on my cell phone) as soon as I heard it starting to bang and rough idle I ran around the truck jumped in and shut it off. Gas attendant (NJ) looked at me and wasnt sure weather to run or hide,
All lines were lines were blown out, filters changed, tank lowered and emptied.
At the time I was told if there was damage it would be a fuel pump or injector damage, and if either were damaged it wouldnt run or you wouldnt want it to run (they get pretty angry if an injector isnt firing).

Filters and oil (mobile1) is changed every 15k, although I have to check when I last did my air filter.

From what I just read on another site it could be the FICM...thoughts?

[Chris]

Gas ruined mine- same scenario. It pumped mixed fuel only for a minute. The injectors- it would take some time for the lack of lubricity in gas vs. diesel to hurt them. All it would do is wear the pintle.

Trouble is, about the only people capable of diagnosis is the dealer- and they nail you on that work.

I've had the injectors start to coke and not fire- you just lose power. I started using Stanadyne additive and a quart of ATF at every fill-up (at the suggestion of diesel guru BUIZILLA) and haven't had a problem since.

[Ted]

Here ya go:

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/899444-ficm-testing-procedure.html


Apparently if it's trash http://www.swampsdiesel.com/

can fix them cheaper than buying a new one and having it programmed.

[imco offshore]

check your o2 sensor, could be sending the wrong code to the map to so on and so on,,,,any time antifreeze or gas or anything hits the o2 sensor it goes south,,good luck,,

[Tantrum]

Anyone know if the FICM is covered under warranty?
I don’t believe the injectors are and I hear they come with Mercury pricing.

[BUIZILLA]

I'm thinking FICM if it's all 8... the gas was just a coincidence at the time... the FICM doesn't know it had a gas diet.... HOWEVER, stressed injector coils due to dragging injector plungers and-or poppet valves will sense a higher than normal injector solenoid ohm load back to the FICM.. and fool ya... we've got a 2007 customer who has that exact problem right now, but his eats #2 and #4 injector about every 3 weeks due to the original gas ingestion, I haven't pinned that one down yet... try the Stanadyne and ATF trick... don't O-Dose on the ATF mix or your EGR valve won't like it, but it already doesn't even like clean diesel at this point... there's another board member here that had the same issue at fillup time and he did the ATF overdose and he's gone about 50,000 miles since that issue and it only ate an EGR valve but he saved the injectors.. the injectors are 199.90 each brand new-exchange, and of course, we have them in stock... :sifone:

please don't tell me your running Rotella also?

[Tantrum]

Only additives I run are Power Services 911 or their Diesel Fuel Supplement with cetane boost mostly when snowmobiling up north.

How much ATF are you talking?
Would the FICM be covered under the warranty. There are ZERO Ford dealers that deal with diesels around me. If its covered I will put up with a dealer, if not Ill take it to someone who knows what they are doing and bite the bullet.

[cigdaze]

Good reading, guys.

Tantrum, you're only at 80,000 miles. Why wouldn't it be covered under the 100K diesel warranty?

[Tantrum]

Good reading, guys.
Tantrum, you're only at 80,000 miles. Why wouldn't it be covered under the 100K diesel warranty?

I dont believe injectors are, the FICM? I would think it should be.

[BUIZILLA]

i'm purty sure the warranty is 5 and 100,000 on engine and emissions components...

[Chris]

Everything in the engine is covered to 100K with a $100 deductible.

ATF is one quart per tank.

Disconnect the Deutch connector from the EGR and leave it hang and alot of your odd driverability problems will disappear. No downside.

And start using the Stanadyne. First product I've ever tried of that type that actually worked.

[Tantrum]

Seems like an injector issue now.
Ran it to empty, added Power Services treatment for 50 gallons, drove 1/2 mile to gas station and put in 42+ gallons of diesel. Back to office 1/2 mile, sit for 6 hours and it started like a champ. Next day, runs like a new truck....granted air temp was 55*F. Today at 15*F it started like it was a diesel at 15* but much better than it has been running lately.
Its been running sh!tty for too long to have been bad fuel so Im thinking injector issue.
I used the Power Services because I have cases of it in my garage however Im going to try the Stanadyne as suggested. I also cleared the codes so will see if they come back.

[fixxxer22]

2005 6.0 liter diesel w/ 80k miles
Codes are..
P-0261
P-0264
P-0267
P-0270
P-0273
P-0276
P-0279
P-0282
Cylinders 1-8 Cylinder Injector Circuit Low. Truck was also filled with gasoline about 15k miles ago. Cleaned up before driven but motor was running when filled. Other than a couple of EGR valves the motor hasnt had any other history really.
What do I look at first...Injectors? Filters? Fuel pump?

That is an indication of a bad FICM (fuel injector control module). The injectors fire at 48V. the ficm mutliplies the voltage source 12v. One bad battery can wear on the ficm during a cold start due to the fact that the glow plugs may still run for up to 120 seconds after the truck is started. there is a later calibration available from a fod dealer that might put a band-aid on the concern. but it is unlikely that it iwll fix it. you can put any year ficm on your truck. if you find one used then i would replace it. i can provide workshop manual instructions. but you will need to have it programmed to your application from a dealer. i have replaced over 100 FICMs here in the past year for this concern. it flaggs the circuit low code because the flyback voltage is low on the signal return. the module is producing poor power, is smart enough to see it is low but cannot react. check your batteries and test them both disconnected from each other. Deka batteries offers a 880 cca battery for about $70 and they are great batteries.

[fixxxer22]

also give me your vin# the ficm is covered as long as it is under the 5 year limit. with a $100.00 deductible.

[waterboy222]

Wait, what? Am I reading this right, chris? You add a QUART of automatic transmission fluid to every other tank of diesel you put in your truck?

What are the benefits of this? Ive got a 6.0 on its second motor (didnt put head studs in first go around).. Its creepin past 150k now and wantin to baby it..

[Knot 4 Me]

Added lubricity for today's fuel which is much more dry compared to when the sulfur content was higher. Your injectors love lubrication. Some folks use ATF, others 2-cycle oil.

[fixxxer22]

Added lubricity for today's fuel which is much more dry compared to when the sulfur content was higher. Your injectors love lubrication. Some folks use ATF, others 2-cycle oil.

Ditto. i pour in ATF also it helps the piston in the injecotrs and lubes the fuel side of the system. In the summer time i put in a 10 gallons of used atf from the trans flush machines here. she will run on it but i would only reccomed it in warm weathwer. a 7.3 can run on straight atf in summer if ambient air temp does not drop below 70.

ford offers a product called lubricity which is good for both the 7.3 and 6.0 for lubing the fuel.

[waterboy222]

So with a truck thats over 150k, is it something I should be doing?

[fixxxer22]

it would not hurt. you can use standard mercron dextron fluid if you wanna pour a quart in each fill. the only issue with that is here in iowa ag. fuel is red. it will give the fuel a slight tint so you may have to do some explaining if a DOT agent takes a fuel sample from you. but that is highly unlikely unless you have an aux. tank in the back of the truck. also lubricity can be added every couple of tanks to help with the lubrication of the fuel. it is just going to help. also on a huei injection system like the 6.0 and 7.3 the cleaner the oil and the more detergents it contains will keep the oil side of the injectors and spool valves moving freely. steer away from amsoil and try to change the oil every 3k or so. also DO NOT use the aftermarket oil filters for the 6.0 and 6.4 they have been proven to depress the drain in the oil filter basin causing oil to partially bypass the filter. use ford or fram fliters that utilize the factory oil filter cap. fram makes them for ford. so if it snaps into the cap it is good. if it is carquest or napa and comes with its own cap its bad. be sure once again to use standard dextron mercron if you are going to add it to your tank because some older atf have a metal content to the fluid that may get stuck in an injector.

I am currently working on a fuel pressure gauge setup in vehicle to ensure adequate fuel pressure in a 6.0 due to the fact that is the the most common cause for injector failure. also it would help me in finding out how much used atf i can use in my fuel without loosing pressure.

[fixxxer22]

Everything in the engine is covered to 100K with a $100 deductible.

ATF is one quart per tank.

Disconnect the Deutch connector from the EGR and leave it hang and alot of your odd driverability problems will disappear. No downside.

And start using the Stanadyne. First product I've ever tried of that type that actually worked.

i have over 20 coolers under my toolbox that can be blocked off to prevent exhaust flow to the egr valve and also keep the cooler from failing. removal of that system takes care of so many issues. i have a machinist here that machines stainless plugs for the coolers and then welds them in. i have installed them in at least 20 trucks so far and it beats the crap out of the $600.00 kit to delete the cooler all together.

There are also spools you can install where the egr valve sits to keep the valve (though it is unpluggd) from opening under high boost conditions. like when towing the boat and it is overdrive and you start to pull a hill and it starts to cough and puff black smoke.

[BUIZILLA]

great topic.... :iagree:

[waterboy222]

^^^
Agreed..

Will be adding some ATF now to my tank..

[38fountainSC]

Whats wrong with rotella? What oil should I be using in 7.3?

[fixxxer22]

rotella and motorcraft are the only 2 oils reccomended by ford. so you are doing just fine. motorcraft oil is conoco oil for the diesels.

[cigdaze]

fixxxer22,
It's so great to have you on board! Thanks for all the good info! And welcome!!!!!
:)

[BUIZILLA]

did Ford put the Rotella hype in writing? that stuff is crap since the zinc went bye-bye..

Delo, Delvac, Valvoline Blue and Ursa are farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr superior to Rotella

CAT kinda holds (or did) the patent and manufacturing rights for those injectors

at least in my experience, they built them for Navistar, few people know/knew that... CAT does NOT endorse Rotella in writing, in fact CAT branded oil is NOT what you think it is...

I can't begin to show you the HEUI injector failures we see due to Rotella... i'm talking every hour of the day, 5 days a week.. yada yada

and yes, I do own my own HEUI test stand, and we do ALL of the local HEUI dealer work...

[fixxxer22]

Yeah ford did for the 7.3 but then the 7.3 was gone in 2003. as far as the 6.0 they only say motorcraft oil but i do beleive that back in 2003 the zinc was in the oil. I'm not sure who holds (or still does) the patent for the injectors. but we have not used a huei system since 2007. I wish i had a test stand but i got a cancel box. if i just watch mfdes i can get a good idea which are not contributing. also since 2003 all of our engines are equipped with a cam and crank sensor which makes it easy to see non-contributing cylinders also. as far as 7.3 injectors go, i have not seen many problems with rotella, delvac, or valvoline. And our biggest enemy in light trucks is low fuel pressure. the injectors will hammer apart with low fuel pressure. I have only blamed oil concerns when they were treating the truck like an over-the road truck and not changing the oil for 15k.

[Tantrum]

That is an indication of a bad FICM (fuel injector control module). The injectors fire at 48V. the ficm mutliplies the voltage source 12v. One bad battery can wear on the ficm during a cold start due to the fact that the glow plugs may still run for up to 120 seconds after the truck is started. there is a later calibration available from a fod dealer that might put a band-aid on the concern. but it is unlikely that it iwll fix it. you can put any year ficm on your truck. if you find one used then i would replace it. i can provide workshop manual instructions. but you will need to have it programmed to your application from a dealer. i have replaced over 100 FICMs here in the past year for this concern. it flaggs the circuit low code because the flyback voltage is low on the signal return. the module is producing poor power, is smart enough to see it is low but cannot react. check your batteries and test them both disconnected from each other. Deka batteries offers a 880 cca battery for about $70 and they are great batteries.

Yep,
Chris and you nailed it. Replaced FICM under warranty. All good now. Thanks for the help.

[fixxxer22]

I have replaced 4 FICMs this week! seems to be the norm this winter

[waterboy222]

We lost our first FICM this week.. A total of almost $3k in repairs I think.. Truck had 200k miles on it..

Also started putting ATF in the tank because of this thread.. Mostly just been driving it at night, so I didnt notice any smoke, but will it cause it to smoke even more?

[fixxxer22]

Might see some black if you went to wide open. Other than that you may see a little at throttle tip in. Blackish smoke.

[waterboy222]

Ive got a bigger turbo, injectors, head studs, exhaust and intake so black smoke is a norm form me, but I was wondering if there would be constant smoke while driving because of the ATF..

edit: Sorry, i was corrected by my installer that i have a "better" turbo, not a "bigger" turbo.. not sure what he meant.. oh well.

[Chart]

Ditto. i pour in ATF also it helps the piston in the injecotrs and lubes the fuel side of the system. In the summer time i put in a 10 gallons of used atf from the trans flush machines here. .

Don't you worry about contaminates in the used ATF, or is that not a problem?

[fixxxer22]

I pre-filter it through an old fuel pump that contains a filter from a 6.0 before it enters my tank. also it is trans fluid from the flusher in our shop. not from destroyed trannys. that is junk.

[ZBODaytona]

Ive got a bigger turbo, injectors, head studs, exhaust and intake so black smoke is a norm form me, but I was wondering if there would be constant smoke while driving because of the ATF..

edit: Sorry, i was corrected by my installer that i have a "better" turbo, not a "bigger" turbo.. not sure what he meant.. oh well.

man i need to get that better turbo and injectors.. got the head studs, intake, exhaust, and different inter-cooler..

[Chris]

ATF is a buck fifty a quart. One quart takes care of my 40+ gallon fillups. That adds 3.75 cents to the cost of each gallon burned. I'm not going to F around with used.

[fixxxer22]

man i need to get that better turbo and injectors.. got the head studs, intake, exhaust, and different inter-cooler..

Prob a VGTSS or the new recessed style.