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A mixed bag of issues

1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  D_R_C 
#1 ·
Hello all
First time poster, but this forum and ones like it have helped me diagnose and solve many issues in the past and I am so thankful for it/them/you.
I've owned the truck for a couple of years now, bought it with 126,000km, for the most part it has been a great truck. On its first trip, it went through a blizzard and was saying "CLEAN EXHAUST FILTER" and go into limp mode. I believe it may have been a thread on this forum that helped me figure out it was snow getting into the filter box. My brother was delivering it to me a province away on a Sunday and in the dark, but he was able to buy a replacement filter and kept one under the floor heater to thaw and then replaced it when it happened again. I know there is a TSB on this. Since I bought the truck used I don't think I can get the winter box and or front cover for free. Haven't had that issue since.

I changed the filter to a K&N, which ended up being a mistake when I had MAF codes and limp mode. I guess those K&N oiled filters are notorious for covering the sensor in oil, so back to paper filter and the problem has been gone. I did this a year ago.

Heated seats stopped working within months of buying it, but I figure thats par for the course. You can turn them on and the light comes on and stays for a minute or two and then turns off. I can repeat this forever and they never get warm. Checked fuses. Not a big deal.

Bigger issues have happened since Nov 25:

B1S1 sensor error. Changed upstream from DPF EGT sensor. Before I got to it, I also got some codes for the DPF, including the soot accumulation code and the DPF differential sensor. After I replaced the sensor I cleared the codes, put truck in manual mode and drove on the highway in 5th gear for 30 minutes and everything cleared up. Worked well for a day, used remote start... truck shut off. I knew CEL was on, checked it, Glow plug #2 failed. Ordered glo plug, cleared code. Came back on next start, this time saying Glow plug #4. Then idling while I was relearning the TPMS it came back with the MAF code and limp mode. I pulled out the sensor and cleaned it with sensor cleaner and cleared code. Has gone away for a few days. Anyone in the Alberta area knows that this past week has been cold. Colder than usual for here. It is currently -27 celcius/ about -17 F. Since its been cold, it has been smoking some grey stinky smoke. I guess that might be unburnt fuel? It does it basically any time I get into the throttle, no matter if Im on the highway for 2 hours and then try to pass someone, I still notice it. Then this m morning, at the end of a 1 hour commute it lurches to a stop. RPMs jumping jumping jumping until I stop it completely or get back into the throttle.

I find it strange I am having all sorts of issues all of a sudden. I think the batteries are probably getting a little long in the tooth, and I am making sure to plug it in. It starts well when plugged in. I am wondering if the batteries need replacement, if they are causing other issues or at least false readings in things like the glow plugs? Do you think its causing the fuel pressure regulator valve to malfunction? Maybe thats what is causing the smoke and lurching this morning? (some might say that is fuel gelling, but I get my fuel from reputable places with winter blends and never had this problem in other weather) I feel like things are going wrong with the truck literally faster than I can fix them.

Anyways, lots of info there, sorry for the long first post! And I am certainly no mechanical expert. I am a carpenter by trade and most of the things I have fixed or learned, I have learned from forums like this or youtube videos. I have a family to feed and am usually fixing on my own because I can't pay someone else to! Feel free to educate me.
 
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#2 ·
What if any modifications have been done to the truck? For a stock engine setup, that K&N shouldn't be fouling the MAF unless it has been over oiled which 95% of the time tends to be the case. tens of thousands of folks out there running K&N and similar CAI setups with no problems.
 
#3 ·
No modifications done at all. When I initially had the MAF codes, I cleaned the sensor a few times and then dug in and read something about the K&N filters have been causing a lot of grief by oiling the sensor, so that triggered my response of pulling it out and replacing it with a paper filter. Cleaned the sensor again and cleared it and the problem went away for about a year now. I know it came back this last weekend but I guess I am wondering with EGT sensor, glow plug 2, then glow plug 4, then MAF sensor failing all within about 10 days, could it be all caused from a variance in battery power?

BTW, this spring I had the TCM replaced and reprogrammed. Had it screaming at me "Service traction control,, service stabilitrak" and went to limp mode and wouldnt shift lower/higher than 2nd gear. Also when put into gear the truck would shudder. Fun times.
 
#4 ·
K & N allows more airflow in than what the stock MAF calibrations will allow, hence P0101 codes.
If you get custom EFI tuning you can request for the tuner to make a MAF calibration change to allow more airflow.

Pretty much on the stock calibrations anything over 40-42 MAF g/s at idle you'll get the code.

It's easy to over oil them because of the 4 layer thin media.
K & N are a nightmare for any turbo powered engine, on a non turbo engine there're ok.
 
#5 ·
When I bought my truck used it had a K&N filter in it but I didn't know that till my truck started spitting out these codes. When I checked the filter and found it in there I changed it back to the stock "paper can" filter and all those weird codes went away and have never returned!
 
#6 ·
If you ever get interested in a good quality flowing airfilter that won't cause code issues, this is a OEM Drop-in Search results for: '71-10101' | aFe POWER

I've had mine since 7/2007.
The only code issue I had was after I did the DIY Stock Airbox mod, which increased the airflow even more, this was taken care of by my EFI tuning.
More airflow = cooler EGT's
 
#7 ·
I read somewhere that you should only use the "dry" type filters for the duramax.
 
#8 ·
They say that and I understand what the problem is in regards to filter oil dirtying the MAF sensor and causing problems down the road but I suppose it preference as i installed an oiled filter since 89k and have 112k now with no problems.. For now anyways... There are I'm sure a lot of guys on here with both so do your own research and choose what you'd like ....
 
#9 · (Edited)
^^^:thumb^^^

The same goes for the ones that claim the stock paper airfilters flow as much air as the aftermarket flowing airfilters, oiled or dry. :crazy

With my aFe with the stock airbox (before the DIY), the MAF g/s airflow increased around 10 which is a plus.
Intake Ambient Air temps dropped around 10-15 degrees which is another plus before the DIY mod.

I installed a EGT gauge the day I got my truck and the EDGE Insight before I started doing mods.

The concern I have for the dry is they do NOT filter as good as the oiled, aFe will tell you this.
If your in a dusty environment like I am, that would not be a good idea.

When I service my truck which is around 5-6k, I R & R my airfilter with a clean and re-oiled one.
I have 3 so there is no down time and clean & re-oil at my leasure.
 
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