3500 Chevy Dead

[rames14]

We were driving thru Arkansas yesterday on the way home. Fuel light came on between Fort Smith and Fayetteville. No fuel stations -passed 3 that had closed. Truck died, sent for fuel. Primed and wouldn't start. Changed filter, wouldn't start. Towed into West Fork and spent night in tow yard. 5 and a half hours, one car stopped. No troopers, truckers, campers. Being towed to Chevy at 7:3!0. Guess we'll see what's wrong. Still hoping to get home today. 726 miles. Have tickets to Bucyrus 200 at Road America tomorrow.

[steves]

Sometime the priming on your Chevy/GM takes a while to get working...hope that's all it is?

[rames14]

Update - the road service dumped 5 gallons of water into the tank. Second fuel filter, dropping fuel tank, 2 new batteries, plus any other "complications".

Ron

[mail2us]

Ron, hope all ultimately works out. If no other issues and you ran outta fuel, Steve would be correct about priming GM's. They are manual prime and difficult to get all air out. Not sure though how road service put water in?? Explain when time permits...

[steves]

Wow...*^#@^$$@ did you complain about the road service!!!!

[RCN.Stoker]

Once had a contractor pour paint thinner in a diesel by mistake. The truck was started and went several miles before the driver realized there was something seriously wrong. The contractor covered all the immediate issues that you have listed but we also made him sign a letter acknowledging the incident as a type of warranty should something surface later. We had no problems and I hope you are as fortunate.

[mlh]

This brings up a very sore subject with these new trucks. The high pressure fuel pump works at up to 28000 PSI. They are very fragile. They are made to extermly close tolerances and will destroy themselves in short order. Their main enemies are:
1 Ruining without fuel, your low pressure pump fails and starives
the high pressure pump for fuel
2 Dirty fuel. It acts like sand paper.
3 Water in fuel. No lubrication.
If you suspect any one of these cut your truck off and have it towed to the dealer. I don't know what it cost to fix the Chevy or Dodge, but to fix the Ford can be over $9000. When the high pressure pump goes out it takes the fuel lines and all of the ejectors with it. Misery likes company.
Lynwood
Lynwood

[exav8tr]

When I was 18, I lived with my aunt and uncle in Lake Tahoe, CA. My uncle owned a Shell Service station. I worked for him also. Middle of summer, two stage girls, direct from the beach, came in to get gas. They were in a jeep and bikinis, I washed the window and checked the oil, they needed a quart, I stuck the oil can in and went back to the window for a peek, er to check the cleanliness and my uncle came up and hit me in the back of the head and asked what the hell was I doing? I looked at the engine and had stuck the oil spout in the radiator, YEP, sure did. DOH!!!!! Had to flush and clean the radiator and pay for the flush kit and new antifreeze. Ladies were upset they were delayed, but I think my uncle made more money with these two showgirls hanging around and many folks (guys) stopping by to get their tanks filled. We laughed about it much later, but I digress, hope you have no lasting effects from the pink stuff.....

[Mudchief]

Ron, hope they get things going ok. US 65 in Arkansas is why I now have a aux fuel tank in the bed of my truck. I don't care about the extra weight that I carry around. That problem will never happen to me again. Last year I pumped some fuel into a couple traveling in Iowa that had run out of diesel while pulling their 5th wheel. I had the same problem either the stations were closed or did not carry diesel.

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by rames14

Update - the road service dumped 5 gallons of water into the tank. Second fuel filter, dropping fuel tank, 2 new batteries, plus any other "complications".

Ron

I can not even begin to say how PO'd I would be!!!!! I hope you aren't having to pay for their mistake!?

[rames14]

Finally made it home today. Made it out of Chevy for under $1000. Truck is hitting same mileage, no power loss and no knock. The tow company must have gotten the bottom of the tank and got water instead of diesel. I filed a claim thru the Xtraride warranty rep. Don't know if I will be successful. This was our longest (and most costly) stay in the Big Sky at 4 weeks. At least it worked great.

[ONERUNNING]

Ron, I'm glad everything worked out even though it was costly. It could have been alot worst. However, after reading all this, I'm in the market for an aux. tank for my 2500 HD.
Joe

[H. John Kohl]

Ron,
Glad you are on the road again. What size tank do you currently have?

[rames14]

John -
I think it's about 35 gallons. We were just glad to be out of Arkansas. (No offense to our MOC members from there). But, all the closed stations in that area and not one squad car by on an Interstate highway in 6 hours?