Many Duramax owners now know that it's a question of time before their injectors fail. Sometimes you're close to home and its no big deal but sometime you are in a delicate situation...

My turn was June 4, 2004. 450 miles from home, 150 miles from the nearest dealer that could take my truck and loaded with 14,000 pounds. 585$CAN Tow bill for 150 miles for my truck and my trailer. The destination for my load was close to the dealer so at least I was able to deliver the goods before being stranded for 21 days for injectors and torque converter problems.


Before the injector problem:

http://www.jflaplante.com/duramax/Img2004-06-04-071212s.jpg

Later that day...after the injector problem:

http://www.jflaplante.com/duramax/Img2004-06-04-201141s.jpg

Anyone else with funny pictures?Edited by: Maxter

No injector troubles here.....yethttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Confused.gif, but i remember following your story as it unfold but never heard how you ultimatly made out....Did you end up staying stranded fer 21 days, or were you able to at least get home and go back???

I was there for 21 days; that town was my previous hometown so I knew alot of people. I haven't seen the invoice yet, the service file for thet case is like a foot thick! I can't comment yet. The case involves the injectors and a leaking torque convertor. GM is suposed to foot part of the towing and also give some "goodwill" in regard to the torque converter. That's why I never posted my final report. I optimistic that the end result won't be so bad.

The current thread was intended to seek funny situations you were in when it happened and you got stuck. I don't want to make it look like I want to pitty myself.

Speaking of funny pictures. If you take a look at the following portion of the "before" picture:

http://www.jflaplante.com/duramax/Img2004-06-04-071212coil.jpg

You can see the Tranny dripping oil on the pavement directly under the bell housing. I only noticed that tranny problem 250 miles later in the trip. A few liters (quarts) were already missing. The fuel dumping by the vent came a little bit after also.Edited by: Maxter

I was lucky, my injector failure resulted in a no start in my driveway. The funny part? My neighbor the Ford Guy thought my truck going off to the dealer on the back of a brand new 6.0 Ford tow truck was hilarious. The tow truck driver had to drive away really slow so everyone could get a good look. That was February, Ford Guy is still laughing........

WillowCreekStable:

Even if it a little hard on the ego; you could post a picture http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Cry.gif My Tow truck was a Kenworth T300 but then again, a 6.0 would have had a hard time towing the 14,000 # of my trailer alone and even worse, the combined 20,000 # of my truck and trailer this time http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Cool.gif

All of you were relatively close to home, or at the very worst, still in the good old USA, where you have dealers almost anywhere. I lost two injectors (cracked) 50 miles north of Guadelajara, Mexico (about 2,000 mi below the border) while my truck was loaded with about 6,000 lbs of hand carved stone. Dumped diesel into the crankcase like mad, and after about 50 miles, filled the crankcase and blew it out the back. In about 150 miles the crankcase was mostly diesel. SCREW IT! DRIVE IT! Drove it 3500 miles home. changing the oil every 150 to 200 miles, and the filter twice. Very expensive buying oil! Engine did not get hot, ran perfectly, though a little down on power. Gotta love that Fumoto valve, but had to use a leather welding glove to open it each time. Oil pressure would start out at 80 at 2,000 rpm after change, drop steadily until after about 60 miles it was at 40, then would drop on down to 25. Idle would drop to 20. Tired, dirty, smelling like I took a bath in diesel, I just drove and changed the damn thing - and cussed GM. It went all the way home 3500 miles without a hitch. When my local dealer finally got around to changing the injectors (6 days before they even touched it with a not very busy shop), it still ran fine and oil pressure returned to normal. Didn't appear to hurt anything. But it was a long, tiring, smelling, dirty 3 days getting back.

What did you do with all of that oil/fuel?

Crap, what a disaster.

I had to buy a new one to tow my old one to the dealer. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clown.gif


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/uploads/DSC00212_Medium.JPG

gardnerteam:

Now that's a good story http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif A few years from now they're will be a movie about it. Your caracter will be played by Tom Hank and the movie called "Cast Away II; revenge of the injectors" http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Wink.gif A story of courage, determination, diesel and oil... alot of oil.

My crankcase filled with fuel very fast when it happened. My fuel tank was more than one quarter and 60 miles after I ran out of fuel. Oil presure was VERY low; I was very unconfortable with that but I got used to it. Somebody could have lighted the fuel trail behind me with a lighter and found me very easily.

More than a story - it is true. And the best part will be to see how they handle where I stayed the first night. I stayed in the Paradise Motel in Culiacan, the premiere local cat house, which doubles as a very clean, cheap & comfortable motel complete with super hard Mexican porn. I also changed my oil in their covered single car garage (so the Mexican wives can't tell if their husbands car is in there or vice versa for a quicky - a Mexican pasttime.) and left it in a doubled up garbage bag trying not to make a mess - only later did I think the diesel might eat through the bags - will now have to stay another place I suppose). As to where I drained my crankcase about 18 times on the way up, several were in cheap backyard by the road oil changing places (drive over 2 sticks) for $1 and the rest were pull off the road, and both the DMAX and I would relieve ourselves. Hard part was buying all the oil. Thank god for a few Walmarts in Mex on I 15 and several along the way in the US, which I bought out.

gardnerteam: I never doubted you. Just wanted to add a little humor.

I was out with my kids getting icecream for them and the truck went into a no start condition and that has been two weeks ago.

I was at the drive-thru at DunkinDonuts gettin' my morning coffee...http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Confused.gif

I had a customer stop in one morning, service advisor told me he was on his way in, diesel customer. I spoke with him when he showed up, he was from Washington state, vacationing here in Socal with the family, Disneyland, etc. He had his truck checked out in Oregon on the way down because of a SES light on, and no power. I got to looking at it and found the P0086 if I remember correctly, large leak detected, fuel system. I told him that the PCM was limiting the fuel pressure, thats why he had no power, and that he would need injectors. Poor guy about crapped. He said last time it was in for injectors about a year ago it took almost a month and it only needed 2. I told him all 8 would be replaced this time. I told him don't worry get a rental car and go to disneyland and your truck will be done tomorrow. This was about 9:30am. It was done about 11am, the next day. I thought I would take care of the guy, I know I would appreciate it if I was in that situation. The guy just came and picked up his truck, and we talked for a few minutes, but he didn't seem that appreciative. Maybe he was but just didn't show it. Anyways, he was over 1000 miles from home and got his injectors done in a little over 24 hours, it can be done, if it needs to.

on the interstate going uphill doing 75..... complete loss of power... 10 minutes from home on a saturday morning.

It could have been much worse.

man,this is scaring me,we have a 1800 mile trip(one way) planned in 2 weeks...please don't let me have any problems like this...http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Ermm.gif