OK, I"m sure there's a note in here, but apparently I'm not finding the right search terms, so here goes........

2005, 3/4 ton crew cab, diesel, stock. Right at 70K miles. In Minnesota. Problem first manifested Sunday when it was approximately -10 degrees.

Truck has been running perfectly... Never a miss, buck, problem of any kind. Runs great, tows the little 5th wheel great.

Put in fuel at local station. Drove approximately 50 miles. Perfect. 2 hours later drove another 20 miles and suddenly truck bucked and lost power while on expressway. Let off pedal and things smoothed out. Continued. Half mile later accellerated and truck lost power. More I stepped on gas, slower truck went. With foot to floor it'll run about 30 mh. Got off expressway and checked under hood for anything visible. Started and drove another 30 miles and truck appeared to be fine.

Yesterday same thing happened. It idles fine. If I step VERY lightly on the gas it goes and accelerates slowly and will run at 60 (I wasn't no the expressway so I don't know if it would have gotten to 70). If I step on the gas any harder it bucks, jerks, then falls on its face......

Since B (power problem) followed A (putting in diesel) I"m going to hope its some crummy diesel and change the fuel filter - it's been on about 4 or 5000 miles.

If this was a gas engine (I'm familiar with gas, ignorant about diesel) I'd figure it was either a clogged fuel filter, clogged intake (it acts like you've stuck your rag over the carb), clogged exhaust, or a bad fuel pump...

Since its a diesel I"m less confident, but still hoping its a clogged fuel filter and not a bad fuel pump or injector pump...

Does anybody in here have any other ideas for what I should check and other likely sources? AND, since there's a possibility its something in the fuel, what's the best additive I can/should add to clean out the fuel system, get rid of any possible moisture, and (hopefully) dissolve any other crap that's in there? The driver info center isn't squawking about moisture, but I am in Minnesota where they force "BIO-DIESEL" on us, so can that be somehow related?

Check the wiring to the PCM next to the alternator-- :) Do you have any codes?:cool:

Codes as in going to the dealer and having them read out codes? Or would there be something showing up that I can decypher?

Is your recommendation about the PCM wiring because its unlikely to be a clogged fuel filter, or is this a known wiring problem? I found a note in the forum that spoke of a wiring harness issue... Would my symptoms be typical of that problem?

Just to make things EXTRA interesting... Haven't had a chance to replace the fuel filter. Took truck out this morning. Drove about two miles in town. Worked fine even under hard accelleration. Had to go out again a little later, for a couple miles. Still worked fine. Throttle response normal..............

Sounds like a gelling issue. Do you have any way to read codes?

GELLING ISSUE POWER SERVICE 911 RED BOTTLE AND CHANGE FUEL FILTER:saluteusa:
DEFINATELY CHANGE FILTER BECAUSE OF THE BIO UNLESS IT WARMS UP YOUR FILTER IS 1/4 FUEL AND 3/4 FROZEN THATS WHY IT SLOWS DOWN WHEN YOU TRY TO GIVE IT THROTTLE ITS STARVING THE FUEL PUMP.

1) Wiring Harness rub-through seems like a possibility.

What happens is the wiring where it's strapped to the alternator bracket (where there is no protective covering around the wires) the bracket wears into the insulation, and intermittently shorts. This could begin to happen under certain vibration frequencies, temperatures, etc.

To check this, unstrap these wires, look them over, tape individually as required to ensure they are all insulated from each other, and then restrap with some padding under the bundle.

This is a relatively easy thing to do, and if it hasn't bitten you yet, it probably will one day.

2) My next bet would indeed be the filter or possible Gelling if it was really cold. If the above doesn't fix it, change the filter, and run some fuel treatment through it.

3) This does not sound to me quite like the common #2 and #7 connector failure, because when you have that it goes into limp mode, (no power, 2000 rpm max, runs on 4 cylinders) and sounds like an old dodge.

In case it is, you can perform the icepick fix, as described elswhere on this forum.

I say fuel check for water in the bottom of filter

Sounds like a gelling issue. It'll keep your rpms under 2K if it happens, It'll throw a 1093 code "low rail pressure".

Diesel 911 and a fresh tank of fuel, if it continues change the filter. Filter might be an automatic based on what a few others here say about bio diesel.

I use Standyne diesel additives year round just so I don't have to think about a bad load of fuel.

Sounds exactly like what happened to me a couple weeks back. It got down to -5 static temp and I hadn't bought winterized fuel and I hadn't treated it enough with Power Service (bottle went empty and I thought, "eh, that should be enough"). She would run fine 0-2000rpm but would cough, sputter, and generally do nothing at all if I tried to go faster than that. It would downshift when I put it to the floor, but I would slow down.

Gelled her up. I changed the fuel filter and all was well. I didn't get it checked for codes, but from everything I've read, that's what happened to me.

I think it's kinda wierd that you're intermittently having the problem, though.

Intermittently? Sounds like wire harness to me. Don't know diddly about the bio-diesel but I buy straight #2 up here in MT and neg temps have not hurt me yet....knock, knock, knock on wood. I do usually add some HOWES. I asked the big rig drivers when I first got the D-MAX and that's what they all said they used.

Actually the tank I ran during our recent cold spell (-10 to -20) was untreated and she ran fine. Bitched at start-up with some good smoke but ran fine even without being plugged in. I'm plugging in now when it's below 20 or so just because I'd cringe at the smoky rebellion every morning.

I too had this exact problem, try the 911 and also put something over the fuel cooler under the truck for the rest of the winter. I now use Powerservice and have not had any return of the problem at any temp down to -30F

check to see how tight your fuel filter is
crank it down if it isn't tight

plug the truck in when you can

when it is going to get 10 delow i usually fill up and add some anti gel
i haven't had any problems with this issue since i started diong these things

if you didn't treat your fuel before change the fuel filter for sure

last weekend my buddy called me with the same problem he put some 911 in and some anti gel let his truck idle over breakfast and all was well

good luck as far as reading codes most of the new programers will allow you to read them

I have had similar problems. Carry and extra fuel filter with you at all times. Get familiar with changing it so you do not have to go to a mechanic to change it. When you feel a loss of power - stop and cutoff the motor - open the valve at bottom of fuel filter and drain it - then pump the top and flush fuel through it. That will help to get you home. I change my fuel filter now with each oil change. Be careful with the fuel additives - they can clog your filter if you mix too heavy.

Forgot to add a final note on this mess... I talked to the local Chevy dealer about problems with gelling diesel. He told me they've been bringing "quite a few" diesels in since this cold snap started - put them in the shop and let them sit overnight. In the morning things have liquified again and they're fine. Dump in some treatment to keep them liquid..... Apparently, they still haven't worked out all the problems with the biodiesel we're being forced to use here in Minnesota... So, I put the truck in the garage, turned on a heater, and left it overnight. In the morning I went to the station a block away (NOT the one where I got the goo), dumped in the Diesel 911 and filled the truck..... No problem, even when it got down to -15, since.