I was driving home from work the other night and my engine just died without any warning. No sputter, or struggle to get fuel, it just died. It would turn over but not crank.

After messing around under the hood for a couple minutes, not really doing anything but looking, it started back up. I drove about 50 feet and it died again.

This time I turned the bleeding valve on the fuel filter canister, again not knowing what the hell I was doing. I also checked my air filter because why the hell not, I'm not a mechanic.

This time it started up again. I drove it to the closest parking lot and called my wife to follow me home. It ran great for the 15 minutes I sat waiting for her, and then for another 7 or 8 miles. It died again about 3 houses down from my driveway.

I then checked my fuel filter, again not knowing what I am looking for. I'm pretty sure all I did here was introduce air to the fuel system. I couldn't get it to start again no matter how much I bump started it to fill the filter canister back up.

Today after so reading I started bleeding the fuel lines. I did this for a couple hours without any luck. Then I took another look at the air filter, left the housing cracked open and tried to start it. It started for the first time in a couple days. I was able to pull into my driveway, park and idle for a few minutes before shutting her down.

As far as engine codes go, I bought the truck about 3 years ago and have only put 4,000 miles since. I checked the codes and had 4 or 5 of them, one of them being p1688. I'm hoping I only got this code because of the air I foolishly got into the fuel lines, not because my injector pump is dying.

I cleared the codes. I'm going to let the truck run for an hour or so later tonight to see if it picks any back up.

So here is my question: Should I feel safe driving this truck after changing the air filter, or should I just consider it a coincidence that the truck started twice after it died on me, both times being after I checked the air filter?

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Update: Changed the air and fuel filters, started it up and let it idle while I showered. When I went outside to check on it 10 minutes later it wasn't running.

Pulled the fuel filter to make sure it hadn't blown apart, it was still good. Got some fresh engine codes:

p1693 - ??
p0181 - Fuel Temperature Sensor A Circuit Range/Performance
p1284 -Target Idle Not Reached Target RPM not achieved during drive idle condition. Problem vacuum leak or IAC (AIS) lost steps.
p1688 - Internal Fuel Injection Pump Controller Failure Internal problem within the fuel injection pump. Low power, engine derated, or engine stops.

Started to bleed the lines again, even though I shouldn't have to (made sure the canister was full this time before trying to start. Loosened up the bolt on top of the cansiter and let the pump run 2/3 times until it gave me a diesel bath), gave up after about an hour.

I'm starting to think that it IS the injector pump, and all of my bump starting is forcing fuel through the injector pump until I have enough fuel to crank again. Does this sound plausible? Anything I can do to troubleshoot the pump? Just wanting to get some opinions before dropping a grand on a new pump.

 

You need a pusher pump like a raptor or fass, and a new vp44. Fuel pressure gauge or a monitor would be wise investments as well.

 

I had a 1689 code in mine when it died on me and wouldn't start back up,I think 1688 and 1689 are vp44 computer codes that usually mean vp44 needs replacing.

 

Going down the road or highway and it just stumbled twice then went to dying later on that day. When it started dying you could hold the accelerator to the floor with the clutch held down and it did surge from trying to die to about 1800 rpms. Then release accelerator and it dies. When you try to start it back up it would just spin over. To get it to start you have to turn the switch off then back on to start. The lift pump and injection pump are new and have about 1500 miles on them it's a fass ddrp lift and industrial injection pump. The forst time the truck was drove after replacing tje pumps it would go into limp mode if you slowed under highway speeds and gave codes for fuel shut off solenoid and inj timing control. Then that all went away and drove fine for 2 months now it dying and no cel. As to everyone else's cruise control mine does the opposite and rare but it'll drive at set speed then when it acts up it'll floor it.