Detroit 60 series 14L sputtering in high gears and throws out puff of black smoke

Yes, the gasket seals the actuator after you open and clean it. There are two o-rings inside. Mine had been leaking oil for a while, not sure if that had any cascading effect on the Delta Air Pressure Sensor.

 

v pod an actuator are two diff parts

 

I feel for Firecat. This a frustrating problem that can have a number of causes. Keep us posted on your progress.

 

i had problems with all the egr junk had it deleted been running fine since

 

EGR problems Detroit D60 14.7 L..lose power and black smoke up hills at 13 or 14 rpm..if I shift down sometimes work great but I'll burn quick my fuel...any help on this plz..

 

Do you have soot on top of the engine on the passenger side?

 

Cracked charge air cooler fixed mine. For mine it was a really simple test that will possibly save you thousands of dollars by having the dealership "troubleshoot" your system. All you need is a half and half mixture of water and dishwashing liquid or soap, 100 mph tape, and a blow gun hooked up to an air supply. There is a part number for a charge air test kit but this will work just as fine as long as it's sealed off. Remove the 5" hoses from both sides of the charge air cooler. Make 2 sheets of tape that measure about 7 x 7 inches and place one one each charge air cooler openings. The seal doesn't have to be "perfect" just tight enough to hold about 20 psi of air pressure. Cut a small slit to insert the nozzle of the blow gun in an if practical, try to seal it off with tape. Pour the water/dishwashing liquid mixture over the front of the charge air cooler, specifically the left and right sides. Blow compressed air through the cooler. If the cooler is damaged you will see bubbles coming out of the damaged area. I hope I save someone from the B$ Express Assessment at a dealership where they give you the "Oh....a boot is bad....oh....a clamp is bad....oh....another boot is leaking and we can't test any further until we fix it but what we'll do is replace the boot, we wont charge you the labor if you by this part and after its fixed we'll see where we're at" flap. I had this experience and told them to put my system back together because I felt they were incompetent. My assumption was 100% accurate. I had a radiator shop diagnose,remove, repair and install my charge air cooler for about $700.

 

CAC is not that difficult to remove/reinstall DIY if one is so inclined. Never waste time with truck dealer shops for anything. They will charge 10x what is acceptable to do simple jobs such as this and like you say most times are not even competent enough to diagnose a problem, or just outright lazy and intentionally scamming.

 

Two days ago I was deadheading and started to lose power, with a check engine light coming on with each episode. It was intermittent, with each event lasting a few seconds to a few minutes.

I stopped and changed the fuel filter. That resolved the problem. I picked up a light load and headed out.

Then the intermittent problem happen again. I stopped at a TA in Kentucky and they ran the computer and found the VPOD was the problem. After consulting with the truck owner I decided to keep running and hope to make it to Dallas and get to a Freightliner dealership.

I only got to North Little Rock and put it into the shop, massive loss of power on each event. It was getting dangerous to drive in heavy traffic on I-40. They replaced the VPOD, charging $850 just for labor!!?? $1700 was the total bill, but at least I was running again. The air pressure in the VPOD was way out of spec.

Then 4.5 hours later, just before the TA on exit 68 just east of Dallas the low air warning alarm sounded. Primary was at 100 psi and secondary around 60 psi if I didn't use the brakes.

I limped into the TA. They checked it out and the brand new VPOD has a major leak.

I decided to drive it 30 miles to the Dallas Freightliner dealership, back in the shop and hoping all will be under warranty.

Weird thing is when the air pressure dropped the air conditioning stopped. I'm assuming the air conditioning system uses the air pressure system to activate the condenser or sensors? Anyone have knowledge of that?

I absolutely concur dealerships and truck stop shops are running by a book of troubleshooting procedures that maximize their profits without regard to benefit to their customers. Best if you can do it yourself or have a reliable mechanic with reasonable rates, but if you are on the road sometimes something is beyond your abilities and you have to use the truck vultures.

 

After the Dallas Freightliner dealership replaced the new defective VPOD under warranty I hooked to my trailer and the check engine light came on. Put it right back in the shop. $275 to troubleshoot and tell me we need a new turbocharger. Had a conversation with the truck owner. He put that turbocharger in a year ago.

Screw it. I finished running my load to Laredo then came back to Dallas to take a 34, then put it in the shop in Dallas with a company that specializes in ECM and EGR issues: Truck ECM.

They confirmed it does need a new turbocharger. The owner decided to have them remove the EGR system and put in a turbocharger that is more robust, then reprogram the ECM.