How bad is it for a truck to sit

I have a ddec 3 ser 60 yours I think is a ddec 4. here are some tips that I have used over 16 years.

there are a few sensors that when they go bad will shut your truck down. it cost me $950.00 one time my first year in trucking because I did not know simple things I should have. it should have been common knowledge for a truck owner. experience is the best teacher, but likely the most expensive. I hope to save you or anyone reading this time & money not to mention peace of mind.

low oil pressure, high oil temp, high coolant temp, low on coolant capacity. these will shut your truck down. I bought 1 sensor each week installed & put ole one in side pocket for spare. I have a engine override switch on my dash where I can pull up codes. if my truck shuts down I can see why & fix the problem myself on the side of the road in most cases.

it is good to replace the trs & srs sensors too. any sensor can go out without warning. you can get almost all sensors on e-bay new for 50% less than from the dealer. when you put a part on the truck, get the part number off the receipt & store it. I have more part numbers in my phone than people numbers. this way if you need a part brought out to you you can give the part number & get the right part the first time instead of having a service truck come out & see what is needed.

A lot easier & less expensive to call for service & say I need air bag part number xyz brought out. change out all belts & put ole one in side pocket. change out all coolant hoses, keep ole for spares. you can do this over time as money allows. my $950.00 cost was due to a $67.00 oil temp sensor. my neighbor just 2 years ago while in Montgomery AL blew a coolant hose & paid a co Russel bros $525.00 to bring him 7 gal of water & 1 2 inch by 6 inch hose.


here are the codes for your engine. print them & keep in truck. I have a set laminated & keep several copies & pass them out when I run into drivers on the road who never thought of the idea.
http://www.dmbruss.com/images/Schematics/DDEC/0_Table_of_Contents.pdf

here are locations of sensors too.

http://www.ddcsn.com/cps/rde/xbcr/ddcsn/1-SECM-03-03.pdf


there are more things, but these I think are most important. you cannot carry all the spare parts you may need, that's why you have part numbers like for wheel bearing, e.t.c. when ever you replace a part, like say a fuel line or brake line to brake chamber, throw old one in side pocked to be used later if needed as spare. if you ever need a hydraulic hose, like power steering e.t.c. & you on the road look up the nearest napa dealer they make any size. or just look up hydraulic hoses. these co's like napa will if close to you will come out get your old hose & go back to shop, make one up & bring back to you.

before when I had my ole flip phone & NO internet access I had to call for road service. power steering hose blew. a 3/4" by 2 ft hose cost me 2 hours wait time & $325.00 if at the time I was up to date on my tech, & had a internet capable phone, I would of found out as the service tech told me, there was a napa dealer less than 1 mile from where I was. I do have a lot more things I have learned & others can chime in too. don't want to go too long here. good luck.

 

Another alternative to road service repairmen, is to call a taxi. If your close to a dealer or parts store get a taxi there and back, if your able to wrench the repair yourself. Most Napas will deliver if your close as well like heavyhaulerss stated.

A big issue for me is old wires and hoses. Old wires are going to chaffe and ground out. Get a good electrical repair kit together. There is a ground wire coming off the starter that is designed to blow if a positive grounds out somewhere. Get a spare one of those. Get new conduit and zip ties. When you have free time out on the road start replacing old brittle conduit.

 

Go to the TA and get a DOT inspection they are like 50 bucks. Then if they dont pass it fix everything until it passes then start running and making money. Fix issues as they come up after that.

 

Don't forget to look on valve cover & get engine serial number it will be needed to get parts from dealer. I have more spare parts on board now than when I was o.t.r. and now I drive 180 miles out then back. 1 day nearing dark in lebanon tn at a steel mill, I saw a driver working on his engine. I asked if I could help, his air compressor would not build air. I told him I don't have any parts for him, but got a whole lot of tools. said he needed an unloader kit? when I got back I asked my shop guy, turned out there is a spring & rubber bushing kit that goes right on top of a/c just 2- 7/16 bolts & take out ole springs, replace with new parts in kit. I went to parts house with my type compressor & got kit for $17.00 that $17.00 could save some one hundreds if not more, there is also on detroits a 1 inch hose from compressor to manifold. make sure you have a spare for this too, or replace.

if you have a real wore out frayed dry rotted hose that you would not use for spare, do NOT throw away. YOU will recycle. how? you will find as you look close over your truck, there will be places where air lines, fuel lines, small coolant lines will be rubbing against something, and start to wear thru till it leaks. look for these rub spots, take for example a ole 3/4 hose that is no good & split it length wise. then open hose up & put around the air line, fuel line , e.t.c. & tie with zip tie, now your main line is protected from a hole being rubbed thru. you can use small rubber hoses to protect wiring in the same way.

 

I doubt the gauges are leaking, you probably have a leak somewhere else the gauge is letting you know it.