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No start issue on my 6.0L. Dealer said low oil pressure codes. Their first diagnostic was to remove valve covers for a tune of $700 just to check some stand pipes?
Then tell me its the IPR valve and HPOP for a total cost of $2700 to fix. Quote is 14.3 labor hours for $1545 and $1,050 in parts plus $100 oil change. Does this sound reasonable for this repair?

 

Sounds like they're throwing parts at it, it should be this hard to diagnose. They can read all of this stuff on their scanner.

When cranking it, I assume it's not smoking at all right? I would at least hope they diagnosed it as a no high pressure oil situation. However, it seems like they're just throwing parts at the situation, not specifically diagnosing. If it was a leak, they could have put compressed air to the system and checked it to see where it was leaking. If it wasn't leaking, and they monitoring it on their scanners they can see what ICP (injection control pressure) desired, vs. actual is. If desired is normal and actual is really low, it's most likely the HPOP. However, it could also be the low pressure oil pump. If you crank it for like 10 seconds, watch the oil pressure gauge on the dash, does it come up? If that doesn't budge, it's that. If it does, probably the HPOP. HPOPs are about $550 last I checked, the IPR is probably around $150 or so, just guessing. Labor isn't terrible. Are you capable of doing this yourself? It's really not too hard. I can't believe they charged you $700 to take the valve covers off and do the stand pipes. I hope they did the dummy plugs at the same time, since they come in a kit together for $120 or something. The snap to connect fitting should also be done at this time, it causes no hard starts a lot and VERY rarely it can cause a complete no start. That's a $50 part.

Where are you located? I can believe the prices, it is a dealer after all and they do need to mark stuff up and make money, however, it seems like they're not diagnosing this properly at all.

 

Thanks for your reply. I kinda feel the same way after reading other post about the IPR and HPOP issues. It did not appear to have any smoke at all when cranking but Im pretty sure the oil gauge did come up. I assumed fuel pump. They did say they did an air test and said it was leaking. They claim they found metal pieces from the IPR valve in some screen at the pump or vise versa and caused the other to fail along with a crack in the pump where the air was coming out. I cant remember exactly. To me it doesnt sound like removing the valve covers was needed though? I had to get it towed in to a dealer outside of Houston, TX. and fixed quickly but didnt except this! Ive had this truck since it was new in '05 and has cost me about 10k in repairs in the last 80k miles with 217k miles on it. Not what i was hoping for with buying a 42k truck!

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BTW, I had just had my oil changed the week before this all happened but not sure if this could have caused any issue. Just wanted to throw that out there just in case. Even tho Ive had a diesel for many years Im still sort of clueless to how it all works. Any comments so i can be more educated are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

Well it's not all bad news. Usually debris on the IPR screen does in fact mean the HPOP has crapped the bed. That's why that screen is there. Here's where it gets a little sketchy to me. Did the standpipe need replacing? Probably not, BUT, they do have an updated kit out and it is a common fail point in the hpo system. If it was me doing the work, I would have told you the HPOP is bad and needs replacement, and while I'm digging in there, I should do the standpipes and dummy plugs (updated kit with new, better parts, for $120) and the STC fitting, since these are common points that will most likely leak again and cause hard or no starts again. I wouldn't have done one at a time and see if it worked, then dive back in again, that's ridiculous.

Changing your oil was just a coincidence, the HPOP just failed on it's own. 217k miles on an hpop seems pretty good. Unfortunately just one of those things that happens. Be happy you weren't driving a common rail and had an injector stick open, you would have melted pistons and needed a motor most likely. One up side to the HEUI system, if it fails, the truck usually shuts off, not destroys itself. The HEUI system has it's flaws for sure, but it's actually kind of a cool system. Instead of using a fuel pump the generates tremendous pressure, we use oil and hydraulic forces to do it. If you want to learn a lot about your engine, visit here: DTS Articles - Coffee Table Books

Download the coffee table book for your truck and read, VERY informative with great pics.

Repairs are ALWAYS going to be expensive when bringing it to the dealer, no doubt. My advice... if you have the time/resources, stick around, read what you can, educate yourself on these trucks. Spend $360 on AutoEnginuity with the enhanced Ford bundle, load it on your labtop and learn how to diagnose and fix this pig yourself!

 

If it is the pump then the new pump should come with the new stc fitting installed, doing the hpop can be done by anyone with basic socket set, basically you need, 8mm,10mm, deep 11mm or 7/16, and if you are going to do the standpipes and dummy plugs yourself you will also need a 12mm socket and a 10mm and 12mm allen socket that can be gotten at local parts store for a couple $. My boy and I can do a hpop in about 4 hours, standpipes and dummy plugs for both sides is about a total of another 4 hours. for first timers the hours are probably about double but once you do it once anytime you have to do any work on the truck it will take you alot less time.

 

That is awesome info! Thanks so much! I called the dealer and they said the stand pipes and dummy plugs looked ok so they didnt include it but what you said makes since and they should have recommended it while they are in there with the miles on it! Guess they were hoping I'd back in there in 6 months doing it all over again for thousands instead of a couple hundred now.

Im was hoping I can keep the truck for a few more years cus other than these problems I love the Ford truck so I think I'll take your advice and look into it!

Do you recommend a place to get the AutoEnginuity? And does it still pick up codes without the check engine light coming on? Cus mine has never once come on in this truck since it was brand new so I was thinking there might not be codes to read.

Thanks for your help!

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Thanks Bobbigman! I was told the turbo had to be removed as well and then a gasket kit or something else required to put it back to get to the HPOP and IPR valve. Does that sound right? Sounds like to me the valve covers removed and stand pipes checked should not have been the first thing they dug into with a low oil pressure code and air test leakage. This tacked on almost a grand to the labor bill according to them that doesnt sound like was needed.

 

first of all you don't pull the valve cover and oil rail to check the standpipes without replacing them, once the oil rail is removed the standpipe is supposed to be replaced. the gasket kit AKA turbo mounting kit is about $11 at the dealer, takes me about a half hour to remove a turbo and I am not a paid mechanic, 99% of the time the IPR doesn't need to be replaced, they have a screen kit for around $20.
If you have ever worked on a motor before this is really a pretty easy job once the tubo is removed, if you want to give it a try just post back here and we will give you a play by play on doing the job

 

Well unfortunately its too late for this repair cus its in there all broke down now but the next problem I will try myself with he knowledge you guys have to offer. I have worked on my previous gas trucks alot but once I got the diesel I was lost! Its not so much the take out and replacing for me as troubleshooting and finding what is the problem on these diesels. Not much room to work in there tho!

I had the dealer give me a price on the stand pipes and plugs. Part are $175 but he didnt give me labor cost yet. Had to talk to their tech. Sounds like it shouldnt be much with everything removed already just to check them.

 

its only a 10 minute job once the valve cover is removed so don't let them rip you off.

 

I used to be intimidated by the diesel engine under the hood too. This is my first diesel, and honestly I never really even worked on anything with more than 1 or 2 cylinders before. Now I'm looking at doing a cam swap on mine (involves possibly removing the crank...). Just tell yourself it's all nuts and bolts man.

You know what really makes it easy... take the intercooler piping off, and the turbo and then you're looking at what is basically a pushrod V8 motor. Nothing to it.

I ordered my AutoEnginuity (AE) through KT performance right on this site. They were very good to work with. And yes, it will pick up codes without the CEL being on. You can do A LOT with AE. You can do cylinder contribution tests, injector buzz tests, cycle the vanes on the turbo sitting in the driveway, anything. It's a lot more than just a code reader. Live datalogging etc... really awesome tool. It's basically a slightly watered down version of what the Ford shops use, just at a huge fraction of cost.