Hey folks, new to the board. Im on a Tahoe, Jeep, and Dodge forum for my vehicles. I'm joining this to get some direction for my brothers truck(s). He has a fleet of Fords, couple 7.3's and couple 6.0's. He's having issues with his 6.0's and keeps taking them to a local mechanic that he should not be taking it too.

The truck for this post will be his 2007 F350 quad cab. I believe it has around 150K...I'm having him call his mech and finding out what hes been doing too it. I know hes changed a few injectors, did the head gaskets/bolts, not sure if he fluxed and milled the heads. I know the cab was off, and he never mounted the PCM back as its laying on top of pass side compartment. I believe he did a new exhaust...I'll get details later. It does have the CEL on and hes gonna get me the codes ASAP...Probably at Advanced auto.

My 1st question's would be about the CEL. Is there a way to read them in truck? I can read codes in my 2001 Dodge Ram with a "key dance". Also whats the prefered way to delete codes? In my Dodge I pull negative, turn headlights on for 30 seconds.

I'm by no means a mechanic by trade, but I do wrench on my own up to the point of tranny and engine pulling/rebuilding. I did have my Ram down to the block(360 magnum), but took it in to have it rebuilt.

So the problem. It starts fine. Plugged in and fired up easily today at -5. My brother recently changed both fuel filters(dont know brand), and blew 2 injectors. Took to said mech and he changed them. Starts and runs but with big issues. Its dying on him cold or hot at what I imagine as low idles. Drive to reverse, at take off from a stop. Also when plowing with a load on it, say end of the push.

I did some research on it and was out there yesterday(BD party...no work). OK his overflow was empty, not sure if his mech checked it or not? I pulled the EGR today and it was severly caked, especially the top chamber. I cleaned it and added coolant. He said its still stalling. I forgot to look down into the EGR cooler. I've never wrenched on diesels really...small stuff on the 7.3's and on Bobcats. He said hes really not getting white smoke or black smoke(unless blown injector) that's real noticeable. Smoke looked normal to me on a real cold morning today. I told him to monitor the coolant as I'm not sure if this overflow works same as on lets say a Chevy 5.3. Sealed radiator, overflow cap is the pressurized cap, correct? I doubt his will take it till cooldown. Not sure how low his system is.

Anyway I plan on checking his FICM, and reading his codes(hey he runs a business, sometimes just never listens to me.....might not read the codes?). I'm going to be buying a few tools online for not just this, but my own truck has a few issues with the O2's. For my truck I was planning on getting an Actron elite with the live scan(ODB2) and a DVOM. I do have an old dwell/tech/voltmeter, but I'm sure thats useless in todays trucks. Also I need a pressure testor for fuel pressure, but was hoping I could find one that can handle that low and as high as needed for the rail for the HPOP to test that also.

Will the Actron(elite) work for the 6.0? What DVOM(I need high impedence for the Dodge O2's)?
And what pressure tester for both fuel and HPOP? I'll assume I cant use my compression tester .

Suggestions on what to test, and where to start testing. I prefer to start with the easy run of mill stuff and work my way up. With the low coolant(no under truck leaks)and EGR condition, I'm thinking EGR cooler and poss oil cooler? Not sure if they cause stalls at lower idles(with load).

Again easy 1st. My wife was outta town came back....next day(19 below 0) her Tahoe threw the REP(reduce engine power) & CEL light.....GM saftey mode. I started with the battery . Slightly loose connections. All good.

Thanks for any help..... Gotta help my brother with his diesels. Both small business owners, Nursery since 96 for him(8 trucks, 3 Loaders), Concrete for me 2013(1 truck ). He prefers local idiot mechanics.....I prefer 1 local idiot mechanic......MYSELF

 

Heres whats been done and replaced. Still hasent gotten me codes.

Late 2012 134K.... EGR delete, oil regulator,HPOP & hpop fitting

Feb 2013 fuel pump

Aug 2013 HP oil "gauge" regulator

Sept 2013 another oil regulator, stand pipes?, boost duct?

Dec 2013 map sensor

Jan 2014 cam sensor, exhaust sensor(assume O2?)

He also had a new exhaust put on it last year but cant find the invoice, thinks its a 4". Supposedly did the head gaskets and bolts at one time or another as the cab was off.
Also 2 new injectors around 1 month ago.
He uses napa brand fuel filters, after changing them when it was very cold....the injectors blew shortly after?

I'll update this when I get some codes read.