I have an 08 Ram 2500 4x4 powered by the Cummins 6.7. After driving for an hour or so, the engine starts cutting out, boggs down, the turbo spinning and sounds like the jake brake is engaged. If it cools down, it may start the malfunction or run perfectly. I've had it to the dealer and, of course, they cannot duplicate the problem. The engine produces no codes.

The truck has 30K miles. Thank you

Dan

 

probably the VGT

 

How do you drive the truck?

Do you use it as a daily driver / commuter or is it hooked up to a trailer all the time?

This condition usually happens when guys use the truck as a daily driver and don't load it down.

What happens is you cause the truck to go into active regen mode (dumping fuel into the exhaust) to get the temps high enough in the DPF to burn out the soot.

Now, you have an EGR system on it. That EGT recycles the exhaust gases and all that crap goes strait back in with clean air.

This usually soots up the variable nozzle on the turbo and causes poor performance.

Pretty easy fix though.......

Get the truck down to about 1/4 tank of fuel. Put 16oz of Power Service (grey bottle) in the tank and rent the trailer from Home Depot that has the backhoe on it.........

AND DRIVE THE NUTS OFF IT!

You gotta get the boost and EGT's up there so it burns all that built up crud off of your exhaust valves, turbine vanes and injector nozzles.

The only other way to fix it is the dealer needs to remove the turbo and clean it.

 

Yes--Unfortunately I use it for a daily driver. I have a boat but work has prevented my from towing. I do many miles on the interstate, though! Should I operate in lower gears & higher RPM--I have the manual 6 speed?

 

Driving on the interstate still doesn't put enough load on the engine to generate the temps needed to burn all the crud off of it.

Cruising at highway speeds, you're only in the high single / low double digits for boost.

Your EGT's are probably in the 600 - 750 degree range.

You need a good load behind to get those EGT's up to the 1000* + range and your boost numbers into the 20's.

Depending on the boat, I'm doubting it's heavy enough.

Remember, these things were built to work, not fart and putt around town. Seriously, you need to put it to work every once in a while. The 6.7, with all the EGR, DPF, 4th injection event and regen crap does not like being babied.

This will sound funny, but when when my truck starts running a bit sluggish, excessive smoke (haha), rough idle......I take it to the track and hammer on it.

As soon as I leave the track, everything is right as rain.

It's funny how throwing 1400* and 60 - 70 psi of boost at it will clear things up a bit.

Put that puppy to work and all will be good.