# 05 Ram CTD Water in fuel warning light



## dmontgomery (Oct 3, 2003)

My warning light for water in the fuel came on today after idling really rough the last couple days.... any way I drained the separator and now I need to reset the light..........How do I do that? I can't find it in the manual anywhere.....

THanks

Derek


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## graycenphil (Mar 4, 2006)

Just a guess, but maybe you need an OBDII code reader to do it.

Other wise check out the Cummins forums - there are a few and they are really good.

Also think about where that water came from. Have you been running with an empty tank a lot (condensation) or changed fuel stations recently? Diesels do not like water at all.


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## dmontgomery (Oct 3, 2003)

yes I bought at a new station last week.....it started running rough right after that.....

I drained the separator and that has fixed the rough idling.......I will call a buddy to get the light reset....thanks for the reply


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## JohnnyU (Nov 21, 2002)

Did you change the fuel filter? Might as well, don't you think?


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

yea, an OBDII reader will erase the code and shut off your light.
If your going to drive a Dodge then it is a good idea to get one.
The cost of the reader is usually less that a trip to the stealer and having it done.

On some, it is possible to turn off the light by disconcerting the battery.
Both leads. Then hold the leads together and cycle the ignition key.
It may or may not work.


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## dmontgomery (Oct 3, 2003)

OK so things got alot worst this morning....after sitting at the firehouse for 24 hours yesterday I barely got home with the Engine light on and the water separator light on...... I had AAA haul it to the dealer.....they pulled a sample from the tank and found the fuel to be comparable to "rusty apple juice"..... So now I have a $600 bill to drop the tank, clean out the fuel system and replace the filter which was just replaced 1 month ago...... I have already called the gas station and I have a meeting with the manager tomorrow.....I have the receipt for the fuel and the dealer said they would save the fuel sample for me to pick up with the truck....


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## dmontgomery (Oct 3, 2003)

more bad news........I went to pick up the truck to day and got almost home when it started acting up again........I called the dealer and they said that it may need a new fuel pump....I kind wish they would have just done that to begin with.... So it was flatbedded back to the dealer ....and now I gotta borrow a F350 to get my lawns done this week......


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## elite1msmith (Sep 10, 2007)

srry to hear that., i thought the cummis would run on just about anything... jet fuel , av gas, used oil, french fry grease,... paint chips....

i hope this gas station takes care of you


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## graycenphil (Mar 4, 2006)

The Cumins will run on almost anything .... except water. You need one of those hydrogen generators for that.

I would guess that your fuel pump is not bad but the dealer just didn't do a very good job of cleaning out the tank, filter and lines. It doesn't seem a short run on watery diesle should ruin it. I'm generally so unimpressed with the performance of dealers, and even worse when they are dealing with the diesels.

But it should not really matter to you, as the station ought to be responsible. Are they owning up to it? There are probably others with the same problem that filled up around the same time.

If they are not paying for it, you might want to look for an independant mechanic who you trust. That is a very expensive fuel pump.


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## dmontgomery (Oct 3, 2003)

well we are not getting a new fuel pump and there are 3 injectors that are partially blocked so the new pump will be $650......and if the injectors need replaced they are $750 each.........

well they are now saying that they are finding "mulch" like stuff in the fuel lines......I can't explain that........


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## dmontgomery (Oct 3, 2003)

the fuel station is testing their tank......... and they are supposed to get back with me on Friday.....


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## JohnnyU (Nov 21, 2002)

Are they replacing the lift pump or the injection pump?


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## Yaz (Apr 13, 2005)

I would post up the station name to keep others from getting there share of water at 4.79.9

Sorry about your misfortune. All of us with Diesels run a risk going to a station we find of the beaten trail when we are in a bind for fuel. I always try to go to stations that are known to turn lots of diesel that are fairly new.


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## dmontgomery (Oct 3, 2003)

Lift pump.......I am not going to list the name until I have too...... 

Strange this is that this place is on a major.....roadway with lots of truck and business traffic..... it was my first time buying diesel there....


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## graycenphil (Mar 4, 2006)

The dealer is sounding worse and worse...

Why is there "mulch like stuff" in the lines, after you brought it to them with pretty much that problem. And both lift pump and injection pump for that vehicle should be a lot more than $650. SO what are they going to do for $650, and will they get the mulch out this time?


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## dmontgomery (Oct 3, 2003)

OK so the lift pump is replaced and the injectors are OK.........$1300.......I guess it could have been worse........she is running fine and now I have to deal with the fuel station......


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## Zodiac (Jul 9, 2008)

At the truck place I used to work at we had a fleet of over 240 Cummins 5.9L motors.

They will not run on almost anything. 

We had to change fuel filters every 250 miles, with original Cummins branded filters, if ANYTHING got into those filters, your lift pump was history.

Thankfully it wasn't hard to replace the lift pump. 

I've worked on GM diesels, Cummins diesels, Caterpillars, Internationals, and Detroits. Cummins was by far the worst diesel to run.


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## bossplowguy (Jan 6, 2008)

they must have been running on pretty crappy fuel to change them every 250miles, so thats approx 2 filters per tank of fuel. I have had cummins motors for 10 years had 1 that had 400,000 miles on it, the only thing I ever replaced was the water pump.


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## Zodiac (Jul 9, 2008)

bossplowguy;564466 said:


> they must have been running on pretty crappy fuel to change them every 250miles, so thats approx 2 filters per tank of fuel. I have had cummins motors for 10 years had 1 that had 400,000 miles on it, the only thing I ever replaced was the water pump.


We got fuel from Palentine fuel in northern IL, it was not the greatest. Like two winters ago when it hit like -70 with wind chill, everything froze up solid.

But the Cummins motor just couldn't handle any amount of debris in the fuel system.

The water pumps were nice, two bolts, 20 minute job. I loved them. No struggling with fan clutches like on the International DT444s.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Zodiac;564527 said:


> We got fuel from Palentine fuel in northern IL, it was not the greatest. Like two winters ago when it hit like -70 with wind chill, everything froze up solid.
> 
> But the Cummins motor just couldn't handle any amount of debris in the fuel system.
> 
> The water pumps were nice, two bolts, 20 minute job. I loved them. No struggling with fan clutches like on the International DT444s.


Two problems with your statement.
1. It has never been -70* in Wi,,, nope ,,,, never...
2.. wind chill is a perceived temp not an actual temp.
it has NO effect on inanimate things like fuel or trucks....

Wind chill is the effect of water evaporating from human skin.

The fuel can only get as cold as the ambient temp.

lol the Cummins motor will burn just about anything you put in the tank I have found them to be very tolerant of impurities your filters may be the problem get the cheep ones and let the 2hit pass.it'll burn it...

They woun't run on water... well not yet any way


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## Zodiac (Jul 9, 2008)

SnoFarmer;564622 said:


> Two problems with your statement.
> 1. It has never been -70* in Wi,,, nope ,,,, never...
> 2.. wind chill is a perceived temp not an actual temp.
> it has NO effect on inanimate things like fuel or trucks....
> ...


Problems with your post.

I never said it was Wisconsin. Nope. Never.

And two, I was stating the wind chill, not the ambient temperature. Because the wind chill was so low, you could probably safely assume the ambient temp was low too.

We used Cummins branded filters on those trucks. They were horrible.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Zodiac;564727 said:


> Problems with your post.
> 
> I never said it was Wisconsin. Nope. Never.
> 
> ...


Why mention the wind chill as it has no effect of fuel or your truck...
Assume nothing
So the temp was -30* minumum in IL?

Why would you say that thoes filters are horrible?


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## Zodiac (Jul 9, 2008)

SnoFarmer;564844 said:


> Why mention the wind chill as it has no effect of fuel or your truck...
> Assume nothing
> So the temp was -30* minumum in IL?
> 
> Why would you say that thoes filters are horrible?


Yeah, I'm sure I was wrong with the wind chill...

I was outside working on getting trucks started, and you know how that goes... I do remember at about four AM it hit -15. My gloves would freeze to the water seperators, and I decided to go inside until about five or six AM.

I mentioned wind chill because you can imagine if it's cold with wind, it's cold without wind.

And we tried three different brands of filters, Baldwin, Cummins, and some no name brand I've never heard of. Baldwin worked the best, I went through the least amount of lift pumps with those. The no name brand we got from Wisconsin Peterbilt in IL, whatever their bargain brand was, I think it was two pieces of Kleenex in a can. Cummins fared better, but not like Baldwin.

The company I used to work for had four locations in northern IL, and like 7 in southern Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin locations had no Cummins, and one IL location had only gasoline motors.

My location only had 80 trucks, with about 60 of those being Cummins, and the other 19 were newer Cat C7s, which also hate the cold. The last one was a really old cable operated IH DT466, but it would start in winter no matter what, without ether.

The whole company had a fleet of 12,000 vehicles, in 27 states. We tried lots of different filters, I was limited to what suppliers (and budget) would allow, but I never had good luck with the Cummins branded filters (which I'm sure are not made by Cummins).


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

Zodiac;565239 said:


> but I never had good luck with the Cummins branded filters (which I'm sure are not made by Cummins).


 :waving: Actually they are.... Cummins Filtration inc. Which is also where Fleetgaurd branded filters come from.


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