2000 f250 dies, very weird problems

So, got the truck not to long ago, run fine. Drove 25 miles each way to work a couple times. Then one day, out of no where it starts running rough at idle, gets worse and worse till it died. Then wouldnt start. The truck is sitting at my buddies house where we are working on it. Now, I waited as long as possible and tried everything I could think of before bothering you guys here, but im about out of idea's. Just trying to see if there is anything else I can check before I pull the valve cover again and start checking injectors. List of things I have changed/checked (had an extra truck that runs to swap parts and test)... ICP, IPR, IDM, PCM, CPS, HPOP, Buzz test, Cylinder Contribution Test, and probably a few other things slipping my mind. Now is where it gets weird... The truck will run after it has sat for a while. But if you drive down the street and back it starts getting rough, then a few romps on the throttle while its out of gear it will get rougher, then the idle will just continue to get more and more rough till it dies. I took a video of it with my blackberry, and will post it to facebook since im not sure I can get it on youtube. But the problem seemed intermitant, where now I can duplicate the problem after driving the truck a short distance. Then after and hour or more the truck will fire up and run great again, drive down the street great (same distance every time) and right as im getting back it will start getting rough and continue to get worse till it dies. On the cylinder contribution test, it passed a bunch of times. Then yesterday my buddy ran it 5 times and injector #1 had balance/fault - P0263. Then after work i went over and fired up the truck (hours after my buddy) and it ran great, I ran the CCT and it passed fine. So freakin confused... One last thing im going to check today is the fuel pump. Noticed yesterday it is very loud. I also have a new fuel filter coming to me today that I will be changing. Im going out of town for the weekend, so today is my last day to play with it. So any ideas/suggestions are appreciated, otherwise on monday I will be pulling valve covers and checking injectors like Paul was saying.

As stupid as it sounds, check the alternator. When my alternator went, my truck would run fine unless I turned on the headlights. When I turned on the headlights, it did the same exact thing you are describing. Coming home from work one night, every mile, I would pull over, turn off the headlights and let everything smooth out. Turn on the lights and drive another mile. Repeat. If you have daylight running lights, it could be the problem.

Do not ask me to explain why, I have no clue. But it did it.

LOL thanks. I will double check it. The voltage on AE was reading 13.xx but I can always pull it off real quick and have one of the dumdum's at o'riley or autozone put it on the machine to double check.

Also, forgot to mention that SOMETIMES there is white smoke coming out the tailpipe and its raw diesel. Only smells like raw diesel, no coolant or oil. Checked the coolant and doesnt seem to be contaminated with diesel or oil, and the oil is also only oil...

I also changed the UVCH and gaskets. Video is posted on Facebook of the truck running rough and dying

I would be suspicious that it runs out of fuel pressure or similar

Tom S said:

I would be suspicious that it runs out of fuel pressure or similar

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Friend of mine has a brand new fuel pump we are going to swap in today after i get off work and see if it makes a difference. I also should have a new fuel filter too. Thanks for the reply's and idea's so far guys.

When I had O'Reilly's check my alternator, they said it was good. Until I had them put a load on it.

Arisley said:

When I had O'Reilly's check my alternator, they said it was good. Until I had them put a load on it.

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Its interesting you say that. Thats what I do to get it to start acting up... It seems like it will idle fine probably all day when I start it up. It doesnt start to act up till I actually drive it... Thanks Andy, im definitly looking deeper into this now! Did you see my video of it dying on facebook?

I know you said you swapped ipr's but I have seen several ipr's cause that. They get hot and quit. Cool off and then will start up. I checked resistance on the ipr and it was extremely high as I pulled it(electrical part) off and it started cooling down and I watched the meter drop. Installed just the electrical part and havent seen it back in over a year. Make sure the nut on the ipr is tight too! Good Luck!

00f3fiddy said:

I know you said you swapped ipr's but I have seen several ipr's cause that. They get hot and quit. Cool off and then will start up. I checked resistance on the ipr and it was extremely high as I pulled it(electrical part) off and it started cooling down and I watched the meter drop. Installed just the electrical part and havent seen it back in over a year. Make sure the nut on the ipr is tight too! Good Luck!

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I will double check that, thanks! And quick question, wouldnt ICP drop if the IPR is acting up?

I would think so.

The altenator is really making sense right now... Although I am also really desperate to figure what is wrong lol

Just saw the video, exactly how mine was acting. The smoke would burn your eyes.

Yup, I would have just my door open or window down and the raw fuel smell was, as Ron Burgendy would say, "Pungent" lol. Thanks again Andy!

Hope that's it. Actually, I really hope it's something cheaper than that.

Arisley said:

Hope that's it. Actually, I really hope it's something cheaper than that.

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I actually hope thats it... It has an o'riley/autozone alternator on it, and I happen to know some one who works there so it would be a free exchange if thats what it is

Alex, text me back DB.

JAP said:

Alex, text me back DB.

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Didnt the mule shoe'r put you in your place already for calling people that? LOL

I will text you in about 45 minutes when I have that phone... Otherwise you can call me at the 752 number anytime after the next half hour.

Try un hooking your glow plug relay and see if your voltage comes up. I had somthing similar going on and could unplug the GPM and the voltage would jump to 14.2-14.3 from down in the low 13's. Turns out I had a bad GPM and it was staying on but only on half the motor. I took out a altenator and both batterys before I got it narrowed down. My truck never ran right until I got the voltage above 14v. Its worth a shot for sure.

Toby, I tried that, still no good. I pulled the alternator and had it tested, tested good. Even pulled the alternator from a running truck just to make sure, still same issue. I changed the fuel pump, still no go. Watched the ICP, DC, and PW while it died and ICP is good. PW was rising as the truck was dying, got up over 4ms before it completely stopped. Even while it was running rough, the ICP and DC were stable. I need to change the fuel filter still, but pretty sure thats not the problem. I will have fuel filter later tonight. Interestingly enough, I fired the truck, had it idle for about an hour just fine. I was reving the motor, even put it in gear while holding the break to put a load on it multiple times and it ran fine. Then, i drove down the street maybe 100 yards while holding the break and putting a load on it, then kept on the brake while moving it back to the driveway and it started to run rough till it died again, just like in the facebook video.

Side note, what is the voltage required to fire the IDM? Also does anyone know how to monitor the IPR on AE?