Memorable PMD Moments (tell yours!)

[mangus580]

So... the other night, we were out to Applebees for dinner. When we left, we took a shortcut across the front of the grocery store next door. Just as we stopped at the crosswalk sign, the PMD decided to do its thing. I popped the hood, jumped out, ran over to the nearest snowbank, grabbed a handful, dropped it on my PMD cooler on the drivers inner fender, slammed the hood down, and was started back to the suburban when... One of the cart gathers shook his head and says to me "I dont even want to know!!!"


LOL


It made me think of starting a thread... Post your 'favorite' memorable PMD failure story here!

 

[Paveltolz]

"After Market Computer?"

Son (Thing 3) and I were driving our just purchased truck home and the SES light came on just outside of Havasu City AZ. Being on the road and 2000 miles from home we stopped to have it checked out. I picked a "NAPA Certified" store but they didn't do the DTC check thing but refered us next door to the "Diesel Experts... Auto Truck and Marine.":icon_bs:
$89 later, it is an EGR code complicated by an "aftermarket computer" mounted on the intake....

:dr: x3...him, my son and me.

 

[bison]

I for one find notting memorable finding my self stranded with a fried PMD in one truck,while the spare PMD happens to lay in the other truck sitting at home.I find that downright humiliating.

 

[vail426]

I had 2 PMD failures 2 years apart. Both of them happened at the same time of day in the same place when I was leaving work. First failure was stock location and the second was SS Diesel location (intake).

 

[saturntech95]

I was driving down a 3 lane road with 2 of my friends and it stalled in the middle of the intersection, this was after sitting in traffic with it intake mounted. Then we got it going and took off and when I got tho the next intersection my friend said watch this its gonna stall again and right as he got the words out.... STALL... I wanted to kill him cause he was laughing his ass off at it.

 

[bobbiemartin]

Our first PMD/DS4 failure was in early 1996, just a few weeks after buying the Suburban. We had 4 more failures, the last one was at 122,500 miles. I asked the dealer and since I was 2500 miles past the extended warranty, I was on my own. That was the last time I had a DS4. My most memorable PMD moment (at least the happiest) was when I removed it for the last time, never to install another one.

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Had many PMD failures back in the early days (94-95) and was able to restart after a bit and get the rig home.

The only time I needed a tow was about 3 months after getting the 94 Burb (recently traded for 89 Blazer)

We were in Portland early one morning and the thing up and died. YUP PMD failure.

Called for a roll deck truck and got it hauled home.

Ordered up a then new to the market place SOL D unit and poof, off and rolling.

The SOL D unit had issues in the cold. Anything below about 35F and the Biotch would not start.

Carried a propane torch around and just warm it a bit and zooom off to the rodeo.

Mounted a Dtech unit later on down under the radiator on a cooler.

Oh yesss there have been those moments for sure.

Anyone who owns a DS4 injected truck needs to carry a spare PMD mounted on a little intake mountabe cooler and a 10mm Wrench.

The thing can be quickly installed along side the road and the plug swapped to get you going.

I have this setup on DaHoooley. One with a DTECH under the front and a spare on the manifold for just in case.

Takes only 30 seconds to swap the plug and refire and go.


Missy

 

[Crankme69]

Just had bought the 95 truck in my avatar 3 weeks prior to this event…Oct-2009

I had just got back from a 1400 mile trip with the new 6.5 and on that I had to replace the OPS to get the LP running...the only issue that led me to that was at WOT on the trip the motor would stumble.

Now today 11-04-2009 I had drove my 50 miles to work, pulled into the gate and while waiting to pull up to the gate setting at idle it quits...started right back up and drove into the plant & parked it…I thought Hmmmm this can’t be good.

Left work 1/2 hour later to go to an offsite meeting 10 miles away. It quit running 3 times on the way and I coasted about 3 blocks into the parking lot where the meeting was being held, made it but just barley…thinking to myself again…I know this isn’t GOOD!
Tried to start it NO GO, I thought WTF have I purchased here?

Well thanks to some members from the other site, I made it 50 miles home that night, took me a gallon jug of water with me...as soon as I got off the expressway on the exit ramp it died, watered down the FSD cooler that used to be mounted on the intake back then and away I went, next stop same thing, more of the same until I got it in the driveway at home, what a tantalizing ride home that was.

One very positive issue was I eliminated all doubt that my issue was my PMD. The watering down the FSD cooler & immediate restart had proven that for me.

Needless to say, I had some serious doubts that evening about why I ever purchased this truck...LOL! I will say it's been fine since & like suggested by many, I moved the FSD cooler into the cooling nostril in the bumper with a new Dtech PMD...

I really have grown found of this 1500 truck & I really do not like to drive anything else anymore, it rides like a caddy & gets decent fuel economy with a 500+ mile cruising range. :thumbsup:

Geez I hope that I didn't just jinks the ole girl! LOL!!!

B/r 69

 

[Veg_Out]

It was eerily hot the afternoon of August 6th, 2005. Boise is known for intense summer heat and I was glad to be so close to home after such a long journey in our new family Burb.

Of course I'd been researching the heck out of my new rig, knew all about the PMD issue. The previous owner told me it was fine and showed no sign at all of failure, I bought it, stuck my little family in and off toward home we went.

This new rig drove beautifully, was quiet and had plenty of power. I'd driven 6.2 rigs before this one, and was amazed at how much more refined the new body style, interior and motor felt. I couldn't wait to install my new veggy kit and ride into the sunset thumbing my nose at the Saudi's.

At about 5pm we coasted to a stop at 10th and Main in downtown Boise. It takes a couple minutes longer, but I'd always found something strangely cathartic about driving with all the windows open through downtown, and we were all happy to be done with the trip. The bank's temp gauge read 109 as I pulled away from the stoplight...

...my wife is a lovely, demure, soft hearted sweetheart. The cursing she did over the next 10+ minutes however, rivaled that of NFL locker rooms. Boiling hot, small infant daughter, broken (new) Suburban, and traffic jam in the middle of 5pm Friday Boise downtown traffic.

Needless to say, I called my friend Bill Heath. This was far from the last time my wife has cursed over our Suburban and it's driver.

 

[Odlaw]

My most memorable moment was when I first purchased my truck (and not knowing anything about 6.5's other than the horrible rep they got with the IP's...which as we all know was the PMD)...anyway, when I opened the hood and discovered my truck had a DB2 mechanical pump.....man, was I happy!

 

[BigBlueChevy]

My most memorable moment was when I first purchased my truck (and not knowing anything about 6.5's other than the horrible rep they got with the IP's...which as we all know was the PMD)...anyway, when I opened the hood and discovered my truck had a DB2 mechanical pump.....man, was I happy!

Jackass




I'll defiantly call it memorable. I didn't know jack shit about cars, trucks, or diesels. Hell the only reason I bought the truck was cause it was diesel and I was going to use it for biodiesel. 17 years old, my first "car". Owned the truck for 2 months, had a nice summer job in LBI as an electrician. Leaving the job one day and BAM 5 minutes into my ride home she stalled. It did that a week in a row till finally i took it to the stealer. Tried to tell me, and I quote: "the lift pump is failing and releasing metal shards/fragments into the fuel system and is damaging you injection pump. We need to change the fuel filter, injection pump, and drop the tank to flush everything out."

A little internet search brought me to the Diesel Place. Thanks you guys(who where still over there then), I went with the knowledge to prove the tech and owner dead wrong. Walked out of there the next day with a new PMD and problem solved.


Now? I'm 18. And work part time as a Diesel technician for my neighbor's trucks. And my truck is 95% complete with a Solid Front axle conversion. If I could go back in time and tell myself I was going to be able and know all the thing I can do and know now. I wouldn't have believed it.:thumbsup:

 

[chris4521]

my favorite PMD moment was when i first bought the truck. about a week later it started stalling, PMD was mounted in stock location. I could usually wait it out and start her back up with no problems, but one time i stalled on a main street in toronto. Had to call up my dad who luckily lives in the area. But wait it gets better - Since the truck wouldnt start, i needed to get it to driveway to work on it - Dads driveway was closest, about 5k away - Well had to get it towed..but who needs a tow truck when you've got an Audi A4 1.8t and a tow strap?. now i wish i had a picture of that. ha

 

[6.5TD Burb]

Mine actually just happened this past Thursday. With diesel being the way it is I now drive the Suburban everywhere after work and on the weekends to "save" a little on diesel. Well after buying the "new" parts 92 Suburban I go home, eat dinner, and finish gathering what I think I'll need to tow it home on the trailer.

All set.

We get to Louisburg to pick it up 30 minutes later, take a quick assessment of the situation and begin loading the 92 with mine still running being as we didn't think it would take long to load up and leave. Well that was wrong. So I turn off the Sub and we continue loading.

Couple hours later we're getting close to leaving. I start to fire up the Burb and it starts. Great. Not great. It stalls and will NOT start back up. Hard wire the lift pump and it still doesn't start. Continue to finish loading and try to start the Burb several times over the next half hour to no avail. Did I forget to mention it's in the 20s with windchill much lower AND expecting snow?

Now is when I get on my cell and call my brother for backup.......NO SIGNAL!!! :angryfire::angryfire::angryfire: Stupid Verizon! At this point I'm livid. So I start walking and am barely able to tell him to come and get us. 10 minutes before he gets there my Suburban is nice and warm after it finally decides to start.

 

[Woody35]

luckily my truck has never stalled or not started. now my pmd is on the bumper so i think im good

 

[Slim Shady]

luckily my truck has never stalled or not started. now my pmd is on the bumper so i think im good

AH never say that! Mine happened towing a 20,000 pound load in the rain. Truck ran fine no problems and made it 500 miles that day, got to my fathers house in upper Michigan with a trailer and three very heavy tractor in tow, parked the truck to talk with my father and that is where it spent the night. Replaced the remote mounted pmd in the morning with my spare. Glad I never shut it off before reaching my dads house.

 

[Woody35]

cross my fingers it doesnt happpen

 

[mangus580]

Funny thing is... the majority of our issues have been in winter!!

 

[Gunner0812]

My truck has stalled out on the highway (I-75) twice. I hate when its stalls especially on the highway because the drivers here in Dayton just dont care. After the first stall it fired up and I took off like a bat out hell. Doing 75 mph it stall again and it starts up and runs good. You never know when its going to happen.

 

[WarWagon]

Our first PMD/DS4 failure was in early 1996, just a few weeks after buying the Suburban. We had 4 more failures, the last one was at 122,500 miles. I asked the dealer and since I was 2500 miles past the extended warranty, I was on my own. That was the last time I had a DS4. My most memorable PMD moment (at least the happiest) was when I removed it for the last time, never to install another one.

Your avatar says it all. Best memory is avoiding the PMD. So best memory would be getting one of the few DB2 6.5 factory rigs.

My most memorable moment was when I first purchased my truck (and not knowing anything about 6.5's other than the horrible rep they got with the IP's...which as we all know was the PMD)...anyway, when I opened the hood and discovered my truck had a DB2 mechanical pump.....man, was I happy!

:thumbsup:

And you should have listened to the diesel shop complain that the computer (what computer?) didn't tell them what specific injector was bad. Till it was cheaper to buy all 8 for the price of two newer injectors...

 

[dangerousdave]

Leaving the hospital after my 3rd throat surgery IIRC, just past the parking toll booth. Angelic Loving wife had brought me a cold beer on ice (still unopened, waiting for the freeway).
We were two cars before a traffic light for the stall; As fast as I could move...not very, I climbed out ,as she popped the hood handle and turned on the flashers.
As I poured that beautiful beer on the original mounted PMD, I almost cried. It was a 85 degree (HOT for san Diego) day. As I climbed back in, she fired it up and we went straight home, without a sneeze.

Ordered a dipaco online, and a cable from Tim. Made a sink from 3/8 or 1/4" aluminum plate; some heatsink compound and bolted it under the front bumper. No more PMD, now a FSD.
Even in Baja after climbing the "Devils Backbone" loaded with ambient over 110 F, its only just warm to the touch. That's cool.

Gotta get a spare to have just in case. Anybody know a guaranteed used source?