That moment your injector sticks open on I-95 near Richmond

I was heading southbound loaded with lumber last Tuesday when the engine started running away near exit 86. Shut it down quick and pulled the fuel line to the injector pump to kill the flow before she blew. Anybody else had to find a safe spot fast when a mechanical injector decides to give up?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles94612d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah did you check the return line for kinks before pulling the fuel line? I had a similar thing happen on a old 6BT in my Dodge. What worked for me was keeping the engine at idle and cracking the injector lines one at a time to let the pressure off. Sounds crazy but it let me bleed the air out and get it to a shop without killing the whole system. I mean it was ugly and I about messed up my knuckles but it beat getting towed. Maybe next time try cracking the lines first before you go pulling the main fuel line, just in case it's a simple air lock or a stuck check valve.

adam_lewis1d ago

Man I heard about something like this from a buddy of mine who drives a old freightliner with a mechanical Detroit. He was coming down a steep grade in Pennsylvania when his injector stuck open and the engine just started screaming. He said the noise was so loud he thought the whole motor was gonna let go. He managed to stab the clutch and dump the air to kill the throttle plates but by the time he got it stopped the oil was smoking. Turns out the injector tip had actually cracked and was dumping fuel straight into the cylinder. He had to get towed anyway because the damage was done but he said the scariest part was how fast it went from running fine to sounding like a bomb was about to go off.

shaneb1612d ago

Cracking the injector lines one at a time is solid advice, especially if you're stuck on the shoulder with traffic flying by. That's exactly what I did once with a Cummins 855 in an old Pete, and it saved me a tow. Good call on checking the return line first, too - a kinked return can mimic a stuck injector and make you chase your tail. Your method is spot on for diagnosing at the side of the road.