Error code 15 on 3126 engine

[Renegades]

While making the trip from Oklahoma to Illinois, I pulled in for a pit stop and the engine started to lope a little but smooth out when I put the fast idle on. Now I've had this happen once before but didn't think anything about it. The check engine light came on but went off again. As I approached the off ramp in Des Moines, exit 125 on I-35, as I came to a stop the engine really started to lope and the check engine lite came on and started flashing. So continued to the Flying J and fueled up.

Time caught up with me, now this filter has only 4500 miles on it but it sat over the winter. So guess what the problem was. If you said "dirty fuel filter" your right. I have 2 filters, one 30 microns (racor 90) and the standard 2 micron CAT filter. Changed the racor and all was fine. No more loping. I always carry at least 2 primary and 2 secondary filters with me at all times. After restarting and reading the code, looked in the book and then the lite bulb lit. I now remembered what happened the last time. I did take it to a CAT dealer and he put the computer on it, cleared the "check engine lite" and could find no other problem. Ran all the tests he could and it work great. It's something to hear the engine really work but not do anything. Ahh computers.

So I shut the engine down and we went to bed, letting the engine just rest. Got up 5 hours later and when ready, started the engine and no check engine lite. Ran all the way to Illinois with no problems.

Anybody ever have this happen to them? A great engine, change the oil every 10k or once a year and fuel filters at the beginning of the season. Didn't have time this year. Anybody thoughts?

Regards to all
Jim

[Renegades]

While making the trip from Oklahoma to Illinois, I pulled in for a pit stop and the engine started to lope a little but smooth out when I put the fast idle on. Now I've had this happen once before but didn't think anything about it. The check engine light came on but went off again. As I approached the off ramp in Des Moines, exit 125 on I-35, as I came to a stop the engine really started to lope and the check engine lite came on and started flashing. So continued to the Flying J and fueled up.

Time caught up with me, now this filter has only 4500 miles on it but it sat over the winter. So guess what the problem was. If you said "dirty fuel filter" your right. I have 2 filters, one 30 microns (racor 90) and the standard 2 micron CAT filter. Changed the racor and all was fine. No more loping. I always carry at least 2 primary and 2 secondary filters with me at all times. After restarting and reading the code, looked in the book and then the lite bulb lit. I now remembered what happened the last time. I did take it to a CAT dealer and he put the computer on it, cleared the "check engine lite" and could find no other problem. Ran all the tests he could and it work great. It's something to hear the engine really work but not do anything. Ahh computers.

So I shut the engine down and we went to bed, letting the engine just rest. Got up 5 hours later and when ready, started the engine and no check engine lite. Ran all the way to Illinois with no problems.

Anybody ever have this happen to them? A great engine, change the oil every 10k or once a year and fuel filters at the beginning of the season. Didn't have time this year. Anybody thoughts?

Regards to all
Jim

[quikduk]

I just changed all my filters and while my fuel filters were reasonably new/low mileage units (from the info I had since I hadn't installed them), they had an amazing amount of disolved gunk in them. I run a diesel fuel additive in each tankfull but I am thinking I need an algicide (and possibly a complete tank drain and clean) as I have been told that the black goopy stuff is the dead algae.

My present fix is to add a high quality fuel additive with an algicide, cetane improver and stabilizer to the tank and run this tank through. I will then change the filters again and cut open the current ones and see what the filter media shows.

I REALLY do NOT want to have to drain that 100 gallon tank, let alone remove it to clean it out.

A lot of times, the fuel depots have this crap in their tanks. It "should" wash out over time but the filters are a cheap fix JIC. You should open the drains frequently for just a couple of seconds to get any trapped contaminants and water out.