Diesel Engine Dies While Driving?

God help me I’m afraid to drive my truck. No one can figure out what is wrong with it and I can’t afford to play an expensive game of guess the defective part. I’ve searched the net until my fingers are bloody and you are my last hope. I really need the answer by the end of the weekend so, if you hear me and know, please write back soon I have to pull my fifth wheel across country with this truck for work and I just can’t do it. The mere thought sends me into fits of shaking.

I own a 1996 Silverado 2500 turbo diesel, two-wheel drive automatic 225,000 miles. As much as I’ve come to fear driving it, I love it. I bought it used with all the money I had in my bank account so I could haul my fifth wheel to my new job after my nephew destroyed my last truck leaving me high and dry. I tell you that truck ran like a top all the way from the dealer in Houston back to San Antonio. I was ridin’ high. I took it to the diesel mechanic to have it checked out. He looked it over, checked the computer, said it showed no present faults and the history was clear. He thought I got lucky and blessed it.

A few days later I was driving it in to have the hitch installed when out of the blue it gave a slight hiccup. A few miles later the check engine light came on. The truck died going down a hill a few miles after that. God help me I thought I’d lost my brakes; I didn’t know what had happened. I got it to start again... Went a mile died... Waited 15 minutes... It finally started. Well, I thought it might be one of those older diesels that just didn’t like having less that half a tank of fuel, (that’s what the gauge read), so I bought some additive and filled her up (gauge was right).

The check engine light was still on so I stopped at an Auto Zone to have the computer read. It showed no present faults and the history was clean. We tried again... Same thing... Third time we got an error code.

Tried to change the fuel filter; it was filthy. The new filter was really hard to get on. On the third day it started to leak. The diesel mechanic charged $85.00 to replace it... His poured fuel out on the third day. The dealership put in another $85.00 fuel filter... Verdict after market parts and, “yes ma’am now she should run just fine”.

I’ve ran three 1/2 tanks of fuel down trying to figure out what the common link is. The problem seems to occur more frequently in stop and go traffic and upon acceleration and deceleration. It doesn’t seem to be getting any worse. I’ve replaced the pump on the rail, and the gas cap. It usually will start after a few minutes, but then doesn’t want to run and keeps dieing.

A few other things: Sometimes the check engine light comes on. Usually after fueling and sometimes right before it dies and sometimes just for fun. It seems to happen more often after it is warm, so I only use it to drive short distances. Also it will be purring along beautifully at 65-70 and give a hiccup or a series of hiccups for no reason then keep running. I let some one else drive it and they said it actually died on them at that speed, but I suspect they are one of those drivers who feathers their accelerator pedal so that may be extraneous information. The air filter is good. No damage to exhaust system. No leaks... Really great truck, other than this problem.

I do not think this is a problem with the fuel pump or injectors because it is not getting worse, if anything it is happening a little less

Well, I think I’ve beat this horse to death, and all of my friends who are mechanics, now cross the street when they see me coming, so please anyone... HELP!