Just lost a full day's pay chasing a ghost code on a 6.7 Powerstroke

Had a P0087 fuel rail pressure code on a 2015 F-250 that would NOT clear. Spent 8 hours, my whole Saturday, replacing the high pressure fuel pump. Turns out it was just a slightly sticky pressure relief valve on the rail itself, a $40 part. I feel like an idiot for not starting with the cheaper check. Anyone have a better diagnostic order they follow for these?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_ross4d ago

Man that's the worst feeling, chasing the expensive fix first. You ever have one of those days where the simple test you skip ends up being the answer? Happened to me with a weird electrical drain, spent a whole weekend pulling panels before checking the glove box light.

the_thomas4d ago

Remember when we thought skipping the basics made us look smart? I used to jump straight to the fancy tools too, but a dead battery from a trunk light taught me that the simple check is usually the right one. Now I force myself to start there every time.

jakel364d ago

My old boss at the auto shop had a rule. He made us check the gas gauge first, every single time a car wouldn't start. It felt stupid, but I saw three people tow cars in that were just out of fuel. It's like we're wired to overcomplicate things. I see it with my kid's homework now, too. He'll stare at a hard math problem forever, but if he just wrote down the simple numbers he already knows, the answer shows itself.