Okay everyone, I have a long winded story about some issues I've been having off and on with my truck for the last 2 months. It doesn't get driven much and the problems have occurred in the last 300+/- miles so it's taken a while for the issue to progress. I'll start from the beginning, which was the a couple weeks before Thanksgiving.

My truck was owned by my dad for the last 7 years. He owed me some money, says take the truck instead. He bought a new Duramax in '08 (sellout) so he no longer needs this truck. It sat for 2-3 months in a shop this summer, was driven a couple times in that length of time I believe. I picked the truck up, drove it 160 miles home, then refueled and added PowerService Diesel Kleen for anti-gel properties as I wasn't sure if the diesel readily available in the Seattle area could handle the rare, super cold temps we received the week of Thanksgiving, I was merely thinking ahead while watching the forecast. I started having issues with the truck immediately after adding Diesel Kleen. And when I say immediately, I'm talking the first 2 minutes after filling the truck it hiccuped on me a little bit but cleared itself up. After that, over the course of the next 2 weeks, it resorted to shutting off completely at idle or near idle within 2-3 minutes of start up but very sporadically, maybe half a dozen times in 100 miles and 15-20 starts. It would always fire right back up like nothing happened and run awesome, never ran sluggish or with a lack of power, no excessive smoke, nothing. Couple times after it died or hiccupped I would get a SES light but it would clear itself after a shut down. So I was thinking CPS, dad couldn't remember if it had been done, so I took it to Ford and had it swapped out. Drove the truck another 200 miles over the next 6 weeks without a single issue, thought the CPS was the issue.

Last week I finally got down to 1/4 tank on the original "tank of problems" so I threw half a tank of fuel in it. Within a minute of start up sitting at the gas station, truck dies. Here we go again. Starts right back up, runs great, all that jazz like it always did before. Tonight I went to drive it to see what happens and sure enough, she finally started running really rough, had to really stay on the throttle to keep it going to get into a parking lot and off the road but it finally crapped out on me. Immediately after it died, she would crank and tried to fire a couple times but ultimately got some white smoke but and no fire. Let the truck sit half hour or so, miraculously it fired up, and ran like normal was wrong for the couple miles of driving back home.

I know that's a lot of info, but I'm feeling like it's a complicated issue. I don't know if I have an electrical problem on my hands for the injection system or if I have a dirty fuel tank that's clogging the screens in the tank itself. Either way, "home" is 160 miles away with a shop full of tools and I'm stuck without either where I'm at. I'm kinda trying to get a good idea of where to start looking at getting this truck running normal again. Thanks guys!

The first thing to do would be replacing fuel filters. Just from the sound of it, I would be looking bad fuel load. Dropping the tank would be a definate possibility. If you have a code reader, that would be a help as well.

I agree....if you don't have a code reader and can try and get it to an autoparts store, they can hook there's up and will print you out a piece of paper with the codes, if any.

Got a buddy that is a mechanic and has a scanner, so we'll get going on that. I'm just looking for ideas on where to start looking. Fuel filter was replaced a couple days after the first time the truck hiccupped on me, thought that might have been the problem but clearly it wasn't. My dad talked to a diesel guy he knows today and he's saying that the fuel tank may not be breathing correctly, causing a vapor lock of sorts.

when you were cranking it over trying to get it started, did the tach read that it was cranking over?

I would definatly get it scanned. If the truck still will not start you can pull the fuel filter and turn the key on to see if you have any fuel getting to the bowl, also make sure theres not alot of sediment on the bottom of the filter housing. If the tank were unable to breath you could remove the filler cap and that would allow the tank to vent and get you home. I have seen issues with the pickup in the tank not drawing up fuel but that usually happens at 1/4 tank or so. Also make sure the oil level in the truck is full, if it gets to low the truck will not run either.

The biggest problem I have going against me is that the truck actually does run! haha. This problem is so hit and miss that it's going to be a nightmare to diagnose. I wish it would actually just die so I could start checking things off the list. Haven't done much with it lately, been way too busy with work.

Got a pretty good hunch that the IDM is smoked or that UVCH has rubbed through. Ordering Swamps Diesel's turned up IDM, for $275 after a core refund it's a good start. Talked to a guy at work, says his truck ran just like mine and it was the IDM. Did a little more research on the net and after reading about IDM symptoms, I think I might have a winner. Read that half the engine will shut down then come back to life off and on, like you were mashing the throttle then letting off while driving down the road, then eventually killing the engine all together which is exactly what happened to me. Will keep posted.