Analyzing 7.3 high-pressure oil pump symptoms is pretty straightforward. As long as you’re willing to put in the time, it will be a no-brainer.
But there’s always a learning curve for everything, so even if you have some experience with vehicles, it may feel tougher than it is.
Don’t worry, though, just put some effort, and you should find your way through.
Before getting started, you should know that the high-pressure oil pump is in great shape most of the time and that any issue you’ve experienced recently could be related to something else.
That said, here’s everything you need to know: best upgrades for 7.3 Powerstroke
Contents
Top 7.3 High-Pressure Oil Pump Symptoms
Below, we’ve gathered several issues related to the high-pressure oil pump.
You will learn how to track down any problem regarding the high-pressure oil pump and how to fix it on your own and also boost the air/fuel pressure by controller.
1. Vehicle Will Not Start
Can’t start up the vehicle even though you’ve spent the last thirty minutes in the car? Don’t worry, though.
This problem is pretty common, and you might be able to fix it on your own. Perhaps, there’s something wrong with the oil.
To determine whether it’s the oil, look at all the levels and conditions to ensure it is at the proper level.
What’s more, make sure you’re using the appropriate type of oil.
Oil plays a huge role in all vehicles. Especially on the 7.3 Powerstroke, the vehicle uses it as a hydraulic fluid for all the car injectors.
When the oil is not in the “operating range” stated by the vehicle’s manufacturer, the car will struggle to run correctly. And in some cases, it will not start.
2. Poor Fuel Economy
There are various reasons why you’re getting poor fuel economy. For example, damaged spark plugs, bad fuel injectors, and the list goes on.
However, if you’ve checked all those things and you still seem to notice a decrease in fuel mileage, it could be that there’s a leak on the high-pressure oil pump.
Your injectors require optimal oil pressure so that they can work properly. If there’s a leak, you’ll experience all the problems discussed above.
That said, here’s how you can find a leak:
- First and foremost, check the valley. That’s the first thing you should do when trying to find a leak, as the oil leak is almost always in the valley.
- Now check the high-pressure lines and see if there’s any oil on them. If you find some oil, it’s safe to assume the high-pressure lines are messing up your vehicle. To fix this issue, replace the broken lines, and the problem should be gone.
Always check those things before going to the local dealer.
Many drivers might even do the rear main seal and spend hundreds of dollars on it just to find out the leak was coming from the valley.
If you want to know more about high-pressure lines and how you can replace them, here’s a video that will walk you through all the steps:
3. Damaged Injector
If you’ve determined that the leak is not coming from the valley or the high-pressure lines. Perhaps the culprit is the oil pressure sensor.
This tiny sensor has a simple job, which is to monitor fuel pressure going into the injectors.
If there’s something wrong with it, you’ll have a hard time trying to start up your vehicle.
That said, here is a list of problems you might experience if this sensor broke:
- Ever got in your car only to spend unnecessary time trying to start up the vehicle? Well, perhaps the injection control pressure sensor got damaged. This is a problem commonly found on diesel engines.
- If the check engine light comes on, there’s a high chance of something wrong with the sensor. As soon as the vehicle picks up on it, it’ll let the driver know of the current issue.
- Another symptom of a possible issue with the sensor is power loss. If you’re going down the road and noticed a massive decrease in power, consider checking up on the sensor, as it might have failed.
All those signs can be a great way to determine the sensor’s state. However, there’s still something you can do.
To make sure the culprit lies within the sensor, please follow these steps:
- Disconnect the sensor and see if there are any signs of oil inside. If there’s oil inside, you must replace it as soon as possible.
- Take a good look at your gauge readouts. If the ICP is lower than 600, that could be a great sign that there’s something wrong with it. Furthermore, check the connection on the ICP sensor. It could be a poor connection messing it up. So, watch out for that.
Remember that some of these issues might be different for some vehicles. But it should be more than enough to point you in the right direction.
What’s more, you might experience all these issues at once.
Luckily, replacing this sensor is an easy and cheap fix. For example, the part itself costs about $30. And you can do this on your own.
But as cheap as it can be, you should take care of this before the problem gets worse.
A high-pressure oil pump would cost more money later on if it were to get damaged.
4. Vehicle Loses Power And Shutters
Another primary symptom of a 7.3 high-pressure oil pump failure that could make the vehicle act up is a filter that got clogged.
There is a filter below the oil cooler, which filters all the oil going into the high-pressure oil pump.
When this filter gets clogged, your vehicle will have a hard time producing sufficient pressure. As a result, your engine might fail, and it could get damaged.
Fortunately, this is super easy to replace, and it’s relatively cheap. At most, you might spend $20 for a brand-new screen.
You could clean it a little bit and see if it makes a difference, though you’re better off getting a new one.
It’s almost always the little things that cause so much trouble. So, consider checking the filter to ensure it is not dirty or clogged.
5. Truck is Chugging and Losing Power
Like we said before, the high-pressure oil pump rarely fails. So, chances are the problem is not the HPOP.
Instead, it could be the under valve cover harness. When the UVCH comes loose, it can mess up the vehicle.
The car will not start, and it might shake as it’s running. This is a fairly common problem, so there’s nothing strange about it.
There’s a simple fix to this problem, and it’s using zip ties. You can use them to tie it all together and fix this issue.
However, keep in mind that this is a temporary fix until you can buy a new valve cover harness.
Newer UVCHs have better clips to hold the unit more sturdily. That said, here’s how you can use zip ties to fix your vehicle:
- Remove the intercooler and the intake. After that, you’ll find a bracket underneath and a plug, which you have to disconnect.
- With that out of the way, you should have access to the valve. What you’re looking for here is the little plug going into the valve. So, take a zip tie and wrap it around the unit. This way, it won’t come loose. After that, put everything together
And that’s pretty much it. The chugging should be gone, and your vehicle will run like a champ again.
Once again, consider replacing the valve cover as soon as possible. This should only be done to get you going for a while.
6. Rough Idle
Does your car make explosive sounds when you’re at a stop sign? Well, chances are there’s something fishy going with the injectors. Here is how to test high-pressure oil pump 7.3:
- Take a deep look at the gauge control panel and check the fuel pressure at idle.
If you’re getting low fuel pressure, it’s safe to assume the injectors failed. Replacing them is a little bit expensive.
But you’ll save yourself a lot of money if you replace them now. Take care of this before it gets any worse.
Things could get pretty bad for your vehicle, and you’ll spend more money in the long run.
7. Long Crank
If your vehicle cranks about twice as long as usual and feels like it’s jerking, you might have a damaged fuel injection control module.
When this part fails, the car will sound normal for 2-3 seconds to hear a terrible starving sound.
Luckily, it’s not the battery. Generally speaking, when the battery goes bad, you’d get a slow crank, not a long crank. So, let’s rule that out.
That said, you should first check the fuel injection control module voltage. If you’re getting less than 47.5 volts, there’s a high chance there’s something wrong with it.
You should either have the FICM repaired or get a new power supply, as it could be either one. Once you’ve replaced those two parts, the cranking should be gone.
What’s more, you should also look into getting a gauge control panel. This is an easy way to scan your vehicle and find out what’s wrong with it.
7.3 High-Pressure Oil Pump Replacement Cost
We cannot stretch this out enough, but 7.3 high-pressure oil pump symptoms might be related to something else.
The high-pressure oil pump does not get damaged easily. So, we encourage you to check up on other parts to ensure the culprit is not the high-pressure oil pump.
But if you’ve gone through all the steps we covered above, and determined that there’s something wrong with the high-pressure oil pump, then it’s safe to assume it got damaged and it must be replaced.
That said, the average cost for a brand-new high-pressure oil pump can go anywhere from $1,400 all the way up to $2,000. Of course, any price is subject to change depending on your vehicle and location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have any questions about HPOPs? Below, you’ll find a couple of common questions about the 7.3 high-pressure oil pump:
How do you check a 7.3 high-pressure oil pump
If you have recently experienced unexpected power loss when driving, it could be related to the HPOP.
And if you’re getting poor fuel economy, that could also be related to the HPOP.
Before taking the vehicle to the dealer, we suggest checking up on the valley. That’s the first thing you should do.
How often should you change the oil on a 7.3 Diesel?
You should change the oil on 7.3 Diesel every 3,000-5,000 miles. If it’s your first time changing the oil, we suggest changing the fuel filter as well.
You never know how long it has been there. Moreover, you should change this filter every 3 oil changes.
Can you rebuild 7.3 HPOP?
Yes, you can rebuild a 7.3 HPOP. If you’ve rebuilt a turbo before, you’ll breeze through it.
However, some professionals would advise you to get a new 7.3 HPOP. The price is pretty similar, and the odds of it failing are pretty slim.
How much oil does an HPOP 7.3 take?
Change the oil every time you change it for the engine. It is pretty easy, and you might spend 5 minutes at most.
As for how much it takes, the average 7.3 high-pressure oil pump takes about 18 quarts of oil.
Conclusion
Tracking and fixing any 7.3 high-pressure oil pump symptoms you come across should be done immediately.
As time goes by, these problems can worsen. In the end, all these repairs will cost you a lot of money.
That being said, we hope you managed to find the culprit. It’s pretty rare when the HPOP goes bad.
Those things are pretty durable. Most of the time, it’s a cheap and straightforward repair that anybody can do at home.