Old timer at the shop chewed me out for not checking injector return flow first

Honestly, I used to jump straight to compression tests whenever a 6.7 Powerstroke came in with a rough idle or miss. Last month a guy in his 60s who's been turning wrenches since the 80s watched me slap the gauge on and just shook his head. He said, "Son, you're looking for a heart attack when the guy's got a clogged artery." Told me to pull the return line caps and watch the fuel flow into a graduated cylinder for two minutes. Sure enough, one injector was pushing way more fuel back than the others, swapped that single unit out and the truck ran perfect. Cost the customer about $400 instead of the $1,200 I would've quoted for a full set after misdiagnosing. Now I always start with the cheap, dirty checks before I get fancy with the electronics. Has anyone else had a stubborn old habit that cost people money until some crusty vet set you straight?

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morgan_ramirez1d ago

That $400 fix over a $1200 quote is exactly why my old man always said check the cheap stuff first, fuel pressure and filters before touching anything electronic.