Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Inconsistent hard start

[PSoffe]

Well as some of you know I dealt with some strange electrical issues that where finally solved and resulted in installing a new ECM. I have actually noticed a change in the performance of the truck, so my conclusion is that that thing probably wasn't operating at 100%.



Anyway this leads me to my next question. We had finished the repairs and made are way to Pismo Beach for some R&R and some fun in the dunes. after the trip I have developed this inconsistent hard start were by the it will turn over several times before firing. Typically the she starts immediately. The VP was replaced about a year and a half ago and the lift pump was replaced a couple of months ago with a FASS 95. I have read about the hard start issues concerning this combination and do not believe this is the case.



Are there some others areas that I can look at to locate and solve this problem?

 

[WTBurke]

Pat,

Extract your codes first and tell us what you have.



William

 

[PSoffe]

It pulled a P1698

 

[WTBurke]

OK... well at least you don't have a P0216... that's what I had when hard-starting began with my rig which lead me to a new VP. Sorry Pat, I dunno



William

 

[PSoffe]

It's very strange, I was aprehensive about the FASS95 becuase of the Diaphram issue but all was running just fine no starting issues. It seems to have began after our trip north and it's not all the time it's maybe 1 in 10 starts.

 

[FourBarR]

1698 no ccd received from pcm. I would need to get my manuals to decifer that. someone else may have the answer before I can get to it.

 

[Jetson]

Do you always have a "Wait to Start" light before you turn the engine over?

 

[PSoffe]

Yes but sometimes it is really fast. Temps here in SoCAl in the 90's and 100's

 

[FYarcho]

I don't know but mine started doing that after I put my Walbro pump in, which was caused by the higher fuel pressure which was running around 20-22. After I adjusted the pressure regulator down to around 17-18 The problem went away. My friend has the FASS pump and he had the same problem with the high fuel pressure. If your fuel pressure is running 20 or above that may be your issue

 

[Richterno1]

i just started to have the same problem about 3 weeks ago, mine happens a little more often, maybe 2 in 5 starts. i have the fass for about 2 or 3 years, my pressure is at about 12-13 maybe i should change the fuel filter haven't done it since i've installed the fass

 

[Rattler]

I to have the hard start. It worries me that it won't start. I have the walbro pump adjusted to 17-18 pounds. Could the hot summer weather cause this in any way?Randy

 

[DWest]

Position of truck

Does the position of your truck have any effect on the starting? If mine is below 3/4 tank and pointing downhill it will start easy everytime. If it is pointing uphill it will start hard. Full tank and it doesn't matter which way your headed. When pointing uphill I will bump the starter and prime the fuel system to start. I also replaced my FASS and got this issue. DW

 

[Jetson]

I had a problem where it would sometimes crank for 5-7 seconds before it would start. The problem was the ECM. I found that the wait to start light wasn't turning on sometimes. If I waited 5 seconds for the WTS light, it would crank right up. If your truck is over 6 years old, you may have the same problem.

 

[mhenon]

Intermittent electrical problems (if it is electrical) are tough to run down. If it were me I would pull every ground wire, especially those to the PCM/ECM, and clean up the connections. You might also grind or sand the paint off those grounding points to make sure your hitting a metal surface.

I usually unplug all of the electrical connectors (sensors, PCM, etc. ) once a year to clean them up and give um a shot of dielectric grease.

Mike

 

[SAndreasen]

I had a problem where it would sometimes crank for 5-7 seconds before it would start. The problem was the ECM. I found that the wait to start light wasn't turning on sometimes. If I waited 5 seconds for the WTS light, it would crank right up. If your truck is over 6 years old, you may have the same problem.

did you have any codes when the ecm went out?

 

[Jetson]

I never had any codes and the truck ran fine for almost 2 years like that. I finally got tired of waiting for the light to come on and had the ECM rebuilt.



Interesting thing - When this first started I had NO Wait to Start light for several months. I unplugged the batteries for an hour and it apparently rest the ECM, then my WTS light came back. But, eventually I started having an intermittent hard start and discovered the WTS light was slow in appearing sometimes. Marco said the trucks won't start with no WTS light. That apparently is the sign that the computer has initialized and it ready to go.

 

[SAndreasen]

ill have to check and see if my light is coming on or not . i really think i am getting air in my system somewhere because after i get it started it starts just fine if i restart it within about an hours time i replaced the rubber fuel lines that connect the lift pump to the fuel filter housing and the fuel filter housing to the injection pump this helped for about a day and then it strarted not starting again ! every single shop i have called says it has to be the injection pump even though it has no codes and never has had any codes for the injection pump !

 

[FourBarR]

there have been quite a few cases where the vp-44 is bad and no codes were set. How about taking it to a Cummins shop, they have the means to test it . Then you will know ,and eleminate it as a possibility. Hope this helps.

 

[SAndreasen]

how do they test them anybody know i havent talked to anybody that has said anything about testing the injection pump except we think it is bad well put a new one on and see.