Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) HELP...MUST use ether to start...

[Spunkys Ram]

98. 5 24V Auto, 218,??? miles Bone stock truck, ORIGINAL VP, and lift pump... ... . not my truck





It will not start without ether. Once it's running it's runs perfect, pulls great, etc. First thing I did was check fuel pressure at post-side (closest to enigne) of filter housing. 8psi at idle, 0 at WOT (all testing done in garage, not driving). RED FLAG, change lift pump, problem solved right? :{ WRONG After LP change, still needs ether to start. Decided to check fuel pressure again at filter housing. 7 psi while cranking, 8 psi at idle, 0 at WOT on post side. Checked pre-side of filter for psi, 14 psi at idle, 7 at WOT. Filter was just changed a week ago.



So my problem(s) are any ideas why it may not start and why is there such a psi gap from pre to post side of filter? I'm not familiar with the older filter housing. Please help with any info as like the rest of us this guys is on a budget and we've already dumped almost $200 for a LP from Cummins. :{

 

[klaybus]

Only thing I can say is DON'T USE ETHER! Your gonna blow your engine or yourself up. The grid heater can ignite prior to the engine firing & your gonna have worse problems.

With the box & injectors your running I can see why you get such a pressure drop at WOT. Why it's not starting? I'de start at the filter again. I know you said it was replaced a week ago but all it takes is one bad batch of fuel & your filter could be shot. Have you checked it pre & post at the filter? I've also heard of a bypass valve that can fail at the VP & send all your fuel back to the tank. Something you can check into.

Keep us posted. This certainly has my interest.



Clay

 

[fox]

Get it too a dealer or auto Zone to read the codes.

I bet the grid heater is not working.

Put the ether down and back away!!!

 

[Joe Mc]

Get it too a dealer or auto Zone to read the codes.
I bet the grid heater is not working.
Put the ether down and back away!!!

Ditto - "Fire BAAADDDDD!"

After new LP and filter still problems - go back to filter, and there could be the by-pass valve issue too. Check for codes - could be the grid heater - actually remove the wires going to the grid and see if there's resistance between the posts - if not there's the culprit.

 

[gtwitch]

read my post this morning on the air leaking from a bad fuel line. This could be the problem, . don't know

gtwitch in Laramie

 

[zstroken]

I had a customer the other day complain of the same problem(no start, but once started ran great) He took his truck to a big name diesel shop and they diagnosed a bad injection pump. They used ether to start it. Once running it ran great. The best research I could tell was there is an electronic start circuit in the VP. His had failed. We put a new pump( I bought the pump and drop shipped it to him LOL) This solved the problem. Truck starts fine, runs great, but is setting some weird codes. We are working with my pump supplier to get this resolved. As far as the filter pressure drop something is wrong, you shouldn't see 7 psi drop. It is possible for it to be bad again. If he got a bad batch of fuel then you could go through 3 or more filters to get it out of the tank.

 

[03 H.O. Police]

i had an injector that was leaking out the all the psi in the fuel system. I was using wd40 to get it start, i finally found a mech at southplains cummins that told me easy way to find bad injector. get motor running, let it run for about 1. 5-2 minutes then with engine still runnin, touch each of the exhaust manifold tubes coming out of the head. you have a bad injector if one is much cooler( you can keep your hand on it ) then the others or one that is much hotter thatn the others. He was right, I had #1 very cool and could keep my hand on the mine after then engine had been running for about 5 - 6 minutes. i replaced all of them at once just so i didnt have to go in and do it for another one in the near future... .

 

[klaybus]

7 psi is a large drop in pressure but with a comp & stage 5 injectors it sure doesn't seem out of the realm of possibilities IMO... . FWIW



Clay

 

[24V-DSL]

It's NOT the truck in his sig.

 

[zstroken]

He also said this was while not driving, just sitting in the garage, which means no boost and not even full fueling

 

[klaybus]

It's NOT the truck in his sig.

:--) My bad! I was going from memory... . Of his sig. Hmmm.



Clay

 

[Spunkys Ram]

Thanks for all the replys. 24V has it right. NOT my truck. As far as using ether, I wouldn't do it, but I'm not going to tell someone how to operate their truck. Anyways, I will check to see if there is a bad injector, but wouldn't it run rough/miss if there was a bad injector? But I will check that theory.

I'm not quite sure the grid heater has to work where I live. Phoenix, AZ... . not the coldest place in the country.

By the way there are no codes.

 

[Spunkys Ram]

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