I hate to ask this

[Spaceace]

I just changed my fuel filter for the 1st time. Now I have a useless heap of metal.



Is is common to have a bad lift pump up until you break the fuel system to air? If it is, I can't wait to feel the power I have been missing.



Open fuel bowl and not a thing from the lift pump.

I knew this was a Monday job. but no, I wanna have gauges for the weekend..... never got to that point.



Now I will hear the warranty people say it was me changing the fuel filter that killed it.

 

[TomGolden]

I just changed my fuel filter for the ... ... 8th time at least, I think... two days ago. I tend to change it at the same time as I change engine oil, which is around every 5K miles. My truck had 42712 miles when I did the changes the other day.



I do not yet have a fuel pressure gauge of any kind, though I have a bunch of the new series 2 SPA gauges on order... ... As far as I know, my lift pump is and has always been working just fine (fingers tightly crossed, knocking on wood).



However, when you change your fuel filter, and hopefully drain the bowl and wipe off the water in fuel sensor, don't just start the engine right off, or it will run for a few seconda and then die, when the air that was in your fuel filter bowl gets into the cylinders! I was taught to just bump the starter, which causes the lift pump to run for like 20 - 30 seconds, thereby filling the fuel filter bowl back up again. I personally do this at least 3 times, to make certain the fuel filter bowl is full, then I actually start the engine and let it idle for at least 2 full minutes sitting still! Don't try driving anywhere until at least a couple of minutes have gone by, to make absolutely sure no air managed to get into your lines and into the cylinders! I actually forgot to bump the starter one time a few months ago when changing the fuel filter, and I started the engine, immediately put it in gear, got about 2 houses up the street, when the engine died from getting air in the cylinders. Oh, what a :{ :{ experience that was!



Tom

 

[Spaceace]

fuel bowl open- like NO LID

Not a drop of oil. I could not make the lift pump turn if I tried harder. I assume the lift pump is on the pre-crank part of the ignition switch.

 

[gitchesum]

Same thing happened to RdRunner at a BOMB party. Change the fuel filter and the lift pump is bad. Can't start the truck.



We did several things, so I'm not sure which one was the cure.

1) We slightly pressurized the fuel tank to force the fuel past the lift pump.

2) We filled the fuel filter canister with fuel before installing it.

3) We prayed and cranked the hell out of it until it started.



We let it run for a about 10 minutes, Killed the engine, and it restarted fine.



Hope some of this helps.

 

[Spaceace]

WHat?

I did one better.



I let DC tow it free of charge. See, when the lift pump does not run... there is no... " cannot replicate problem" Get it running and all of a sudden the fuel pressure is withinn specs. . :--)



Thanks for the cure tho. . there may be a time when I do not want DC under my hood!



Oh yeah. DC RoadSide Assistance. . worth every penny. Took to a dealer which I requested... (sell more than 1 diesel a year) and a 2 hour response was 5 min from the DC call back. DC... ya gotta work on that communication gap!

 

[BK]

I'm not sure about your year... but the 99's you have to fill the fuel filter canster before reinstalling it. it's not an option.

 

[Spaceace]

New idea..

Fuel filter changing parties.

Static dates- highly remote locations. Lets start with every two week meets.

After towing 50 trucks per meet, from deep in Utah to the nearest dealer, they will take this lift pump crap seriously.



Substitute any remote location for Utah... Alaska, perhaps...

 

[Ethdee]

Re: fuel bowl open- like NO LID

Originally posted by Spaceace

Not a drop of oil. I could not make the lift pump turn if I tried harder. I assume the lift pump is on the pre-crank part of the ignition switch.

You know you have to bump the starter to get the lift pump to cycle?



Just in case...



Jim

 

[Spaceace]

i think i did it enough

I tried to cycle 3 times, cranked 3 times, Never cranked with the bowl open... still when I opened the filter housing... . the level was still nill after cranking... who knows... maybe DC will make a fool of me.

 

[Ramboy]

BK,

I have a '99 and have never filled the canister before re-installing it. I just bump the starter and let the pump fill it up. Works for me.

 

[Ethdee]

Did the pump make noise? I've had to cycle mine 6 or 8 times sometime before I can hear it actually pump fuel. After it's primed, pressures are within spec; it just can take me a long time to get there.



Jim

 

[George O]

After reading some of the threads, I made a habit to always use the bypass and fill a 20 oz coke bottle before changing the filter. An then if no water in fuel, change filter and then pour fuel from bottle into filter bottom. put new filter in and start engine. No problems whatsoever. Starts everytime with no hesitation. 74K on engine at this point.

 

[csevers]

MY EXPERINCE

the first time i changed fuel filter on my 99 i left plug out of top of filter housing and had fuel on under side of hood the second time i cycled the ign 4 times to no good pump makes noise but does not pump took old gear lube bottle put fuel in it and filled filter housing through the little plug till full and started engine with no problems the next night on this site i found out what was wrong and installed temp gauge and found a vaccum on system at an idle with something like 60k + on the clock

 

[DarrellB]

Sometimes when a change my fuel filter on my 99 I have to give her a little shot of WD 40 in the air intake to get her to fire. I've been getting better though and the last time I got it to fire up the first time.



Darrell

 

[obert]

HOLY HELL!!!

DarrellB if your intake heater ever turns on you will wish u didnt know hat WD40 was!



maybe i should fill my canister befor trying to start. I have to cycle the fuel pump many times ( about 8 -10 ) to fill up evry thing and get her going.

I need to wise up and just get a better pump though, my engine warranty is out soon, already put on a lift pump AND an injection pump

 

[DarrellB]

Let Cummins change your filter and watch them. They do the same thing if it doesn't fire the first time. Instead of cracking the bleeder they just give it a shot of WD or some other spray lube, right through the air filter. Just stay away form eather and you'll be fine.



Darrell

 

[illflem]

Things must be different in your part of the country, all the Cummins techs I know out west open the bleed screw or prefill the filter.

 

[Spaceace]

noise?

Only the TPS made noise.



I really believe after reading the posts thay my lift pump is dead.





And in this day and age... I think is is pathetic that you have to fill a fuel bowl prior to starting... . i thought that was the whole purpose of the lift pump... . circulate fuel so that the injection pump has a suction head.



WD40... . nah... not this time

 

[ACoyle]

I changed my fuel filter. Filled the canister. Prepared for the bump and wait drill. Bumped the starter, shut it off. Went for the seconf bump - Well whhadayaknow started and ren fine.



It seems that it just wants to run. Now if I only had more than 10# of boost.

 

[BK]

I know Ramboy hasnt had to refill the cansister to get his restarted... but it's easy todo and I havent yet had to bump the pump to get it started, it starts just like a normal day.