No start condition.

[CSniesak]

Hi all,



Sorry, this is my first time posting but I can not figure this one out on my own.





I have an 03 2500 automatic, I will give details below.



I have no way to tell when it is going to happen because the condition will not warrent any warning. What happens (usually) is when the truck sits for 24+ hours with no start or driving when I go to start the truck it will just crank and crank with no sign of life or even trying to fire.





Has now done this 4 times in the last 7 months. Everytime it has been at home after sitting for 24+ hours. Has happened in 80+ degree weather, and has happened in 20- degree weather. No rhyme or reason to when it will do it. And after putting a battery charger on it, checking the codes and fiddling around it usually will start within another 24 hours, but I really don't do anything to fix it. ? Once it starts it runs fine.





Here are some specifics.

4x4

18 mpg averaged over last 20,000 miles

Always plugged in below 40 degrees

86,000 miles

Banks 6-gun

AFE cold air intake

Automatic

Oil every 3000

Fuel filters every 6000

Tow a 32' enclosed trailer, roughly 15,000 lbs loaded. But not on a regular basis.

Mostly my daily driver and taken very well care of.



The only code I have thrown in this timeframe has been a crankshaft posistion sensor fault (sorry I don't have the p-code in front of me. )



Could this be a crankshaft signal problem on start-up or is it more likely a transfer pump/fuel flow/pressure problem?



Crankshaft sensor is probaly the cheapest to replace, but the least likely culprit?



Anyone have any symptoms like this in the past? Suggestions, comments?



Should I buy gauges/equipment to check tp flow, injector flow, etc?



I have also heard that some 03's have developed internal leaks around the injector block that allows the high fuel pressure to etch the metal and in turn drop fuel pressure that you need for startup. Any truth to that?





Thanks for any help in advance.



-Chris Sniesak

 

[KKlepfer]

Looks like you do good preventative maintenance (ie fuel filter). I would first remove the banks just to exclude that from the problem. If it keeps doing it you know its not the banks and you can concentrate your diagnosis on one less variable.

 

[dan.poitras]

A fuel pressure guage is invaluable

 

[CSniesak]

Dan,



Is there a guage you would recommend, such as Autometer, etc. and if so where do you tap into the fuel at?



Thanks,



Chris

 

[dan.poitras]

Chris

I have the diprocol (30psi). It matches the original guages pretty good with an isolator.

Can't remember where I bought it. I tapped into the high pressure fuel pump with a banjo fitting and an (an -3) stainless steel hose. Getting 6 to 8psi on a good day.

Dan

 

[Redbear]

I have an 05 3500 DRW 4x4 with G56. No mods and just over 7500 miles. Same symptoms as Chris described. I have had it back to the dealer three times now, and they have replaced the crank position sensor twice. AFter the second time it took over 15 seconds of cranking to start. The first time I just let it crank it threw a check engine light. Since then it has thrown the light, but it goes out now after three or four starts. One of the service guys said there is a reflash for the ecm on the way, but they don't know when exactly. The other guy says there is a rumor about a reflash, but nothing concrete yet. He later told me the only TSB is for the crank position sensor.



I have read several posts over the last few months on this and the problem seems to range from 03's to 06's, and nobody seems to have the same answer. Anyone heard anything reliable about the ecm reflash?

 

[dan.poitras]

What code comes up?

Turn ign on and off three times and the active code will be displayed in the odometer area.

 

[rbattelle]

I agree with KKlepfer... remove the 6-gun and see if it continues to misbehave.



-Ryan

 

[Tony T.]

This may have nothing to do with your problem, but may be something to check out. Looking underneath the truck up at the ac compressor is a wire loom cluster right above the ac compressor with a red lock connector at the end of it. Inspect that wiring closely to see if it has worn through the insulation of the wiring and has exposed any bare wires. At one point where it rest on top of the compressor it can rub through sooner or later if insulation is thin to start with. There was a thread about this a few months ago that this guy was having problems with his truck just dieing. I believe his cranksensor was replaced and other things checked out. Turned out the culprit was the bare wiring exposed peroidly was causing his trouble. I'm sorry but I do not remember the thread or even which sensor it was effecting that was killing the truck. His fix was to tape up the area where it rubbed through.



I've checked mine and have noticed a place on the wire loom where it has been rubbing but not very bad. Hope this helps and like I said may not be related but is something to check out.



Tony

 

[CSniesak]

No start again.

Same story different day. This time the truck only went a few days before it displayed the same problem. Went to work, started fine, left 10 hours later and it would just crank and crank and crank, no signs of life. Towed it home and put it in my shop, turned on the heat, plugged it in, and put a battery charger on it (batteries went dead from cranking and cold). As soon as the batteries had enough juice the truck fired right up.



Codes thrown are:



P0483 Cooling fan rationality check malfunction (not worried about that one, I think the plow is blocking too much air going down the road)



P2509 ECM/PCM power input signal intermittent. No idea where to even start on this one.



P0336 Crankshaft posistion sensor performance. Putting a new one on tonight.



The P2509 code is the one I think is giving me the trouble, especially since every time I "kill" the batteries, then fully recharge them the truck will fire right up.



-Eliminated the banks from the problem, was off the truck when it wouldn't fire this time.



Any suggestions on where to start?



Thanks for all the help.



-Chris

 

[rbattelle]

P2509 makes me suspect a short in the ECM wiring harness. Probably at one of the connectora.



-Ryan