I did a search here and read a lot of posts dealing with this topic. The solenoid is fine and the fusable link is good and doing its job. Today I'm going to crack an injector line while starting to make sure I'm getting fuel to the injectors. Does anyone have any other ideas?

The truck is a 1997 club cab 4wd auto. It is a daily driver and worked fine until Monday morning.

 

Fuel Pre-Filter Clogged?
Rubber fuel lines Deteriorated = Losing Prime?
Fuel Shutdown Solonoind RELAY?
The relay can be checked by turning your key on, popping your hood, and check to see if the the soloniod is engaged. If its not, then push it up, then get back in the truck and it should start. If is is engaging, then the Relay is not your problem.

 

Ok thanks for the ideas. I'm posting for a friend. He is going to register later. I hope we can figure this thing out.

 

Update. Replaced fuel filter and cleaned bowl. Filter was almost black. He didn't feel any power loss because he received the truck this way so he didn't know it ran any different. He bought the truck from his father in laws company for $2700. It has 150k on it and is in pretty good condition other than they didn't seem to do fuel services on their trucks. Anyway, truck runs like a champ now and he says it starts better, runs better and feels like a turbo diesel should have felt to him.


Thanks for the replies.

 

Actually the black you see on filters is asphaltines, present in varying degrees in all diesel fuel and totally normal.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'm trying to get him going in the right direction. He's new to the diesel world.

 

Not a chemical reaction, asphaltenes are present in all crude oil to varying extents. Most are removed at the refinery but it's impossible to remove them all.
As you might have guessed asphalt is made from asphaltenes.
A google search for asphaltenes will give you a ton of info.

 

Could also be algee if the fuel got any moisture in it. If it sat for any time before he got the truck it very well could have sucked the growth into the filter at that point.

Randy