Went to try to start my truck this morning and it was a bit hard to start. First time this has ever happened. It was between 35 and 40 degrees outside and this truck has started fine when it has been colder than that. Had to hold the peddle down about half way and then keep the rpm's up a bit for about a minute. Anyone have any ideas what may be wrong. I am wondering if I have an air leak.
Thanks for any help
Justin

 

Did the truck turn over for an extended time before firing? If so, I would check the rubbr fuel lines from the lift pump to the injection pump. You may have sucked a little air.
george

 

I had that problem too until I replaced my rubber return line.....it was leaking and hard to see

 

I replaced the rubber return line when I first got the truck but I will check all of them for sure. Thanks for the replies. I think those hoses may be my problem.
Justin

 

My truck was kinda like that until I replaced the overflow valve and ran some conditioner through it. It starts better and runs a little better too. My last tank full gave me 15 mpg with mostly city driving.
Tom

 

I had a problem like this, it was the preheat relay for the grid heater. check it to make sure that it is working.
dave

 

Check the fuel relay. Mine isnt even hooked up from the factory(1998 models only i think). DC's fault customer sat. notice #770?. The truck starts okay but i guess it could be better when i get it fixed. Just replaced my rubber lines too and it helped alot.

 

Check the Lines where they jump from the tank to the frame. They are like a plastic line. When mine was stock I had this problem, sucked a kink in the line.
carty

 

Which rubber lines do I need to replace. I know where the rubber return line is and that one is a pain to get to but are there any more. I will also look at the lines coming from the tank. I don't think that my grid heater is working either. It does not seem to cycle anymore. Guess I will have to check that out as well.
Thanks for all the advice,
Justin

 

Does the voltage go done and stay down as long as the wait to start light is on? If not I would say that the relay is bad.
dave

 

The ring on the top of my fuel tank is leaking. I need to get tighten it up but my question is will this cause my truck to run bad or be hard to start. Thanks again for all the help.
Justin

 

Sounds like the same problem I had, but beware, it wasn't the ring. It was the short metal tubes that make a 90 degree turn coming out of the tank just before the fuel line connectors. They had a small pin hole in it from corrosion. I fixed mine with the gas tank repair kit. Scrapped all the crap of the tubes. Mixed the two together, coated the metal tubes with it (you have to be quick, it hardens in minutes and gets very warm) and my starting problems were over. Has been a year now and is still working just fine.

 

Anybody know what size the return lines are? When I prime the truck before a cold start, it fires right up. When I don't, it hesitates and misses a lot. the colder it gets, the more it misses.

 

3/8 feed, 5/16 return, 1/2 between the heater and the lift pump. Make sure it is diesel rated Marine grade if you can find it. Due to the sharp 90 degree bend in the 1/2, I used steel braided, high pressure hydraulic hose. Tough to clamp but it will not kink. This is on a 97 but I believe it is the same on a 94.