My truck had been parked for maybe a month. The amp gauge was reading only 9 volts. Took alt off and took it to shop, they checked it and it was ok. Checked batteries and one had low water. Put new batt in and drove truck a few days. Everything was fine. Go to get in truck and it won't start. Plugged it up and no help from that. Now my fuel guage hasn't worked, but I don't think it would be out of fuel. Put 5 gallons in any way. Still nothing. Bumped the drain on the fuel filter and got fuel. So I'm stumped. Injector pump? 12 valves don't have a lift pump do they? What else could it be? I tried and tried to start it and nothing. When I changed the filter I know it took a while to pick fuel up, but not this long. Dave

 

Yep, the 12 valve has a lift pump. Ours are known to be very very reliable. Try starting your truck and DON'T turn the key off. Go out and try lifting the plunger on the shut off solenoid. If it moves up and stays, you have an electrical problem. Start at the left battery and try pulling on the blue (I think) wire. It is a fusible link and may burn and you won't see it, but it will stretch. If it is good, check the relay on the firewall. Try switching the two relays and see what happens. You can also try checking the boot under the shut off solenoid for tears. Sometimes they rip and the linkage wants to stick. Good luck and keep us informed.
Tom

 

Check those rubber supply ans return lines. Pressurize the filler neck with a 12v compressor and a rag.

 

You probably airlocked the injection pump. After making sure you have pure fuel with no bubbles at the bleed screw on top of filter crack open a couple of lines at the injectors and crank it over till fuel appears then tighten them up and start.
Also make sure your shutdown solenoid is lifting up.

 

Shut off plunger! Left key on, pushed it up, and vrrroooommmm. Haven't tried the solenoids or the fusible link wire yet. It was dark and chilly. Maybe tommorrow. The boot didn't feel quite right but I'll try to look at it better also. Thanks guys. Now I just have to fix the problem. Dave

 

Just fought the same battle with my 96 - same mileage as yours. If the solenoid will hold with key on after manual lift then it is relay or wire to relay.

Check for power to relay with a meter - it should have a constant 12V to one side. If no power then check blue wire at driver side battery post connection.

If it is the relay they are 70A and not available from the local parts houses (LarryB has them for $20 - http://www.fostertruck.com/dodge/) or $52 from Dodge (comes as double with fuel heater relay).

BTW - Piers has the solenoid for $150 (way to go Piers!) http://www.piersdiesel.com/

Good luck. Figured at 173,600 miles mine was due.

 

Thanks for the info redram. Hope to get it fixed soon. Its getting old having to pop the hood every time I go somewhere.

 

just fixed the problem on my '94 with the same mileage. What I did is clean all of my battery terminals by putting them in bakingsoda and water. It is now fixed so try on yours.

 

umm does it just click or does it crank??

 

It does nothing until I push in the shutoff plunger, the key has to be on. Then it will start no problem. I figure its the wire or relay.

 

prime the fuel to make sure u got fuel ready to go.....if there's clicking then there's a hundred threads on here for that

clean battery terminals...make sure all that junk on the drivers side terminal (the busy one) is clean and not fried....check that blue wire there too for corrosion or tears ....then check on ur starter the two contacts for corrosion and make sure they're tight...if that doesnt help then take the starter off and clean up the contacts on there or better yet replace them with jumbo contacts and ur good to go

 

I have cleaned my battery terminals. I do need to check the wire. Also, where is that relay at? Is it in the fusebox under the hood? I ask because all the relays have the same part and I switched them around and it didn't help.

 

 

look around here for a # on a relay from radio shack. I got mine for 6 bucks. if thats the problem, its a cheap fix