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1st gen cummins sudden death

Old 09-17-2018, 11:00 AM
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1st gen cummins sudden death

My brother was driving his first gen Ram and it just stalled all of sudden on highway. He pulled over on should. I came with some tools, extra fuel (i wasnt sure if his fuel gauge was reading accurate)
Opened up fuel lines and fuel would spurt out, still wouldn't start. When it cranks, it cranks fast. What could we check?
Old 09-17-2018, 11:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Silver R/T
My brother was driving his first gen Ram and it just stalled all of sudden on highway. He pulled over on should. I came with some tools, extra fuel (i wasnt sure if his fuel gauge was reading accurate)
Opened up fuel lines and fuel would spurt out, still wouldn't start. When it cranks, it cranks fast. What could we check?
What your brother should be doing is coming here daily, and reading up on his ride. We would enjoy his company, and he would enjoy the fine group of people here. Lots of good tips and tricks here, and a few jokes along the way.





First thing to check is the FSS (Fuel Shutdown Solenoid). You will find it on the top of the fuel injector pump. There is usually a single, or two wires leading to the solenoid that energize it to allow fuel to open and enter the fuel lines.

Sometimes the plug falls off, loosens up, and it dies out. Clean the connector, and reconnect, or replace the tab with a hoop end on the wire, and it can never release itself again. Test with a test light, to ensure that when the ignition is in the on position, that there is 12V leading to that wire that's connected to the FSS. That power opens up the solenoid, and keeps the truck running.

See here:
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Old 09-17-2018, 11:30 AM
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I would look at the FSS first. Either the spade connection slipped off or something else caused it to "close".
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Old 09-17-2018, 09:15 PM
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Ive checked FSS, theres power going to it and connectors are snug. I loosed up fuel injector lines and fuel would burst out when cranking it over.
Old 09-18-2018, 03:04 AM
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Like they all have said, check the FSS,
I carry a jumper wire specifically for jumping my FSS to the battery.

If this did not happen to me so many times I would not have believed it,

check your fuel pump,
I have had 4 of them fail on my truck just since the beginning of this year and once it was catastrophic, lost my turbo.
once I was in a drive through, shut off the engine and it never started again till I replaced the fuel pump.
Make sure you do have fuel in your tank.
Jim
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Old 09-18-2018, 06:00 AM
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He says fuel is spurting out but it cranks over fast, That is not an FSS and most likely not a pump either.

Spinning over fast would indicate a loss of compression. Perhaps the dowel pin came out and did some damage to the cam gear. I would pull the valve covers, spin it over and see if the valves are opening and closing consistently. Listen for any abnormal sounds.
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Old 09-19-2018, 11:24 PM
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if the KDP came out, how hard is it to put it back together?
Old 09-20-2018, 03:11 AM
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It would depend on what damage it did.
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Old 09-20-2018, 06:40 AM
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Putting the actual KDP back in place would be the least of the issues.
It would be the damage the KDP caused while pin balling through the gears, which could be pistons and valves getting cozy with each other.
I know people that have had the KDP fall out that needed to swap in a new motor due to massive internal damage.

Follow A.J.s advise, then let us know what you found.
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Old 09-20-2018, 12:32 PM
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When did cummins fix issue with KDP? Is this still an issue on 24 valve?
Old 09-21-2018, 11:49 AM
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I would pull the plunger out of the FSS and try again. Easy to do and it eliminates the FSS from the troubleshooting process. I've had a couple different scenarios that duplicate your symptoms. Both come down to not enough fuel getting to the injectors.
Jelled fuel restricted flow to the injectors. Even though fuel was coming out when bleeding the lines, it was not enough. Yes fuel came out, yes the engine cranked over fast. Probably not your case, but you can see the point.
Corroded FSS threads in the IP body. Yes the valve opened, but not enough to maintain required flow. Same result. Cleaned the threads and applied copper anti-seize.
The point is, make certain you have a good fuel supply before spending money on expensive parts you don't need.
Check fuel lines for leaks.
Check fuel pump output.
Check fuel filter.
Check FSS.
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Old 09-21-2018, 11:17 PM
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-This isn't because I put in a bit more than a half-gallon of 1 year old canola oil, is it? I read on some forum (perhaps this one) that up to a 5% solution won't do any harm . . . poured it in last fill-up, first thing, followed by a full tank. Seems like my tank is only 20ish gallons though . . . isn't is supposed to be 33, or? Thanks y'all!
Old 09-22-2018, 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Gray92
-This isn't because I put in a bit more than a half-gallon of 1 year old canola oil, is it? I read on some forum (perhaps this one) that up to a 5% solution won't do any harm . . . poured it in last fill-up, first thing, followed by a full tank. Seems like my tank is only 20ish gallons though . . . isn't is supposed to be 33, or? Thanks y'all!
whom are you ?

Is this thread about your truck, or are you talkin. About a another, unrelated vehicle?
Old 09-22-2018, 03:59 PM
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Yes, this is my truck we're talking about. Finally decided to make an account since there are so many problems on it that without the knowledge and expertise of the experts here, I'm screwed. I'm the same one who had a stuck brake switch, soft brakes, no speedo/odo etc. Thank You for all of the informative replies so far! I'll have to take a cool pic of it, though it currently doesn't drive/start. Probably is the KDP, but who knows. Need to take off the valve covers and check for opening/closing.
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Old 09-22-2018, 04:24 PM
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Welcome aboard, glad to see that you have your own account, much easier than relying on second hand info.
Now go into your user CP at the top of the page and fill out your sig with the info about your truck, it will make it a lot easier for the members here help you trouble shoot your problems
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