I was driving my truck yesterday and it died on me in the intersection. I tried to re-start the truck to no avail. I was finally able to get the truck restarted by turning the ignition and holding my foot on the accelerator. At this point there was ALOT of white smoke and the engine did not run very smooth. The truck would run as long as you had your foot on the accelerator, but would not idle. I got the truck home and checked the lift pump which seems to be functioning properly. I also replaced the fuel filter which when replaced allowed the truck to start without problem and it ran fine for a minute or two and then subsequently died and would not start or idle unless the accelerator was pressed. I am completely perplexed to what the problem could be. Do I have bad fuel or is my worst nightmares coming true and my pump going out?? Yalls help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

I forgot to mention that the truck has alot of white smoke anytime the accelerator is held down. I also forgot to mention this problem only appeared yesterday, I have not been experiencing any problems at all in the past.

 

Sounds to me like you have a leak somewhere and air is getting into the system. Disconnet the fuel line before the lift pump and stick it into a can of diesel. Prime the lift pump, start the truck and if it runs normally, you know you have a leak somewhere in the fuel line. Or pressurize the gas tank a little bit with an air line or leaf blower and look on the ground for leaks.

 

Someone other than you get fuel recently? Any chance some gas got put into the tank? The lack of power/white smoke could be the advance piston stuck in advance in the IP. Crappy fuel and or gas can do this. What did the old fuel filter's insides look like? Smell like gas?

 

Im with JJ on this ,it sounds like air in the system,I had similar issues after replacing my IP while trying to get the lines bled of air.I also ended up having two bad injectors.

 

sorry it has taken me so long to reply, but i have been out of town on business. i am the only one who fills this truck up and I know for sure it was diesel in the tank. the old filter did not smell strange or anything however, i did fear a bad fuel issue so i drained the tank and replaced it with new fuel and I am still experiencing the same problems except a little worse now the truck will not idle and it once again smokes alot of white smoke when the throttle is advanced. do you think an air in lines issue would just show up all of a sudden like this and cause such a night and day difference in the way my truck runs?? i hope this is the problem cause i do not have the money for a new pump. i will check the fuel lines tomorrow and see if that could be the problem. any other ideas would be greatly appreciated, thanks

 

Those plastic molded-on fittings on top of the tank get brittle with age and easily cracked/broken.

That is the first place to look.

It could even be inside the tank in the sending-unit/fuel-draw gizmo; BC847 has an excellent pictorial on that system in the sticky.

The short sections of flexible line, one from truck-frame to tank, and the other from truck-frame to lift-pump can also rot and start leaking.

A hard-steel line can split.

Even the lift-pump housing can split.

As already suggested, add a temporary hose to the inlet side of the lift-pump and stick it in a jug of fuel; if the engine runs good, then you know the problem is from that point back toward the tank.

If it still acts up, then move this temporary line ahead of the lift-pump, to eliminate it as the problem. (the VE injection-pump will draw from the jug, even without the lift-pump connected)

 

fuel filter loose crack in fuel system check from the ip for leaks all the way back.

 

where should i connect the fuel line to the IP from my can of fuel to rule out air leaks thanks

 

First connect the temporary line to the intake-side of the lift-pump; this one is easy, as the lift-pump intake has a section of rubber-hose, 5/16 I think, that is removed so the temporary hose can be applied.


If it still acts up, the draw for the injector-pump is located on top of the pump, on the forward end, just ahead of the throttle lever.

For this one, you will need a 12MM metric adapter to get things to connect to normal fuel-line; it may take two or three adapter-fittings to accomplish this.>>>>DO NOT LOSE THE COPPER WASHERS as they are the seals.

 

ok here is a new problem that i not believe is connected but you never know, i was out working with the truck yesterday and trying yalls suggestions and while i was starting the truck, i noticed smoke coming from my battery and then i cranked the truck again and the negative terminal began sparking. so i must have a short somewhere, i have NO clue where, but this is not connected to my issues i am having with the truck not running and not starting right is it??? also when i put the truck in gear it will instantly die. it just sounds like the truck does not have the power to be put in gear and it dies, then when you try to restart the truck it will not even turn over or try to start, i assume this is connected to my negative battery sparking problem, but i also didnt know if could be connected to my truck not idling, not starting well, and not having power to put in gear. thanks guys for your help

 

hey guys i have a new discovery that might fix some of these problems, but none of my auto parts store carry or even can order this part. i need your help finding the little black plastic drain that screws into the bottom of the fuel filter. i assume this is a water in fuel drain, but none of the auto parts stores will carry the part and i need to know where to find this part because it is leaking fuel really bad and could be causing air to get into the system

 

Go back to those part stores and ask for a filter with no drain. It will be a fuel filter, not fuel/water separator. FS1221 is a good solution, as it eliminates the water in fuel sensor, (little black plastic drain as you call it), and has a drain **** only. Or a filter with no drain provision. NAPA carries them, I don't have the part number, but their computer or books should be able to cross or find a filter related to the stock filter but with no drain etc.

 

Unrelated. Clean the battery terminals and make sure the cables are tight. You may need to remove the clamp bolts from the terminals and file the cable terminals to get them to really tighten up.

And do what Bill said with the filter, that will likely cure your problem.

 

If the filter-drain is only leaking through the nipple, as in the internal mechanism isn't sealing off, you can clamp a short length of PLUGGED hose over the nipple, thereby stopping the leak.


This is a common fix on the Ford diesels that have the seperate water-seperator that costs a fortune.


As I use up my supply of open-bottom stock-type filters, I am switching all of my Cummins engines over to the FleetGuard FS1221 fuel-filter that has an integral drain-valve made on the filter, as in you get a new valve with each new filter.

I put the plastic drain mechanisms in bags and keep them in the trucks for the event that I were to need a fuel-filter and all I could get was the stock type; of course, I also carry extra filters, but one never knows just what situation might come about.



If a battery-cable is sparking/arcing, it isn't making contact.

Clean and adjust the cable-ends for good contact.

A weak battery connection, or a weak battery, will soon kill the starter-contacts.