First post here, but I've been learning alot from all you guys, thanks. Heres the the story. When I installed the Juice w/Attitude (along with the exaust, Pacbrake, and aFe) I found the lift pump was going bad. 5psi at idle, 2-4 around town, and 0 on acceration.... So not knowing how long this had been going on for since I had just bought the truck I was advised buy my dealer to install a FASS 150 System. Works great, started out at 20-21psi at idle and 16 WOT. Lately 23 at idle and 18 wot, why the increase? I know that the VP was due to die soon but hoped that the Fass would be sort of a band aid. All this was done at the end of August '06 at @ 162,000mi. on the truck.
I was moving from MN to AK over turkey day and with time and money issues opted not to replace the VP, if it ain't broke don't fix it.... The long haul to AK was Really COLD... I found out that the over head temp gauge in the cab bottoms out at -40º F . I didn't shut the truck off for 4 days. I read on the Cummins web site that we shouldn't let the engines idle for more that 20min... Well I had no choice, the temp gauge was bottomed out at -40º for about 12hrs.... Ok back to it. I was loaded petty heavy. 16ft trailer full of tools and house stuff, and the back fo the truck packed full also. I rode on the over loads the whole 3200mi. From time to time the engine would light switch on/off while on the road. Yah right in the middle of nowhere . Klune lake in the Yukon at -50º? is not the place for a dead VP. I made it home and shut the truck down happy I made it, only one shredded trailer tire.
Three days later I start haveing hard starting issues. 5-15 second cranks before firing. It was intermittent and didn't seem to matter if it was on a hill or hot or cold or how long I let it sit. Either normal start or hard... Well then two weeks ago while driving the engine quit. 10k after the Fass. Crank no start. Check for fuel at injector lines while cranking nothing with 23psi of lift pressure. In goes a new Blue Chip VP44. Fires right up and runs great. Started it many times at the shop no hard start . Go to the store, hard start... Hard start at home that night too. Normal start in morning before work. Really hard start going to lunch, and No START after lunch. We checked for fuel leaks, checked for fuel at injector line while cranking, (squirt squirt), pulled Batt. cables reconnect after 5mins. No start. Called boys at shop for tow.
About 3-4 mins into the tow(I had the key on while towing for ABS, Wipers,etc) I turned the key to start and it popped right off like normal, like only one crank.
SOOO what the heck is going on with my truck???? It only shows a P1693 codenwhen I do the key trick. The batts. went dead from the flashers when the VP died , and that was the only code I've found. The nearest D/C dealer is 130mi. away in Ancorage, I'm down in Seward. Still looking for a local shop with the right scan tool. My boss hasn't bought one yet even though he's a Cummin Marine dealer
I read some where that a reflash of the ECM will fix the Hard start, Issue. I'm driving the truck because Its not reliable. I hope I gave Enough Info to help you guys help me. What do you all think?

 

Heres what I have.
'01 3500 QC 4x4 DRW, 4" T back ext, Pacbrake w/custom warm-up temp switch, aFe, Juice W/Attitude, Fass 150, 2wd Low, Blue Chip VP44 @ 172k

 

some times the high pressures of a fass will effect the start up the new fass pressure are 13-14psi. As well do not rule out a small leak places I have found in the past are injector hold down nuts loosened up a little, the back fuel return line on the very back of the engine block, fuel sending units in the fuel tank will also very commonly fail and cause a slight air leak especially the older ones with metal fittings on top.

I have had the issue every year I owned this truck a some time, and am fighting it right now it seems to be never ending for me....

hope that gives you some new ideas

Jason

 

If you can get a Smarty owner to reflash your ECM, that should help with high fuel pressure on startup. It just bumps the pump. Mine just come up to 12 psi as the pump shuts off. If you talk nicely to Bob Wagner on here, he may send you a demo one to try for a while.

When you changed VPs, did you change the overflow valve? Mine wasn't working properly, and would cause a hard start condition, it would fire on 3 cylinders, dead on the next 3, fire, dead, and so on. Replaced that, and its been good since.

 

Ihave read on this forum that the 1693 code means that you have a problem with the cummins pcm and the dodge ecm communicating. I am in a similar situation but mine is still running. It runs like crap gives that 1693 code and I just replaced my vp44. See my recent posts for more info. Going back to the *********** tomorrow

 

Hey thanks guys. I just started the thing up at the shop before I left in the wifes olds, fired right up after the wait to start light went off..... Jason I've read your old posts on this subject and I am starting to feel your pain. Fun thing up here is it's really wet, with rain, snow, slush, the eskimo's have a word for it, I think it's ShT. Kinda hard to find the wet spots when its all wet, check it out when the truck drys out. Any way, I torqued the #6 injector line to 28flb with snappy line socket... Read about that one.. did the same to all the rest. I will check the return line on the back of the head, and the injector hold downs.
Didn't know about the "over flow valve" change out, is that the check valve in the return line banjo bolt on the VP? That would acount for a increase in lift psi.? I'll pick one up and try it. As for my Fass dealer, he is at X-Games ridein' hillcross for Artic Cat. I'll be ordering the low psi spring from him when I get a hold of him, he's kinda busy in the winter.
Now the Smarty I like. Will it Actually reflash the ecm like a dealer scanner will? With the Juice It seems like a really ackward stack..? Kinda makes the Attitude monitor a really expensive set of gauges. Where to go from here Dump the Juice? Get a Smarty? Run both? Lots of Dodges in town, but only a few that I can tell are not stock, a Smarty would rock
The code 1693 thing sounds right, but the truck runs awsome when it starts, unless it dies, which it has done only once so far...
Thanks for the Info and any new info that may come my way. Keep the post's coming. I have a busy week ending with our shop resqueing a NOAA weather bouy a drift in the Gulf of Alaska this weekend. It has 15,000ft of anchor hardware, or whats left of it.... (Really big bouy) It's been a drift since mid November . Its a 12 hour 5000hp (big Turbo's!!) tugboat cruise one way in fair seas. Two three day job, good pay (smarty?). I'll get back to you guys when I have an update on my progress. Thanks

 

The overflow is the return line chack valve. The Smarty will stack fine with the Juice, just run it on the even numbered software.

 

Ill get you a spring out if you shoot me your address.....I shot you a PM.......

 

Thanks Dan, I PM'd you with my info.

The wife said if a Smarty shows up at the door she wouldn't say a peep, if it fixed the truck . So I'll be checking out all the other stuff first, you know, troubleshooting..

Thanks again guys! This forum has a great group of people that makes for a steep learning curve for all involved. Just imagine if we all got together and designed a DTR engine and had cummins? produce it.... The pro audio forum guys have designed some awsome stuff that blows away all but the extreme high end stuff. Just a thought....