Ram1999

A few weeks ago my 99 stopped while driving down the road. I was in 3rd gear and on the throttle (a Toyota was on my ***!) and it just died and would not start.

The next day I bought a new fuel filter and replaced it along the road, no help. But I did notice my lift pump was dead.

Had truck towed home.

Replaced the lift pump.

I have a good flow now to the filter housing. I have bled all air from the tank to filter housing and installed a pressure guage at the filter housing that shows a steady 15 PSI when lift pump is running. I don't know what it reads while I am cranking over the engine because I can't see it. BUT...when the lift pump shuts off the guage will go back to 0 in about 5 seconds. I don't know if that is normal, or if it should hold pressure.

I have tried to bleed air from the injectors by opening the four that I can get open. The first from the front, 3rd, 4th and 5th. I can't get a wrench on the 2nd one back and the one in the back, looks like I need a tool that I don't own to reach it.

I am getting a small amount of fuel from the ones I can loosen, but not much. I did completly remove the injector line from the 1st one to see better what kind of flow i was getting, it seems to be shooting out of the line but I don't know how much is correct.

I will guess that in the past week I have tried to getting it started about 30 times. I am at wits end here.

People keep telling me they don't think it's the injection pump and I really hope they are correct. But, what could it be? What can I do to figure this out? How do I know if the injection pump is good or bad? I must be missing something here because after two weeks it still sets in my driveway and it's getting colder every day.

PChouinard

Are you doing this by yourself? I have been having fuel issues myself and I always have the wife crank the motor while I crack the injectors. Keep it cranking untill it starts to sputter on the 3 cyl you left tight. It should start to run really rough until you tighten the injectors back up. Keep it cranking the whole time. You can also bump the starter and let the lp run for 20 or so secs before cranking.

JD730

The 2nd one needs the intake horn removed to get to it properly and the last one needs nothing other than a long reach to get back there. Either way opening 3 lines is plenty sufficent.

Like PChouinard said bump the starter and let run till is shuts off, do it twice to make sure you get as much good fuel to the IP as you can. With the lines cracked, 1, 3, and 4 is enough, crank it till fuel shoots out of the cracked lines. Tighten up and it should start firing on those three and eventually work the air out of the other lines all by itself.

I hope I'm wrong, but I think your IP went to take the big nap. See if you can find someone in your area that has something to read the codes out of the computer. Since you have a 99 the on-off-on-off-on trick doesn't work with them.

Good luck with it.

b4wheeler

If you are getting fuel to the injectors, I will presume that your VP44 is just fine. You just need to crank until it starts.
Do this in small bursts, no longer than 10-15 seconds at a time.

If you are not holding pressure after the pump stops runing, you have an air leak somewhere. Check and recheck your fittings. It does not take much to bleed the pressure off.
There was a post from a guy the had a similar problem with loosing pressure and he never saw a leak, just a little moisture on a fiting. It doesn't take much.

Rammandan

I had the same problem the truck just wouldn't start one day. I bled the lines by cracking the 1st one on top and that didn't work. I then took it loose from the ip to see how much fuel was getting to it. it shot out so i figured the ip was fine long story short i ended up taking it to the dealer and they had it fixed in about 2 hrs it was a fuel sending relay it wasn't very expensive less than 100 and its been going fine ever since. I don't know wher it is or i would tell you they just fixed it themselves. i hope this helps.

Mike D

Have you tried to pull any codes yet. From reading your previous posts, it's starting to look like the vp is gone. There is no logical reason why you should have that much of a problem just from changing the LP.

If you don't have a code reader see if there is anyone in your area willing to check it for you. Might want to check with members for the PA DTR Chapter or call Doug (Jetpilot) at http://www.performancedieselwarehouse.com/ PH# 717-557-7060

Tate

You bled the air out of the lines up to the fuel filter, but did you bleed the line going to the VP? Crack the banjo bolt right on the IP to make sure you have fuel there.

Also, when I changed my filter, it took atleast 25 seconds of cranking before it would fire. Maybe thats why my starter took a dump this fall?

Ram1999

I called Auto Zone about a code reader, they ask me if the Check Engine Light was on. I said no, they said that they doubt it would tell me anything.

Is there a special reader for this?

Tate

Try a smaller place, or Napa. I've had 5 codes show up on my truck, and it never had a CEL. Demon's truck has the 0216 code, and his CEL wasn't on.

Ram1999

I'm still looking for a code reader.

But I am wondering about the fuel pressure going back to zero after the LP shuts off. I installed a Campaign lift pump, would that make a difference? I thought that I read here some place that this LP will allow flow through it when it's not running. I can't find a leak, and retightened and checked all connections.

Mcmopar

Any updates? Are you getting a "good" amount of fuel out of the injector lines yet?

Mike D

If the pump is not running you won't have any pressure. Sounds like your lift pump is working fine. Go to Walmart and buy a code reader, they're not too expensive, bring it back when you're done if you don't want to keep it.

Ram1999

To all that helped me out here.

BUT...I had enough. I called a diesel injection repair shop a few miles away. He said he will flat bed it in to his shop and will check it out. If it's the IP he will charge me $1100 for the pump and $250 to install it. The weather is turning ugly here, snow and very cold on the way tonight and I am out in my driveway because the garage is full of other toys.

I really wanted to do it myself so I learn a few things and save some money but this deal is too good to pass on.

Thanks again to all here!

Mike D

That is a good deal. Hope everything works out for you.